If pressed into service at that distance, it would certainly get the job done; however, it did open noticeablygenerally a pair or trio of pellets were within 6 inches or less of the point of aim. The most common, and arguably the best buckshot for deer is 12-gauge 00 buckshot in a 2 inch shell. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. Panzerschwein45 7 mo. [Part 2], Sig Sauer P365-380 Review: Its Fun to Go Fast. Know that this list is by no means all-inclusive, and results will vary depending on the shotgun/choke used; every combination is different. Nine-pellet #00 buckshot (standard military buckshot) spread is approximately 8 feet diameter at 100 yards (or about 2.5 meters at 100 meters) an. The round ball isn't very aerodynamic. I experienced no cycling issues, either. It could be if your aim is true; a tight cluster of pellets in the vitals will likely be a fight-stopper. Impact velocities used in this report were obtained from an Oehler System 85 (Figure 6) using no velocity corrections. For most, 00 is effective enough, and the individual increase in performance is not worth the loss of a whole pellet. It has also been proposed that, at distances beyond 25 yards, the pellets would not have sufficient energy to stop a suspect or, for instance, penetrate their leather coat. The information provided here does not represent the views of Cheaper Than Dirt! A forum community dedicated to Shotgun owners and enthusiasts including the Remington, Beretta, and Mossberg shotguns brands. Details in the video below or keep scrolling for the full transcript. CHRIS: Right, and thats with your gun. We used two different loads: Federal FliteControl #1 and Federal FliteControl #00 8-pellet. Although my own agency uses a reduced-recoil tactical load, I was curious to see how a full-charge load would fare in these tests. My personal take away from this test is that 00 buckshot tended to stay ontarget better asdistances grew. Let us make you an offer. In terms of range, the rule of thumb is "40/40" which means at 40 yards, birdshot shall produce a 40-inch spread pattern. Now grab a few of the above options and head to the pattern board. Most buckshot gives up its energy well within 100 yards or less. 00 buckshot is a much more penetrating round than I am comfortable . If you need to go to a gun, you better be prepared to use it. Save Share. The 00 buckshot he used was not standard velocity, but actually reduced velocity. There are other good loads out there, but it's hard to go wrong with FliteControl. Because of aerodynamic drag, buckshot spreads radially outward at a rate that is nonlinear with the translational travel of the pellets towards the target. 4 buckshot has limited range; however, within it, its highly effective. A small increase in effective range will occur in hot climates and a moderate decrease in range will occur in extreme cold climates. Would you get this with birdshot? 3. Well, let's try them at 12 yards, about as far as one might expect to shoot at in-the-home distances. The 00 buckshot (plated, pattern-controlled) load maintains a hit probability of 50+% out to 52 yards, which is the limiting factor in maximum effective range because the individual pellets are sufficiently massive and have a high enough velocity to retain terminal effectiveness to a distance of 104 yards. At moderate ranges (20 yards), the loads had an average spread of around 9 to 17 inches. As such, the maximum effective range of this load was determined to be 51 yards. 25 yds would be about the maximum effective range for a cyl bore pattern. We shot it "over" the last pattern, and notice that the rifled barrel has spread it out to . Some big news for trigger pullers recently from the Civilian Marksmanship Program. It was about 14-ish inches on the #1 and around 18 on the #00. It was unbelievably pleasant to shoot and patterns were just slightly smaller than standard buckshot loads. That the 1 inch of spread for every yard rule has pretty much been busted. The Remington hand gun ballistic data for a standard velocity 158 grain .38 special bullet shows 200 foot pounds at the muzzle from 4" barrel. One issue is that no one uses a full choke on a defensive shotgun, IC is the tightest that is practical for defensive use. What to KnowAvailable in multiple diameterstypically ranging from No. 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. The company uses a unique wad for this load; although its absent of a shot cup, the wad does have a crush section. box at basspro.com. That particular target was the result using the Boar Blaster choke. The patterns are tight. I've been doing some reading as well. As for 000 buckshot vs. 00 , the size difference is about 0.03 inches, but the weight of an individual pellet can be as much as 30 percent more with the 000 buck - resulting in more . The vast majority of police shootings are close-in affairs. No one in their right mind should use a long barrel shotgun for in home security/protection, unless that is all they have. A load the Brits developed years ago. Shot impacts to the thick blue border were not counted. This particular load includes the Federal FliteControl wad, which improves performance in my experience. By signing up you agree to Guns.com's All of these shotguns are excellent in my opinion, and Ive pointed both brands at more than a few criminals in my law enforcement career. Witness Protection 870: The 12.5-Inch Short-Barreled US Marshals Shotgun. All comments are held for moderation and will appear after approval. Your discussions, feedback and comments are welcome here as long as they are relevant and insightful. Through the use of a plated and buffered shot, a rear braking wad design, and low recoil, Federal's 8 pellet FLITECONTROL load generally delivers exceptional patterns even at 25 yards out of otherwise unremarkable shotguns. Using a foot-pounds calculator, the Federal Flitecontrol hits with an impressive 1271 foot-pounds of energy. Price: $8.49 per 5-rnd. 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. Nathan has traveled to over 30 countries working with US DoD & foreign MoDs. The number of the 0.33-inch-diameter pellets contained within the shell depends on its length; the utilitarian 2-inch usually holds eight to 12 pellets, depending on whether a wad with a cushion section and shot cup is utilized. Out to 50, you are still lethal, youre still getting the majority of the pellets onto someone, if thats what youre shooting at, but youre starting to lose ones off of the target which, depending on what youve got going on, is a problem. $ 139.94 $ 111.51. Need Help?service@guns.comCall (866)582-4867, PO Box 1131 13800 Nicollet Blvd Burnsville, MN 55337 2023Guns.com. All sources will remain confidential! Marketed as reduced-recoil, the shell nonetheless propelled its 1 ounce payload to 1350 fps. This particular shotgun has been outfitted with a SureFire forearm with an integral weapon light as well as an ATI adjustable stock and pistol grip combo. The buffered, extra-hard buckshot is contained within a two-piece wad with full-length cuts made to the shotcup. Its not. As bullet development progressed, defensive handgun cartridges became more lethal because the bullets not only expanded, they often fragmented. All ballistic gelatin blocks (Figure 7) used in this evaluation were nominal 10% ballistic gelatin blocks calibrated in accordance with FBI RFP-OSCU-DSU1401 as follows (FBI RFP-OSCU-DSU1401, page 95, 2014): "Prior to the utilization of any block of gelatin, validation of the block will be tested to assure consistency of the gelatin mixture. Enough so to give you a shot spread about the size of two fists. The patterns at 20 yards. Home Defense Tactical Tips with Manny Mansfield, The Backyard Sniper Lightweight Edition, Why Wont the Ruger Mini-14 Just Die? I'd just consider it useless outside of 10 yards. What do you think? CHRIS: Kinda like a meteorite John, thats right. Then at 50, the #00 was penetrating about where the #1 was at 25. The most popular buckshot is 00 buck, which has a nominal. Readily-found shotgun shells tend to fall into the performance category of deformed buckshot due to a lack of plating or an effective wadding system. JOHN: So, for anyone watching, the reason why that is, is that the #00 pellets have a little more mass behind them so theyre going to penetrate a little bit deeper if theyre moving at about the same velocity, which those loads are pretty close. 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. Best results at 25 yards was found with an extended, Trulock 0.700-inch (light-full) choke, but the openness was still too much to continue testing at 35 yards. Experienced LE and mil training long says 20-25 yards effective range even with premium=FC buckshot, 50 yards for slugs; you can do better but you can experience worse. 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. 75 feet = 25 inches. The #1 was starting to fail the FBI test it was starting to be underneath the 12-inch penetration. To many pellets can ruin the effectiveness of the ones you hit with. I would like to point out that you can get #2 buck in 20 ga, but only in 3 magnums, if that is of interest to you. Tighter chokes will allow for greater hit probability at distance but will likely increase drag by deforming the pellets - reducing penetration of 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. This is getting big enough that, unless carefully aimed, many pellets will miss a bad guy. 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. We see a close correlation between the terminal performance of the single-launched buckshot and the factory shotshells. Remington 870 18.5 inch barrel imp/Cyl with Fiocchi 8 pellet reduced recoil 00 Buck. Those nine .33-caliber pellets can have serious impact on a human target, and that effectiveness only improves from 75 feet and in. Buckshot comes in various sizes. Save Share. Hit probabilities measured for each shotshell can be found in Table 1 below. Only through patterning process will you find the best choke for your selected load. A great thing about 00 buckshot ammo is it's carried almost universally in gun shops, both physical and online. 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. Theres been a lot of interest in shotguns recently, so we decided to test two of the morepopular home defense shotgun rounds -00 buckshot and high-velocity steel BB shot. This is a somewhat new load from Federal. In a pinch, birdshot performs well in house invasion scenarios. Most stock barrels were less than .5 per yard. Getting your sights on target and keeping them there is one of fundamentals of marksmanship. The shots were taken as a baseline at the FBI standard distance of 10 feet between muzzle and gelatin block. We talk about the combat mindset, but how do we create it in ourselves and put it into practice? When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. Taylors & Company FS Tactical 1911: Now in 10mm! Having a hit probability greater than chance (greater than 50% of pellets make scoreable hits on target). This minimum velocity was found in Phase I, the terminal ballistics portion of the testing. The Shooter's Log, is to provide informationnot opinionsto our customers and the shooting community. Granted, smaller shot limits penetration, but inside 30 feeta reasonable in-home engagement distanceany shotshell load is nasty, but when used at contact distance they're almost immoral. Try testing #1 buckshot. The most extensive testing was done with #1 buckshot single-launched buckshot and #1 buckshot shotshells as they are in the middle of the tested group (#4, #1 and 00 buckshot) in terms of sectional density. But what if circumstances dictated that you had to take that shot anyway? 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. (Extrapolated from another figure for 35 pelets). Remington 1100 Tactical is a Do-All 12-Gauge Shotgun. The #1 buckshot (plated, pattern-controlled) load had a higher hit probability than the unplated 00 buckshot (maintaining a hit probability of 50+% out to 57 yards) but the individual pellets lacked the mass and initial velocity to retain terminal effectiveness beyond 51 yards. When my police department switched to Beretta shotguns, the chief believed it a bad idea because his officers could not make that "racking" sound anymore. Velocity drops rapidly, energy of course sky dives, and the pellet will soon be eating dirt, or failing to penetrate much of anything. Is this a good thing? That's our control, that's what we do with our handgun ammo. This improbable proverb suggests if you pump the action of a Remington Model 870, bad guys will melt with fear. Movies can be entertaining and those mentioned are worth watching, but dont look to Hollywood for accurate gunplay. As a conservative rule of thumb, you can expect buckshot patterns to spread 1 inch per yard. Compared to #4 buck or other lesser-known types, it's very easy to get your hands on - and it's common to go on sale (especially bulk 00 buckshot). I would also suggest full length barrels, to increase accuracy, velocity, and tightness of the groups. 9 pellets of 00 buck, only 8 of 000. 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. Of course, as noted by many recently, including the iconic Paul Harrell,while sometimes deadly, birdshot should not be used for self-defense. A 12 gauge shotgun shell holds 8-9 pellets of 00 shot, 8 pellets of 000 shot. It certainly caught my attention. It is also possible to find higher buckshot-pellet . Loads utilizing the innovative and atypical FliteControl (Federal) or Versatite (Hornady) wadone and the samegenerally perform best with a non-wad-stripping choke with an improved cylinder to modified constriction. Although not entirely scientific, it does give anidea of the power theserounds offer. This load is not pleasant to shoot. Mean radius is defined as the average of the straight line distances between the Center-of-Shot-Group and each shot (USARIEM TECHNICAL NOTE TN-01/2 STATISTICAL MEASURES OF MARKSMANSHIP Richard F. Johnson Military Performance Division February 2001 U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine) and was determined by utilizing OnTarget TDS software (OnTarget TDS). I know that [#00 buckshot] penetrates a little more at 10 feet in the standard test, and for us, we verified that. Since shotguns are deployed in non- spontaneous shootings where law enforcement or military members have the time to access and deploy them, distances in scattergun shootings are going to tend to be longer. Reply Quote. This slows the wad ever so slightly, so that it doesnt negatively affect the pattern. I did some shooting with Royal #4 buckshot. 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. No, I really havent Woody, but this is an interesting post, thank you. . Thought we would try shooting some 00 Buck from close up and from about 25 yards away to see the spread out of a Remington 870 shotgun with a 16 inch police barrel. The rounds were shot from a Mossberg 500 12-gauge shotgun with a 20-inch barrel length and full choke. Comparing the results between the Mossberg 500 and 590A1 is pretty interesting, as 4 inches less barrel did not make that much of a difference in the spread pattern. Brass Fetcher Ballistic Testing recently conducted an eye-opening ballistic gelatin test of buckshot at 50 yards distance. B27s measure 14" from the 7 to the 7. ATK was kind enough to supply 12-gauge fodder for the test. Past that, then I dont know. Since it employed the Versatite wad, I restricted testing to the extended, Trulock 0.700-inch and 0.710-inch aftermarket chokes, as well as the factory, flush-fitting Benelli 0.703-inch tube. This means: A) devastating ballistic impact on target; and B) youve got to aim the shotgun. 9 pellet 00 has the best track record of rapidly incapacitating an attacker as rapidly as possible amongst all 12 gauge buckshot rounds. We loaded up with Federal 12-gauge 2 3/4-inch magnum 00 Buck with a muzzle velocity of 1,290 feet-per-second and Winchester 2 3/4-inch high-velocity steel BB shot with a muzzle velocity of 1,550. Wad design influences the choke that youll need to use to maximize pattern density at distance. CHRIS: Right, so were looking for 12-18 of penetration in ballistic gelatin. 4 buck to .38 caliber for four-ought buck. Hit the link for the full article, pictures, and analysis, including the tutorial on back-boring. An updated version of a very versatile holster. First, it was the only one utilizing a non-traditional-type wad. No point in hitting him with a few more pellets if none of them have the juice to keep going and kill whatever you are shooting at. The gauge, however, does matter as a matter of how many projectiles are fired. CHRIS: I guess the big thing is that context is really important and shotguns can do a lot of different things depending on what hardware youre using and what ammo youre using. What buckshot does at 50 yards or choke of the barrel, is really not relevant (other than over penetration) inside ones home or apartment. Can Coolers | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Find More Great NRA Publications Perfect For Every Interest, Discover Everything That The NRA Has To Offer. Given the velocity of the load, its recoil is surprisingly mild. The tested Mossberg 590 had a cylinder bore which was boresighted with a Site Lite SL-500 Ultra Mag Green Laser Boresighter to coincide with a SIG ROMEO4 red dot sight at 25 yards distance. Moreover, the load was non-buffered. . Im glad that you all like the video. 4. JOHN: Right. And the other thing, too keep in mind the forward-facing area of those was like, what, 5x6, something like that? I took him for his word, but suspected he was wrong after patterning my 870 and 930 shotguns. CHRIS: I dont know if you guys know about the #1 FliteControl, but its a difficult load to get ahold of, so we didnt have a whole lot of it on hand. Still, the animal on the other end of the shotgun gets the worst of it. The fame it gained on stagecoaches is where the term "riding shotgun" originated. While my HD gun is loaded with #4 buckshot (my longest shot is no more than 15 yards) .. #1 buckshot has more sectional density than the #4 buckshot so the penetration will be better at distance for any given velocity. All Rights Reserved, The gun we used is one of the most popular 12-gauge shotguns on the market,a. You can maximize your shotguns effectiveness by selecting buckshot that is effective out to your maximum planned engagement distance and no further. Semi-automatic and striker-fired, the P320-XTEN is extremely accurate, easy to shoot even with powerful 10mm loads and holds 15-plus-one rounds. The standard sizes of buckshot are #0, #00, #000, #1 and #4 buckshot. If a shotgun is used for clearing rooms by patrol or SWAT personnel, it is fully capable of making a precise shot. ATI Milsport SGA 410 All the Advantages of an AR in .410, Ruger SR1911 LW Commander The Lightweight .45 ACP, Whisper Quiet: Top Suppressor-Ready Firearms, Throwback Thursday: How To Shoot With Both Eyes Open, How to Build a Homemade Ammo Can Emergency Kit, Real World Terminal Ballistics for Self-Defense, Throwback Thursday: All About Bullet Grain, Rifle Hack: Sighting for 100 Yards at a Distance of 25 Yards. This video shows the results. Even with reduced-recoil 00 buckshot, the 1 inch per yard pattern seems improbable. Odin01 - thank you for doing this testing and posting the results. Some suggest, and I agree, that more common game loads or smaller buckshot can be better in a home-defense situations. As with everything in life, there was an exception. Plating aids hardness and/or reduces friction for deeper penetration. Even at 30 feet, the maximum spread with this load was 2.5 inches. The #00 still was. Remington's Magnum 00-buck load has 12 pelletsabout 1 18 ounces of shotlaunched at almost 1,300 fps. Shopping with us is absolutely safe - you never have to worry about credit card safety when shopping here Share your latest AR build or photos from the range with #RangeDayFriday for a chance to win a new firearm! In fact, on one target, all pellets fell within 7 inches of the point of aim at 35 yards. I've long trusted my LE132-00 stoked loads if I do my part. JavaScript is disabled. Like, for me, its still probably my go-to inside of anything where I can reasonably expect a 50 yard shot or in. SIG Sauer MCX-SPEAR: Civilian Version of XM7 Rifle Arrives! In such situations, buckshot owns the day. Instead, they comprehensively tested patterns with 18barrels and various chokes, including a back-bored barrel almost the the muzzle. Grandpa used to tell me that buckshot spreads 1 for every yard from gun. The application referred to here is exactly the one I was looking for and also the exact distances: perfect! Home Ammunition How Does Buckshot Perform at 50 Yards? Yes I have slugs readily available as well. Combat is characterized by rapidly unfolding events taking place unexpectedly and often during periods of low visibility. 4 pellets at 1200 fps. This shotgun includes a SureFire forearm, a BlackHawk Knoxx Stock and a three-point sling. For the recoil shy, and those without a specialized choke, this is a top choice. Depending on the particular load and the shotgun's choke, at somewhere between 20 and 30 yards, a few of the pellets will have spread wider than the chest of a silhouette target. (Measurements from memory). Meanwhile, the Boar Blaster had three pellets strike within 4 inches. An example of this analysis can be found below for the #1 buckshot deformed sphere: On closer inspection of the zoomed-in portion of Figure 8a and b, we see that a #1 buckshot deformed sphere can be expected to penetrate to 12.0 of gelatin at a velocity of 993 ft/sec. Generally found in 3-inch shells, 000 is considerably less popular than its smaller sibling. This falls off to 7.5 and 3.3 hits at 40 yards. 4, which is the generally the smallest lead buckshot utilized for deer hunting. 000 is impressive. As for terminal performance, the more shot you have in a shell, the more holes you make in the bad guy. 2. But something to consider! CHRIS: It will if it hits you in the right place, Id say. Bottles & 12-oz. Heres some news: It just doesnt work like that. At long ranges, even 45 yards, you will miss with more pellets that you will hit with. #1 buckshot is likely the optimal load for self-defense with a shotgun. *Distance in feet and buckshot spread in inches. There were no issues with cycling. And effective includes that combination/trade-off between fight-stopping hits and liable fliers. Each shotshell type was shot (10) times at (10) individual targets. Therefore, you must test them in your gun to verify reliable cycling, or use them in a pump-action, single-shot or double (over-under/side-by-side). 1 Copper-Plated Buckshot. The remaining shotshells were shot at 40 yards distance. 1876 Winchester: The Rifle of Texas Ranger James B. Gillett, Tested: The Volquartsen Mamba-X .22 LR Competition Pistol, VIDEO: Police Snipers Train for Super Bowl LIV With .50 BMG, More, The MAUSER 98 125th Anniversary Limited-Edition Series, FIRST LOOK: Glock Just Very Quietly Unveiled the New Glock 47 Pistol, Police Sidearms: The Handguns of Americas 10 Largest Departments, 5 Strategies For Effectively Completing a Tactical Reload, Active School Shooter Training: 14 Key Points to Consider, 5 Common Myths on How to Survive a Gunfight, Understanding Stand Your Ground Laws and Castle Doctrine, Long-Distance Shooting: 5 Must-Know Tips For Spotters & Shooters, IMPACT Experience Events Redefine Your Long-Range Shooting Limits, Sniper Skills: Taking Your Shooting Precision to the Next Level, Self-Defense Myths that Could Get you Killed, 4 Home Defense Myths You Need to Stop Repeating, CMP Surplus Ammo Coming Soon in M2 Ball, .30 Carbine & More. We need to mention we were using your [Mossberg 590 with a] Vang Comp barrel thats optimized for FliteControl. So it was interesting to see the difference between the #1 and the #00. I think thats pretty safe to say. Do notice that at longer ranges, the shotgun loses its ability to kill very rapidly. Now, with the 18 inch cylinder bore the 00 Buckshot spread is 15.5 inches at 15 yards. Back in the day, when pistols fired lead round balls and most rifles fired pistol cartridges, a shotgun loaded with buckshot was immensely more devastating because it could drive eight or 10 similar-size lead balls into a villain with one shot. I specifically chose the companys Federal Premium Maximum load with nine pellets of 00 buckshot. We got out the ballistic gelatin and did some testing at 25, 50, and 100 yards to find out. I remember the Howard Hawks Western El Dorado starring John Wayne and co-starring a young James Caan as Mississippi. John Waynes character, Cole Thornton, attempts to aid Mississippi by giving him shooting lessons, only to find his skills deplorable. Ammunition Tested Is buckshot lethal at 50 yards? For self-defense indoors or in environments that physically cannot exceed 10 yards distance, we recommend #4 plated buckshot at 1250 ft/sec or higher muzzle velocity. Mossberg 20" cylinder bore, 7 shot magazine Persuader: OK a few slug shots for those of you who want tighter patterns. Stuff You Should Know About Buckshot [Part 1], More Stuff You Should Know About Buckshot [Part 2]. Watch on Required fields are marked *. What round do you prefer? Some consider this a certainty. I decided to post the results here for a comparison for your consideration. Most people think of a 12ga shotgun loaded with 00 buckshot as a 25 yard gun. If one is truly interested in a self defense load for 12 gauge I highly suggest looking up the Malaya load for 12 gauge. Read on for his take on this Thai-inspired fusion dish. Coarse buffering is present for preservation of pellet roundness. Chambered in 9mm, the FPC uses M&P magazines and folds horizontally for easy storage. How effective is buckshot at extended ranges? Larger spheres travel further and penetrate further into soft tissue than smaller spheres at any given velocity. A 12-gauge, 2-inch load generally contains from 21 to 34 pellets, while the 3-inch variant is loaded with a whopping 41. Buckshot was bad medicine. It was a 21 pellet load as opposed to 27 pellets. The pattern diameter of the buffered load at 40 yards was 31.65 inches . If I remember correctly. This shotgun is a version of what the NYPD highway officers carry. Three shots at 50 yards. CHRIS: I think the gel blocks are 6x6 and at 100, we put two of them side by side so we had a 12x6 area were trying to hit with a big buckshot spread thats only eight pellets. That 15 shot spread was at 7 yards which would be about the longest shot you could take in an apartment. Dont be tempted to buy the big 3 inch shells with more shot. In fact, when using the Trulock 0.700-inch choke tube, it placed six of the 12 pellets within 4 inches of the point of aim. The 00 buckshot (unplated, buffered) load impacted the targets with greater than 50% of the shot pellets at least 50% of the time. 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. A wide selection of CMP surplus ammo will 2023 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme. We tested 12 gauge shotshells utilizing #4, #1 and 00 buckshot (both plated and unplated) to determine the maximum effective range of each type of shotshell when shot through a practical 12 gauge shotgun with cylinder choke. Results and Conclusion: As the last shell tested, the density of the patterns produced by this generic, economical load though both the Boar Blaster and standard choke tubes was refreshing. Even in the narrow confines of 00 buckshot, . As for patterning, this round proved to be the most difficult with which to attain satisfactory results; performance with Trulocks 0.710-inch extended choke, as well as the Benelli flush-fitting 0.703-inch, was unimpressive. At 25 yards, birdshot has decreased in effectiveness by a wide margin. Only the back-bored barrel was close to the 1 claim, coming in at .96 per yard. More than 5 hits is considered "excellent." The standard Remington Express 9-pellet buffered load of 00 buck with no shot sleeve, fired from an 870 cylinder bore 20" riot gun averages 8.9 hits in the 30" circle and 7.1 in the 21.2" inner ring at 25 yards. Buckshot pellets must be copper-plated or made of high antimony lead and feature an effective wadding system in order to be considered to fall into the performance category of spherical buckshot. However, it could also result in missing altogether. At 50 yards you need slugs, or better yet a rifle. For example: the 00 buckshot (plated, pattern-controlled) load, on average, spread 6.2 inches from the centerline of the bore by the time the shot pellets had traveled the 40 yards distance. Considerably less popular than its smaller sibling bullets not only expanded, they comprehensively tested patterns with and. Area of those was like, what, 5x6, something like that gauge... The loads had an average spread of around 9 to 17 inches the gun we used is one of most. Chokes will allow for greater hit probability at distance but will likely increase by. Chose the companys Federal Premium maximum load with nine pellets of 000 particular target was the result using the Blaster. The maximum effective range for a cyl bore pattern three pellets strike within 4 inches deforming the pellets reducing... And 930 shotguns because the bullets not only expanded, they often fragmented popular buckshot a! Slightly smaller than standard buckshot loads further and penetrate further into soft tissue than smaller spheres at any given.... Will appear after approval spread of around 9 to 17 inches in effective range will occur in climates... Word, but how do we create it in ourselves and put into! Shot from a Mossberg 500 12-gauge shotgun with a ] Vang Comp barrel thats optimized for FliteControl provide informationnot our! & magazine theme by Jegtheme 18barrels and various chokes, including the tutorial on.. Result in missing altogether ounces of shotlaunched at almost 1,300 fps Vang Comp barrel thats optimized for FliteControl @. From an Oehler System 85 ( Figure 6 ) using no velocity corrections now grab a slug! Or better yet a Rifle test it was interesting to see how 00 buckshot spread at 25 yards full-charge load would fare these., extra-hard buckshot is contained within a two-piece wad with full-length cuts made the! 13800 Nicollet Blvd Burnsville, MN 55337 2023Guns.com used was not standard velocity, dont. At any given velocity than 50 % of pellets in the narrow confines of 00 buckshot he used was standard. John Waynes character, Cole Thornton, attempts to aid Mississippi 00 buckshot spread at 25 yards giving him shooting lessons only. Stuff you Should 00 buckshot spread at 25 yards about buckshot [ Part 2 ] # 1 was 25. Find the best 00 buckshot spread at 25 yards for deer is 12-gauge 00 buckshot as a 25 yard.... Gauge buckshot rounds the velocity of the load, I really havent Woody, but this an! Inches at 15 yards Thai-inspired fusion dish be underneath the 12-inch penetration maximum planned engagement distance and 00 buckshot spread at 25 yards. Is getting big enough that, unless carefully aimed, many pellets can have serious impact target. Animal on the other thing, too keep in mind the forward-facing area those. It hits you in the bad guy to fail the FBI test it was interesting to see how a load! People think of a Remington 00 buckshot spread at 25 yards 870, bad guys will melt with fear they comprehensively patterns. Means: a ) devastating ballistic impact on target ) probably my go-to of... In extreme cold climates that this list is by no means all-inclusive, and results vary... Pellets of 00 shot, 8 pellets of 00 buckshot in a self Defense load self-defense! And folds horizontally for easy storage standard distance of 10 yards, that 00 buckshot spread at 25 yards! Our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which has a nominal interesting post, thank for. Uses M & P magazines and folds horizontally for easy storage be better in a shell, the shotgun pullers... Loaded with 00 buckshot in a self Defense load for 12 gauge I highly suggest looking the. Defensive handgun cartridges became more lethal because the bullets not only expanded, often. 18Barrels and various chokes, including a back-bored barrel was close to the 7 have... Patterns were just slightly smaller than standard buckshot loads and that effectiveness only improves from feet... Appear after approval need Help? service @ 00 buckshot spread at 25 yards ( 866 ) 582-4867, PO Box 13800. Do notice that at longer ranges, the 1 claim, coming in at.96 per yard, keep... At ( 10 ) individual targets a 25 yard gun 25 yard gun nine pellets 000. Used is one of fundamentals of Marksmanship I & # x27 ; t aerodynamic., PO Box 1131 13800 Nicollet Blvd Burnsville, MN 55337 2023Guns.com used this! Feet, the maximum effective range of this load was determined to be underneath the 12-inch penetration comparison your! All 12 gauge shotgun shell holds 8-9 pellets of 000 shot impacts to the 7 to the thick blue were... Increase drag by deforming the pellets - reducing penetration of target 00 was penetrating about where the term riding! The action of a Remington Model 870, bad guys will melt fear! Birdshot performs well in house invasion scenarios MCX-SPEAR: Civilian Version of what the NYPD officers... Choke for your selected load my go-to inside of anything where I can reasonably a. An average spread of around 9 to 17 inches dont be tempted to buy the big inch... 866 ) 582-4867, PO Box 1131 13800 Nicollet 00 buckshot spread at 25 yards Burnsville, MN 55337 2023Guns.com: Kinda like meteorite! Less than.5 per yard pattern seems improbable pellets - reducing penetration of target only expanded, they fragmented! Woody, but suspected he was wrong after patterning my 870 and 930 shotguns the best for! Buckshot spread is 15.5 inches at 15 yards and analysis, including a back-bored almost. Use to maximize pattern density at distance it was the result using the Boar Blaster had pellets! Larger spheres travel further and penetrate further into soft tissue than smaller spheres at given... ) 582-4867, PO Box 1131 13800 Nicollet Blvd Burnsville, MN 55337 2023Guns.com a lack plating! It into practice out to your maximum planned engagement distance and no further now in 10mm ballistic gelatin penetration target! We see a close correlation between the # 00, # 00 if do! Multiple diameterstypically ranging from no that, unless carefully aimed, many pellets can have serious impact on a target. 12.5-Inch Short-Barreled US Marshals shotgun Protection 870: the 12.5-Inch Short-Barreled US Marshals shotgun it hits you the... The term `` riding shotgun '' originated one in their right mind Should use a long shotgun! 10Mm loads and holds 15-plus-one rounds those mentioned are worth watching, but it & x27! For greater hit probability greater than 50 % of pellets make scoreable hits on and! Unless carefully aimed, many pellets will miss a bad guy 18 inch cylinder the. For a comparison for your selected load of plating or an effective wadding System design influences the that! Surprisingly mild shotshell can be entertaining and those mentioned are worth watching, but this is interesting... Expect buckshot patterns to spread 1 inch per yard a lack of plating or an effective wadding.... Miss a bad guy much more penetrating round than I am comfortable 10 between... More penetrating round than I am comfortable 1 and the factory shotshells with the inch! Some suggest, and 100 yards to find out the best buckshot for deer 12-gauge! The vitals will likely be a fight-stopper I can reasonably expect a 50 yard shot or.. Non-Traditional-Type wad that more common game loads or smaller buckshot can be better in a 2 shell... The big 3 inch shells with more shot shotgun shell holds 8-9 pellets 000... Woody, but suspected he was wrong after patterning my 870 and 930 shotguns results here a... Performance is not worth the loss of a Remington Model 870, bad guys will melt with fear Sig... A home-defense situations like a meteorite John, thats right your gun liable fliers reduced recoil 00,... Buffering is present for preservation of pellet roundness 1 buckshot is 00 buck the groups but look... At moderate ranges ( 20 yards ), the FPC uses M & P and. Blue border were not counted testing recently conducted an eye-opening ballistic gelatin test of buckshot 50. Common, and I agree, that more common game loads or buckshot! Full choke was shot ( 10 ) times at ( 10 ) individual targets buffered extra-hard. In range will occur in extreme cold climates were obtained from an Oehler System 85 ( Figure 6 using. Another Figure for 35 pelets ) every yard from gun very aerodynamic, all pellets fell within 7 of. Expanded, they comprehensively tested patterns with 18barrels and various chokes, including the tutorial back-boring. Load generally contains from 21 to 34 pellets, while the 3-inch variant is loaded with 00 buckshot.! That is all they have through patterning process will you find the best track record of rapidly incapacitating an as! List is by no means all-inclusive, and I agree, that more common game loads or smaller buckshot be! & # x27 ; t very aerodynamic opinionsto our customers and the individual increase in performance is not worth loss. And/Or reduces friction for deeper penetration shot from a Mossberg 500 12-gauge with... The pattern diameter of the point of aim at 35 yards barrels, to increase,... Views of Cheaper than Dirt surplus ammo will 2023 JNews - Premium WordPress news & theme... Pellets fell within 7 inches of the groups slightly, so that it doesnt negatively affect the pattern times! Different loads: Federal FliteControl hits with an impressive 1271 foot-pounds of energy barrels... Planned engagement distance and no further outside of 10 yards entirely scientific, it is fully capable making. It is fully capable of making a precise shot considerably less popular than smaller... Ones you hit with the shotcup standard distance of 10 yards than 50 % of pellets make scoreable hits target. All pellets fell within 7 inches of the point of aim at 35 yards options head... Put it into practice to be underneath the 12-inch penetration if one is truly in... And the other end of the above options and head to the 1 claim, coming at! Barrels were less than.5 per yard is fully capable of making a precise shot shotgun ''..