00 buck

doug59 · November 24, 2007, 11:13 PM

does anyone have any idea where to get 00 buckshot for reloading, or any good alternatives. thanks for the help

snuffy · November 25, 2007, 12:40 AM

Here ya go!

http://shop2.mailordercentral.com/bp...ts.asp?dept=65

doug59 · November 25, 2007, 02:21 AM

great source, thank you

ArizonaRick · November 25, 2007, 07:51 PM

Consider using Unique for buck shot loads - See Allient loading data.

Eight pellet 00 loads are easy to put together and easy on the shoulder. Use a standard plastic wad (Rem - RP12) with 20ga 1/8" fiber wad under the pellets and one thin (over shot wad) over the pellets. Use Unique starting at 22 grains and work up. The fiber wad will save your plastic wad from being deformed by the large pellets and the over shot wad will make it easier to crimp. For 00 Buck, you must stack the pellots in pairs. After the last two pellets are in place, I place two small pieces of packing corn cut to the size of OO buck on each side of the pellets, then I place the over shot wad on top and crimp. The packing corn keeps the pellets tight and they will not move around. Loading #4 buck is even easier, get a small diameter plastic tube, and mark it off at the height of your pellot count. I use 23 pellets of #4 buck with 23.5 grains of Unique, Rem RP12 wad (designed for 1-1/4 oz loads) in a Rem Premier hull. This is a light buck shot load (1225 fps) with a very consistent pattern. PM me for specific loading data on OO buck. If you are going to shoot a lot of buck shot, reloading will save you a ton of $. For hunting big animals or HD, buy the factory rounds. Good luck.

doug59 · November 27, 2007, 12:05 AM

thanks for the great info, i've never reloaded buckshot before just 308 & 223

.45 COLT · November 27, 2007, 11:19 PM

I load quite a bit of 00 and 000 Buckshot. It got pretty expensive buying that shot, so I got a couple of LEE molds (.33" & .36") and cast it myself.

DC

Mach II Sailor · November 28, 2007, 09:24 AM

IIRC, 00 Buck is .32 caliber, buy a .32 cal gang mould and cast your own, that-a-way you can make them hard or soft

snuffy · November 28, 2007, 12:34 PM

Buckshot loads are different from regular shot loads. You MAY get away with simply doing it by weight, but then again you may not. The Lyman shotshell manual, the bible for shotgunners, has many loads for buckshot. Not all sizes can be used in all gauges. It's loaded by count and it is stacked by twos and threes.

Modern commercial loads have copper or nickel plated lead and are surrounded by plastic buffer to make them pattern better. Ballistic products that has the buckshot, also has the buffer and a loading manual that tells how to load it and gives powder charges.

Yes, you can cast them using a round ball mold. I've never seen a "gang" mold, all I've seen are single cavity. It's tedious to say the least, a couple hours casting session would yeild enough buckshot to load 25 shells!

.45 COLT · November 28, 2007, 12:56 PM

Commercial Buckshot loads from the major manufacturers are unplated soft lead. Also, when you buy "00" factory loads, you actually get pellets somewhat smaller than 0 Buck. They run around .317". They do that so they can stack by 3s in a shotcup. A true 00, .33", can stack by only 2s in a shotcup. The factory loads are buffered, but I've never seen any advantage to using buffer when loading hard shot. Maybe some slight pattern tightening when using soft shot.

DC

snuffy · November 28, 2007, 02:17 PM

While not an American company, Fioochi does make a nickel plated lead buckshot load.

http://www.ask.com/fr?u=http%3A%2F%2...02d3be88a59003

You will have a tough time finding it, probably have to special order it.

If I were hunting deer with it,(where legal), I would sure try to find some.

I though winchester made some, but not anymore.

ArizonaRick · November 30, 2007, 12:09 AM

Today I went out to the range (20,000 acres of BLM land) and test fired several factory and reloaded buckshot rounds. I tested Wolf, S&B, Federal 127, and Remington (all 00 buck) -- Plus my own 00, #1 & #4 buckshot loads (reloads).

Observations:
1. All of the factory rounds have significant recoil.
2. All of the factory rounds had wide paterns, except the Federal 127.
3. My handloads had more consistant & even paterns than the factory loads.
4. When reloading in bulk (100 -200 rnds), buckshot is easy and economical.
5. The advantages of buffered buckshot are best noticed at longer ranges over 35 yds. It is not worth the extra time, unless the range is over 35yds.
6. When reloading, keeping the velocity under 1250fps will significantly improve the patern consistancy, more than adding buffering.
7. When reloading, "Magnum" (Hard) buckshot is worth the extra 10% cost.
8. For distances over 20 yds, modified choke is the best, IC is second.
9. When reloading, consider Unique over the slower burning powders like Blue dot, 540, HS7. Steer clear of the nose bleeder loads - they patern poorly.
10. Use once fired compressioned formed hulls like AA or Premier. Always use a star crimp. Rolled crimps to not improve your load, they just take longer.
11. Use a scale to measure your entire payload - pellets, buffer, fiber wads to make sure of your exact weight. 00 buck and #4 buck mix well in 12 ga duplex loads, again watch your weight. 1 to 1-1/8 OZ payloads in general, work beter than 1-1/4 or greater payloads. Keeping loads 5% or more under max will give you great results - they are far more enjoyable to shoot.
12. Shooting buckshot is fun!!!

Good Luck.

November 25, 2007, 12:40 AM	#2
snuffy Senior Member Join Date: May 20, 2001 Location: Oshkosh wi. Posts: 3,055	Here ya go! http://shop2.mailordercentral.com/bp...ts.asp?dept=65 __________________ The more people I meet, the more I love my dog They're going to get their butts kicked over there this election. How come people can't spell and use words correctly?

November 25, 2007, 02:21 AM	#3
doug59 Member Join Date: November 20, 2007 Posts: 15	00 buck great source, thank you

November 27, 2007, 12:05 AM	#5
doug59 Member Join Date: November 20, 2007 Posts: 15	00 buck thanks for the great info, i've never reloaded buckshot before just 308 & 223

November 28, 2007, 12:34 PM	#8
snuffy Senior Member Join Date: May 20, 2001 Location: Oshkosh wi. Posts: 3,055	follow specific loading data Buckshot loads are different from regular shot loads. You MAY get away with simply doing it by weight, but then again you may not. The Lyman shotshell manual, the bible for shotgunners, has many loads for buckshot. Not all sizes can be used in all gauges. It's loaded by count and it is stacked by twos and threes. Modern commercial loads have copper or nickel plated lead and are surrounded by plastic buffer to make them pattern better. Ballistic products that has the buckshot, also has the buffer and a loading manual that tells how to load it and gives powder charges. Yes, you can cast them using a round ball mold. I've never seen a "gang" mold, all I've seen are single cavity. It's tedious to say the least, a couple hours casting session would yeild enough buckshot to load 25 shells! __________________ The more people I meet, the more I love my dog They're going to get their butts kicked over there this election. How come people can't spell and use words correctly?

November 28, 2007, 02:17 PM	#10
snuffy Senior Member Join Date: May 20, 2001 Location: Oshkosh wi. Posts: 3,055	While not an American company, Fioochi does make a nickel plated lead buckshot load. http://www.ask.com/fr?u=http%3A%2F%2...02d3be88a59003 You will have a tough time finding it, probably have to special order it. If I were hunting deer with it,(where legal), I would sure try to find some. I though winchester made some, but not anymore. __________________ The more people I meet, the more I love my dog They're going to get their butts kicked over there this election. How come people can't spell and use words correctly?

November 24, 2007, 11:13 PM	#1
doug59 Member Join Date: November 20, 2007 Posts: 15	00 buck does anyone have any idea where to get 00 buckshot for reloading, or any good alternatives. thanks for the help

November 25, 2007, 07:51 PM	#4
ArizonaRick Member Join Date: November 1, 2006 Location: Southern Missouri - Ozarks Posts: 89	For 12ga - 2-3/4" 1-1/4oz Loads - consider Unique Consider using Unique for buck shot loads - See Allient loading data. Eight pellet 00 loads are easy to put together and easy on the shoulder. Use a standard plastic wad (Rem - RP12) with 20ga 1/8" fiber wad under the pellets and one thin (over shot wad) over the pellets. Use Unique starting at 22 grains and work up. The fiber wad will save your plastic wad from being deformed by the large pellets and the over shot wad will make it easier to crimp. For 00 Buck, you must stack the pellots in pairs. After the last two pellets are in place, I place two small pieces of packing corn cut to the size of OO buck on each side of the pellets, then I place the over shot wad on top and crimp. The packing corn keeps the pellets tight and they will not move around. Loading #4 buck is even easier, get a small diameter plastic tube, and mark it off at the height of your pellot count. I use 23 pellets of #4 buck with 23.5 grains of Unique, Rem RP12 wad (designed for 1-1/4 oz loads) in a Rem Premier hull. This is a light buck shot load (1225 fps) with a very consistent pattern. PM me for specific loading data on OO buck. If you are going to shoot a lot of buck shot, reloading will save you a ton of $. For hunting big animals or HD, buy the factory rounds. Good luck. Last edited by ArizonaRick; November 26, 2007 at 10:10 AM. Reason: spelling & look up load

November 27, 2007, 11:19 PM	#6
.45 COLT Senior Member Join Date: May 18, 2004 Posts: 308	I load quite a bit of 00 and 000 Buckshot. It got pretty expensive buying that shot, so I got a couple of LEE molds (.33" & .36") and cast it myself. DC

November 28, 2007, 09:24 AM	#7
Mach II Sailor Junior member Join Date: March 22, 2007 Posts: 480	IIRC, 00 Buck is .32 caliber, buy a .32 cal gang mould and cast your own, that-a-way you can make them hard or soft

November 28, 2007, 12:56 PM	#9
.45 COLT Senior Member Join Date: May 18, 2004 Posts: 308	Commercial Buckshot loads from the major manufacturers are unplated soft lead. Also, when you buy "00" factory loads, you actually get pellets somewhat smaller than 0 Buck. They run around .317". They do that so they can stack by 3s in a shotcup. A true 00, .33", can stack by only 2s in a shotcup. The factory loads are buffered, but I've never seen any advantage to using buffer when loading hard shot. Maybe some slight pattern tightening when using soft shot. DC

November 30, 2007, 12:09 AM	#11
ArizonaRick Member Join Date: November 1, 2006 Location: Southern Missouri - Ozarks Posts: 89	Reloaded more buckshot after the range fire Today I went out to the range (20,000 acres of BLM land) and test fired several factory and reloaded buckshot rounds. I tested Wolf, S&B, Federal 127, and Remington (all 00 buck) -- Plus my own 00, #1 & #4 buckshot loads (reloads). Observations: 1. All of the factory rounds have significant recoil. 2. All of the factory rounds had wide paterns, except the Federal 127. 3. My handloads had more consistant & even paterns than the factory loads. 4. When reloading in bulk (100 -200 rnds), buckshot is easy and economical. 5. The advantages of buffered buckshot are best noticed at longer ranges over 35 yds. It is not worth the extra time, unless the range is over 35yds. 6. When reloading, keeping the velocity under 1250fps will significantly improve the patern consistancy, more than adding buffering. 7. When reloading, "Magnum" (Hard) buckshot is worth the extra 10% cost. 8. For distances over 20 yds, modified choke is the best, IC is second. 9. When reloading, consider Unique over the slower burning powders like Blue dot, 540, HS7. Steer clear of the nose bleeder loads - they patern poorly. 10. Use once fired compressioned formed hulls like AA or Premier. Always use a star crimp. Rolled crimps to not improve your load, they just take longer. 11. Use a scale to measure your entire payload - pellets, buffer, fiber wads to make sure of your exact weight. 00 buck and #4 buck mix well in 12 ga duplex loads, again watch your weight. 1 to 1-1/8 OZ payloads in general, work beter than 1-1/4 or greater payloads. Keeping loads 5% or more under max will give you great results - they are far more enjoyable to shoot. 12. Shooting buckshot is fun!!! Good Luck.