How many folks on this forum hunt with buckshot? What is your favorite load, gun, and choke combination? Post some patterns!
What do you mean by small game? I'm guessing you mean coyotes and stuff like that. I imagine that buckshot would make a mess out of a rabbit.
I was going to try it but after shooting it for pattern I decided to go with a rifled slug and teh buckshot was too unpredictbale for my liking out of my shotgun. For Yotes I would reccomend using the Dead Coyote T shot.
Depends on where you are. Here in VA, some counties are rifle, some slug, and some BUCKSHOT ONLY. Typically places that are flat, higher population density, concerns about how far projectile can carry. In those counties, 12 guage, either 00 or 0 buckshot, modified choke. Understand the range limits such a load has- about (IMHO) 40 yds,
I use it with a full choke tiypically on deer out of my 12 and 16 gauges. I prefer 00 but I can only find #1 for my 16 and I haven't been able to find a reciepe to reload for it. I also keep it in one of the two pumps I have for home defense, either that or a hot turkey load with 4 or 5 shot.
How about Dixie Tri-Ball Buckshot? Any shotgunners here use Tri-Ball II 12gauge 3" buckshot ammo? Tri-Ball II: Three .60 caliber hard-cast pellets at 1100 FPS. Comparison: 00 Buckshot .33 caliber, 54 grains nominal weight. Tri-Ball Buckshot .60 caliber, 315 grains. Simple comparison: 00B per pellet 1/8th ounce. Tri-Ball per pellet 3/4th ounce.
Mix and match. I understand a lot of Tri-Ball Buckshot users mix and match with conventional small pellet (00B & 000B) acording to the terrain and conditions.
"T" shot is buckshot! "Super Buck Lead Buckshot #T 8lb .200" 45 pellets in a 1 1/4th ounce load Super Buck Lead Buckshot #T 8lb .200"-Ballistic Products I have seen articles that mentioned T size lead buckshot as a favorite for hunting very small deer in the jungles of Central America.
Buckshot would make sense on our property, due to proximity of neighbor's houses, but the State of Oklahoma, in its infinite <lack of> wisdom, does not allow buckshot to be used for deer.
Last deer I shot with buckshot was a good size doe from about 40 yards. I was using an old Stevens 16ga with #1 buck. You guys do realize this thread is pretty old right?
Yet Relevant: Buckshot users vilified on forums Most buckshot users are vilified on forums by others who have no hunting experience with todays high performance buckshot loads.
I haven't done it because I have never owned a good shotgun until recently,I now have a cylinder 18.5" 870 that I might try to take a deer with using buckshot,I use a .444 from my blind,but if I can get close enough-like 10 yards from a deer while walking,I might use the shotgun.
Take a look at... Ballistic Products for 16 bore buckshot load data. http://www.ballisticproducts.com/load11-05-10.htm I understand Dave Fackler is working on a new buckshot manual and I suspect the folks over at BP would like to know of any interest in buffered 16 gauge buckshot load data. Ballistic products Super Buck line of buckshot pellets have a high enough atimony content to respond well to heat treating (425 degrees for 1 hour and quench in cold water). The Super Buck line is the hardest swaged buckshot manufactured that I am aware of and can be treated to increase this even more for the best possible patterns.
Buckshot unpredictable... ...only with older type soft lead pellet non-buffered loads like Wolf Brand. The best of today's small buckshot (like 00B) use hard pellets, buffer and in the case of Federal Flite Control, special wads that keep patterns tighter than any thought possible a few years ago - even out of cylinder bore barrels.
