00 or #4 buckshot

[Dave]

In the interest of stocking up some assorted guns and ammo for any up coming difficulties, I decided to buy more ammo for guns I already own. Being more in favor of a shotgun than I am an assalt rifle, I was thinking of picking up a case of buckshot. So which one do you think would be better? 00 buck is bigger and thus more energy per pellet but #4 has a lot more pettets.

 

[HOSS]

For anti-personell I favor 00 but the #4's will get the job done especially at closer range. I can attest to the effectiveness of the 00 and 000 buckshot on combatants. When we ran point we used 870's to clear buildings and bunkers in Iraq during the first phase of the war. I have been buying 00 Buck off and on for awhile. You can still get it for 3.99 for a box of 5 at some places.

 

[skyhightree1]

Dave what are you going to be using the buckshot for ? I just wondered because I use those sizes for different things. Deer or Large animals I use 00 #4 for foxes coyote bobcat. I also have a home defense shotgun in which is loaded with # 4

 

[M5farm]

I bought the last box of 15qty 00 buck from wally world last for 23.00

 

[skyhightree1]

We have tons of buckshot here thats not an issue nor bird shot

 

[Ryder]

I go with 00.
I just bought some 12 gauge Federal 00 buck tactical load. $3.50 per box of five.
I haven't shot any yet but I like what I read.
The tactical load gives a tight pattern with the most pellets on target.

Hornady also makes a tactical load.

 

[greybeard]

Load your home defense scattergun #4 #4 then 00-00-00-00......
That'll get ya thru a grand jury hearing in most cases No Billed.

 

[highgrit]

If other people live in your house, do not shoot buckshot in the house.

 

[skyhightree1]

If other people live in your house, do not shoot buckshot in the house.

excellent point.

 

[Dave]

If other people live in your house, do not shoot buckshot in the house.

I live alone now but when the kids were still there I kept the shotgun loaded with #6 lead. They will sure set someone down on their back pockets at 15-20 feet but run out of energy going through a couple of layers of sheetrock. That is one of the reasons I feel that a shotgun is a better choice for a home defence weapon than any pistol or rifle.

 

[Caustic Burno]

In the interest of stocking up some assorted guns and ammo for any up coming difficulties, I decided to buy more ammo for guns I already own. Being more in favor of a shotgun than I am an assalt rifle, I was thinking of picking up a case of buckshot. So which one do you think would be better? 00 buck is bigger and thus more energy per pellet but #4 has a lot more pettets.

Shotgun's are like women each one pattern's different, they may look the same but they are not.
You need to pattern your shotgun, most 12 gauges with a modified or more open bore prefer 00, modified to full smaller pellet's. I have one full choke gun that will not pattern 00, 0, 1, or 4's it just doesn't like buckshot.
I have others one in particular that will put 8 out of 8 double aughts in a baseball cap at 40 yards.

Moral of the story buy a box of each and pattern your shotgun at 30 yards then 40.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Forgot if you have an open bore Federal makes a flight control wad that will stack up like out of a rifle.
This flight control wad doesn't work well with chokes tighter than Imp. Cyl.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Check out some of the new defense loads that are out there. Amazing patterns in varying loads. Much more serious damage to adversaries. Sort of like buying the old 2 by 4's for turkey hunting.

If you buy any of these things, you will need to pattern them as previously pointed out.

My shotgun belt is loaded with several different buckshot loads. Mostly I figure on emptying the shot gun once. I have to reload, or am afforded the opportunity, that belt is there with a selection.

 

[Commercialfarmer]

I have a couple ready and with different options. Because of others living in the house and varies at times, I have one that is started with Turkey loads and followed with #4 at the end.

Another is available with 00. Either will work well for Zombies.

If you want to give your wife a heart attack, do a surprise drill at 2 a.m. :shock:
A few months ago, I had been up for ~ 36 hrs and finally made it to bed. Had one of the most realistic dreams of hearing the sliding back door opening and closing (just the sound). I first thought oh crap, then I thought about the baby. I normally can't move when dreaming, but was somehow able to jump up grab my shot gun and make it to the living room in 0.001 sec flat- all the while yelling at my attack dog to attack, (who was still in bewilderment on her bed) and for the SOB to fill his hands (or something Johne Wayne along those lines). Seemed so real. But my wife and dog are very light sleepers and they were trying to figure out what I was doing. She finally convinced me that they would have heard the door long before I heard a freight train in the next room- which is true. My wife said she was impressed with my response time and bravery, but she now keeps that gun on her side of the bad and makes me crawl over her first to get it- so she can make sure I'm really awake.

 

[Ouachita]

I've never tried these before, but I found some Winchester PDX1 "personal defense" today. 12 ga. They have a 1 oz. slug, and 3 #00 pellets. $9 per 10 round box. I'm curious how they will pattern. I don't expect to change from what I have been using, but they were old stock at the feed store, at old price, so I bought the last boxes.

 

[cow pollinater]

I tried #4's on pigs a few times(I ran out of 00) and wasn't real impressed. It did fine on the smaller stuff but the 00 does the trick on all of them. I hit a couple pretty solid with the 4's and they were still going pretty good but the 00 will put them down even if you don't get a real solid hit.

 

[Ryder]

I tried #4's on pigs a few times(I ran out of 00) and wasn't real impressed. It did fine on the smaller stuff but the 00 does the trick on all of them. I hit a couple pretty solid with the 4's and they were still going pretty good but the 00 will put them down even if you don't get a real solid hit.

In regard to cp's observations, I would say.. "Case closed".

 

[Caustic Burno]

I tried #4's on pigs a few times(I ran out of 00) and wasn't real impressed. It did fine on the smaller stuff but the 00 does the trick on all of them. I hit a couple pretty solid with the 4's and they were still going pretty good but the 00 will put them down even if you don't get a real solid hit.

I have killed countless deer with #4's got to find a gun that likes them.
I have rolled some hog's up as well, gets back to pattern. I have a Rem Mod 11 30 inch full choke that will put 21 out of 27 in a paper plate at 40 yard's. One of my favorite past times is custom loading buckshot to perfect the pattern for each shotgun I own. I have all loads tested at BPI.
My favorite buckshot load is # 1's 30 cal pellet is a good all round load no matter what you are shooting and patterns well out of most full choke guns being 16, 12 or 10 gauge. The twenty gauge is a different duck never really designed for buckshot. To small a piece of pipe some will handle it. The 20 gauge is a great upland gun as long as you are shooting 7/8 ths oz loads. The biggest joke ever played on the American hunter is the 20 gauge 3 inch magnum. Like trying to cram 10 pounds of shyt out of a 5 pound hole.

Just for info this is the old black powder loadings for shotgun shell's, todays loads are still based off the same loading.
Chart show's dram's compared to grains of black powder and shot loadings.
http://www.tbullock.com/bpsg.html

 

[Dave]

About 10 years ago the middle dauther was still living with me. She would have been 19 or 20 at the time. I was gone to a converence for several days. One night she had several friends over. They asked her if she was afraid to be home alone. She told them she wasn't. Then she got up and turned off the lights as she walked to her room. As she turned off the last light she picked up a pump shotgun and jacked the action. Her friends went to screaming and yelling. She put down the gun (which was actually empty) and turned the lights back on. She told them that was why she wasn't afraid to stay home alone. There is nothing like the sound of the action of a pump shotgun in the dark to get your attention.