00 Buckshot at Extended Ranges

vitesse9 · June 21, 2010, 03:59 PM

Just thought I'd share some interesting results from a range trip over the weekend.

My stepdad and I were shooting rifles on the 100 yard range. about 10 yards behind the target was a tall berm with bowling pins all over it. It rained for a bit and was getting close to the end of the day. Thus, we found ourselves the only shooters at the 100 yard range. I had always wanted to see what buckshot would do at these kind of ranges, but for obvious reasons, the rangemaster hasn't been too keen on letting me fire buckshot when other shooters have targets on the rack. With the rangemasters' permission, of course, I started in on the bowling pins up on the berm with Remington Express 2 3/4 inch 00 Buckshot (9 pellet). I was shooting a Mossberg 590A1 with a cylinder choke. The results were very surprising.

The pins were approx. 110 yards from my shooting position. Initially, I aimed for the pins lower on the berm because I feared the spread would open up so much that pellets might go over the berm. No way!

The patters were all very consistent. The spread on each shot was about as wide as a grown man's arm span if he stood with his arms fully extended and parallel with the ground. the Patterns were also more of a line than the typical circular patters we see with close range buckshot. Think of what would happen if you took a bicycle chain and threw it like a lasso into the dirt.

What was even more interesting was that I was able to make the bowling pins dance at 100+ yards. And contrary to my initial fears, none of the buckshot hit more than a few feet above my line of sight.

Needless to say, I have a whole new respect for my shotgun. I hear a lot of people say that a shotgun is strictly a short-range weapon (i.e. inside the house, very dense brush etc.) and that anyone who wants to shoot beyond 50 yards better have slugs or a rifle. While there are certainly better choices for shots at that range, I think the shotgun is a better multi-purpose self defense weapon than the internet gurus give it credit for. If you had to defend yourself at extended ranges with 00 buckshot, you would probably get your point across even though you left your fancy black rifle at home that day.

As the rangemaster who gave me permission to take the shot and then came over to satisfy his own curiosity said "I'd duck."

CMichael · June 21, 2010, 04:03 PM

Actually it makes it more concerning using it for HD in house.

That's what I have in my shotgun.

vitesse9 · June 21, 2010, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Actually it makes it more concerning using it for HD in house.

A lot of people advocate #4 buck for indoor use. But I still think 00 buck is better than a rifle or even a pistol for indoors use.

The issue is not so much range, but energy. I doubt the individual pellets used in my little experiment had much thump when they hit the pins. Buckshot might get through drywall and 2x4s if you miss your target, but it isn't going to have a lot of energy left when it gets into the next room.

highvel · June 21, 2010, 04:59 PM

Dont let 00 Buckshot fool you, inside a house, one wall of sheet rock and a little insulation or a ceiling will not slow it down very much. Also it will turn on 2x4's if not hit straight on and continue with a nasty shape to the pellets.
That's why alot of people, me included load my "foul weather gear" with #4 Buck, it dissapates energy quicker.

Old Grump · June 21, 2010, 07:55 PM

Tried 00 and 000 in my full choke 10 gauge and had a donut pattern big enough to let a turkey walk through it at 30 yards. Maybe 3 or 4 pellets on paper at 100 yards.

Tried #6, #4, and #3 at 30 yards and was amazed at the uniformity of the pattern of all of them. Didn't touch paper at 100 yards. Same experiment with the 12 gauge, 00 better even with the full choke but not by much, #6, 3 and 4 results the same as the 10 gauge.

My guns at least 00 is best saved for use under 15 yards if I want to hit what I am aiming at and at 8 yards or less any of the birdshot will do.

20 gauge tomorrow

vitesse9 · June 21, 2010, 08:02 PM

Yea, I didn't try it on paper, only observed the dirt kicked up when the pellets hit the berm. But, I did hit the bowling pins several times. I expected the pattern to be a big circle, but, as I stated, it was more like a line.

I doubt the pellets had much energy left when the got to the target, but got there they did.

Open pattern at thirty yards with a full choke? With my cylinder choke, I can keep all pellets on a silhouette at 25 yards. That's a weird result.

CMichael · June 22, 2010, 07:38 PM

I probably should use #4, but it just seems way cooler to put 00 in my shotgun.

noyes · June 22, 2010, 07:58 PM

Employing the current 00# buckshot loads XX-XX meters is the soldier's realistic effective range.

http://pro-patria.us/COMBATSHOTGUN.mht

.

SPEMack618 · June 22, 2010, 08:07 PM

My Father once related an instance to me from his service in South East Asia in which he was saved from an on rushing NVA regular with as he described it "about a foot and a half of bayonet" on the end of his AK by a blast of #4 Buck from his partner's Ithaca Model 37 at about 25 yards away.

Pops always swore by #4 because he said he liked having more pellets.

vitesse9 · June 22, 2010, 11:00 PM

Quote:

I probably should use #4, but it just seems way cooler to put 00 in my shotgun.

At close indoor ranges, I hardly think the intruder will know the difference between 00 buck and #4 buck.

hardluk1 · June 23, 2010, 08:55 PM

I grew up hunting in florida swamps and useing shotguns. Not short barrel open bore but 28 to 30" barrels ,full chock and patterning with many brands and size's of shot. Seems most full chocks shot 1 buck best. 00 or 0 buck would spead at distance like already coverd but when you found the shot your gun liked it might cover 25 to 30 inch circle at a 100 yards. At 50 maybe 12" max. At 25yards you made a mess of part of a deer. Typicaly deer were running and you just shot for meat. You could kill at those longer distance's with a side shot and quartering away and do it quickly. Yes deer are smaller ,maybe 125lbs+ or - Bet i killed my limit at least for 15 years with just a shot gun then finally bought a rifle. Many days shooting and some very sore shoulders triy'n to find the shot and make your gun liked and then go by enough for years of shooting so no more target time was needed. I hate to shoot slugs now, brings back bad sore shoulder memories. Same old shotgun just a shorter rifled barrel,same kick.

June 21, 2010, 03:59 PM	#1
vitesse9 Senior Member Join Date: November 9, 2004 Posts: 340	00 Buckshot at Extended Ranges Just thought I'd share some interesting results from a range trip over the weekend. My stepdad and I were shooting rifles on the 100 yard range. about 10 yards behind the target was a tall berm with bowling pins all over it. It rained for a bit and was getting close to the end of the day. Thus, we found ourselves the only shooters at the 100 yard range. I had always wanted to see what buckshot would do at these kind of ranges, but for obvious reasons, the rangemaster hasn't been too keen on letting me fire buckshot when other shooters have targets on the rack. With the rangemasters' permission, of course, I started in on the bowling pins up on the berm with Remington Express 2 3/4 inch 00 Buckshot (9 pellet). I was shooting a Mossberg 590A1 with a cylinder choke. The results were very surprising. The pins were approx. 110 yards from my shooting position. Initially, I aimed for the pins lower on the berm because I feared the spread would open up so much that pellets might go over the berm. No way! The patters were all very consistent. The spread on each shot was about as wide as a grown man's arm span if he stood with his arms fully extended and parallel with the ground. the Patterns were also more of a line than the typical circular patters we see with close range buckshot. Think of what would happen if you took a bicycle chain and threw it like a lasso into the dirt. What was even more interesting was that I was able to make the bowling pins dance at 100+ yards. And contrary to my initial fears, none of the buckshot hit more than a few feet above my line of sight. Needless to say, I have a whole new respect for my shotgun. I hear a lot of people say that a shotgun is strictly a short-range weapon (i.e. inside the house, very dense brush etc.) and that anyone who wants to shoot beyond 50 yards better have slugs or a rifle. While there are certainly better choices for shots at that range, I think the shotgun is a better multi-purpose self defense weapon than the internet gurus give it credit for. If you had to defend yourself at extended ranges with 00 buckshot, you would probably get your point across even though you left your fancy black rifle at home that day. As the rangemaster who gave me permission to take the shot and then came over to satisfy his own curiosity said "I'd duck."

June 21, 2010, 07:55 PM	#5
Old Grump Member in memoriam Join Date: April 9, 2009 Location: Blue River Wisconsin, in Posts: 3,144	Tried 00 and 000 in my full choke 10 gauge and had a donut pattern big enough to let a turkey walk through it at 30 yards. Maybe 3 or 4 pellets on paper at 100 yards. Tried #6, #4, and #3 at 30 yards and was amazed at the uniformity of the pattern of all of them. Didn't touch paper at 100 yards. Same experiment with the 12 gauge, 00 better even with the full choke but not by much, #6, 3 and 4 results the same as the 10 gauge. My guns at least 00 is best saved for use under 15 yards if I want to hit what I am aiming at and at 8 yards or less any of the birdshot will do. 20 gauge tomorrow __________________ Good intentions will always be pleaded for any assumption of power. The Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern will, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters. --Daniel Webster--

June 22, 2010, 08:07 PM	#9
SPEMack618 Senior Member Join Date: June 21, 2010 Location: Central Georgia Posts: 1,863	About #4 Buck My Father once related an instance to me from his service in South East Asia in which he was saved from an on rushing NVA regular with as he described it "about a foot and a half of bayonet" on the end of his AK by a blast of #4 Buck from his partner's Ithaca Model 37 at about 25 yards away. Pops always swore by #4 because he said he liked having more pellets. __________________ NRA Life Member Read my blog! "The answer to any caliber debate is going to be .38 Super, 10mm, .357 Sig or .41 Magnum!"

June 21, 2010, 04:03 PM	#2
CMichael Senior Member Join Date: November 12, 2001 Location: MI Posts: 1,516	Actually it makes it more concerning using it for HD in house. That's what I have in my shotgun.

June 21, 2010, 04:59 PM	#4
highvel Senior Member Join Date: January 21, 2010 Location: Powhatan VA Posts: 633	Dont let 00 Buckshot fool you, inside a house, one wall of sheet rock and a little insulation or a ceiling will not slow it down very much. Also it will turn on 2x4's if not hit straight on and continue with a nasty shape to the pellets. That's why alot of people, me included load my "foul weather gear" with #4 Buck, it dissapates energy quicker. __________________ Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.--Mark Twain "I have opinions of my own 'strong opinions' but I don't always agree with them."--George Bush

June 21, 2010, 08:02 PM	#6
vitesse9 Senior Member Join Date: November 9, 2004 Posts: 340	Yea, I didn't try it on paper, only observed the dirt kicked up when the pellets hit the berm. But, I did hit the bowling pins several times. I expected the pattern to be a big circle, but, as I stated, it was more like a line. I doubt the pellets had much energy left when the got to the target, but got there they did. Open pattern at thirty yards with a full choke? With my cylinder choke, I can keep all pellets on a silhouette at 25 yards. That's a weird result.

June 22, 2010, 07:38 PM	#7
CMichael Senior Member Join Date: November 12, 2001 Location: MI Posts: 1,516	I probably should use #4, but it just seems way cooler to put 00 in my shotgun.

June 22, 2010, 07:58 PM	#8
noyes Senior Member Join Date: December 27, 2008 Posts: 1,032	Employing the current 00# buckshot loads XX-XX meters is the soldier's realistic effective range. http://pro-patria.us/COMBATSHOTGUN.mht .

June 23, 2010, 08:55 PM	#11
hardluk1 Junior member Join Date: March 27, 2009 Posts: 600	I grew up hunting in florida swamps and useing shotguns. Not short barrel open bore but 28 to 30" barrels ,full chock and patterning with many brands and size's of shot. Seems most full chocks shot 1 buck best. 00 or 0 buck would spead at distance like already coverd but when you found the shot your gun liked it might cover 25 to 30 inch circle at a 100 yards. At 50 maybe 12" max. At 25yards you made a mess of part of a deer. Typicaly deer were running and you just shot for meat. You could kill at those longer distance's with a side shot and quartering away and do it quickly. Yes deer are smaller ,maybe 125lbs+ or - Bet i killed my limit at least for 15 years with just a shot gun then finally bought a rifle. Many days shooting and some very sore shoulders triy'n to find the shot and make your gun liked and then go by enough for years of shooting so no more target time was needed. I hate to shoot slugs now, brings back bad sore shoulder memories. Same old shotgun just a shorter rifled barrel,same kick.