S&B 12 pellet OO Buck

[357wheelgunner]

So I patterned my 20" IC Rem 870P with S&B OO 12 pellet buckshot that I got a few .50 cans of for a great price. This stuff really spreads fast. The pattern is uniform all around it just opens up quickly. WHy would that be? Anyway I hate shot that makes a 4" pattern at 25 yards. If I wanted a pattern that small I would use a slug. This S&B was more along the lines of a 12" pattern at 10 yards. For in the house and the yard I want my pattern to open fast. So this is the ammo I will use in the house. Anyone else here keep their HD shotgun loaded with this stuff?

 

[13A]

I like it too. I got about 20 inch spread at 25 yards with mine out of a 28 inch Mossberg 500. The extra 3 pellets is a bonus.

 

[Fred Fuller]

I bought a ton of it (at least the UPS man thought so) once when it was on sale. I discovered the same thing you did- it spreads like a bad rash. Not at all a problem if that's what you like/want your shotgun pattern to do, and it is cheepcheep too. That means you can afford to practice with it, another big advantage. If the smell of a burning mattress when you shoot it doesn't bother you, that is.

S&B is loaded with dead soft lead pellets over felt wads, and is unbuffered. That is a recipe for deformed pellets, which is a major contributing factor to fast- opening patterns. An acquaintance once pulled the pellets out of several loads of S&B and replaced them with hardened, plated 00 pellets from another brand of buckshot- and used the plastic buffering that was included also. That tightened up patterns measurably.

Lesson is, if you want fast opening patterns, look for shells loaded with soft lead, unplated pellets which are unprotected by buffering or by piston-type or other shock absorbing wads. And launch them at full speed (no reduced recoil loads) out of cylinder bores, as well. That is pretty sure to open up patterns, about as predictably as anything can be with shotguns.

lpl/nc

http://www.jtk3.com/laissezfirearm/buckshot.htm
http://www.jtk3.com/laissezfirearm/870full.htm

 

[dfaugh]

I like it just for that reason

although I use the 3" 15 pellet 00 buck. Outa my 20" cylinder bore Mossberg, it throws a 18-24" pattern at 40 ft....perfect for HD...suspect its the unprotected shot as mentioned...And BTW, it'll go clean through both sides of a refrigerator...Or about 6" into a pine log...