The Deer Hunter
Member
Well i opened up one of my buckshot shells and in it is this wierd litte semi transparent beads mixed in with the buckshot. What is this? does it serve any purpose?
Wierd stuff in buckshot?
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Gordon
Member
Grex= polycarbonate granules that'buffer' the shot to cut down on deformation , which give bad patterns.
sm
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Gordon
Nailed it.
Art & Science...right Gordon?
Nailed it.
Art & Science...right Gordon?
Handloaders sometimes use corn meal which is biodegradable ! ....Tighter , more uniform patterns are made by using hardened shot , plated shot, or buffered shot or a combination of the three. Buffering the shot can make a significant improvement .
Dave McCracken
Moderator In Memoriam
Some of Tom Roster's work with large pellet lead loads had a 20% improvement in patterns with a buffering agent in the case. I know that all the excellent buck shot now on the market has some.
NOTE: Adding a buffering agent oft raises pressures drastically, according to folks who make a living at this. Do NOT attempt at home unless you follow established data and printed recipes.
BP carries buffering agents and has data.
NOTE: Adding a buffering agent oft raises pressures drastically, according to folks who make a living at this. Do NOT attempt at home unless you follow established data and printed recipes.
BP carries buffering agents and has data.
Onn the converse side, if you want maximum spread (say for short rang HD), you DON'T want it buffered, or whatever. For my HD gun I use Sellior and Belliot 3" Magnum (15 pellet) 00 buckshot. No shotcup or buffer material. and it produces about 24" patterns at 40 feet. Which is fine by me.
Correct me if I'm wrong, and I don't mean any offense here - but isnt that a bad thing? 00 Buck is what I run in my gun, but I personally want the tightest pattern I can get out of a cylinder bore barrel. I might add a choke later on to improve things further. Anyway, 00 buck carries the risk of overpenetration, as we all know. Wouldn't you want that shot pattern to be as tight as possible so you know where it's all going? A 2 foot spread at 40 feet sounds like you're trying to spray and pray rather than aim. Again, no offense - that wasn't meant to be a personal attack. I'm just taking into consideration the risk 00 buck already carries when used in an HD setup...ESPECIALLY w/ magnum loads. It seems as though you want to exacerbate that risk even more.
I hope you live alone, in a rural area, in a really well-built house
Dave McCracken
Moderator In Memoriam
Gunner, you just opened a rather large container of worms.
Some of us, including Yr Humble Scrivener, like a tight, "You might as well use a slug" pattern. I've some confidence in placing 4" patterns into CNSs as needed.
Others, including our own knowledgeable Lee Lapin, like Mo' spread, though not the fabled Wall Of Lead ignorami think shotguns can produce in real life as in the flicks.
Evaluate your use environment and take your pick.
Some of us, including Yr Humble Scrivener, like a tight, "You might as well use a slug" pattern. I've some confidence in placing 4" patterns into CNSs as needed.
Others, including our own knowledgeable Lee Lapin, like Mo' spread, though not the fabled Wall Of Lead ignorami think shotguns can produce in real life as in the flicks.
Evaluate your use environment and take your pick.
rockstar.esq
Member
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The tip about using cornmeal is fine provided you expect to never get your shells wet or damp at all. Sloppy cold grits make a poor breakfast and even worse buffer!
No worm container opening intended, everyone. I guess that topic is just as subjective as the type of ammo you pick for the job. And again, no offense meant from my end, dfaugh. If a wider spread works for you, then by all means keep it up.
I wasnt aware that a distinction was being made between a "not so tight" pattern, and the "wall-o-lead" concept that so many people think of when they think of shotguns.
My mistake...I'm still in learning mode
I wasnt aware that a distinction was being made between a "not so tight" pattern, and the "wall-o-lead" concept that so many people think of when they think of shotguns.
My mistake...I'm still in learning mode
No_Brakes23
Member
I quit using Remington shells because they always dribble the grex, (Though the Remington ones are white.)
Weird, I can't get good good Remington 12ga for my 870, and my 597 won't feed Remington 22LR rounds, (It loves Federal and CCI, which is further weird because none of my handguns will feed CCI reliably.)
Anyway, the grex is annoying when it falls out all over.
Weird, I can't get good good Remington 12ga for my 870, and my 597 won't feed Remington 22LR rounds, (It loves Federal and CCI, which is further weird because none of my handguns will feed CCI reliably.)
Anyway, the grex is annoying when it falls out all over.
MCgunner
Member
I agree with you that I like tight choked patterns even for self defense. I prefer IC for quail hunting, but that's another subject. Hitting with a shotgun is so easy and ranges so short inside a house, I cannot imagine how any two loads will "scatter" much across one of my little rooms anyway, so the argument is moot. Heck, my whole house is only about 60 feet long one end to the other. And, I've hit a lot of ducks in the dim dawn light 30 minutes before sun up. I don't have a worry about hitting a MAN in my house by dim light. A teal on the wing is one HELL of a lot harder target.
However, I'd not worry about overpenetration of buck shot. An individual shot can be compared to a .31 caliber round ball from a Remington pocket .31 cap and ball gun, not known for great penetration. The idea is to get as many of these underpowered little shots on target as possible. One shot is pathetic, not much energy OR penetration on target. Putting all nine of 'em on target is what does the job. Even a .32 ACP has more "stopping power" than a single 00 buck shot at shotgun velocities. It has more penetration with FMJ ammo, anyway, and that would tend to make me think it would be more effective.
Personally, I have an old double in the corner of the bedroom, but my go to home defense gun is a .38 revolver. I do know how to use it, BTW. The shotgun is the "safe room gun", where the BG is out in the hall and trying to get in my locked bedroom door. He'll meet twin 12 ga. barrels if he makes it through that door, a modified and a full choke at about 15 feet.
If you want to get confident in your shotgunning abilities, take up bird hunting of some kind. I've been an avid waterfowler for 40 years. It gets in the blood. Shotguns are second nature to me. I've never been much of a shotgun gamer, but if you don't like hunting, take up skeet, trap, sporting clays, country doubles or something. Learning to shoot a shotgun for what it was designed for, to become accomplished at wing shooting, will help you in your self defense. I NEVER shoot at static targets at the range, boring. Clay targets are cheap at Walmart and a lot more fun. JMHO on the subject anyway.
No offence taken, at all. Alot depends upon your situation. I don't have to worry about overpenetration in my situation (rural home, no neighbors nearby). Whether inside, or with the unlikely chance I have to shoot outside, I don't have to worry about where the stray shots go. And, I'm not saying you don't need to "aim" the shotgun, but with a 24" spread (which, as tested, puts at least 8 or 9 .32 inch pellets on a man-sized target), it's less critical. But, under "high stress" I just need to get the gun pointed in the right general direction to do some serious damage.
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