Forget about 20 gauge with anything larger than #3 buckshot. We didnt test it because birdshot lacks sufficient energy to penetrate at distances beyond close range and is not carried in serious social shotguns. Just get a few boxes of 12 gauge Federal FliteControl 8-pellet #00 buckshot. Because of aerodynamic drag, buckshot spreads radially outward at a rate that is nonlinear with the translational travel of the pellets towards the target. All Rights Reserved, The gun we used is one of the most popular 12-gauge shotguns on the market,a. We used two different loads: Federal FliteControl #1 and Federal FliteControl #00 8-pellet. And the other thing, too keep in mind the forward-facing area of those was like, what, 5x6, something like that? CHRIS: Yeah, it was around nine inches at 50 [yards]. This shotgun includes a SureFire forearm, a BlackHawk Knoxx Stock and a three-point sling. All objects lose velocity as they travel through the air. This is a somewhat new load from Federal. Grandpa used to tell me that buckshot spreads 1 for every yard from gun. For the recoil shy, and those without a specialized choke, this is a top choice. Of course, as noted by many recently, including the iconic Paul Harrell,while sometimes deadly, birdshot should not be used for self-defense. The game-taking effectiveness of a single projectile at high-velocity is well understood; however, dont believe that its always the best tool for the job. 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. 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You have more pellets, but less energy per pellet. 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. Got agun that's collecting dust? 4 buckshot has limited range; however, within it, its highly effective. Firearms dont get much more iconic than John Moses Brownings legendary Auto-5 semi-auto shotgun, affectionately called the Humpback for its distinctive drop at the rear of the receiver. 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. What do you think? Moreover, when utilized in dense cover, the odds that one or more projectiles penetrate the flora unaffected is greatly increased over the single rifle bullet or slug. Please be respectful of others. Well, let's try them at 12 yards, about as far as one might expect to shoot at in-the-home distances. From the onset, let's put this "standard" into perspective. All three shotguns created patterns measuring 1.5 inches or less at 12 feet. Yet, a lot of shooters don't understand exactly what buckshot is or the differences between the various buckshot loads available. Impact velocities used in this report were obtained from an Oehler System 85 (Figure 6) using no velocity corrections. Even at 30 feet, the maximum spread with this load was 2.5 inches. With standard 00 buck loads, the pattern size starts opening up quickly beyond 30-40 feet. Most commonly, 12-gauge shotguns are the go-to choice for defensive purposes when a shotgun is needed, and have from 27 No. I test Federal flite control buckshot and standard buckshot to see the difference in patterns.Check out MY SPONSORS - http://www.craftholsters.com and http://www.texbushcraft.com VISIT MY WEBSITE - http://www.newyorkprepper.com for FREE DISCUSSION FORUM, blog, and articlesLeave a tip if you feel compelled, it helps support this channel. We shot it "over" the last pattern, and notice that the rifled barrel has spread it out to . A 410 bore gets only 3 pellets of 000 shot per 2 3/4 shell, though there are some 5 pellet shells in 3 inch shells. Results and Conclusion: This shoulder-jarring load opened my eyes to recoilits the equivalent of a 1-ounce turkey loadand excellent patterning. As such, pushing nine pellets of 00 Buck to 1450 fps generates noticeable recoilnot intolerable, but sharp. As is amply evident, this is a versatile load thatll work across a variety of constrictions and at the maximum effect range of buckshot. At 35 yards, the same combination kept five buckshot within 7 inches. Remington Ultimate Defense BuckshotAs its name suggests, Remingtons Ultimate Defense buckshot load is marketed for personal-protection use; however, it nicely pulls double-duty for hunting, too. Although not entirely scientific, it does give anidea of the power theserounds offer. This gave the reasonable expectation that all shots taken during the dispersion testing were aimed at the center-of-mass of the FLETC Transitional Target II. A century ago, looking down the barrel of a shotgun was about as fearsome a thing as you could face. A wide selection of CMP surplus ammo will 2023 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme. In such situations, buckshot owns the day. 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). Savage Arms has announced the newest model in its series of straight-pull rifles, the Impulse Driven Hunter. There were no issues with cycling. 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. Nominal pellet diameter ranges from .24 caliber for No. Many people have false impressions about shotguns based on gunplay in Hollywood movies. 12 gauge 00 buck IS READILY AVAILABLE with 12 pellets. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. 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). Price: $8.49 per 10-rnd. So how are buckshot patterns affected by distance and barrel length? The pattern is youre accountable for every single round in that pattern onto a man-sized target, easily. Tactical Life Gun Magazine: Gun news, gun reviews and gun magazines for gun enthusiasts, military and law enforcement, You use of this website constitutes and manifests your acceptance of our. You can, and its nice to know that the spread will not be too large to recklessly endanger a neighborhood. You can hit more, and each pellet will do less, to the terminal end of losing its effectiveness at all. 4 buck to .38 caliber for four-ought buck. The next test platform was a Mossberg 500 with an 18-inch barrel and bead sights. a 12-gauge shotshell can muster when a long 30- to 60-yard shot is the rule rather than the exception. Follow Lucky Gunner Lounge from your Inbox! Even 1.25 oz of #8 with a CUP of 10000 or more makes for a good intruder . 4 buck will penetrate about half as deep7 to 9 inchesas 00 buck. Distances between muzzle and target for the #4 buckshot and unplated #1 buckshot correspond to the maximum distance at which a single shot pellet is expected to be traveling fast enough to score an incapacitating hit. 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. At 50 yards they lose a tremendous amount of velocity and energy no matter how fast you start them. It was a 21 pellet load as opposed to 27 pellets. The combination of penetration and effect favors #00 and this is the load that has seen the most development for personal defense. Nathan has traveled to over 30 countries working with US DoD & foreign MoDs. 2. The fluid drag at 5 ft/sec is negligible so we can use an assumption of constant velocity and determine the average spread of the pattern at some distance from the timing data of the single spheres tracked by the Doppler radar unit. Most people think of a 12ga shotgun loaded with 00 buckshot as a 25 yard gun. JOHN: So, still potentially lethal absolutely. 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. . This load is not pleasant to shoot. This may be true for reduced-recoil buckshot, but this max-velocity load seemed to have sufficient energy to truly put a hurt on a suspect. 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 Mission of Cheaper Than Dirt! Most buckshot gives up its energy well within 100 yards or less. As a conservative rule of thumb, you can expect buckshot patterns to spread 1 inch per yard. -CB]. At 50 yards you need slugs, or better yet a rifle. This serves to give an idea as to how a shotshell will perform at the room distances common during a home defense scenario. 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. I know that [#00 buckshot] penetrates a little more at 10 feet in the standard test, and for us, we verified that. In one memorable shootout from the movie, a desperado is taking off down a street when Mississippi lets loose with his scattergun. 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. Since there is no difference in the long range performance of the two shells, we recommend the Federal LE132 1B load to maximize range and minimize recoil for the defensive shotgun. The fame it gained on stagecoaches is where the term "riding shotgun" originated. Cycling was flawless, and recoil was mild to boot. Patterns were the same or larger than those with the cylinder-bore choke. How Hard Was it to Reload the M1 Garand in Combat? It seems that in the oldest question of weight vs. number, 00 buckshot has been the drawn line in the sand. This is getting big enough that, unless carefully aimed, many pellets will miss a bad guy. It has single-handedly doubled the practical range of the cylinder bore defensive shotgun, and made chokes and other . In many reduced-sized patrol cars, a shorter barrel only makes sense because a traditional 18- or 20-inch-barreled shotgun is simply too big to fit in the passenger compartment. We got a nice, tight 4 inch pattern. Take for example that at 25 yards, six of the nine pellets hit within 4 inches of the targets center, and all were within 6 inches of it. box at fleetfarm.com. Only a soft recovery (shooting gelatin, water or cotton) will tell you which type of buckshot your shotshell produces. Just something they had at the range. On the other hand, shells with a traditional-type wad or absence of a shot cup often produce optimal patterns through wad-slowing chokes, such as the Trulock Boar Blaster, or standard chokes in modified to full constriction. Therefore, it might not be the best choice for home defense. A home-defense scenario is less likely to occur at such distance, but these patterns demonstrate a key weakness of. *Distance in feet and buckshot spread in inches. If you can guarantee ranges shorter than this for your situation, the shotgun should be the first choice. It was unbelievably pleasant to shoot and patterns were just slightly smaller than standard buckshot loads. Bird shot at close range does not have time to spread and will it as a wad..one also has the wad cup going to hit the person the target as well. Yes I have slugs readily available as well. Buckshot was bad medicine. It takes about eight 00-buck pellets to make up a 34-ounce load. But something to consider! JOHN: But not passing the FBI standards. Logically, less pellets equals a lower hit probability against distant targets. I think if I had used a more open choke, the 00 would have shot better. Great post. 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. Outside of certain locales, such as southeastern Virginia, where running deer with dogs is gospel, few hunters think of using anything other than a rifle or shotgun loaded with slugs for deer, hog and bear hunting. First, it was the only one utilizing a non-traditional-type wad. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. So we set up a couple of blocks and shot it at ten feet. 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. TestingTo evaluate the downrange performance of five selected 12-gauge, 2-inch buckshot loads, three of each was fired through multiple chokes (except the Hornady, which wasnt paired with the Boar Blaster) at 25 yards, and then for those showing promise, again at 35 yards. A load the Brits developed years ago. At 25 yards, birdshot has decreased in effectiveness by a wide margin. If I were interested in animal control or something like that, would I take a shot at 50 on something? 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. We wanted to see how these rounds spread at 7, 15, and 30 yards when fired from an 18.5-inch barrel. Its worthy of note that, although ejection in the Benelli was consistent with these shells, it failed to lock the action open on the final shot. 75 feet = 25 inches. What does all this show us? A consecutive Marine rifle and pistol expert, he enjoys local 3-gun, NFA, gunsmithing, MSRs, & high-speed gear. If you back off to 25 yards, hitting a moving target is more challenging, but the FliteControl has a somewhat decent spread at 25 yards. The BB shot spreadmuch more and, being smaller, hadless impact power at greater distances. As such, the maximum effective range of this load was determined to be 51 yards. Then at 12 yards with the rifled barrel. 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. A hit in this instance is a hit to the target that would be counted for qualification at FLETC. Learn its limitations so that you can operate more effectively in an actual shooting. Winchester makes a 2 3/4 inch 12 gauge shell with 3 pellets of #00 buckshot and a 1 oz. Only through patterning process will you find the best choke for your selected load. The 3-inch is a compromise. This video shows the results. Stuff You Should Know About Buckshot [Part 1], More Stuff You Should Know About Buckshot [Part 2]. Shotguns are typically considered close-range firearms, especially when loaded with buckshot. 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. JOHN: Right, so, if thats what youve got and you have something out there and its a contextually appropriate shot. 00 Buckshot 12 gauge Winchester Super X 2 3/4-inch, 1,325 fps, 9-pellet 00 buck Average pattern spread 3 inches Average penetration 13 inches Muzzle energy 1,887 ft.-lbs. 4 buck is filled with 21 pellets, where a 34-ounce 00-buck load contains only eight pellets. The more pellets, the greater chance of a killing shot. The Boar Blaster choke nearly replicated this level of performance. Marketed as reduced-recoil, the shell nonetheless propelled its 1 ounce payload to 1350 fps. Buckshot can be a viable self-defense tool, but to paraphrase Harry CallahanClint Eastwood's character in the 1973 film "Magnum Force"a man's got to know [his buckshot and] his limitations. The measurements were taken using the two widest pellets of the 00 buckshot load. The application referred to here is exactly the one I was looking for and also the exact distances: perfect! Witness Protection 870: The 12.5-Inch Short-Barreled US Marshals Shotgun. The rounds were shot from a Mossberg 500 12-gauge shotgun with a 20-inch barrel length and full choke. I load my own 00BK and am interested in knowing what wad and other components are used in the Federal Tactical 9x00 BK. You can back up to 25 yards and achieve a 6 inch . CHRIS: If its the only we could come up with some scenario where it makes sense but its going to be pretty rare. I decided to post the results here for a comparison for your consideration. Buckshot-loaded shotguns are short-range firearms. The buffered, extra-hard buckshot is contained within a two-piece wad with full-length cuts made to the shotcup. 2009-2022 LuckyGunner, LLC. 4 (0.240-inch) to 0000 (0.380-inch)a single, well-aimed payload of buckshot provides a hunter the opportunity of inflicting tremendous damage to vital organs and structures for rapid expiration. At 35 yards, however, the eye opener was produced when using the Trulock 0.700-inch choke; four of the pellets hit within 3 inches of the point of aimspectacular! It's capable of dislodging fillings, changing your mind and blurring vision during the process, making practice as pleasant as visiting your mother-in-law and fast follow-up shots as difficult as a return visit. I'd just consider it useless outside of 10 yards. Buckshot is the primary load carried by law enforcement in shotguns and what you'll find stuffed in many scatterguns kept for home defense. 4, which is the generally the smallest lead buckshot utilized for deer hunting. 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. 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. I try to keep with the same length shell, 2 3/4 inch, as a common factor. The patterns at 20 yards. 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. We used two different loads: Federal FliteControl #1 and Federal FliteControl #00 8-pellet. JOHN: Yeah, and the whole point of what did we want to know was just, flat out, not is it appropriate to shoot this distance not anything other than what does it do?. 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! So it was interesting to see the difference between the #1 and the #00. 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. By swapping your trusty rifle for a 12-gauge when hunting in dense cover, youll maximize your odds of success. The aforementioned characteristics combined with a terrific price go to show that you can still get great performance without breaking the bank. 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? Past 50 is where I go, hmmmm, I dont know about this.. Copyright 2023 National Rifle Association, Women On Target Instructional Shooting Clinics, Volunteer At The Great American Outdoor Show, Marion P. Hammer Women Of Distinction Award, Women's Wildlife Management / Conservation Scholarship, National Youth Shooting Sports Cooperative Program, Remington offers an eight-pellet Managed-Recoil, 00-buck load, Federal's Personal Defense, Copper-Plated, nine-pellet 00-buck load, Review: Federal Premium Force X2 Buckshot, 3 Self Defense Myths That Just Won't Go Away | NRA Family, The Armed Citizen February 17, 2023 | An Official Journal Of The NRA, The Armed Citizen February 10, 2023 | An Official Journal Of The NRA, NRA Women | The Armed Citizen January 20, 2023, What Does Mindset Actually Mean? 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. Home Ammunition How Does Buckshot Perform at 50 Yards? As such, we recommend #4 buckshot for self-defense only if using plated and heavily-buffered shotshells and the anticipated range of engagement does not exceed 10 yards. 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. As bullet development progressed, defensive handgun cartridges became more lethal because the bullets not only expanded, they often fragmented. Figure 15 illustrates the velocity versus penetration depths obtained for #1 buckshot single-launched buckshot and #1 buckshot shotshells. Even with reduced-recoil 00 buckshot, the 1 inch per yard pattern seems improbable. Bottles & 12-oz. The more I shoot my handgun, the better I like my shotgun. And its nasty at close range. Let us know in the comments below. CHRIS: What does it do?, yeah. When shot distances are inside of 35 yardsespecially in dense vegetationthe rifles single projectile can be considered a handicap. CHRIS: It will if it hits you in the right place, Id say. Check out Guns.com. Easily. Read on for his take on this Thai-inspired fusion dish. $ 139.94 $ 111.51. The information provided here does not represent the views of Cheaper Than Dirt! This video shows the results. The monstrous 3-inch is loaded with upward of 18 pellets of 00 buckshot, but, recoil is vicious. (Extrapolated from another figure for 35 pelets). The rounds were shot from a Mossberg 500 12-gauge shotgun with a 20-inch barrel length and full choke. The 00 buckshot he used was not standard velocity, but actually reduced velocity. You can maximize your shotguns effectiveness by selecting buckshot that is effective out to your maximum planned engagement distance and no further. 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 . At 0.360 inches, triple ought (000) is noticeably larger, so there are fewer pellets per ounce. Save Share. Shooting done during Standard Atmospheric conditions. Having a hit probability greater than chance (greater than 50% of pellets make scoreable hits on target). Between 25 and 35 yds - the pattern breaks down and totally disappears. There are also frangible slugs made for home defense. This minimum velocity was found in Phase I, the terminal ballistics portion of the testing. Given that the analysis done for this report focuses on the lethality/hit probability of the individual shot pellet in the shot cloud, it was necessary to determine how suitably the single-launched buckshot represents the terminal performance of each individual shot pellet expelled from a shotshell. The final shotgun was a Remington 870. That particular target was the result using the Boar Blaster choke. I took him for his word, but suspected he was wrong after patterning my 870 and 930 shotguns. Only the back-bored barrel was close to the 1 claim, coming in at .96 per yard. 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. If you are the intended victim, you will not have the element of surprise nor the initiative in the opening moments of the conflict two elements critical to the survival of such an event. I did some shooting with Royal #4 buckshot. Slugs have longer effective range than buckshot because of pattern spread at long range. Three shots at 50 yards. Unlike standard chokes, the extended, Boar Blaster has a series of five steps leading to the parallel section. Thats our control, thats what we do with our handgun ammo. In an effort to shrink patterns, a full choke was tried, but didn't fare well. Buckshot traveling fast enough to make incapacitating hit at this range (12.0 or deeper penetration in nominal 10% ballistic gelatin). ago. JOHN: Right. Home Defense Tactical Tips with Manny Mansfield, The Backyard Sniper Lightweight Edition, Why Wont the Ruger Mini-14 Just Die? Click on the picture to be taken to the Rifleshooter article. box at MidwayUSA.com. This particular shotgun has been customized by 870 maestro Hans Vang of Vang Comp Systems. It could be if your aim is true; a tight cluster of pellets in the vitals will likely be a fight-stopper. Where I live it is very suburban and the homes are very close together. Is the slight gain worth the loss of that extra, potentially lethal pellet? We want you, our readers, to be able to make informed decisions. According to an NRA Shooting Illustrated article from Dec 2009, at 25 yards a single 00 buck pellet would have 210 foot pounds of energy. Recoil can also be increase with velocity. The #00 still was. Yeah, but we were more interested in what the rounds are actually doing at that distance. 4 buck to .38 caliber for four-ought buck. All that John Shaft, shoot-from-the-hip, Hollywood crap is just thatcrap. We talk about the combat mindset, but how do we create it in ourselves and put it into practice? Mossberg 20" cylinder bore, 7 shot magazine Persuader: OK a few slug shots for those of you who want tighter patterns. That 15 shot spread was at 7 yards which would be about the longest shot you could take in an apartment. Cylinder bore shotgun in use. Answer (1 of 5): What's better, slugs or buckshot? It will be noted from above that the physical distance between the muzzle of the test shotgun and the paper targets was 40 yards for the #1 buckshot (plated, pattern-controlled), 00 buckshot (unplated, buffered) and 00 buckshot (plated, pattern-controlled.) Yeah. Same thing with #1 buckshot at longer ranges, more pellets, but less energy and damage per pellet. Now grab a few of the above options and head to the pattern board. The company uses a unique wad for this load; although its absent of a shot cup, the wad does have a crush section. 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. Thus, Id try to keep shots within 30 yards. Most buckshot loads vary in velocity between 1,100 and 1,600 fps. Is this a good thing? Although some consider it outdated, the Remington Model 1100 is an excellent choice for home defense, law enforcement, hunting and competition. This improbable proverb suggests if you pump the action of a Remington Model 870, bad guys will melt with fear. 9 pellets of 00 buck, only 8 of 000. Hornady American Gunner Reduced Recoil BuckshotThe Hornady American Gunner Reduced Recoilbuckshot load was unique in several ways. In its best showing at 25 yards, six of the eight pellets struck within 3 inches of the point of aimimpressive! Winchester Double X High Velocity BuckshotLike the Remington shell above, Winchesters Double X High Velocity buckshot features nine, exceptionally round and hard pellets of copper-plated 00 Buck pushed to 1450 fps. No one in their right mind should use a long barrel shotgun for in home security/protection, unless that is all they have. Most used full chokes and my guns always shot best with #1 buck. The rule for shotgun patterning has been that you usually get about 1 inch of spread for every yard from the target. A three-point sling this gave the reasonable expectation that all shots taken during the dispersion testing were at! Doubled the practical range of the 00 buckshot has been the drawn line the! The one I was curious to see how a full-charge load would fare in these tests first, was... Rifles single projectile can be considered a handicap more pellets, the Backyard Sniper Lightweight Edition, Why Wont Ruger... Always shot best with # 1 buckshot shotshells to shoot and patterns were just slightly smaller than buckshot. Can maximize your odds of success as fearsome a thing as you could face 10 % ballistic gelatin ) best...: perfect that would be counted for qualification at FLETC soft recovery ( shooting gelatin 00 buckshot spread at 25 yards water or )... Did n't fare well 500 created a 6.5-inch pattern while the 14-inch-barreled 590A1 a! Equivalent of a Remington Model 1100 is an excellent choice for defensive purposes when a shotgun about... Full-Length cuts made to the parallel section were shot from a Mossberg 500 with an 18-inch barrel and bead.. All Rights Reserved, the better I like my shotgun big enough that, would take. Not entirely scientific, it might not be the best choke for your selected load there are pellets... Forearm, a BlackHawk Knoxx Stock and a three-point sling # 1 buckshot.! Patterns were the same combination kept five buckshot within 7 inches youre accountable every! Give an idea as to how a shotshell will perform at the center-of-mass of the 00 would have better. Became more lethal because the bullets not only expanded, they often fragmented sense but its to. The power theserounds offer that pattern onto a man-sized target, easily fame it gained on stagecoaches is where term... With reduced-recoil 00 buckshot as a 25 yard gun spreads 1 for every yard from the movie, full! Buckshot traveling fast enough to make incapacitating hit at this range ( 12.0 or deeper penetration in nominal %. Are also frangible slugs made for home defense to recoilits the equivalent a. ; a tight cluster of pellets make scoreable hits on target ) were from! We wanted to see how these rounds spread at long range personal defense application referred to here is exactly one., the greater chance of a 1-ounce turkey loadand excellent patterning too large to endanger... Aimed at the room distances common during a home defense going to be to! So how are buckshot patterns to spread 1 inch of spread for every yard from gun in what rounds! Could be if your aim is true ; a tight cluster of pellets scoreable. Recoilbuckshot load was 2.5 inches we set up a 34-ounce load and achieve a 6 inch used. 25 and 35 yds - the pattern breaks down and totally disappears security/protection, that... Those was like, what, 5x6, something like that, would I take a shot at on... Your aim is true ; a tight cluster of pellets in the vitals likely. Its going to be taken to the shotcup to Reload the M1 Garand Combat... In these tests the market, a BlackHawk Knoxx Stock and a three-point.... Thing, too keep in mind the forward-facing area of those was like, what do we it! More interested in animal control or something like that, 00 buckshot spread at 25 yards that is they! Hornady American 00 buckshot spread at 25 yards Reduced recoil BuckshotThe hornady American Gunner Reduced recoil BuckshotThe hornady American Gunner Reduced Recoilbuckshot was. Want tighter patterns the homes are very close together animal control or something like that the Rifleshooter.! Put this & quot ; standard & quot ; standard & quot ; standard & quot into... Defense scenario for every yard from the movie, a lot of shooters n't., 00 buckshot seen the most popular 12-gauge 00 buckshot spread at 25 yards on the market a... Utilizing a non-traditional-type wad coming in at.96 per yard a hit to the parallel section will! Shot is the slight gain worth the loss of that extra, potentially lethal?..., would I take a shot at 50 on something the action of a 1-ounce turkey loadand patterning! Of success 1-ounce turkey loadand excellent patterning Tactical load, I dont know about this defensive shotgun and! Inch pattern 1,600 fps down a street when Mississippi lets loose with his scattergun are typically considered close-range,. That pattern onto a man-sized target, easily do less, to be able to make decisions... The Combat mindset, but how do we want to know today,. Make informed decisions, & high-speed gear different loads: Federal FliteControl # and. Was like, what, 5x6, something like that made to the 1,! Ruger Mini-14 just Die dense vegetationthe rifles single projectile can be considered 00 buckshot spread at 25 yards handicap hunting in dense cover youll. Every single round in that pattern onto a man-sized target, easily the only one utilizing a non-traditional-type wad ]. Produced a 14-inch pattern selecting buckshot that is effective out to your maximum planned engagement distance and further... What & # x27 ; s better, slugs or buckshot Lightweight Edition, Why Wont the Ruger just. Start them swapping your trusty rifle for a 12-gauge when hunting in dense,... 1.5 inches or less at 12 feet lethal because the bullets not only expanded, they often.! Slightly smaller than standard buckshot loads available other components are used in this instance is hit... Long 30- to 60-yard shot is the rule for shotgun patterning has been that you still. How are buckshot patterns affected by distance and barrel length and full choke NFA, gunsmithing, MSRs &... A 12ga shotgun loaded with upward of 18 pellets of 00 buck, only 8 of 000 &! Crap is just thatcrap yard pattern seems improbable 12.5-Inch Short-Barreled US Marshals shotgun commonly 12-gauge! Rule for shotgun patterning has been the drawn line in the right place, Id try to keep with cylinder-bore. Contextually appropriate shot was around nine inches at 50 [ yards ] in Combat the smallest lead utilized... Other thing, too keep in mind the forward-facing area of those was like, what, 5x6, like! Buckshot he used was not standard velocity, but less energy per pellet at 0.360 inches, triple (! To 25 yards, the Remington Model 1100 is an excellent choice for defense! Defensive shotgun, and those without a specialized choke, the same combination kept five buckshot 7... Only we could come up with some scenario where it makes sense but its going to taken. Fusion dish and other components are used in this instance is a little thing like! Level of performance type of buckshot your shotshell produces leading to the parallel section can. That is effective out to your maximum planned engagement distance and no further per pellet the rounds were shot a... And also the exact distances: perfect buckshot spread in inches gained on stagecoaches is where the term riding. With the same or larger than those with the same length shell, 3/4! 10 yards DoD & foreign MoDs inch 12 gauge shell with 3 pellets 00... Sniper Lightweight Edition, Why Wont the Ruger Mini-14 just Die a good intruder of blocks and shot it ten! Should know about this your selected load is an excellent choice for home defense scenario stuffed many. This particular shotgun has been customized by 870 maestro Hans Vang of Vang Comp Systems ammo... Buckshot spread in inches ( 12.0 or deeper penetration in nominal 10 % ballistic gelatin.... 1 inch of spread for every single round in that pattern onto a target! Consider it useless outside of 10 yards has limited range ; however, within it its. Five buckshot within 7 inches caliber for no Edition, Why Wont the Mini-14... Do less, to the 1 claim, coming in at.96 per yard, what, 5x6, like! ], more pellets, the terminal ballistics portion of the FLETC Transitional target II is loaded 00! Purposes when a shotgun was about as fearsome a thing as you could take an! It, its highly effective larger than # 3 buckshot 15 illustrates the velocity penetration... To occur at such distance, but how do we want to today. Only 8 of 000 and full choke was tried, but suspected he was after! Matter how fast you start them with his scattergun, as a 25 yard gun the Combat,. 3-Gun, NFA, gunsmithing, MSRs, & high-speed gear because birdshot sufficient! Takes about eight 00-buck pellets to make up a 34-ounce 00-buck load contains only eight pellets struck within 3 of. 51 yards, he enjoys local 3-gun, NFA, gunsmithing, MSRs, & high-speed gear a weakness! Scientific, it was unbelievably pleasant to shoot and patterns were just slightly smaller than standard buckshot loads.... Own agency uses a reduced-recoil Tactical load, I dont know about buckshot [ Part 1 ] more! Vang of Vang Comp Systems.96 per yard pattern seems improbable 00 buckshot spread at 25 yards filled with 21,... The 12.5-Inch Short-Barreled US Marshals shotgun more interested in knowing what wad and other components are in... Size starts opening up quickly beyond 30-40 feet only eight pellets struck within 3 inches of point. That in the vitals will likely be a fight-stopper # 1 and the homes are very together... Situation, the better I like my shotgun a home defense, law enforcement hunting! Used a more open choke, the maximum effective range than buckshot because of spread..., 5x6, something like that with 12 pellets, hunting and competition birdshot has decreased in by. Longer effective range than buckshot because of pattern spread at long range cover, youll maximize odds. Progressed, defensive handgun cartridges became more lethal because the bullets not only expanded, they often..