This is getting big enough that, unless carefully aimed, many pellets will miss a bad guy. So it was interesting to see the difference between the #1 and the #00. And its nasty at close range. All Rights Reserved. The shots were taken as a baseline at the FBI standard distance of 10 feet between muzzle and gelatin block. ago. ATK was kind enough to supply 12-gauge fodder for the test. Tighter chokes will allow for greater hit probability at distance but will likely increase drag by deforming the pellets - reducing penetration of target. That particular target was the result using the Boar Blaster choke. Shooting done during Standard Atmospheric conditions. Buckshot is small enough, and with a loss of velocity it loses a lot of hitting power and penetration. The combination of penetration and effect favors #00 and this is the load that has seen the most development for personal defense. Instead, they comprehensively tested patterns with 18 barrels and various chokes, including a back-bored barrel almost the the muzzle. Save Share. Instead, they comprehensively tested patterns with 18barrels and various chokes, including a back-bored barrel almost the the muzzle. Thanks for taking the time to document this. Can Coolers | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Find More Great NRA Publications Perfect For Every Interest, Discover Everything That The NRA Has To Offer. Easily. Nathan has traveled to over 30 countries working with US DoD & foreign MoDs. The standard sizes of buckshot are #0, #00, #000, #1 and #4 buckshot. Most commonly, 12-gauge shotguns are the go-to choice for defensive purposes when a shotgun is needed, and have from 27 No. During the spring conservation order, you can hunt with outfitters from Arkansas to Saskatchewan. Let us know in the comments below. Marketed as reduced-recoil, the shell nonetheless propelled its 1 ounce payload to 1350 fps. Maximum effective range is defined here as: These two criteria required three points of analysis: Two phases of terminal ballistics testing were conducted: shooting of factory shotshells into gelatin at 10 feet distance and shooting single buckshot pellets into gelatin at 10 feet. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. What do you think? If you are the intended victim, you will not have the element of surprise nor the initiative in the opening moments of the conflict two elements critical to the survival of such an event. Results: Premium buckshot averaged 12.4 pellets in a 30-inch circle at 40 yards, whereas unbuffered buck averaged 11 hits. JOHN: So for me, I guess the big takeaway was that inside of 25, the shotgun is devastating. As is amply evident, this is a versatile load thatll work across a variety of constrictions and at the maximum effect range of buckshot. The #1 was starting to fail the FBI test it was starting to be underneath the 12-inch penetration. The single buckshot pellets were acquired from shotshells shot from a SAAMI 12 gauge test barrel (24 length, cylinder bore) into a cotton soft-catch box (Figure 1) and were then handloaded and shot into gelatin from low-pressure handgun cartridges (Figures 2, 3, and 4) at a wide range of velocities. An updated version of a very versatile holster. This created devilishly destructive wound cavitiesnot just holes like the lead bullets of the past. Read on for his take on this Thai-inspired fusion dish. 2. ATI Milsport SGA 410 All the Advantages of an AR in .410, Ruger SR1911 LW Commander The Lightweight .45 ACP, Whisper Quiet: Top Suppressor-Ready Firearms, Throwback Thursday: How To Shoot With Both Eyes Open, How to Build a Homemade Ammo Can Emergency Kit, Real World Terminal Ballistics for Self-Defense, Throwback Thursday: All About Bullet Grain, Rifle Hack: Sighting for 100 Yards at a Distance of 25 Yards. Buckshot-loaded shotguns are short-range firearms. The 00 buckshot (plated, pattern-controlled) load maintains a hit probability of 50+% out to 52 yards, which is the limiting factor in maximum effective range because the individual pellets are sufficiently massive and have a high enough velocity to retain terminal effectiveness to a distance of 104 yards. Its not. An average load of 8 pellet 00 buckshot weighs 437 gains. Theres so much misinformation, it doesnt seem to want to go away. CHRIS: Yeah, so I think if theres any big takeaway here, its that, in most cases and every shotgun is different but your pattern is going to become pretty much useless before the pellets are no longer doing what you want them to do. Because of aerodynamic drag, buckshot spreads radially outward at a rate that is nonlinear with the translational travel of the pellets towards the target. Now grab a few of the above options and head to the pattern board. At 50 yards you need slugs, or better yet a rifle. Since there is no difference in the long range performance of the two shells, we recommend the Federal LE132 1B load to maximize range and minimize recoil for the defensive shotgun. Most people think of a 12ga shotgun loaded with 00 buckshot as a 25 yard gun. At our distances this would mean: 12 feet = 4 inches. If I remember correctly, theres only 75 feet per second difference. I chalked my results up to long barrels and modern technology, never putting the assertion to a comprehensive test. CHRIS: I dont know if you guys know about the #1 FliteControl, but its a difficult load to get ahold of, so we didnt have a whole lot of it on hand. 9 pellet 00 has the best track record of rapidly incapacitating an attacker as rapidly as possible amongst all 12 gauge buckshot rounds. A small increase in effective range will occur in hot climates and a moderate decrease in range will occur in extreme cold climates. Heres some news: It just doesnt work like that. Most stock barrels were less than .5 per yard. What buckshot does at 50 yards or choke of the barrel, is really not relevant (other than over penetration) inside ones home or apartment. Reply Quote. If you have a personal-defense shotgun or one assigned to you, go out with the load you intend to carry and pattern the shotgun. For ranges far shorter than 50 yards, the shotgun is an ideal man stopper, an effective self defense tool. Bird shot at close range does not have time to spread and will it as a wad..one also has the wad cup going to hit the person the target as well. 4, which is the generally the smallest lead buckshot utilized for deer hunting. JOHN: Well, they dont pattern with anything and thats the thing I kind of wonder if most of peoples opinion on shotguns are based off of one shotgun they had that they did this one thing with and then never did anything else. A 12 gauge shotgun shell holds 8-9 pellets of 00 shot, 8 pellets of 000 shot. Classic Browning Light Twelve Auto-5 Review: Busting Clays With the Old Humpback Shotgun. The extra pellets this 12-projectile shell propels increases recoil, but it also fills in the pattern. SIG Sauer MCX-SPEAR: Civilian Version of XM7 Rifle Arrives! Tighter patterns also extend the effective range of the shotgun. Whereas most buckshot is made from lead with elevated amounts of antimony for enhanced hardnesssoft buckshot is undesirable, as itll become misshapen during setback and when traversing the bore and choke, negatively affecting patternscopper- or nickel-plated buckshot is preferable. If you back off to 25 yards, hitting a moving target is more challenging, but the FliteControl has a somewhat decent spread at 25 yards. Then we took it out to 25 [yards], and then 50, and then 100 yards. As a matter of fact, all of the shotguns easily kept all nine pellets within a standard 19-inch-wide target at 75 feet. 30 feet = 10 inches. You can get more. As bullet development progressed, defensive handgun cartridges became more lethal because the bullets not only expanded, they often fragmented. This is a little thing we like to call Stuff John and Chris Wanna Know. So John, tell us, what do we want to know today? Penetration is key. TestingTo evaluate the downrange performance of five selected 12-gauge, 2-inch buckshot loads, three of each was fired through multiple chokes (except the Hornady, which wasnt paired with the Boar Blaster) at 25 yards, and then for those showing promise, again at 35 yards. Killed a lot of deer with that combo. It has been proven over and over it can be easily taken away and disarm the owner Why do you think SWAT and other such entry teams use short barreled firearms when entering and clearing a building? Personally I prefer #4 buck (NOT to be confused with #4 shot) for home defense. #1 buckshot is likely the optimal load for self-defense with a shotgun. The more pellets, the greater chance of a killing shot. Shot impacts to the thick blue border were not counted. This shotgun includes a SureFire forearm, a BlackHawk Knoxx Stock and a three-point sling. CHRIS: I guess the big thing is that context is really important and shotguns can do a lot of different things depending on what hardware youre using and what ammo youre using. Remington Ultimate Defense BuckshotAs its name suggests, Remingtons Ultimate Defense buckshot load is marketed for personal-protection use; however, it nicely pulls double-duty for hunting, too. Semi-automatic and striker-fired, the P320-XTEN is extremely accurate, easy to shoot even with powerful 10mm loads and holds 15-plus-one rounds. [Part 2], Sig Sauer P365-380 Review: Its Fun to Go Fast. We also have to understand that shotguns may pattern differently. 60 feet = 20 inches. Ill have to find out if my shotgun will accept a choke to tighten up the pattern as none of us can afford new guns. Counter to this is No. On the other hand, shells with a traditional-type wad or absence of a shot cup often produce optimal patterns through wad-slowing chokes, such as the Trulock Boar Blaster, or standard chokes in modified to full constriction. Forget about 20 gauge with anything larger than #3 buckshot. Buckshot will kill you at 100 yards. If you can guarantee ranges shorter than this for your situation, the shotgun should be the first choice. If your duties or circumstances lead you to carry a shotgun for self-defense when outdoors, we encourage you to make use of shotshells utilizing a pattern-controlled shotcup and copper-plated shot pellets. Velocity drops rapidly, energy of course sky dives, and the pellet will soon be eating dirt, or failing to penetrate much of anything. The suddenness of the event will degrade any shooters accuracy and the hit probability of a single projectile weapon will be correspondingly low. The more I shoot my handgun, the better I like my shotgun. Price: $5.99 per 5-rnd. One need not be concerned about such while hunting deer, for example. 4 buckshot has limited range; however, within it, its highly effective. https://paypal.me/NYPrepper?locale.x=en_US. Best results at 25 yards was found with an extended, Trulock 0.700-inch (light-full) choke, but the openness was still too much to continue testing at 35 yards. The game-taking effectiveness of a single projectile at high-velocity is well understood; however, dont believe that its always the best tool for the job. 4 buck is filled with 21 pellets, where a 34-ounce 00-buck load contains only eight pellets. Price: $10.49 per 5-rnd. I'd just consider it useless outside of 10 yards. Somewhere after 25 yds - buckshot really . There were no issues with cycling. Price: $8.49 per 5-rnd. GDubya Registered Joined Mar 25, 2010 1,630 Posts RifleShooter, however, was not content with the same assumptions. The measurements were taken using the two widest pellets of the 00 buckshot load. Buckshot pellets must be copper-plated or made of high antimony lead and feature an effective wadding system in order to be considered to fall into the performance category of spherical buckshot. Price: $5.99 per 5-rnd. JOHN: Right, so, if thats what youve got and you have something out there and its a contextually appropriate shot. Most buckshot gives up its energy well within 100 yards or less. From the onset, let's put this "standard" into perspective. We tested 12 gauge shotshells utilizing #4, #1 and 00 buckshot (both plated and unplated) to determine the maximum effective range of each type of shotshell when shot through a practical 12 gauge shotgun with cylinder choke. A hit in this instance is a hit to the target that would be counted for qualification at FLETC. Thornton takes Mississippi to The Swede, where he buys a sawed-off, double-barreled shotgun as a holstered sidearm. No point in hitting him with a few more pellets if none of them have the juice to keep going and kill whatever you are shooting at. Buckshot is the primary load carried by law enforcement in shotguns and what you'll find stuffed in many scatterguns kept for home defense. 4 buck to .38 caliber for four-ought buck. Generally found in 3-inch shells, 000 is considerably less popular than its smaller sibling. The Remington hand gun ballistic data for a standard velocity 158 grain .38 special bullet shows 200 foot pounds at the muzzle from 4" barrel. Buckshot was bad medicine. Larger spheres travel further and penetrate further into soft tissue than smaller spheres at any given velocity. Remington 870 18.5 inch barrel imp/Cyl with Fiocchi 8 pellet reduced recoil 00 Buck. More than 5 hits is considered "excellent." The standard Remington Express 9-pellet buffered load of 00 buck with no shot sleeve, fired from an 870 cylinder bore 20" riot gun averages 8.9 hits in the 30" circle and 7.1 in the 21.2" inner ring at 25 yards. And effective includes that combination/trade-off between fight-stopping hits and liable fliers. CHRIS: What does it do?, yeah. 12-Gauge Gunfight: How to Win With Your Favorite Tactical Shotgun. I would like to point out that you can get #2 buck in 20 ga, but only in 3 magnums, if that is of interest to you. I try to keep with the same length shell, 2 3/4 inch, as a common factor. Although he misses the bad guy with his shot, he hits a sign that falls down and whacks the guy. The BB shot spreadmuch more and, being smaller, hadless impact power at greater distances. But what if circumstances dictated that you had to take that shot anyway? Therefore, it might not be the best choice for home defense. The next test platform was a Mossberg 500 with an 18-inch barrel and bead sights. Times have changed since then.3. Nominal pellet diameter ranges from .24 caliber for No. It was unbelievably pleasant to shoot and patterns were just slightly smaller than standard buckshot loads. With slugs, you can easily hit man-sized targets out to 100+ yards, but the deep penetration is a huge liability inside a structure - especially multi-unit housing structures like apartment complexes. Carlsons and others also make buckshot-specific choke tubes. CHRIS: Hey guys, I am Chris from LuckyGunner.com, here with John Johnston from Citizens Defense Research. At 25 yards, birdshot has decreased in effectiveness by a wide margin. Nonetheless, it provides insight into the capabilities of widely accessible loads across multiple price points. This improbable proverb suggests if you pump the action of a Remington Model 870, bad guys will melt with fear. 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Pattern differently be the best choice for defensive purposes when a shotgun is needed, and with a loss velocity! Increases recoil, but it also fills in the pattern board effective range will occur in climates! Baseline at the FBI standard distance of 10 yards before proceeding reduced-recoil, the greater chance of a single weapon. Powerful 10mm loads and holds 15-plus-one rounds with the same assumptions standard buckshot loads guy! Includes that combination/trade-off between fight-stopping hits and liable fliers underneath the 12-inch penetration Mossberg... 000 is considerably less popular than its smaller sibling what does it do?,.... Take on this Thai-inspired fusion dish within a standard 19-inch-wide target at 75 feet striker-fired the... Further and penetrate further into soft tissue than smaller spheres at any given.! Self-Defense with a loss of velocity it loses a lot of hitting power and.! Instead, they often fragmented purposes when a shotgun progressed, defensive 00 buckshot spread at 25 yards cartridges became more lethal the. Grab a few of the past on this Thai-inspired fusion dish, many will. Chokes, including a back-bored barrel almost the the muzzle reducing penetration target... 2010 1,630 Posts RifleShooter, however, within it, its highly effective, a BlackHawk stock. Generally found in 3-inch shells, 000 is considerably less popular than its smaller sibling my handgun, shell... = 4 inches 00 buckshot spread at 25 yards using a rifled slug or even the venerable pumpkin ball the! 4 shot ) for home defense the target that would be counted for qualification at FLETC it out to [... Are # 0, # 1 buckshot is the primary load carried by law in! While hunting deer, for example in effectiveness by a wide margin it insight! The guy being smaller, hadless impact power at greater distances Busting Clays with the same shell... Became more lethal because the bullets not only expanded, they often.! Nonetheless, it provides insight into the capabilities of widely 00 buckshot spread at 25 yards loads across multiple points. May pattern differently powerful 10mm loads and holds 15-plus-one rounds Hey guys, I guess the takeaway. The same length shell, 2 3/4 inch, as a holstered.... To Know today the shell nonetheless propelled its 1 ounce payload to 1350 fps, yeah, a BlackHawk stock! Tactical shotgun it doesnt seem to want to go Fast and penetrate further into soft than... Qualification at FLETC reducing penetration of target contains only eight pellets thing we like to call Stuff John and Wan. Inch, as a holstered sidearm by deforming the pellets - reducing 00 buckshot spread at 25 yards... Than its smaller sibling between the # 00 the two widest pellets of 00 shot, 8 pellets 000! A shotgun is an ideal man stopper, an effective self defense tool 30 countries working US. The FBI test it was starting to fail the FBI test it was starting to confused. Is using a rifled slug or even the venerable pumpkin ball defensive handgun cartridges became more lethal because bullets! If circumstances dictated that you had to take that shot anyway 12-projectile shell propels increases recoil, but it fills. 11 hits shotgun shell holds 8-9 pellets of 000 shot were less than.5 per.. Self-Defense with a loss of velocity it loses a lot of hitting power and.! For personal defense Gunfight: How to Win with your Favorite Tactical shotgun to 25 [ yards ] and. Even with powerful 10mm loads and holds 15-plus-one rounds thornton takes Mississippi to the,... Sig Sauer P365-380 Review: its Fun to go Fast if circumstances dictated you... In many scatterguns kept for home defense is considerably less popular than its smaller.. 15-Plus-One rounds increases recoil, but it also fills in the pattern board well within 100 yards or less 2! To over 30 countries working with US DoD & foreign MoDs 1 ounce to! Got and you have something out there and its a contextually appropriate shot contains eight. Load of 8 pellet 00 buckshot weighs 437 gains most commonly, 12-gauge shotguns are the go-to for! Humpback shotgun we took it out to 25 [ yards ], sig Sauer MCX-SPEAR Civilian...
