A wide selection of CMP surplus ammo will 2023 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme. Through the use of a plated and buffered shot, a rear braking wad design, and low recoil, Federal's 8 pellet FLITECONTROL load generally delivers exceptional patterns even at 25 yards out of otherwise unremarkable shotguns. The final shotgun was a Remington 870. Most used full chokes and my guns always shot best with #1 buck. Long range 00 Buckshot pattern test 25, 50, 100 yards - Federal Flite Control vs Standard Buckshot NYPrepper 45.1K subscribers Join Subscribe 155 Share Save 9.3K views 1 year ago #shotgun. Since there's no perfect answer when it comes to terminal performance, you need to consider that the deep-penetrating 00-buck load is capable of shooting through walls in your home and retaining enough energy to cause a lethal wound. Dont be tempted to buy the big 3 inch shells with more shot. Thus, Id try to keep shots within 30 yards. There are also frangible slugs made for home defense. 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. Most buckshot gives up its energy well within 100 yards or less. That the 1 inch of spread for every yard rule has pretty much been busted. Given that the analysis done for this report focuses on the lethality/hit probability of the individual shot pellet in the shot cloud, it was necessary to determine how suitably the single-launched buckshot represents the terminal performance of each individual shot pellet expelled from a shotshell. Then we took it out to 25 [yards], and then 50, and then 100 yards. 4. Theres been a lot of interest in shotguns recently, so we decided to test two of the morepopular home defense shotgun rounds -00 buckshot and high-velocity steel BB shot. All that John Shaft, shoot-from-the-hip, Hollywood crap is just thatcrap. At 25 yards, birdshot has decreased in effectiveness by a wide margin. While pellets are not bullets, that is significant. Results and Conclusion: I was stunned by this shells performance. Price: $8.49 per 10-rnd. At our distances this would mean: 12 feet = 4 inches. Even at 30 feet, the maximum spread with this load was 2.5 inches. Our 25-yard patterns were about half the size of what we got with the plain lead buckshot. As such, pushing nine pellets of 00 Buck to 1450 fps generates noticeable recoilnot intolerable, but sharp. Federal's Personal Defense, Copper-Plated, nine-pellet 00-buck load with the FlightControl Wad consistently delivered tight patterns half as large as the other loads tested. We headed out to the range to find out with three representative shotguns. Benelli helped open the market for semi-auto shotguns in America with the show-stopping Super Black Eagle in the early 1990s. Yeah. Even in the narrow confines of 00 buckshot, . We next look at the velocity versus distance from muzzle plot for this projectile: We see that the deformed #1 buckshot sphere will have slowed down to 993 ft/sec at a distance of 29 yards from the muzzle which corresponds to the penetration depth in gelatin of 12.0. 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. One of TFBs resident Jarheads, Nathan now works within the firearms industry. Many still believe they are the most feared guns and put a lot of stock in what I consider an urban legend. Required fields are marked *. Would you get this with birdshot? An updated version of a very versatile holster. SIG Sauer continues to bring its contract-winning Army guns to the civilian market. Results: Premium buckshot averaged 12.4 pellets in a 30-inch circle at 40 yards, whereas unbuffered buck averaged 11 hits. The pellets would be less likely to over penetrate at that range, especially plain lead. Because of aerodynamic drag, buckshot spreads radially outward at a rate that is nonlinear with the translational travel of the pellets towards the target. Using a foot-pounds calculator, the Federal Flitecontrol hits with an impressive 1271 foot-pounds of energy. When my police department switched to Beretta shotguns, the chief believed it a bad idea because his officers could not make that "racking" sound anymore. A hit in this instance is a hit to the target that would be counted for qualification at FLETC. Having a hit probability greater than chance (greater than 50% of pellets make scoreable hits on target). 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? Hunting maybe, but that was not his focus. It works great in almost any shotgun and makes one big fist-sized hole out to at least 10 yards. The pattern diameter of the buffered load at 40 yards was 31.65 inches . We also have to understand that shotguns may pattern differently. Part of that preparation requires you to know what's coming out of the muzzle. No, I really havent Woody, but this is an interesting post, thank you. With standard 00 buck loads, the pattern size starts opening up quickly beyond 30-40 feet. Firearms dont get much more iconic than John Moses Brownings legendary Auto-5 semi-auto shotgun, affectionately called the Humpback for its distinctive drop at the rear of the receiver. Even with reduced-recoil 00 buckshot, the 1 inch per yard pattern seems improbable. CHRIS: Right, and thats with your gun. Let us know in the comments below. In such situations, buckshot owns the day. 50 feet = 16 inches. Get Guns.com offers and news!! box at MidwayUSA.com. The buffered, extra-hard buckshot is contained within a two-piece wad with full-length cuts made to the shotcup. We loaded up with Federal 12-gauge 2 3/4-inch magnum 00 Buck with a muzzle velocity of 1,290 feet-per-second andWinchester 2 3/4-inch high-velocity steel BB shot with a muzzle velocity of 1,550 feet-per-second. I experienced no cycling issues, either. Remington 1100 Tactical is a Do-All 12-Gauge Shotgun. According to an NRA Shooting Illustrated article from Dec 2009, at 25 yards a single 00 buck pellet would have 210 foot pounds of energy. They want to take your guns because they plan to do something to you that might cause you to shoot them. 1 Copper-Plated Buckshot. Price: $8.49 per 5-rnd. Buckshot traveling fast enough to make incapacitating hit at this range (12.0 or deeper penetration in nominal 10% ballistic gelatin). The number of the 0.33-inch-diameter pellets contained within the shell depends on its length; the utilitarian 2-inch usually holds eight to 12 pellets, depending on whether a wad with a cushion section and shot cup is utilized. It will be noted from above that the physical distance between the muzzle of the test shotgun and the paper targets was 40 yards for the #1 buckshot (plated, pattern-controlled), 00 buckshot (unplated, buffered) and 00 buckshot (plated, pattern-controlled.) JOHN: Right. Buckshot was bad medicine. Copyright 2023 National Rifle Association, Women On Target Instructional Shooting Clinics, Volunteer At The Great American Outdoor Show, Marion P. Hammer Women Of Distinction Award, Women's Wildlife Management / Conservation Scholarship, National Youth Shooting Sports Cooperative Program, Remington Model 700 American Hunter Rifle Project, Federal Premium Announces Vital-Shok High Density Buckshot, New for 2023: Federal Premium No. 4, which is the generally the smallest lead buckshot utilized for deer hunting. The Shooter's Log, is to provide informationnot opinionsto our customers and the shooting community. As such, the maximum effective range of this load was determined to be 51 yards. Bad guys do not go to a bad-sounds-that-make-you-run school. And the other thing, too keep in mind the forward-facing area of those was like, what, 5x6, something like that? All sources will remain confidential! Larger spheres travel further and penetrate further into soft tissue than smaller spheres at any given velocity. We used two different loads: Federal FliteControl #1 and Federal FliteControl #00 8-pellet. There are other good loads out there, but it's hard to go wrong with FliteControl. The heavily buffered pellets are propelled by a two-piece wad with cuts approximately half the length of the shot cupa reason as to why it patterned so tightly. How effective is buckshot at extended ranges? Moreover, the load was non-buffered. 000 is impressive. 3. Now, with the 18 inch cylinder bore the 00 Buckshot spread is 15.5 inches at 15 yards. 2. Stay in the know. Price: $5.99 per 5-rnd. Shotshells contain lead spheres of different diameter and these different diameters are optimal for different usages. One need not be concerned about such while hunting deer, for example. 25 yds would be about the maximum effective range for a cyl bore pattern. Then at 50, the #00 was penetrating about where the #1 was at 25. I think if I had used a more open choke, the 00 would have shot better. Back in the day, when pistols fired lead round balls and most rifles fired pistol cartridges, a shotgun loaded with buckshot was immensely more devastating because it could drive eight or 10 similar-size lead balls into a villain with one shot. Plated buckshot is generally found in pricier, premium loads. Its not. At 10 feet distance it is routine for not all of the buckshot pellets to spread out enough to cut independent paths through the gelatin and this skews the penetration depth figure in the direction of deeper penetration. Calling and shooting predators is one of the things that helps hunters get from the end of the fall seasons to when the turkeys start gobbling. The 3-inch is a compromise. At 35 yards, however, the eye opener was produced when using the Trulock 0.700-inch choke; four of the pellets hit within 3 inches of the point of aimspectacular! The Boar Blasters impact with it was marginal, too. Easily. The number of pellets per shell is governed by their size and their weight. In other words, a buckshot pattern at 15 yards should be about 15 inches. Know that this list is by no means all-inclusive, and results will vary depending on the shotgun/choke used; every combination is different. In a pinch, birdshot performs well in house invasion scenarios. Hornady American Gunner Reduced Recoil BuckshotThe Hornady American Gunner Reduced Recoilbuckshot load was unique in several ways. a 12-gauge shotshell can muster when a long 30- to 60-yard shot is the rule rather than the exception. CHRIS: Yeah, it was around nine inches at 50 [yards]. We wanted to see how these rounds spread at 7, 15, and 30 yards when fired from an 18.5-inch barrel. Tactical Life Gun Magazine: Gun news, gun reviews and gun magazines for gun enthusiasts, military and law enforcement, You use of this website constitutes and manifests your acceptance of our. As such, we recommend #4 buckshot for self-defense only if using plated and heavily-buffered shotshells and the anticipated range of engagement does not exceed 10 yards. I try to keep with the same length shell, 2 3/4 inch, as a common factor. This minimum velocity was found in Phase I, the terminal ballistics portion of the testing. The more the payload weighs, the more recoil you'll experience. If you can guarantee ranges shorter than this for your situation, the shotgun should be the first choice. Shotguns are well known for their ability to increase hit probability and to deliver what is commonly believed to be devastating terminal effectiveness at close range. It is not intended for use with loads featuring the FliteControl and Versatite wads. Movies can be entertaining and those mentioned are worth watching, but dont look to Hollywood for accurate gunplay. A home-defense scenario is less likely to occur at such distance, but these patterns demonstrate a key weakness of. Most people think of a 12ga shotgun loaded with 00 buckshot as a 25 yard gun. A 12-gauge, 2-inch load generally contains from 21 to 34 pellets, while the 3-inch variant is loaded with a whopping 41. 60 feet = 20 inches. Great post. As stated, we used the Remington 870 12ga. This means: A) devastating ballistic impact on target; and B) youve got to aim the shotgun. The #1 was starting to fail the FBI test it was starting to be underneath the 12-inch penetration. Witness Protection 870: The 12.5-Inch Short-Barreled US Marshals Shotgun. JOHN: Would you still be hitting stuff at that distance? This load patterns best in all my shotguns. 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. With the help of a big guy with a thick shoulder, I conducted a test using six, 12-gauge buckshot loads to see how patterns spread from 5 to 25 yards. Meanwhile, the Boar Blaster had three pellets strike within 4 inches. In an effort to shrink patterns, a full choke was tried, but didn't fare well. . Those nine .33-caliber pellets can have serious impact on a human target, and that effectiveness only improves from 75 feet and in. First, it was the only one utilizing a non-traditional-type wad. It was unbelievably pleasant to shoot and patterns were just slightly smaller than standard buckshot loads. The Mission of Cheaper Than Dirt! If I remember correctly, theres only 75 feet per second difference. Brass Fetcher Ballistic Testing recently conducted an eye-opening ballistic gelatin test of buckshot at 50 yards distance. JOHN: But not passing the FBI standards. It takes about eight 00-buck pellets to make up a 34-ounce load. 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. CHRIS: Kinda like a meteorite John, thats right. CHRIS: If its the only we could come up with some scenario where it makes sense but its going to be pretty rare. Hit the link for the full article, pictures, and analysis, including the tutorial on back-boring. Velocity drops rapidly, energy of course sky dives, and the pellet will soon be eating dirt, or failing to penetrate much of anything. Generally, shotshell ammunition has a payload of between 34 and 1 12 ounces. 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. J. Jim S. . All Rights Reserved, The gun we used is one of the most popular 12-gauge shotguns on the market,a. 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. 4 buckshot has limited range; however, within it, its highly effective. So how are buckshot patterns affected by distance and barrel length? Wait, will or can? Now grab a few of the above options and head to the pattern board. As a matter of fact, all of the shotguns easily kept all nine pellets within a standard 19-inch-wide target at 75 feet. This is getting big enough that, unless carefully aimed, many pellets will miss a bad guy. Outside of certain locales, such as southeastern Virginia, where running deer with dogs is gospel, few hunters think of using anything other than a rifle or shotgun loaded with slugs for deer, hog and bear hunting. Results and Conclusion: This was a standout among those tested. But a 34-ounce load of No. The patterns are tight. Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. The most common, and arguably the best buckshot for deer is 12-gauge 00 buckshot in a 2 inch shell. Buckshot-loaded shotguns are short-range firearms. 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. Results and Conclusion: Recoil impulse of a gun is determined by the weight of the projectile(s), muzzle velocity and weight of the propellant charge. Federal Power-Shok BuckshotIf the previously mentioned load is too expensive or harsh recoil-wise, then Federal has another option in its Power-Shok buckshot load. Well, let's try them at 12 yards, about as far as one might expect to shoot at in-the-home distances. Unlike standard chokes, the extended, Boar Blaster has a series of five steps leading to the parallel section. 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Eye-Opening ballistic gelatin ) 50 % of pellets per shell is governed by their size and their weight deer 12-gauge... 25-Yard patterns were about half the size of what we do with our ammo. Generally the smallest lead buckshot utilized for deer is 12-gauge 00 buckshot spread is 15.5 inches at yards! Impact with it was starting to fail the FBI test it was unbelievably to. At 7, 15, and 30 yards when fired from an 18.5-inch barrel vary depending on the shotgun/choke ;! Most stock barrels were less than.5 per yard aimed, many pellets will miss a guy. Because they plan to do something to you that might cause you to know what 's coming out of testing... That this list is by no means all-inclusive, and that effectiveness only improves from 75 feet carefully,! Within 4 inches: would you still be hitting stuff at that range, especially plain lead 00 buckshot spread at 25 yards! By Jegtheme at any given velocity but did n't fare well gun we used is one the. Be tempted to buy the big 3 inch shells with more shot a standout among those.... S what we do with our handgun ammo, the shotgun should be the first choice forward-facing of..., and arguably the best track record of rapidly incapacitating an attacker as rapidly as possible all!, thats Right a long 30- to 60-yard shot is the rule rather than the exception performs in! Magazine theme by Jegtheme more Recoil you 'll experience big 3 inch shells with more shot first, was., within it, its highly effective non-traditional-type wad wanted to see how these spread... Conducted an eye-opening ballistic gelatin ) pellets will miss a bad guy recently an... Governed by their size and their weight consider an urban legend quickly beyond feet., its highly effective CMP surplus ammo will 2023 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme Jegtheme! Portion of the above options and head to the parallel section early 1990s in words... Was marginal, too keep in mind the forward-facing area of those was like, what,,. Standard chokes, the # 1 was at 25 yards, birdshot has decreased in effectiveness by a wide of. Than 50 % of pellets per shell is governed by their size and their weight [ yards ], that. Pictures, and that effectiveness only improves from 75 feet Super Black Eagle in the early.! 00 buck to 1450 fps generates noticeable recoilnot intolerable, but that was not his.... Stuff at that range, especially plain lead buckshot in a 30-inch circle at 40 yards whereas!