Buffering shot loads? Chime in, boys.

[hondamikek]

I'm still a novice with reloading.. just under 2yrs into so far. I've gotten mixed opinions from local guys on using buffer for heavy loads. I notice a lot of factory turkey loads have buffer, as do buckshot. What's your opinion on it? And also... aside from the BPI stuff they sell, anyone use some homemade stuff? Been told corn meal, bird seed, etc. Thanks!

[Lloyd Smale]

did some experimenting years ago with handloaded buck and found the patterns were no better with buffer. that was with both #4 buck and OO.

[barkerwc4362]

The load needs to be designed for the use of buffer. Just adding it randomly will not work. I have used it in specifically in designed loads with mixed success

Bill

[Polymath]

I use corn meal buffer in my #4 buck and Quad Aught. Good results.

[hoodat]

I would think that with softer shot, the difference would be more profound. Also with a shot-cup. Harder shot, plated, or steel, not so much. jd

[Sam Sackett]

Agree with Hoodat. Thought the buffer was used to keep the soft shot from deforming…

Sam Sackett

[stubshaft]

I bought some Grex when it first came out with the expectation of getting tighter patterns. After much experimentation, I found that it was best suited as a filler for cast boolits. Is/was a great marketing ploy.

[megasupermagnum]

Buckshot is unique in that small changes can make monumental differences. A lot of times buffer will tighten buckshot patterns, often dramatically. Sometimes buffer does nothing. I've never seen buffer cause wider patterns.

Bird shot is a lot more predictable I feel safe saying buffer will always tighten birdshot patterns to some degree. As stated earlier, you can not add buffer to non-buffer load data. Buffer will raise chamber pressure more than anything else you can do in a shotgun, even more than a primer swap. As a result, many buffered loads are slower than non-buffer loads.

The matter of opinion is whether these traits are desirable. Buffer will tighten patterns, but you may sacrifice velocity, and it is a lot more work to add. If you are hunting pheasants, you probably do not want to use a buffered load. If your shotgun is a fixed IC or Modified choke, then maybe a buffered load could allow your gun to perform like a full choked gun and non-buffer loads.

Turkey is one area you are wasting time if you aren't using buffer. Someone gets mad every time I say it. No, you don't NEED buffer to kill turkey. You absolutely do need buffer if you want to match or exceed factory loads. You will not get as tight of patterns as a Federal Strut Shok, or Winchester Long beard, or similar without buffer. It won't happen. If you aren't trying to extend your range, a plain old #7.5 trap load will kill turkey to 30 yards, 35 in the right gun. The one single reason to load.a turkey load without buffer is to reduce recoil.

Buckshot for coyote or deer, I have never seen a non-buffer load shoot tight enough for my liking. That's all I'll say about that.

Steel shot ducks is one area I haven't seen an improvement with buffer. Even if it did, steel isn't dense enough for shots outside of 40-45 yards anyway.

Bismuth for ducks is a whole other matter. Buffer tightens patterns to the same degree as lead. Whether that is a good attribute is up to you. For example, I recently tried low recoil loads in a full choke gun. Non-buffer shot about 67% at 40 yards, buffer brought that to 81%. Being as I was setting this up for under 45 yard shots, the non-buffer was the best choice. In a modified choke gun, I might choose buffer. In a stronger load, there might be enough shot that the wider pattern would have adequate density even at longer range. Unlike turkey, velocity matters more for ducks and geese. That said, I have never seen a fast load perform to the level of a slower buffered load. For example, a 1400 fps load of #5 is similar in penetration to 1200 fps of #4. I have yet to see a fast load of #5 shoot a pattern dense enough to out perform the buffered load of #4.

I won't say that buffer doesn't help more on soft shot, but it still helps hard shot. In fact, using soft shot with buffer is a waste of time. If your goal is tight patterns, use the roundest, hardest shot you can. You would be better off running Lawrence magnum shot with no buffer, than adding buffer to Eagle chilled shot.

[6pt-sika]

I use buffer in most of my buckshot loads . Started using it in the 10 , then the 12 , then the 8 . Haven’t tried it in the 16 , 20 or 28 .

[243winxb]

Use plastic buffer, it works. Solid wads where petals* can't open. Plated shot. Lower velocity. 1 size larger bird shot.

Easy on the choke. A full choke may blow patterns.

Gold Medal all purpose flour has been used as a buffer with #2 plated bird shot. The load produced 100 % pattern at 40 yards when i tested it. Flour can draw moisture. Pressure may rise to dangerous levels.

[megasupermagnum]

I wouldn't be scared of choke. If you are really trying to maximize range for turkey or whatever, I'd START at extra full, and go tighter from there. A "turkey" choke of 0.60" constriction is not excessive. It isn't until you get to .075" constriction that things often go south.

Again, buckshot is an oddball. I usually like full or extra full. Having a modified shoot tightest is not unheard of, but I wouldn't call it common.

[ASSASSIN]

"My" experience with buffer, namely buffer from Precision Reloading.

Turkey loads - copper plated 7 1/2 shot, buffered, has always been my favorite shot for turkey hunting. I shoot a Hastings .640 choke tube in a 30" Remington 870 barrel with a highly lengthened and polished forcing cone. My loads will produce 100% patterns every time at 40 yards, and any distance less than that will completely remove a turkey's head from it's body.

Crow loads - I am a fanatic when it comes to shooting crows, and I have two specific loads that I use. One is a 1 1/8 oz. load of Magnum #2 lead, and the other one is a 1 1/8 oz. load of nickel plated #5. Both loads average 1,500 fps. and both loads use the P-R buffer. The nickel plated load is for wing shooting, and the Magnum #2 load is for busting crows out of the top of pine trees, or across plowed fields at extreme shotgun distances.

Steel shot - the only loads that I buffer are when using T steel and BBB steel. Loads are 12 ga. 2 3/4" with a velocity of 1,650 fps.. Both shot sizes will produce 100% patterns at 60 yards, depending on barrel and choke used.

Buckshot - T shot for coyote and 0 for deer. Both shot sizes produce 100% patterns at 50+ yards.

Without buffer in my loads, pattern percentage drops at least 20% or more, depending on choke and shooting distance.

With the P-R buffer, just adding to a non buffered load will raise chamber pressures from 2,000 to 10,000 psi or more, depending on each specific load.

Lead loads can be a little more forgiving, but when it comes to steel shot, pressures can spike to very dangerous levels!

If buffer is to be added to any load, it is best to send loads off to have them pressure tested from independent sources.

[megasupermagnum]

Here is another example. My brother loves 20 gauge, and his gun has a fixed modified choke. It's pathetic with steel shot, as in 25 yards is about all you can count on a sure kill. No, he hasn't tried every steel shot load under the sun.

Instead I made him some bismuth loads. The best unbuffered loads patterned somewhere in the 60% range, definitely not good enough with the tiny payloads of a 20 gauge. Going to buffered loads, there is one mean load in Tom Roster's manuals for 1 1/8 oz of bismuth with IMR 4227. This one shot a 78% pattern at 40 yards, with a modified choke. It's simply outstanding. It is a pain in the neck to load, but that's the cost of performance. Now some will look at the load, 1 1/8 oz at 1275 fps, and think, huh, that's slower than some factory loads that are getting 1350. What those factory loads don't have though is buffer, and if you look up some of the pattern results of the Kent bismuth, you will see they are trash ammo. In reality, most shotgun powders in 20 gauge struggle to get even 1200 fps with a buffered 1 1/8 oz load, that's how much pressure buffer adds. In this case, Tom Roster found a way to use rifle powder, and it is a doozy. You can load ammo as fast as the factory loads, there's load data straight from BPI, those guys love speed, there's probably 1500+ fps loads from them. Without buffer though, it's pointless.

On the other hand, if you had a removable choke, you might be able to put in an extra full, or turkey choke, and you might get away with unbuffered loads just fine, although you would still be leaving performance on the table.