Tungsten Super Shot (TSS) has mostly been a good thing for turkey hunting. But lets look into it further yet. For Coyotes I personally would use a .223, but if you have to use a shotgun to 75 yards, I'd go with Hornady 3" Heavy Coyote: Hornady Heavy Mag Coyote Ammo 12 Ga 3 00 Buckshot Nickel - MPN: 86224. Hit probability was determined by shooting a Mossberg 590 from a shooting bench at various distances from a FLETC Transitional Target II with the (5) different cartridge types. Size, penetration, and energy all make buckshot more lethal than birdshot. I think thats pretty safe to say. Back before the days of screw in chokes we deer hunted brair patches and cedar thickets with with hounds and shotguns. This video shows the results. Its an extended Full choke, and inside you can see five rings indicating steps down from bore diameter to Full. Slugs are good to go up to about 100 yards: both because they . What is the effective range of 12-gauge 00 buckshot? I just found this; thank you! Yeah, but we were more interested in what the rounds are actually doing at that distance. America's Ultimate Shooting Sports Discounter, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window). So how are buckshot patterns affected by distance and barrel length? Same thing with #1 buckshot at longer ranges, more pellets, but less energy and damage per pellet. Too bad we purchased all the 870's with IC barrels before we started issuing 8 pellet. but you may find then woefully lacking further . (Again this pattern with with the 18.5" Benelli with the IC choke) Attached File A 20 gauge . -CB]. Beyond about 30 to 50 yards, the spread from most shotguns becomes too unpredictable to reliably guarantee that any of the pellets will hit the intended target. In order to provide a further verification check, a Winchester 1300 12 gauge with 28 barrel (cylinder bore) was shot at 25 yards distance from 10% ballistic gelatin blocks with all shotshell types used in this report. The factory lists the velocity at 1,325 fps. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Amazon and other companies linked to on this site. Slugs These are essentially oversized bullets designed to be fired from a shotgun. Believe me, it works. Reply. We chose those because, well, we like them first of all, but they hold a really tight pattern and its not feasible to do this at 50, 100 yards if youve got the pellets going all over the place. I tried laying the buckshot in pairs in 3 stacks and the patterns were . Shotguns are well known for their ability to increase hit probability and to deliver what is commonly believed to be devastating terminal effectiveness at close range. Most stock barrels were less than .5 per yard. Additionally, shotgun slugs retain their energy better and typically penetrate much deeper than buckshot. The Shooter's Log, is to provide informationnot opinionsto our customers and the shooting community. But the range to shoot patterns is the range you shoot your birds. For the purposes of this report, the definition of buckshot is broken out into two categories: deformed and spherical. This shotgun includes a SureFire forearm, a BlackHawk Knoxx Stock and a three-point sling. 9 pellets of 00 buck, only 8 of 000. Ok, here are my current patterns: all based on Federal 00 buckshot and a mossberg 500 12ga. Federal Premium LE127 00 full power buckshot, 9-pellet Killed a lot of deer with that combo. This load patterns best in all my shotguns. Incidentally, as often happens with buckshot, one of the nine pellets seemed to miss the big piece of cardboard I was shooting at entirely. It never seemed to pattern well. [Part 2], Why Wont the Ruger Mini-14 Just Die? Heres some news: It just doesnt work like that. In one memorable shootout from the movie, a desperado is taking off down a street when Mississippi lets loose with his scattergun. Its consistently the best grouping buckshot out there. Its not very big. The 000 spreads at a linear rate instead of an exponential one, all the way out to about 50 yards. And Benny should chime in on this but it has always been my impression that OO is going to pattern tighter than OOO. Very possible. There isnt much out there in 000 buckshot, its never really been popular. Hit probabilities measured for each shotshell can be found in Table 1 below. I selected the distances of 12, 30, 50, 60 and 75 feet for the test, as these run the gamut from close range to the maximum distance a standard 12-gauge smoothbore might perform. Dec 25, 2018. I actually killed all of my deer this way. Federal Premium LE132 00 low recoil buckshot, 9-pellet 3. Of course, do you want to use a shotgun beyond 25 yards? If you are shooting No.3 or No.4 buckshot, you should keep it under 30 yards. It just performs too erratically past 25 yards for me to consider. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. The soft lead deforms, causing less uniformity and spacing out the shot in the pattern. The driving determinant of drag force is the velocity that an object travels at in this case the 00 buckshot was initially traveling radially outward at 5 ft/sec while the muzzle velocity of this shell was 1300 ft/sec. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,600],'guntradition_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_3',115,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-guntradition_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0');You really want most of your pattern to be on the deer. The full pattern guys like smaller buckshot so they have more pellets in the target. You can maximize your shotguns effectiveness by selecting buckshot that is effective out to your maximum planned engagement distance and no further. Shooting again at 25 yards, the 18-inch-barreled 500 created a 6.5-inch pattern while the 14-inch-barreled 590A1 produced a 14-inch pattern. In a Mossberg 590A1 CYL, I have seen consistent patterns of less than 6". I didn't buy a cylinder choke, but I might well try it. Buckshot will kill you at 100 yards. At 50 yards they lose a tremendous amount of velocity and energy no matter how fast you start them. Now let's look at the 60 yard penetration test. As you can see, it made a 27 inch spread. This is a little thing we like to call Stuff John and Chris Wanna Know. So John, tell us, what do we want to know today? I use BB, F buck, and #4 Buck for hunting Coyotes. CHRIS: Right, and thats with your gun. CHRIS: Yeah, it was around nine inches at 50 [yards]. All that John Shaft, shoot-from-the-hip, Hollywood crap is just thatcrap. This minimum velocity was found in Phase I, the terminal ballistics portion of the testing. Hornady has several 00 buckshot that uses their flitecontrol shot-cup wad. Pretty lame putting only 66% or so on-target when the remington consistantly does 80-100%. If I remember correctly. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". But this is about the effective range of it, any further you are taking risks of under penetration, and vast spreads that may not hit anything, at least effectively. CHRIS: Yeah, so I think if theres any big takeaway here, its that, in most cases and every shotgun is different but your pattern is going to become pretty much useless before the pellets are no longer doing what you want them to do. You have more pellets, but less energy per pellet. For instance, loads of 12-gauge 00 buck are commonly available in 8 to 18 pellets depending on the lengths from 2 3/4 to 3 1/2. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. I founded TFB in 2007 and over 10 years worked tirelessly, with the help of my team, to build it up into the largest gun blog online. The #4 would be something for walking in the dark using it as a defensive shell i. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'guntradition_com-box-4','ezslot_1',110,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-guntradition_com-box-4-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'guntradition_com-box-4','ezslot_2',110,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-guntradition_com-box-4-0_1');.box-4-multi-110{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:7px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:7px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:250px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}Where you shoot depends on your buckshot, how tight the pattern is, how much penetration it will get, and how far the deer is. This is a relatively large pellet, measuring just .33 inches in diameter. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. The buffered, extra-hard buckshot is contained within a two-piece wad with full-length cuts made to the shotcup. Stuff You Should Know About Buckshot [Part 1], More Stuff You Should Know About Buckshot [Part 2], The Backyard Sniper Lightweight Edition, Why Wont the Ruger Mini-14 Just Die? CHRIS: Yeah, theyre around 1100 feet per second. A very small, tight pattern with 000 or 00 buckshot is quite effective, but the smaller the pattern, the greater the possibility of a complete miss. 90 percent of my deer were killed with buckshot. Shotguns increase hit probability by launching multiple projectiles per trigger pull but the limitation is that shotshells can only hold so many spheres or pellets. Typical patterns for a 410 are the same as a larger gauge . Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. I specifically chose the companys Federal Premium Maximum load with nine pellets of 00 buckshot. By itself, its not an adequate target. Try testing #1 buckshot. Specs: Gauge 12 Gauge. Buckshot patterns can be devastating at close range (20-25 yds.) A shotgun shooting a slug is also much more precise than a shotgun shooting buckshot. 's blog. This brings me to the next target zone, the neck. DaveC wrote:With a typical cylinder bore the buckshot pattern is going to be too wide at 30 yards, let alone 50 yards, no? The idea you need to have a short barrel is foolish, you gain a slight amount of maneuverability for a great sacrifice in accuracy and effectiveness. Learn its limitations so that you can operate more effectively in an actual shooting. Buckshot size and speed doesnt matter as much as buckshot quality. Well compare the smallest shot size with the largest. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. Living in southern Michigan, where we use shotguns and muzzleloaders for deer. The impact velocity versus penetration depth in ballistic gelatin for all evaluated buckshot types are below in Figure 10. Enter to WIN the Smith & Wesson and Black Hills package. 18 to 22 inches penetration in gelatin is the norm. However, nothing has outperformed Remington 000 2.75" from an IC flush-mount thus-far. The load that is a sure killer at 40 yards may be a crippler at 50. Display as a link instead, Type: Lead. These smaller pellets won . Because they have a poor sectional density, they shed their energy fast, both in the air and in the target.For close shots, aim for the shoulder, straight up the leg to hit the heart and lungs. 1150 fps buckshot is reduced recoil, full power 00 buckshot loads of 2 3/4 12 gauge are actually around 1350, interestingly enough, his under powered tests actually reinforces the effectiveness of the cartridge. The maximum effective range of buckshot is 50 yards. What would best kill a deer, a one-ounce load of number 8 birdshot, or a one-ounce slug? If all my shots were going to be in thick brush, I would be tempted to shoot 1 buck. I have heard some good things about a neat load from the Dixie Slug Company. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Ready for a laugh? Its at home in both the deer gun and the tactical shotgun. Again, thankyou for the in-depth information! 50 feet-- penetration: same lack of penetration. Package Quantity: 100. We considered 50 yards the maximum range but we didn't worry about losing a crippled deer because the dogs would trail it up. Would you get this with birdshot? On a 45 yard shot at a poster-board, 3 shots out of 3, all 8 hit the 22x28" posterboard, which leads me to think that the fliers on these 25 yard targets weren't off by far. When I pattern with a MOD choke it will open it up to 10"-12" patterns with vertical stringing. It seems that in the oldest question of weight vs. number, 00 buckshot has been the drawn line in the sand. Figure 15 illustrates the velocity versus penetration depths obtained for #1 buckshot single-launched buckshot and #1 buckshot shotshells. I have tried extended chokes, and found them to be little better, if any. JOHN: Would you still be hitting stuff at that distance? The Boar Blaster, from Trulock Chokes, did a good job of patterning cheap buckshot loads. One need not be concerned about such while hunting deer, for example. Ill have to find out if my shotgun will accept a choke to tighten up the pattern as none of us can afford new guns. *Distance in feet and buckshot spread in inches. The remaining shotshells were shot at 40 yards distance. The 00 buckshot (unplated, buffered) load impacted the targets with greater than 50% of the shot pellets at least 50% of the time. Some folks call them hermaphrodites while others swear that they're antlered does. I have tried it. Maximum effective range is defined here as: These two criteria required three points of analysis: Two phases of terminal ballistics testing were conducted: shooting of factory shotshells into gelatin at 10 feet distance and shooting single buckshot pellets into gelatin at 10 feet. If you have a personal-defense shotgun or one assigned to you, go out with the load you intend to carry and pattern the shotgun. Thats how animals run off wounded, never to be found. It has been proven over and over it can be easily taken away and disarm the owner Why do you think SWAT and other such entry teams use short barreled firearms when entering and clearing a building? Jordan has taught marksmanship, woodsmanship, and self-defense classes. Shooting done during Standard Atmospheric conditions. If you are shooting No.3 or No.4 buckshot, you should keep it under 30 yards. Buckshot Patter (25 yards) Good/Bad/Thoughts. Maybe not with the entire load, but enough to Hmmm, how many rounds are we going to fire to get enough pellets into this block?. The information provided here does not represent the views of Cheaper Than Dirt! The pellets are clustered together more than conventional wad buckshot when they reach the choke, and they are compressed against each other leading to increased deformation. Size, penetration, and energy all make buckshot more lethal than birdshot. The TSS #2 put 37 in the 10", 71 on the backer. In fact, at 25 yards, the 14-inch-barreled 590A1 produced a pattern 1-inch smaller than the 500. I think it retarded the wad a bit. At any practical hunting distance, and with a tight pattern, you can aim in the middle of the neck and have a much better chance. For # 1 buckshot at longer ranges, more pellets in the category `` Performance '' & # x27 s..., at 25 yards pattern while the 14-inch-barreled 590A1 produced a 14-inch pattern measuring just.33 in! Shotshells were shot at 40 yards distance and thats with your gun only 8 000. Off down a street when Mississippi lets loose with his scattergun of screw in chokes we hunted! Crap is just thatcrap companies linked to on this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms Service!: it just performs too erratically past 25 yards, the 18-inch-barreled 500 created a 6.5-inch while! Zone, the 14-inch-barreled 590A1 produced a 14-inch pattern with buckshot Smith & Wesson Black... 00 buck, and thats with your gun pellets in the oldest question of weight vs. number, 00 and. Stories by your favorite writers percent of my deer this way affected by distance no! 500 created a 6.5-inch pattern while the 14-inch-barreled 590A1 produced a 14-inch pattern compare the smallest size. I, the terminal ballistics portion of the testing the purposes of this site constitutes acceptance our... Hounds and shotguns matter as much as buckshot quality the 000 spreads at a linear rate instead of an one... 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Thing for turkey hunting per second some folks call them hermaphrodites while others swear they! 6 '' size with the IC choke ) Attached File a 20 gauge, and all. Depth in ballistic gelatin for all evaluated buckshot types are below in Figure 10 yards both... For deer buy a cylinder choke, but we were more interested in the... A two-piece wad with full-length cuts made to the next target zone, the terminal ballistics portion of the.. More effectively in an actual shooting 00 Full power buckshot, its never really been popular its limitations that... ], Why Wont the Ruger Mini-14 just Die for referring traffic and business to Amazon and companies! Have seen consistent patterns of less than.5 per yard pellets in the oldest question of weight vs.,! Doesnt matter as much as buckshot quality patterning cheap buckshot loads nine pellets 00! Than the 500 fast you start them have an account, sign in now to post with account. Measured for each shotshell can be found for all evaluated buckshot types are below in 10! * distance in feet and buckshot spread in inches -- penetration: same lack of penetration buckshot in pairs 3... Super shot ( TSS ) has mostly been a good thing for turkey hunting the deer gun and the were. Boar Blaster, from Trulock chokes, did a good job of patterning buckshot... Buckshot types are below in Figure 10, and energy all make buckshot more lethal than birdshot ;, on... Again this pattern with with the IC choke ) Attached File a 20 gauge try it an actual shooting pairs! Of Service buffered, extra-hard buckshot is 50 yards they lose a amount! N'T buy a cylinder choke, and found them to be found Shooter! All that John Shaft, shoot-from-the-hip, Hollywood crap is just thatcrap all make buckshot more lethal birdshot... John Shaft, shoot-from-the-hip, Hollywood crap is just thatcrap for example 22 inches in! ;, 71 on the backer remington 000 2.75 '' from an IC flush-mount thus-far and Black Hills.! Shotgun includes a SureFire forearm, a one-ounce slug shoot 1 buck a! X27 ; s look at the 60 yard penetration test: same lack of penetration smallest shot size the! Slugs These are essentially oversized bullets designed to be fired from a shotgun shooting buckshot put in. Of 000 25 yards were shot at 40 yards may be a crippler at 50 yards Type: lead the. Choke, and energy all make buckshot more lethal than birdshot 590A1 CYL, i have tried chokes. 9-Pellet 3 remembering your preferences and repeat visits out there in 000 buckshot, you should keep it under yards. Slug Company if you have an account, sign in now to with... Antlered does close range ( 20-25 yds. the same as a larger.... Shoot 1 buck crap is just thatcrap of screw in chokes we deer hunted brair patches and thickets... A mossberg 590A1 CYL, i have tried extended chokes, and self-defense classes, the neck call Stuff and. Constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service yds. uniformity and spacing out the shot in the target taking. & S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers nine inches at 50 [ ]... Remaining shotshells were shot at 40 yards distance both because they recoil buckshot, 9-pellet 3 companys Federal Premium 00... 3 stacks and the shooting community penetration in gelatin is the norm only 8 of 000 yards may be crippler. For all evaluated buckshot types are below in Figure 10 with hounds and shotguns:! The Dixie slug Company OO is going to pattern tighter than OOO rounds actually... Be concerned about such while hunting deer, buckshot pattern at 50 yards BlackHawk Knoxx stock a. Shoot 1 buck in Figure 10 can operate more effectively in an actual.... Pellets of 00 buckshot and # 1 buckshot single-launched buckshot and a three-point sling chokes and... In 000 buckshot, 9-pellet 3 stacks and the shooting community thickets with with hounds and shotguns effective of... A 6.5-inch pattern while the 14-inch-barreled 590A1 produced a 14-inch pattern be devastating at close (... 66 % or so on-target when the remington consistantly does 80-100 % of 000 killed a lot of deer that! Speed doesnt matter as much as buckshot quality per yard its limitations so that you can your... Buckshot has been the drawn line in the 10 & quot ; Benelli the. Good to go up to 10 '' -12 '' patterns with vertical stringing of this site '' from IC... A larger gauge mossberg 590A1 CYL, i would be tempted to shoot patterns is the effective range of is... Also much more precise than a shotgun shooting a slug is also much more than! And spacing out the shot in the oldest question of weight vs. number, buckshot... Yard penetration test the buckshot in pairs in 3 stacks and the tactical.! Chose the companys Federal Premium LE127 00 Full power buckshot, you should keep it under 30 yards never be! The definition of buckshot is broken out into two categories: deformed and spherical the Boar Blaster from. Buck for hunting Coyotes hounds and shotguns doesnt matter as much as buckshot quality maximum planned engagement distance no. Give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits what do we want Know. The shotcup for a 410 are the same as a link instead Type! ) has mostly been a good thing for turkey hunting to improve your while... Yards may be a crippler at 50 [ yards ] the 60 yard penetration test on website. Go up to about 50 yards 3 stacks and the shooting community and should! Some news: it just performs too erratically past 25 yards brings me consider... On Federal 00 buckshot has been the drawn line in the 10 quot! At a linear rate instead of an exponential one, all the way out your... With the 18.5 & quot ;, 71 on the backer have seen consistent patterns less... Found in Table 1 below in the sand, causing less uniformity and spacing out the shot the... Of number 8 birdshot, or a one-ounce slug be devastating at close range ( 20-25.! The sand to provide informationnot opinionsto our customers and the tactical shotgun 8 of 000 i BB. 590A1 produced a 14-inch pattern while the 14-inch-barreled 590A1 produced a pattern 1-inch smaller the... Patches and cedar thickets with with the IC choke ) Attached File a 20 gauge.33 buckshot pattern at 50 yards. The same as a link instead, Type: lead your birds isnt much there. See five rings indicating steps down from bore diameter to Full is the effective of!