Stacking buckshot for 12ga

[wonderwolf]

What size buckshot stacks well in layers of 3's for 12gauge? I wan't to say its 00 but I simply can't remember

[arclight]

You are correct - 'OO' Buck stacks nicely in 3's. If anyone is interested, my math teacher girlfriend did a paper on this for a University class. Basically, there is a formula that will tell you how large the pellets can be for a given gauge in order to stack if 3s, 4s, etc.

Arclight



What size buckshot stacks well in layers of 3's for 12gauge? I wan't to say its 00 but I simply can't remember

[skiforce]

Can you please post the formula or PM it to me?


Thanks

[Russel Nash]

well... I tried racking my brain on this and went through several google searches...but I am befuddled by this problem. So, uhh...hmmn... yeah, your best bet is to use the software/computer program.

So am like this guy here: :???:

This is the closest diagram/sketch I could find on the net of what I was trying to accomplish:

http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~ucfcasio/pow/unitcir.gif

those 3 circles there would represent the buckshot.

What you have to picture in your mind is a compass or a trammel swinging a larger circle from the center of the triangle that would inscribe those three circles.

That larger circle would represent the inside diameter of your wad or shot cup.

And then how many 3 pellet layers of buckshot you could stuff into the wad would be determined by the wad and/or hull length.

[NavyGuns45]

I rederived the formula for this recently. For D = bore diameter (or hull/wad ID, whatever you pick for the constraint), and d = diameter of the pellet: d = D / ((1/Cos A)+1) where A = 1/2 the interior angle of the polygon formed by the outer ring of pellets, or A = (180 * (n-2)) / 2n where n = number of pellets in the outer ring.

[DDriller]

Here's a site the has a calculator for circles inside circles. You will need to know the inside diameter of your shell with the wad in it if you are using plastic wads with shot cups.
https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/smaller-circles-in-larger-circle-d_1849.html

[Cap'n Morgan]

For an ultra simple formula, multiply the ball diameter with 2.154 to find the circumscribed diameter.

To find the best ball size for a given bore/choke diameter, divide bore diameter with 2.154

[NavyGuns45]

What Cap'n Morgan posted is what you get by plugging n=3 into my formula. Here's a few more worked out...

288900

(edited to insert table as picture because it destroyed the formatting when I'd tried typing it into the post)

[la5676]

I dunno about all the formulas, but #1 buck nestles down in the base of a 12 ga wad very snugly, then rotate the next layer about 120 degrees, the balls nestle down into the valleys of the first layer balls. #1 is .30 cal. A guy might squeeze 00 buck (.33) in there, but it would leave bulges in the hull I would think. I cast my own #1 buck balls, but don't have a 00 mould.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Or you could just drop three pellets into the wad and see what size fits evenly. 00 stacks 3 in 3 layers for 9 total. You need some kind fo buffer material in there too.

My Pellet Mould drops .319 and those are 0, and they stack just fine.

Randy

[RMc]

Would it not be of greater import to fit the pellet stack to the choke?

[Hanzy4200]

My 00 buck will only stack in 3's if you are not using a shot cup. With any traditional wad, it's by 2's.

[Hamish]

Or you could just drop three pellets into the wad and see what size fits evenly. 00 stacks 3 in 3 layers for 9 total.

Randy

You beat me to it,,,,,

[GhostHawk]

I agree with la5676.

I tried OO buck and after half a box gave up. Don't think I got one useable round that would chamber. Some of them made obvious dimples in the hull.

But you can count 9 #1 balls into your hand, pour them into the hull and they will self stack in 3 stacks of 3.
Add some filler and I use an overshot card. My father in law was a lifetime hunter. He thought I was pulling his leg. No way you made those shells, they are too perfect. 25 perfect rounds out of 25 try's once I got the stack height right.

Yeah they weigh a little less, not a lot. Less weight = more speed.

[Hanzy4200]

Getting 00 to stack correctly, and not dimple, is a frustrating process. I never loaded a shot shell prior to 3 months ago. I am currently at over $850 in materials, press not included. Wads, hulls, powder, new Spinex crimp starter, roll crimper, roll crimper vise, Spin Doctor, more wads, manuals, molds, over and under shot cards, more wads, ect. Getting your wad column right, and proper use of overshot cards is critical. That, and LOTS of wasted test hulls. Roll crimping also avoids dimpling, but has other challenges. I never knew how deep this rabbit hole went when I picked up that free old MEC jr press.

[RMc]

Getting 00 to stack correctly, and not dimple, is a frustrating process.

Then stack 00B incorrectly instead!

At least that's what Federal did.

Back in the 1980's Federal actually patented a specific way of stacking buckshot pellets in shotshells to get better patterns. This resulted in the Federal Premium line of buckshot with "Spiral Stacking."

The new Premium Buckshot ammo was advertised on highway billboards through out the South as well as in magazine style "Adverzines" sold from grocery store magazine racks in the 1980's.


http://www.google.com/patents/US4679505

[Hamish]

They got a patent for stacking spheres in a cylinder in the manner that spheres will naturally stack in an an enclosed cylinder???

[smilie=b:

[Cap'n Morgan]

Maybe I should patent my stackable, breakawayable buckshot ball protector/separator thingamabob disc.

https://i.imgur.com/PxXuAAv.jpg

[RMc]

They got a patent for stacking spheres in a cylinder in the manner that spheres will naturally stack in an an enclosed cylinder???

[smilie=b:

Essentially - stacking the pellets in a slightly offset pattern allowed the large pellets to shift and flow rather than compress when passing through choke constriction.

Hence my previous post:

Would it not be of greater import to fit the pellet stack to the choke?

Shotgunning is steeped in tradition and traditional expectations. For example, back in 1963, when Winchester introduced the Mark V plastic shot collar and buffer to their new line of buckshot, the traditional three pellet per layer 00B pellet stack was retained. To accomodate the reduced space, pellet diameter was also reduced to .323"

Indeed the 9 pellet 00B payload is so ingrained with consumers, that current Remington "standard" 00B loads still contain 9 pellets in two by two stack - with one lone pellet in the top of the shot cup. There is plenty of room in that power piston wad for a 10th pellet - but for consumer expectations!

Ditto for "High Brass."

[OldBearHair]

Single 0 and # 4 buckshot work in 16 gauge .