410 buckshot load development

[mossyshooter]

Hello I am currently working on a handloaded buckshot load for my 410. From what I have gathered, there are a number of problems with the factory loads. First is poor patterning. From what I have found, The shot is loose and has room to wiggle as it goes down the bore. In the larger gauges this is reduced with buffering. Cause number 2 is because the shot is stacked in line and there is no buffering between them, causing the shot to flatten out against each other. This only became apparent after people were discovering rifling marks on recovered buckshot fired from their taurus judges. I have discovered that a 36cal muzzleloader ball fits perfectly in the standard 410 wad. Holds it nice and centered but not too tight. Similar the sabot on a muzzleloader bullet. The only rounds it wont fit in is the winchesters because the hulls are a thicker diameter. What I am trying to develop here is a 3 inch high velocity buckshot load with 000 buck for my fixed full choke mossberg 500 for whatever I feel like, close range hunting of fox or coyote, home defense, whatever you want. Yeah full choke is less than ideal for large shot but I'm stuck with it. What I have developed is a 4 pellet 3 inch buffered load using a remington 3 inch hull and wad (2 1/2 is in the works as well). It should have more velocity than the standard 5 pellet 3 inch loading and 3 pellet 2 1/2 inch loading and should have far superior downrange patterning than any other commercially available load before it because the shot cup keeps the shot properly aligned in the bore and eliminates barrel scrub, and the buffering should also reduce pellet deformation big time. What's any body else's take on this before I start cranking them out? I welcome all advice on powder types and other reloading tips ect if this is even feasible.

 

[suemarkp]

A muzzle loading ball and OOO buckshot is about the same thing. First thing I would try is the new Federal loads for the Taurus Judge. Four balls of plated OOO with a nice wad that is stiffer than any 410 wad you can buy. Think of it as the FliteControl wad for the 410 (but I don't think it is that good).

If this is still not satisfactory, you can try handloading your own. Another item you may want to investigate is vegetable wads in 35 caliber. Place these between each buckshot ball. This may help to cushion things and make the payload length closer to what is expected in a 3" magnum shell. Add buffering if you want. The best wad I've found for handloading is the Ballistic Products Stretch wad -- seems to make the tightest patterns. I've even tried putting some thin heat shrink around this wad to keep it from opening (only did this in my Judge in a brass shotshell, not a real 410 shotgun or with plastic shells; Use the .400 diameter stuff and it won't need to shrink much which helps keep it all nice and round). This may be too tight or inconsistent of a pattern. Or perhaps use .365 heat shrink around the buckshot with the stump wad.
http://www.ballisticproducts.com/products.asp?dept=93
http://cableorganizer.com/heat-shrink/heat-shrink-FEP.htm

May want to try harder buckshot.
http://www.ballisticproducts.com/products.asp?dept=65

 

[RMc]

Hard cast

The only way to limit ball deformation when stacked in a straight line is to use hardcast lead balls. Wheel weight metal will do the trick.

 

[mossyshooter]

I know I would need to use plated shot if I really wanted to eliminate deformation but I'm suck with hundreds of pure lead .36cal round balls and got to do something creative with them. I was thinking about using a fiber wad between each pellet. The buffering should work pretty good since it obturates though so I'm going to give it a try. My only concern which is was I posted this was about safety. Can the shot safely squeeze through the fixed full choke of my gun with a wad around the buckshot pellets. There isn't much room for forgiveness with this idea and it's probably more suited to a looser choke or a cylinder bore gun.

 

[mossyshooter]

well I tried the factory buckshot and my buckshot.Needless to say I wasn't impressed with the winchester 2.5 inch 3 pellet load. At 25 yards the spread is close to 2 feet with a lot of vertical stringing. I reloaded a standard remington 2.5 inch sts target load of #9 shot with 4 36 cal lead balls, then re crimped. Just a simple pull and push. Now I'm not quite sure if it's within the safe pressure range for a 2.5 inch gun (should be but can't make any promises) but it should be well within the pressure limitations of the 3 inch gun. Had no issues with extraction, or signs of overpressure though. Well needless to say, that the handloads were far superior. At 25 yards, all 4 pellets hit in the area of my hand. About 4-6 inches. The factory one piece wad and shot cup seem to be doing an excellent job of keeping the large buckshot pellets aligned in the bore and eliminating barrel scrub. Velocity should be somewhere in the 1000 to 1100fps range. I also tested the 3 inch version. Velocity was slightly higher and grouping was slightly better. Most likely due to the buffering between the pellets to cushion them and reduce deformation. I also tested a 5 pellet 3 inch load which produced similar results but usually had 1 flier that stuck out about 1 foot from the main grouping. Most likely caused by the fact that even the 3 inch loads use a standard 2.5 inch wad. Overall, There is a slight difference in velocity and a marginal improvement in pattern with the 3 inch buffered load compared the the 2.5 inch non buffered load. In any rate, I'm going to start cranking out the 2.5 inch loads using hard plated shot. They should be great for hunting fox or coyote at close range or home defense. With HD though your aim has to be precise though as the pattern is so tight. Why hasn't any other manufacturer jumped at this?

 

[goon]

Something I did once playing with my .410...
I slugged the bore and determined it to be about a .376 diameter. Mine's an H&R with a full choke so and a muzzleloading pistol ball of about .375 should fit pretty well. Like you, I've also tried the factory buck shot loadings and found them to be utterly useless.

 

[Guvnor]

I haven't had much luck with the Winchester buckshot shells either. My full choke single shot will sling the pellets all over the place at 25 yards.

Maybe a cylinder bore would produce better results, but I have a feeling that pellet deformation is more of an issue than choke selection. I would like to try the new Federal plated buckshot if I can find some locally.

 

[rcmodel]

High antimony & nickle plated buckshot here:
http://www.ballisticproducts.com/products.asp?dept=65

rc

 

[nicksterdemus]

The best 410 buckshot load development is a 32 gauge which should've killed the 67.5 gauge.

I'm funnin' w/ya, but I would like to have a 24 & a 32 gauge.

Waly-World carries 28 gauge shells so hope springs eternal...

Good luck on your loads.

 

[12Bravo20]

I reload 3 inch buckshot loads using 5 pellets of 00 buck. I did the math and the weight of 5 00 pellets is within a few grains of 11/16oz load of shot so was able to use the same powder charge for both. I use Claybuster wads and Winchester Super X hulls. All 5 pellets hit center mass at 15-20 yards out of my Mossberg 500 and NEF single shot.