I just bought a 00 buckshot mold and I was wondering which would be better for home defense, hard or soft buckshot ?
TIA, Dennis
I just bought a 00 buckshot mold and I was wondering which would be better for home defense, hard or soft buckshot ?
TIA, Dennis
I load 00bk in 10 an 12.. IMHO.. For a Home Defense Hardness don't count. at that close range. I focus on low recoil. Like a load for 3 gun. low recoil fast follow up. plus the wife can shoot them...
Hard for full choke, soft for more open.
And I agree, varmints won't be able to tell the difference.
I also agree with Kskybroom. I prefer 9 #1 buckshot ie 30 caliber. Easier to load, 3 stacks of 3 drop right in, no bulges, solid crimp.
As I understand it. The harder shot resists the squeeze, less deforming of pellets, so fewer wild pellets. More in the pattern where you want them.
Softer lead especially in a straight cylinder bore does not get squeezed so no need for harder.
Counter intuitive, perhaps yes.
Don't take my word for it.
GhostHawk, it took me 2 yrs and more different loads than I can count to figure that out for myself! Squeeze soft lead in a wad and tight choke it's gonna swage. Give it some room (no wad and cylinder bore you've got a decent load. My best though is very hard lead in a wad and a tight choke.
Yes, take his word for it...
"My main ambition in life is to be on the devil's most wanted list."
Leonard Ravenhill
I use a lee 00 mold with clip-on ww then water quench them and let them sit for a couple of days. Then I put them in an old viberating tumbler with a small
amount of dry graphite from a spray can and let I run for 8 hours. they turn out smooth and shiny black. I load 6 in a 2-3/4 fiocchi hull, cheditte 209
primer , DRXXL orange wad, 20 grains of promo or red dot. soft on the shoulder and very tight pattern in my old 870 with I/C barrel. I call this Tactical Buckshot
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |