Buckshot BB and hunting game

[Brutus]

Various times in my life I have harvested small game & varmints with differing types of buckshot.

Want to hear your thoughts and experiences with your chosen smoothbore and buckshot. Let's include T shot F shot and BB in this discussion too.

Feel free to share.....

 

[linux99]

Steel BB's from a 12 bore work super well for Rabbits out to about 50 yards and you dont have any worries about damage to the environment after. I just use a cheap Mossberg 88.

Last box I bought was Challenger Super Magnum 2-3/4" shooting 1 1/8 oz steel BB at about $1 per shot. Very happy with the performance.

 

[bb07]

This will be an interesting thread and I'm looking forward to all the replies.
The choke used with various loads is something I'd like to see as well.

 

[danastles]

I picked up lots of the flite control buckshot recently. The slower stuff patterns very well out of a vang comp cylinder bore. This wknd going to test both low recoil and normal recoil out of 3 guns at multiple distances. Once that is dialed in I'd like to take a deer at 20yrds this fall.

 

[Longwalker]

I've thought about using buckshot in one barrel of my 16 ga. Krieghoff Drilling. Any type of buckshot I've tried, ( a couple of European brands and some Remington buffered #0) patterned so poorly that I decided not to hunt deer or black bear with it. In my gun it would likely only be useful at 20 yards or less. My experience with BB and #4 buck and old style Imperial AAA shot in a 12 ga is that it is very effective on coyotes and similar sized animals within 40 yards from a 12 ga.

 

[Grain]

I harvested a whitetail buck at 50 yards with #4 buckshot, Remington 12 gauge 3" ammunition. Used an 870 Special Purpose, 21" barrel w/ medium choke. Spread of shot at that distance was about ~30" and did a lot of damage, although not a lot to meat as the buck was running straight at me. Died before he hit the ground; I reached him in seconds. For me, 60 yards is the max ethical limit for #4 buckshot.

 

[DFarmer]

I've thought about using buckshot in one barrel of my 16 ga. Krieghoff Drilling. Any type of buckshot I've tried, ( a couple of European brands and some Remington buffered #0) patterned so poorly that I decided not to hunt deer or black bear with it. In my gun it would likely only be useful at 20 yards or less. My experience with BB and #4 buck and old style Imperial AAA shot in a 12 ga is that it is very effective on coyotes and similar sized animals within 40 yards from a 12 ga.

When BBs were legal for coyote hunting in BC, we found them to be very effective to 50 yards.

 

[0faustus0]

A tri-ball load counts as buckshot …. right?

Well, I have been experimenting with the Dixie Tri-Ball load out of my Tac-14 and which has a fixed cylinder choke.

For those who are new to the Dixie Tri-Ball load … it is a 12ga 3 inch load with three .600 lead balls. And I lowered the powder charge a bit to manage the recoil with my Tac-14.

It is a 2.2 oz payload .... stout!!

Unfortunately the fixed cylinder choke on my Tac-14 does not do it … as you can see from the pattern test. So, I am working on a new Tac-14 build with a 14” barrel that will be threaded for removable chokes …. and I am hoping to bring that pattern down to around 8 inches at 50 meters …. and with a tighter choke.

If I can tighten that pattern .... then this combination will be a nice compact meat-getter ..... for 50+ meters ....

 

[0faustus0]

I harvested a whitetail buck at 50 yards with #4 buckshot, Remington 12 gauge 3" ammunition. Used an 870 Special Purpose, 21" barrel w/ medium choke. Spread of shot at that distance was about ~30" and did a lot of damage, although not a lot to meat as the buck was running straight at me. Died before he hit the ground; I reached him in seconds. For me, 60 yards is the max ethical limit for #4 buckshot.

"Died before he hit the ground"

??????

And how did he die so quickly?

A lucky pellet went into his brain?

I mean ... one ... two or three #4 buckshot pellets into his heart would not kill him so quickly .....

 

[Grain]

"Died before he hit the ground"
??????
And how did he die so quickly?
A lucky pellet went into his brain?
I mean ... one ... two or three #4 buckshot pellets into his heart would not kill him so quickly .....

Your perhaps still thinking of your tri-ball shot (which looks very interesting); whereas 3" #4 has ~41 pellets. Bucks head and chest took the brunt of them. I heard him running down the coulee before I saw him, he came suddenly into view at 50 yards and I took him before he could even break stride, slid a good 5 yards towards me. I walked up to him, as long as it it takes a tall man to walk ~45 yards, and he was already dead. If you need anymore information for your book, ask away.

 

[Brutus]

A tri-ball load counts as buckshot Â…. right?

Well, I have been experimenting with the Dixie Tri-Ball load out of my Tac-14 and which has a fixed cylinder choke.

For those who are new to the Dixie Tri-Ball load Â… it is a 12ga 3 inch load with three .600 lead balls. And I lowered the powder charge a bit to manage the recoil with my Tac-14.

It is a 2.2 oz payload .... stout!!

Unfortunately the fixed cylinder choke on my Tac-14 does not do it … as you can see from the pattern test. So, I am working on a new Tac-14 build with a 14” barrel that will be threaded for removable chokes …. and I am hoping to bring that pattern down to around 8 inches at 50 meters …. and with a tighter choke.

If I can tighten that pattern .... then this combination will be a nice compact meat-getter ..... for 50+ meters ....

My learned shotgun friend. Try Improved Modified choke with these super large buckshot. In a similar note, IMP-Mod removeable choke in my M87 Turkeyslayer delivered five inch groups at 50 yards with Hog Wild .625 in the 3inch shell.
Consistently, one pellet was spot on target, well centred, and it's other friend directly above it four, five maybe six inches higher. I found this reference (of best choke & tri-ball)on an American shotgun forum, well before we sadly lost James the owner of Dixie Slugs.
Yep. Stout comes to mind. 3inch 12 gauge desiring to be 10 gauge 3.5 inch magnum!

Info for you....

Edit: this performance a bit superior with Imp-Mod was firstly pointed out with a phone call to an employee of Colonial Chokes, when I was undecided full versus imp-mod.

 

[Brutus]

I've thought about using buckshot in one barrel of my 16 ga. Krieghoff Drilling. Any type of buckshot I've tried, ( a couple of European brands and some Remington buffered #0) patterned so poorly that I decided not to hunt deer or black bear with it. In my gun it would likely only be useful at 20 yards or less. My experience with BB and #4 buck and old style Imperial AAA shot in a 12 ga is that it is very effective on coyotes and similar sized animals within 40 yards from a 12 ga.

That is a shared concern sir. I have a damacus barrel 10 gauge Parkhurst coachgun with full & full.
It's superbly patterned for any lead birdshot, yet I have only experienced marginal success with #4 buckshot.
Anything in larger buckshot, very disappointing patterns.
Don't know what else to say my friend....

 

[MiG25]

A tri-ball load counts as buckshot …. right?

Well, I have been experimenting with the Dixie Tri-Ball load out of my Tac-14 and which has a fixed cylinder choke.

For those who are new to the Dixie Tri-Ball load … it is a 12ga 3 inch load with three .600 lead balls. And I lowered the powder charge a bit to manage the recoil with my Tac-14.

It is a 2.2 oz payload .... stout!!

Unfortunately the fixed cylinder choke on my Tac-14 does not do it … as you can see from the pattern test. So, I am working on a new Tac-14 build with a 14” barrel that will be threaded for removable chokes …. and I am hoping to bring that pattern down to around 8 inches at 50 meters …. and with a tighter choke.

If I can tighten that pattern .... then this combination will be a nice compact meat-getter ..... for 50+ meters ....

Not legally in BC, "Buckshot" has to have at least 8 pellets.

 

[Brutus]

Not legally in BC, "Buckshot" has to have at least 8 pellets.

He lives in Alberta IIRC.

 

[MiG25]

In the testing I've done (which I make no claim that it is exhaustive) Remington 000 out of a full choke was by far the best; being tightest pattern the furthest out.

In fact I suspect the pattern would hold farther that the velocity/energy.

 

[0faustus0]

My learned shotgun friend. Try Improved Modified choke with these super large buckshot. In a similar note, IMP-Mod removeable choke in my M87 Turkeyslayer delivered five inch groups at 50 yards with Hog Wild .625 in the 3inch shell.
Consistently, one pellet was spot on target, well centred, and it's other friend directly above it four, five maybe six inches higher. I found this reference (of best choke & tri-ball)on an American shotgun forum, well before we sadly lost James the owner of Dixie Slugs.
Yep. Stout comes to mind. 3inch 12 gauge desiring to be 10 gauge 3.5 inch magnum!

Info for you....

Edit: this performance a bit superior with Imp-Mod was firstly pointed out with a phone call to an employee of Colonial Chokes, when I was undecided full versus imp-mod.

Thanks Brutus ... but yes, Improved Modified seems about right according to other people's account with the Dixie Tri-Ball load. I will do some testing with different chokes .... and once I am done I will post the results in this forum ....

 

[boxhitch]

Not legally in BC, "Buckshot" has to have at least 8 pellets.

No such reg in BC
the only stipulation is for 'shot size of #1 Buck or larger', so tri-ball woul dbe fine

which brings up another BC rule, 20 ga can be used with proper size buck, but it is impossible to find, largest i have found is #4 buck
even for coyote, but #4 buck has been proven effective for them.

Maybe not much demand for 20ga deer loads?

 

[0faustus0]

The best buckshot pattern I ever heard of with any credibility ... is the one from Hogtamer and which he posted over at CastBoolits:


https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?313695-Buckshot-PERFECTION!

And I agree with Hogtamer .... that pattern he gets is "Perfection" ....

I tried to recreate his load this spring .... and tested it ... but my pattern wasn't even close to that at 50 meters.

I might need harder #1 Buckshot pellets .... I used what seems pretty soft #1 buckshot .... :-(

Anyhow, I will definitely experiment with that load again in the future .... it seems promising ....

 

[250 sav]

No such reg in BC
the only stipulation is for 'shot size of #1 Buck or larger', so tri-ball woul dbe fine

which brings up another BC rule, 20 ga can be used with proper size buck, but it is impossible to find, largest i have found is #4 buck
even for coyote, but #4 buck has been proven effective for them.

Maybe not much demand for 20ga deer loads?

You may want to check the regulations under definitions. Page 4, shot contains 8 or more projectiles. This does include buckshot according to my conversations with 2 CO's over the years.

 

[caramel]

4B is my favorite ammo while dogging WT toward my boys. A couple of returnies fell to the 4B, under 30 metres they have stop in their tracks