100% 000 Buck load

[Beaverhunter2]

Tried a load for 12 gauge 000 Buck (actually Lee .350 RB) in my 24F- and my search is over!

I'm getting 100% 8 pellet patterns at 41 yds. Actually, they may stretch a good bit further because my patterns are less than 24" diameter.

Here's the data:

Remington Unibody 2 3/4"
Federal 209 Primer
26.0 gr SR4756
RP12 (50lb Wad Pressure)
15.0 gr of BP Buffer
8 pellets- Lee .350RB WCWW
20 ga Overshot Card
Fold Crimp

The muzzle velocity is 1100fps and there are no signs of high pressure. I used the modified choke tube.

Hope this is useful for someone.

John

[EMC45]

Are you going to kill beavers with it?

[missionary5155]

Good morning Beaverhunter2
Emc45 has a good Question...
The problem with buckshot is energy loss. Granted I would not want to get hit with your load at 40 yards... BUT is it going to penetrate enough to kill lets say a 100 pound dog today ? Up close (20 yards and less) you probably have a good load... But how many wounded deer are never found every year because someone else tries a past 25 yard shot with buckshot...
I know some one off and on does it and the deer is found.. But there´s some fellers with tracking dogs that sure get a good work out every year tracking buck shot deer.
Buckshot is a GREAT fight stopper up close. Riot control.. home defense... walking point in a jungle.. guarding tanks in a motorpool. But as far as a hunting load for large critters I would not think about it myself past 20 yards.
Mike in Peru

[flounderman]

I use buckshot ahead of the dogs in eastern north carolina and I can tell you that you don't want to be hit with one at 100 yards. I don't recover many tripple ought. they go thru. I am not a fan of anything smaller than 00, but the tripple ought is a killer. I loaded some with a hot load of 9 double ought a few years ago and they would drop a deer with one pellet a long ways off. as long as the dogs are behind the deer, it isn't going to get away and usually only goes a few yards. everybody can say what they want about buckshot, but I have been using it for 25 years and I didn't read about it, I used it. the tripple ought is by far the most effective, but a 3 inch of 00, will get the job done a long ways off.

[missionary5155]

Greetings Flounderman
Where I hunt we do not run deer with dogs... The Powers frown on that and I am more inclinded to sneal about in the river bottoms. I am glad you have such good success. I have not seen it through the years with most hunters and 000 or any Buck shot.
Mike in Peru

[Slowpoke]

flounderman has it right, many thousands of deer are killed every year here on the east coast with buckshot, daily kill number's are staggering from some of the clubs. I know young boys with 20 kills under their belt.

good luck

[Beaverhunter2]

I have used buckshot for deer- but not anymore. The deer that were shot were recovered, but only by snow tracking and the grace of God. (We can't use dogs here.) From my limited experience, buckshot doesn't leave much of a blood trail, although at close ranges, trails are very short.

The load is what it is- a tight patterning blast of 8 - 70 grain hard lead balls. Use it at your own risk for your own purposes. However, I wouldn't want anyone sending one of those loads my way!

John

BTW EMC45: When I shoot beaver (which requires a damage control permit in Michigan), I use a .223 with 50gr Speer TNTs. No ricochets and devastating to the beavers. Most often, I trap them- no special permits required in-season. ;)

[JW6108]

When I lived on the Georgia coast where deer hunting with dogs was big (not for me, however), I had a gent tell me he stood up a cardboard silhouette of a deer at 100 yards and let fly at it with his 10 gauge H&R single shot and a 3 1/2" magnum load of #4 buckshot. He got one pellet in it and proudly stated that as far as he was concerned it would be good up to that distance.

He was serious.

I didn't say anything.....nothing charitable came to mind.

[klcarroll]

I don't use 00 Buck to hunt anything: ......I consider it to be specifically reserved for "Peasant Season"! (...Defensive use.)

.......But as such, I load quite a lot of it, and practice with it regularly. .....Soooo, I am very interested in any load information people wish to share!

So far, my loads have come right out of the Lyman Manual, ....and I am sure there is room for improvement there. I would particularly like to know about high mass loads for 2 3/4" hulls. (Something like 12 - 15 pellets @ 800 - 1000 fps.)

Kent

[Beaverhunter2]

BTW Regarding my 24F, I forgot to mention that the other barrel is a .30-30. I'm not planning on using the 12 gauge barrel for deer for obvious reasons! 8-)

John

[RP]

Well I chime in on this one buckshot will drop a deer and it will do it way out there, But you got to hit the deer a long shot is a gamble some take it. Myself a long shot is like shooting at one with a rifle with no sights if you hit it maybe it will be a good shot. With buckshot I shoot until the deer is down or out of shells areas I hunt are very thick so I want to knock them down fast finding one is hard work sometimes.