#1 buckshot has never really gotten the respect…..or product availability it deserves. Through research and a bit of testing, I have decided #1 is probably a superior choice for hunting or defense than 00. #4 is likely best for densely populated areas where walls are shared between neighbors.
I have done a bit of buckshot hunting as well. Stand hunting mind, not drives. This way we’ll placed shots can be analyzed and all the unknowns of shooting at moving animals can be eliminated. A greater number of still adequately sized pellets results in higher hit potential and usually greater energy dump into the target.
In the past, I have loaded 2.75, 3, and 3.5 hulls with their respective amount of #1 pellets and used them on game. There is documented anecdotal evidence that 2.75 and 3” 00 generally patterns better and has higher hit potential than 3.5” 00 at similar ranges even though the 3.5 has more pellets. This difference disappears with #1 and 3.5” shells give higher hit potential than the smaller hulls with this size shot and the 2.75 and 3” pattern better than their 00 counterparts. It should also be noted that 10 gauge 00 patterns better with higher hit potential than 12 ga 3.5” 00 even though pellet counts are the same. This is my experience and as I said, this is all anecdotal. Shotgun patterns are a wildly variable thing. YMMV.
It’s too bad #1 buckshot is quite unavailable even during good times.
In the end, whatever patterns best is what you should probably use.