I've been shooting Federal 3" 00 12 pellet buckshot with Flitecontrol wads for years and I've been very happy with it. However, I haven't been able to find it in years, and now I've noticed Federal has taken it off of their website. I emailed them to see if it was discontinued permanently, but never got a response. With this, I'm giving up hope of it coming back. It seems like the only buckshot I've really been able to find in stock anywhere is the cheap unplated 3" Federal they sell at Walmart, and they cheap Super X Winchester unplated 00. Neither of which have I had much luck with. Most everything else I'm seeing has been 2 3/4". Are there any 3" options out there that are currently being produced that I should take a look at? What are you all shooting for deer now?
3" 00 Buckshot for Deer Hunting
- Thread starter slowr1der
- Start date
The Federal 12 gauge Power-Shok 3 inch, 15 pellet 00B loads are virtually identical to the Premium Vital-Shok line with the exception of the copper washed pellets used in the latter. Both use a shotcup wad and respond well to the same degree of choke constriction.
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Maybe your favorite buck shot load can be hand loaded , B.P. which stands for ballistic products has a lot of components and literature concerning shot shell reloading.
I saw an article about using copper plated 7.5 shot for pheasant because the copper plated , lead shot penetrated better . There's a lot of 7.5 shot in an ounce and a quarter shell. B.P offers bulk copper and nickel plated shot of many sizes " when available".Reloading Specialties, inc in Pine island Minn. and precision reloading in South Dakota offer shot shell components also
I saw an article about using copper plated 7.5 shot for pheasant because the copper plated , lead shot penetrated better . There's a lot of 7.5 shot in an ounce and a quarter shell. B.P offers bulk copper and nickel plated shot of many sizes " when available".Reloading Specialties, inc in Pine island Minn. and precision reloading in South Dakota offer shot shell components also
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OS/N
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If you do get into handloading shells, hold on to those fed premium hulls you have been shooting over the years. Those are hard to come by. Federal Premium hulls are the best to use with heavy magnum loads as they are faster at lower pressure. Trying to find everything to put heavy magnum loads together today is like looking for lost pirate treasure.
3" buckshot has been hard to find for a long while. About all you see is cheap made high cost 2-3/4.
I reload birdshot and lyman cast slugs but don't do buck shot. I don't shoot much buckshot though. Mainly just skeet every now and then - do a few slugs just to have something to dink around with when bored.
3" buckshot has been hard to find for a long while. About all you see is cheap made high cost 2-3/4.
I reload birdshot and lyman cast slugs but don't do buck shot. I don't shoot much buckshot though. Mainly just skeet every now and then - do a few slugs just to have something to dink around with when bored.
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earlthegoat2
Member
OK so this is another option.
Federal also makes a 3” #1 buckshot that IMO a superior for deer hunting than 00. It only comes in Federals power Shok line and as such dies not have Flite control.
Flite control wads do work great and I have a large number of 2 3/4 LE Flite control 00 and it works well out to 40 yds.
Federal also makes a 3” #1 buckshot that IMO a superior for deer hunting than 00. It only comes in Federals power Shok line and as such dies not have Flite control.
Flite control wads do work great and I have a large number of 2 3/4 LE Flite control 00 and it works well out to 40 yds.
Have you had decent patterns with the Power Shok line? I'm not 100% opposed to #1 buckshot, but I've never tried it on deer. I've had great luck with 000, and 00, but never tried anything else. Almost the whole hunt club uses 00. I've not had great patterns with non copper plated lead shot in the past, which is why I'm skeptical of the Power Shok line. I've mostly shot the 00 stuff from Walmart, but it's pretty bad. Most of our shots at deer are in the 30-70 yard range, which is why I liked how well the Flitecontrol stuff patterned.
I've thought about trying the 2 3/4" Flitecontrol stuff, but I'm not really wanting the lower power, less pellets, etc. I'm also not sure my shotgun would shoot them. It generally won't shot 2 3/4" loads unless they are very hot.
I'll admit. I'm very intrigued by this option. I handload almost all of my rifle and pistol ammo. The only reason I haven't gotten into reloading shotshells is that I probably don't more than 25 rounds of buckshot per year and a lot of years it's probably more like 10-15 rounds. I just kind of figured it wasn't worth the upfront cost when I don't enjoy shooting shotguns all that much, and as such I don't shoot them much.
However, I'm not opposed to it, and it may be the way to go for me to get what I want. It doesn't seem like Flitecontrol wads are available as a component, but are there other wads you can get that perform similarly?
OS/N
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I always had better luck with 00. 000 should be better as it has more energy but never has patterned as well as 00 for me. #1 and 0 doesn't exit or stick in the cross side hide like 00 for me. I mainly use c/f rifle now but years ago only shotgun was legal here so buckshot was all we could use for deer.
A 3" gun with 30" full choke and 00 buck was used by 90% of hunters at that time. Choke tubes were just breaking the scene but never shot as well as the tradional fixed choke. 1100s, 870s, and 1200/1300 were the top dogs of the day.
A 3" gun with 30" full choke and 00 buck was used by 90% of hunters at that time. Choke tubes were just breaking the scene but never shot as well as the tradional fixed choke. 1100s, 870s, and 1200/1300 were the top dogs of the day.
Savage30L
Member
>>THIS<<
3" #1 (24 pellets!) is hard to find nowadays, but definitely worth seeking out.
The 2 3/4" magnum #1, with 20 pellets, is good also.
This is exactly the setup I'm using. I'm using an 1100 Magnum with a 30" fixed full choke barrel shooting 00.
N555
Member
I gave up using 3'' 00buck a long time ago.
Yeah 3 inch rules out to about 25. Beyond indoor pistol range distance 2.75 is where it's at. More pellets hit a deer sized target at 40 yards and I get faster follow up shots. Back when I used a shotgun.
Yeah 3 inch rules out to about 25. Beyond indoor pistol range distance 2.75 is where it's at. More pellets hit a deer sized target at 40 yards and I get faster follow up shots. Back when I used a shotgun.
earlthegoat2
Member
I have had excellent result also to 40 yds with 3” #1. I have also used the 2 3/4 #1 and it keeps its pattern closer to 30 yds for me with a Mossberg 500 and factory style modified choke (Carlsons).
I don’t know if you are doing deer drives or dog hunting or what (you may have mentioned it earlier) but a shot aimed at the junction of the neck and shoulder is a high percentage shot to take if you can. That leaves room for error towards the neck or shoulder and vital organ area which is a likely kill shot as well.
Savage30L
Member
>>This<< again.
I used a Browning BPS with a fixed modified choke...worked just fine.
Thanks. I really appreciate the feedback. I may give #1 shot a try if I can find any. I'm using it when deer hunting with dogs.
They make (or at least used to) 2 different 2 3/4" loads an 8 pellet reduced recoil and a 9 pellet magnum with the flite control. For myself I'd give up a couple pellets and keep the pattern the flite control wads produce. YMMV
N555
Member
8 pellet shells always seem to pattern better over 9 no matter what they are.
This waslon before federal flightcontrol:
Shot guns don't make any sense.
If I fire 4 six pellet mini shells they will pattern tighter than 3 nine pellet shells, chances are I'll only have about 24 holes on my target at 40 yards from 3 nine pellet shells. But 3 eight pellet shells beats both of them.
Always use modified choke.
Tell me you haven't shot flite control buckshot, without telling me.
At 40 yards my spread with either flite control load is only 6-8"
N555
Member
That was long before flightcontrol.
Unless there have been some very recent changes, current domestic, machine loaded, buckshot cartridges contain pellets smaller than published nominal buckshot pellet diameters*.
Generally most swaged factory 00B run .32" diameter or a bit less and 49 to 50 grain pellet weight. Number 1 buckshot comes in around .285" diameter with a 33 grain per pellet weight. This use of sub nominal diameter pellets started in the early *1960s and has been the defacto commercial norm for decades. In addition running changes often made in product lines can often mean performance and pattern changes as well.
*According to SAAMI Voluntary Industry Standards, buckshot can be nominal + 0.015" and the shell may be short one to two pellets (depending on the size designation)
See page 46:
https://saami.org/wp-content/upload...Z299.2-Shotshell-2019-Approved-2019-04-23.pdf
** In 1963 Winchester introduced the Mark 5 Buckshot 00B round that introduced the use of buffer and shot collars - albeit, with a reduction in pellet diameter.
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red rick
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If you can’t find the flitecontrol , try a buck kicker choke tube . You can’t shot flitecontrol shells with it . Turlock also makes a special buckshot choke , but I have no experience with it . My buck kicker patterns Remington 3” 00 bk really good out of my 870 and a couple other peoples 870’s that have tried it in . My is an extra full .
GooseGestapo
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Back in the early “80’s I started loading my own buck shot as prices were already escalating. Also, limited availability. Seasonal stock at local shops.
I had already experimented with using lead sinkers in 20ga 1oz loads instead of #6,#7-1/2, #8, or #9’s. Worked fine!
I and my younger brother were in a hunting club that ran dogs. I found a 10lb bag of #00 buckshot and said “why not? I had a Lee 12ga loader, RP 1-14oz wads, and Winchester AA-Red wads.
I researched the Winchester and Hodgdons manuals and found good loads for Winchester 540 and HS-6 (same thing). I found that using the wads with the petals cut off worked better. Also, adding some Instant corn grits acted as a buffer. I also experimented with lowering the charges to get better patterns. We killed more than our fair share of deer. We weren’t shy about pulling the trigger and “shooting them to the ground”, as we put it. One weekend a young black kid that worked on the farm owned by the club president was trying to scrounge some amm. My brother gave him a handful of my handloads. The kid (16yr old) shot 3-times dropping three deer, one at over 40yds. He asked my brother what was in those shell! They kicked and killed! My brother told him “Jim Dandy 5-minute Grits! That was a standing joke for years!…. They would put 12pellets on a 9” paper plate at 25yds.
I now cast my own 00-buck with a Lee two cavity 0.33” mold. However, I seldom shoot a 12ga anymore. I use a 10pellet #1B load in a 2-3/4” 20ga. I use a Lee 0.31” 2-cav mold. I also have a Lee 0.24” 18-cavity mold but seldom use it.
I occasionally load a 12pellet #1 20ga 3” hull.
I use LongShot powder and Remington SP-20 wad (now discontinued…)
fwiw, I’ve found that I/C or Modified choke to give better patterns than Full, or x/Full.
I had already experimented with using lead sinkers in 20ga 1oz loads instead of #6,#7-1/2, #8, or #9’s. Worked fine!
I and my younger brother were in a hunting club that ran dogs. I found a 10lb bag of #00 buckshot and said “why not? I had a Lee 12ga loader, RP 1-14oz wads, and Winchester AA-Red wads.
I researched the Winchester and Hodgdons manuals and found good loads for Winchester 540 and HS-6 (same thing). I found that using the wads with the petals cut off worked better. Also, adding some Instant corn grits acted as a buffer. I also experimented with lowering the charges to get better patterns. We killed more than our fair share of deer. We weren’t shy about pulling the trigger and “shooting them to the ground”, as we put it. One weekend a young black kid that worked on the farm owned by the club president was trying to scrounge some amm. My brother gave him a handful of my handloads. The kid (16yr old) shot 3-times dropping three deer, one at over 40yds. He asked my brother what was in those shell! They kicked and killed! My brother told him “Jim Dandy 5-minute Grits! That was a standing joke for years!…. They would put 12pellets on a 9” paper plate at 25yds.
I now cast my own 00-buck with a Lee two cavity 0.33” mold. However, I seldom shoot a 12ga anymore. I use a 10pellet #1B load in a 2-3/4” 20ga. I use a Lee 0.31” 2-cav mold. I also have a Lee 0.24” 18-cavity mold but seldom use it.
I occasionally load a 12pellet #1 20ga 3” hull.
I use LongShot powder and Remington SP-20 wad (now discontinued…)
fwiw, I’ve found that I/C or Modified choke to give better patterns than Full, or x/Full.
If you like .310" buckshot pellets, Track of the Wolf has Lee 6 cavity molds in that size. Unlike the 18 cavity Lee molds, there is no need to "snip" a three pellet tree. These are made specially for TOW and are not listed in the Lee catalog.
www.trackofthewolf.com
Lee .310" round ball mold, six (6) cavity mold blocks, with cam-action sprue plate, requires Lee handles - Track of the Wolf
Totw.Structures.Web.Parts.DescriptionDetail
www.trackofthewolf.com
windini
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For those of you not averse to aluminum molds, look into Marty's Arms:
www.martysarms.com
I have one for #0 buck, .32 balls, but I haven't used it yet.
Buckshot Slingshot and Fishing Molds
Precision molds for casting your own buckshot, slingshot, and fishing weights. Made in USA
www.martysarms.com
I have one for #0 buck, .32 balls, but I haven't used it yet.
This 9 pellet "00B" Flite Control load has a 1325 fps velocity rating:
See: https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1002080783
