Federal Flite-Control vs. Regular Buck - Pattern Test Results

[THE DARK KNIGHT]

I have seen a lot of questions around about the Federal Flite-Control LE Tactical 00 buckshot and the difference between that and regular buckshot. I haven't found a whole lot of info on it anywhere, and since I came across a case of this stuff at a good price a couple months back, I decided to test it today at the range.

I am at work at the moment, will upload pics after work, around midnight/1am or so.

For the test I used a Mossberg 590A1 18.5" barrel, and fired the following:

5 rounds of 2 3/4" Federal Flite Control LE 00 Buckshot 8 pellet

and the second target

5 rounds of 2 3/4" Federal Vial-Shok 00 Buckshot (forget if it 8 or 9 pellet, will check later)

I fired to center mass at a man shaped target at 18 yards. I picked 18 cause I figure that's a good deal longer than any realistic HD scenario would occur at.

Target 1 took 5 rounds of the regular Federal Vital-Shok Buckshot. Pattern from the 5 rounds all aimed to center mass, excluding the shot cup/wad, were typical and left a handspan-sized pattern right at the center.

Target 2 took 5 rounds of the Federal Flite-Cotnrol LE Tactical Buckshot. At this range, there was no pattern at all. Just 5 large holes in the target, indicating that at this point the shot is either still in the cup, or still flying in one big clump. Target looked like I was shooting slugs at it!

Interesting to know. I have heard that the LE Tactical Flite-Control also has a flash retardant in the powder, but have not been able to test these at night yet.

I am interested to see how the shot in such a small clump would behave on something like a wet phone book, or even ballistic gel.

I'll post the pics up later when I get home.

 

[Fred Fuller]

DK,

It always helps a lot to post SKU or catalog numbers when discussing shotgun loads. They're usually printed on the end flap of the box in small letters/numbers. For instance, my usual 00 load right now is Federal LE127-00, which is a standard velocity law enforcement 2 3/4" 9 pellet load (1325 fps) with the FliteControl wad.

Having that number makes it a lot easier to figure out what someone is discussing...



lpl

 

[FullEffect1911]

For what it's worth I would still like to see those pictures.

 

[leo2010]

Hi. I just found this post. I have been working on this very topic with a criminalistics professor at UNT. We co-wrote a report that is to be published in the Forensic Firearms and Toolmark Examiners Journal. Once it is published I will try to put it here.

 

[THE DARK KNIGHT]

Here's the pictures, as promised.

First, Federal Flite-Control LE133 00 Buck 8 pellet

The load showed virtually no spread at all at 18 yards from an 18.5" Mossberg 590 no choke. I'm not sure if I was dead on in the 10 and that hole in the 9 is a flier, or that I hit a little high to the right with one of the shots.

Next up, regular Federal Vital-Shok F127 Buckshot 00 9 pellet made a handspan-sized pattern at 18 yards from the same gun. That hole to the low right is just a wad.

And a picture of the boxes. Sorry it's dark.

 

[tkopp]

I'd bet the flier in your first pic is the wad.

 

[THE DARK KNIGHT]

I'm hoping so cause The other 9/10 are in the 10 ring.

 

[THE DARK KNIGHT]

Geez....

The pistol grip vs. Regular stock and Birdshot threads get several pages, I figure some actual useful information about tested shotgun patterns would get some love!

 

[rbernie]

Thanks for thaking the time to test this and then post it.

 

[K9american]

Thanks for the info DK. Nothing like some real world documentation.

 

[FullEffect1911]

Thank you for posting these pics. It shows how shotgun technology is improving and extending the useful range of shot patterns without going to a choking system.

With that said this seem like the buckshot if you ever have need to take it outside.

 

[gego]

Looks like for home defense, the plain vanilla buckshot does a good job (maybe better if you value a little larger pattern), so why go to the extra expense of Flite-Control. How many home defense encounters are going to be more than 18 yards? Not many I am thinking.

Thanks for the good information.

 

[highorder]

Looks like for home defense, the plain vanilla buckshot does a good job (maybe better if you value a little larger pattern), so why go to the extra expense of Flite-Control.

It's a state of mind. Some people use a shotgun like the proverbial "scattergun", while others use them like a rifle with a wider selection of payloads.

Others are shooting at people beyond 15 yards and they want all pellets on target!

 

[Fred Fuller]

DK,

It's kind of hard to tell what any individual pattern did when the target has nothing but gaping holes visible . Most of the big holes that appear when patterning buckshot on paper are from the wads. Thus I like to use plain scrap cardboard for targets when patterning buckshot, one target per pattern. At close range, of course, wads will go through cardboard as well, but they are really hard on paper targets.

There's an object lesson there for buckshot use in defensive roles. In the very unlikely event it's ever necessary to deliver a round in close proximity to a no-shoot target, it's good to know where every part of the payload will be going. If you know you have a wad to worry about, it might drive the shoot/no shoot decision, or the ammo selection decision. And if a wad will go through cardboard at close range, it'll do some damage to a human too. There's a certain slug load available now that carries a plastic ball in the base of the slug- so a 'select slug' drill if you're using that load might not actually solve the problem with stray parts of the payload.

Keep on experimenting, and keep on posting the pictures, please...

lpl

 

[THE DARK KNIGHT]

Yeah Cardboard would be a lot better but the only range around here does not allow anything but paper. I think I might have found a place in PA where you can shoot stuff like phone books and milk jugs if so I am gona have a field day. Also I read the LE stuff has flash retardant in the powder? But I also have nowhere to shoot at night so I would love to test them with a video camera but no dice for now.

 

[KBintheSLC]

Based on the patterning, it looks like the FC wads are best suited for hunting. A little bit of spread is nice for home defense ranges, and 18 yards is pretty far (probably about 3 times farther than I would expect to shoot in my house). I think I would keep the regular Fed 00 buck at home and save the FC for the field.

PS... I haven't forgotten about the test you requested. I am hoping to make it out to the desert this weekend. However, there is a hefty storm looming to the west of us that is supposed to hit soon. So, I may have to delay it. I'll keep you posted.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Nice test; thanks.

 

[Bix]

There's an object lesson there for buckshot use in defensive roles. In the very unlikely event it's ever necessary to deliver a round in close proximity to a no-shoot target, it's good to know where every part of the payload will be going. If you know you have a wad to worry about, it might drive the shoot/no shoot decision, or the ammo selection decision...

Absolutely. In an effort to shave some time in a match, I once tried to 'snake' a load of Hornady TAP between the shoulders of a couple no-shoots into the target behind. The shot load printed a nice A zone pattern in my intended target and the wad ripped a huge hole in the head box of a no-shoot. Much ribbing ensued and a lesson was learned.

DK - those patterns look better (tighter) than what I get out of my 18" fixed IC 870 barrel with the LE133. I start to get 2-3" patterns at around 10 yards with that combo.

 

[Justin]

Definitely some useful info here. I may have to give the Federal FLite-Control rounds a try.

 

[167]

We use the Federal PFC154 00LR (9 pellet) round at work and it does not pattern that tight out of our issued shotguns (scattergun technologies 870's). We start to get a flier or two off the silhouette (TQ-21) at 35 yards. At 15 yards you can see a pattern and not just huge holes, albiet a small one. I wonder if that is part of the difference between the 9 pellet flight control rounds and the 8 pellet flight control rounds? That would be an itneresting comparison test.

Lee Lapin, is the slug round you are refering to the Federal tru-ball slugs?

 

[Fred Fuller]

Senility is a terrible thing, and you should be ashamed of yourself for making me admit I don't recall what round it was that was causing this problem .

I think you have ID'ed it correctly. It was during a shotgun class I took a couple of years ago, and the plastic 'balls' were doing odd things, including bouncing all the way back past the firing line from a steel swinger target 50 yards away.

lpl

 

[THE DARK KNIGHT]

Yeah "Tru-Ball" is the one with a ball.

 

[Bimmer74]

To resurrect this...

How does the Federal "Law Enforcement Tactical" buckshot load differ from the Federal "Vital-Shok" buckshot load?

They're both 9 00 pellets, and they both use the FliteControl wad.

Bimmer

 

[esheato]

Pretty close to what I saw...

Link to my test.

 

[AcceptableUserName]

The main difference is that the the LE rounds have low muzzle flash and a smooth hull. The vital shok have the ribbed type hull and no modification to muzzle flash.


correct me if I'm wrong or add to this as you wish.


even Federal Power Shok and Vital Shok non-fc wad are good stuff and have always fed and gone bang in my pumpguns.


I'd strongly advise anyone looking to stock up on buckshot to be satisfied with any Winchester mil-spec or Super X, Remington, Federal, Fiocchi, Hornady load that looks good on a pattern they've put out of their inteded HD gun. Cheap/reliable/effective should be your determination. The Federal LE stuff is good, but don't make it more than it is. In fact, that kind of non-spread from 18 yards is a little concerning. Not much, but I'd like a tiny bit more spread. Think I'm just bashing the LE stuff to bash it? Newp, because that's all I own!!! I'm going to stock up on some Winchester Mil-Spec because it does have quite a bit more spread at that distance. (around 8")