reuced recoil 00 WTS

[walking arsenal]

i have no experience with buckshot loads. can you guys bring me up to speed?

im going to be using buckshot for a defensive load in my browning bps, i might shoot slugs too.

so my questions are

what are some good brands of shot and slugs?
what choke should i be using if im going to be changing between shot and slugs?


also, are those reduced recoil loads worth anything?

 

[MrMurphy]

You'll have to pattern your gun with each load you try. Every single shotgun even two of the same model will be different. Kind of like dating twin sisters, what works with one will not work with the other (I know this from personal experience in that realm oddly enough).


I personally use Hornady TAP 00 Buck low recoil, at 10 yards it's a single hole group (good), even at 20, it's still a tiny pattern. And for slugs, I use Remington Reduced Recoil Slugs (headshots at 100 yards with ghost rings are capable and fairly easy).



Good loads:

Hornady TAP
Federal Tactical
Estate "SWAT"
for low recoil tight patterning loads.

For standard buckshot, 00 Buck from Winchester, Federal, Remington ,etc will all perform fairly similarly.


For slugs: Brenneke and Remington are the two I find most often, Remington is what I use myself.

Cylinder (no choke) or Improved Cylinder (slight choke) works fine for me, it's a combat shotgun not a birdwhacker for me.


00 Buck is 7, 8 or 9 .33 caliber balls. Most common and easiest found defensive round.

000 is six or seven .36 cal balls.

No.4 Buck is about 15-20 .25 caliber balls but has a reputation for not always stopping people (El Paso PD used to use this load, had that problem, switched to 00 Buck)

There are a few other loads out there, but these three are the most common.

 

[Fred Fuller]

The reduced recoil loads are definitely worth using. They allow for faster followup shots, are easier to learn to shoot well and are no less effective at shorter ranges that the magnum loadings.

It's good advice to pattern your gun with a variety of loads. Every shotgun is a law unto itself as far as patterning is concerned and experimentation is a necessity. Find what your gun likes, and feed it that.

The same choke should work with buckshot and slugs. Find what choke tube your gun does best with, usually improved cylinder will work well, I would go no tighter than modified with buck and slugs.

I used to highly recommend Estate SWAT low recoil buck loads, but since the company was bought by Alliant they are nothing but low-cost Federal style loads now. Everything that made them superior has now been changed, I recommend you stay away from Estate at this point.

Federal's Tactical buckshot has a good rep, there are several loads available. Check at ammoman.com for good prices. Remington has some good low recoil loads available, both buck and slug. PMC makes a low recoil buck load, try them too. The Hornady load is also a good bet.

lpl/nc

 

[lbmii]

I have not tested the Low Recoil loads. I can't seem to find any at the usual places I shop.

Many advocate buckshot loads with very tight patterns. Personally, I prefer some moderate shot spread at close Home Defense ranges.

I patterned a lot of different buckshot loads and posted the photos here:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthre...;threadid=83909