Estate OO shells

[Norton]

I've been slowly cleaning a local shop out of their supply of Estate OO buck shells at $3/box. This was partially because it was cheaper than the $3.50/box that the mass merchants locally were selling Remington shells and to help the local shop out through a cash flow squeeze.

The shells are in a white box with, ESTATE, written in black letters across the box. The shop owner said they were buffered loads, which I thought most OO loads were.

Any thoughts/experience on these? I've got plenty of Remington and other name brand OO shells for "1st stringer" purposes, but thought these might be good for a class or something.

 

[hans1911]

I have used the Estate 00 a few times for some informal matches and coyote hunting twice. They did have buffered shot, unlike the equally cheap Wolf 00. For a cheap round I couldn't find any fault with them. They patterned well enough out of my 28" bbl. 1300 with a full choke to drop a coyote at 36 yards, and another at 41 yards. If they work in your gun well, I'd say buy all you can.


hans1911
(formerly GHILLIE)

 

[Norton]

So....buffering is a GOOD thing in OO shells?

I thought so, but haven't shot enough OO to know.

 

[MAX100]

A buffering material, such as granulated plastic, sawdust, or similar material is mixed with the shot to fill the spaces between the individual pellets. When fired, the buffering material compresses and supports the shot, reducing the deformation the shot pellets experience under the extreme acceleration. Copper plated lead shot, steel, bismuth, and tungsten composite shot all have a hardness greater than that of plain lead shot, and will deform less as well. Reducing the deformation will result in tighter patterns, as the spherical pellets tend to fly straighter.


GC

 

[Rampant_Colt]

Estate low recoil 00 buck throws amazing patterns out of my modified choke H&R Topper. First class stuff

 

[fearless leader]

Where is Estate made?

 

[evbutler462]

Federal and Estate are one and the same. Federal kept the Estate name when they obtained the Estate Company.

 

[The Deer Hunter]

Go shoot some. If they are reliable and don't pattern badly then why not just start buying the Estate stuff?

 

[gunnerh]

I have been using Estate bird and buck shot for only a few months now but I am happy with they performance. Works well out of both my Ithaca 37 and my Benelli auto.

 

[Fred Fuller]

In years gone by, Estate had some military contracts for shotgun ammo. All the commercial Estate buckshot I ever saw was in brown boxes, not white- the white boxes may be newer production ammo in different packaging, or might be contract overrun from days gone by, I don't know.

For some history on this load, see the thread at http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=73967 . The pictures there will let you determine whether this is old style "Texas" production or post-buyout new production ammo.

lpl/nc

 

[jlpskydive]

It cycles fine in my SX2 chambered 3.5 and also shoots fine out of my Silver Pigeon