LeonCarr
Member
Hey High Roaders,
In this latest segment in my search for Buckshot perfection, I went to the range and did some more highly informal, highly unscientific, and highly informative pattern testing of 16 different Buckshot loads, including 00, #1, and a couple of specialty loads offered by Cabela's under their Herter's brand.
The test shotgun consisted of the same Remington 870 Express HD 12 Gauge with 18.5 inch Cylinder Bore barrel used in Part 1, and it has a true .730 Cylinder Bore. This barrel allows each load to stand on its own merits without the effect of choke on the pattern. The barrel was also cleaned after each load.
The test consisted of one round of each load fired at a distance of 50 feet. I used sheets of moving/packing paper 24 inches by 24 inches with an orange dot in the center of the paper for the targets.
As was the case in the first round of testing, I had a good idea of what the tightest patterns would be, but had a few surprises too.
Since this is 00 Buck-O-Rama Part 2, we will start with the 00 Buckshot loads, with the tightest pattern listed first measured to the nearest 1/4 inch. All loads are 2.75 inch, with the exception of the Mini Buck and the 3 Inch Magnum #1 Buckshot.
Federal Flitecontrol (LE 133) 00 Buckshot 8 pellet 1145 fps - 7.00 inches (Tightest shooting 00 Buckshot tested, not as tight as the 9 pellet LE 132 but still very nice)
Hornady Superformance 00 Buckshot 8 pellet 1600 fps - 7.75 inches (Nice round pattern, low recoil for a load advertised at 1600 fps)
Remington 00 Buckshot 8 pellet Managed Recoil 1200 fps - 7.75 inches (Nice round pattern, best shooting Non-Flitecontrol/Versatite Wad load)
Hornady TAP 00 Buckshot 8 pellet 1100 fps - 8.00 inches ( Lowest recoil of all the loads tested, 6 of the 8 pellets went into 4.00 inches)
Hornady Critical Defense 00 Buckshot 8 pellet 1600 fps - 9.00 inches (Basically the same load as the Superformance, the vertical spread on the pattern was 4.00 inches, basically a rectangle shaped pattern)
Nobel Sport Italia Mini Buck (2.25 inch) 00 Buckshot 6 pellet 1250 fps - 10.00 inches (4 of 6 hit the target paper, load shot 12 inches high and 12 inches left of point of aim. Big muzzle flash, will feed from magazine in test Remington 870)
Spartan 00 Buckshot 9 pellet 1315 fps - 11.00 inches (Inexpensive, 11-13 bucks for a 25 round box, has wad with non buffered soft lead payload, good practice load)
Winchester Ranger 00 Buckshot 8 pellet 1200 fps - 11.00 inches (Easy shooting, buffered load with wad and non plated pellets)
Remington 00 Buckshot 9 pellet 1325 fps - 11.5 inches (I call these "Greenie Meanies", due to their green hull and above average recoil)
Next up are the #1 Buckshot loads. I have had a few requests to test the #1 Buckshot, and I believe these comprise all of the #1 Buckshot loads on the market. There were a few surprises in this group
.
Federal Flitecontrol (LE132 1B) #1 Buckshot 15 pellet 1100 fps - 2.5 inches (13 of 15 pellets went into one ragged hole, tightest pattern of the entire test, good stuff)
Sellier & Bellot #1 Buckshot 12 pellet 1213 fps - 13.5 inches (Basically a 16 Gauge load in a 12 Gauge Hull, excellent pattern for a non buffered, non wad equipped load, inexpensive)
Winchester Super-X #1 Buckshot 2.75 inch 16 pellet 1250 fps - 18.5 inches (IME these loads pattern poorly in open chokes, they do much better in a modified or full choke barrel/with modified/full choke tubes)
Remington Express #1 Buckshot 16 pellet 1250 fps - 18.5 inches (Almost identical pattern to the Winchester load, same comments apply)
Winchester Super-X #1 Buckshot 3 Inch Magnum 24 pellet 1040 fps - 19.75 inches (Big power, big muzzle flash, big payload, did not like cylinder choke barrel, might also respond well to choke)
The specialty buckshot loads from Cabelas/Herters:
Cabelas/Herters Multi-Defense 1 .65 Caliber Round Ball, 6 #1 Buckshot 1300 fps - 8.00 inches (.65 caliber round ball went right through the center of the orange dot with the #1 Buckshot pellets orbiting around it, it would suck to get shot with one of these. Very similar to the load offered by Nobel Sport Italia, might even be the same)
Cabelas/Herters Double Ball 2 .65 Caliber Round Balls 1200 fps - 10.75 inches (One ball very close to the X, one 10 inches out at about 2 O'Clock. Very dirty shooting with small burnt kernels the entire length of the barrel, might pattern tighter with choke).
I learned a lot testing this round of buckshot, and I wanted to pass it on.
Stay tuned for 00 Buck-O-Rama Part 3 and also the first installment of LeonCarr's Slug-O-Rama. I will be wearing a PAST Double Magnum Recoil Shield for that one.
Just my long winded typing .02,
LeonCarr
In this latest segment in my search for Buckshot perfection, I went to the range and did some more highly informal, highly unscientific, and highly informative pattern testing of 16 different Buckshot loads, including 00, #1, and a couple of specialty loads offered by Cabela's under their Herter's brand.
The test shotgun consisted of the same Remington 870 Express HD 12 Gauge with 18.5 inch Cylinder Bore barrel used in Part 1, and it has a true .730 Cylinder Bore. This barrel allows each load to stand on its own merits without the effect of choke on the pattern. The barrel was also cleaned after each load.
The test consisted of one round of each load fired at a distance of 50 feet. I used sheets of moving/packing paper 24 inches by 24 inches with an orange dot in the center of the paper for the targets.
As was the case in the first round of testing, I had a good idea of what the tightest patterns would be, but had a few surprises too.
Since this is 00 Buck-O-Rama Part 2, we will start with the 00 Buckshot loads, with the tightest pattern listed first measured to the nearest 1/4 inch. All loads are 2.75 inch, with the exception of the Mini Buck and the 3 Inch Magnum #1 Buckshot.
Federal Flitecontrol (LE 133) 00 Buckshot 8 pellet 1145 fps - 7.00 inches (Tightest shooting 00 Buckshot tested, not as tight as the 9 pellet LE 132 but still very nice)
Hornady Superformance 00 Buckshot 8 pellet 1600 fps - 7.75 inches (Nice round pattern, low recoil for a load advertised at 1600 fps)
Remington 00 Buckshot 8 pellet Managed Recoil 1200 fps - 7.75 inches (Nice round pattern, best shooting Non-Flitecontrol/Versatite Wad load)
Hornady TAP 00 Buckshot 8 pellet 1100 fps - 8.00 inches ( Lowest recoil of all the loads tested, 6 of the 8 pellets went into 4.00 inches)
Hornady Critical Defense 00 Buckshot 8 pellet 1600 fps - 9.00 inches (Basically the same load as the Superformance, the vertical spread on the pattern was 4.00 inches, basically a rectangle shaped pattern)
Nobel Sport Italia Mini Buck (2.25 inch) 00 Buckshot 6 pellet 1250 fps - 10.00 inches (4 of 6 hit the target paper, load shot 12 inches high and 12 inches left of point of aim. Big muzzle flash, will feed from magazine in test Remington 870)
Spartan 00 Buckshot 9 pellet 1315 fps - 11.00 inches (Inexpensive, 11-13 bucks for a 25 round box, has wad with non buffered soft lead payload, good practice load)
Winchester Ranger 00 Buckshot 8 pellet 1200 fps - 11.00 inches (Easy shooting, buffered load with wad and non plated pellets)
Remington 00 Buckshot 9 pellet 1325 fps - 11.5 inches (I call these "Greenie Meanies", due to their green hull and above average recoil)
Next up are the #1 Buckshot loads. I have had a few requests to test the #1 Buckshot, and I believe these comprise all of the #1 Buckshot loads on the market. There were a few surprises in this group
.Federal Flitecontrol (LE132 1B) #1 Buckshot 15 pellet 1100 fps - 2.5 inches (13 of 15 pellets went into one ragged hole, tightest pattern of the entire test, good stuff)
Sellier & Bellot #1 Buckshot 12 pellet 1213 fps - 13.5 inches (Basically a 16 Gauge load in a 12 Gauge Hull, excellent pattern for a non buffered, non wad equipped load, inexpensive)
Winchester Super-X #1 Buckshot 2.75 inch 16 pellet 1250 fps - 18.5 inches (IME these loads pattern poorly in open chokes, they do much better in a modified or full choke barrel/with modified/full choke tubes)
Remington Express #1 Buckshot 16 pellet 1250 fps - 18.5 inches (Almost identical pattern to the Winchester load, same comments apply)
Winchester Super-X #1 Buckshot 3 Inch Magnum 24 pellet 1040 fps - 19.75 inches (Big power, big muzzle flash, big payload, did not like cylinder choke barrel, might also respond well to choke)
The specialty buckshot loads from Cabelas/Herters:
Cabelas/Herters Multi-Defense 1 .65 Caliber Round Ball, 6 #1 Buckshot 1300 fps - 8.00 inches (.65 caliber round ball went right through the center of the orange dot with the #1 Buckshot pellets orbiting around it, it would suck to get shot with one of these. Very similar to the load offered by Nobel Sport Italia, might even be the same)
Cabelas/Herters Double Ball 2 .65 Caliber Round Balls 1200 fps - 10.75 inches (One ball very close to the X, one 10 inches out at about 2 O'Clock. Very dirty shooting with small burnt kernels the entire length of the barrel, might pattern tighter with choke).
I learned a lot testing this round of buckshot, and I wanted to pass it on.
Stay tuned for 00 Buck-O-Rama Part 3 and also the first installment of LeonCarr's Slug-O-Rama. I will be wearing a PAST Double Magnum Recoil Shield for that one
.Just my long winded typing .02,
LeonCarr
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