[Straight Shooter7]

I just got a new batch of Federal Tactical low recoil 00 buckshot and the powder inside rattles like a maraca. The strange thing is I ordered the exact same product from the exact same company about a month ago and those shells did NOT rattle. However they did have different packaging, but they had the same product number (LE132 00).

I am by no means an expert when it comes to shotguns and shotshells, but I have used numerous different loads and have never encountered a rattling 00 buckshot shell before.

What gives?

[pdowg881]

I have a lot of the time. Worked fine for me.

[RyanM]

Powder makes a noise more like sand. If something's actually rattling, it's probably the shot.

[oletymer]

Ryan has it right, if you hear a rattling sound it is most likey the shot.

[Straight Shooter7]

It definitely does not sound like the shot. You are right; it does sound more sand like. I probably should have described it better.

But besides being annoying, is there anyway this could affect any aspect of performance?

[rcmodel]

If you can still hear that well, you haven't been shooting long enough or hard enough.

Go get some practice. :D


BTW: Powder doesn't have room to rattle in a shotgun load.
It is tightly compressed by the plastic shotcup when the shell is loaded.

If it sounds like sand it is grex type filler buffering in the shot charge used to protect the shot from deformation when it is fired.

Just to be sure, open the crimp on one and dump out the contents.

rcmodel

[Pete409]

As RC said, the wad is supposed to be seated firmly on top of the powder. If you hear a sand-like noise inside the shell, more than likely it is some of the buffering material that is moving around between the shot pellets.

[Straight Shooter7]

So is there anyway this could affect any aspect of performance?

[RyanM]

Well, there is a chance you got a defective lot, with too little powder. It is possible to hear and feel powder inside when there's enough room, especially with standard pressure .38 SPL loads. I've done the "shake test" on my handloads to check for squibs before.

I second the suggestion to take one of the shells apart.

Or you could try shaking the rounds side to side, and see if one end seems to rattle more than the other.

[Pete409]

So is there anyway this could affect any aspect of performance?

I suppose that anything is possible, but I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. If it still bothers you, cut open a shell or two that rattles and weigh the powder charge in each shell.

[rcmodel]

Well, there is a chance you got a defective lot, with too little powder.Well, that right there is gonna be evident the first one you shoot.

Shotshells have so little room in them for powder to begin with, one with enough missing to rattle wouldn't get the shot out of the barrel!

rcmodel