S & B Clear 12 Gauge Buck Shot

[FPrice]

Natchez Shooters Supply has this on sale for $2.50/10 round box. Does anyone have any experience with this ammo? Is it any good? I can remember some comments a LONG time ago (probably company publicity) that this was useful for rapid reloads in a situation where you needed to change ammo type (for example, from slugs to buckshot). Good idea but not good enough if the ammo itself is not good quality and accurate. My impression is that S&B ammo is generally good quality but I would like to hear from someone with more shotgun experience than myself.

Thanks in advance.

[PreserveFreedom]

S&B has always been good for me in handgun calibers. I don't see why shotgun shells would be any different.

[KSFreeman]

Is it just me or does this stuff smell funny when shot?

[AAshooter]

I like their handgun ammo but don't like their 00 buck. I much prefer Estates 00 Buck. Natchez also puts that on sale once in a while.

The S&B has a funny crimp that make the shells slightly longer. I find they are more difficult to load quickly through the ejection port. They do not have the buckshot in a shotcup but instead use a flat wad. I believe this helps deform the shot. Consequently it seems you get more leading of your barrel and loose patterns.

Estates patterns much more consistently and tighter in my experience. It is about the same price and performs better.

If you are just having fun and shooting targets, probably either is fine.

[AAshooter]

KS . . . I think it is that horse hair wad they use.

[Dave R]

Like AA Shooter, I like S&B EXCEPT for the buckshot.

They do not use a shot cup that covers the pellets, so the pellets scrape against your barrel and leave nasy leading. Based on the pellet scrapes on my barrel after shooting it, I believe it deforms the pellets pretty badly, too. Some of the lead scrapes on my barrel were as wide as the pellets, which would indicate the pellets were squished in half during their trip down the bore.

That may be why they don't pattern as well.

Anyway, I'll stick with buckshot that uses a full shot cup.

[CapeFear]

I have limited experience with that round, but its all been positive. I killed a buck with one shot at 30 yards about a week and a half ago. Most of the buckshot went in one side and out the other. The five I did recover were stopped only by the skin on the far side. The buck went down where he stood, never attempted to rise, and was dead by the time I got to him.

I was still hunting in a shotgun only area and carry both birdshot and buckshot. The see through rounds are one way to prevent me from shooting buckshot at squirrels and rabbits or birdshot at a deer (I also keep the rounds in different sides of a vest). When I hunt I'm just as happy to take home a limit of small game as deer. After dragging that buck over an hour and a half to the nearest road I almost wished I had taken five squirrels instead.

[Coop de Ville]

Certainly smells like horse hair :barf:

I bought 2 cases of it on sale from Natchez... and still have a case and a half left. It's dirty, smelly, kicks hard (12 pellets), patterns like a@@.

But it's cheap and will get you out on the range practicing.

Get the good stuff for real use.

I wanted to stock up on the estate low recoil, but will have to choose another. I believe Winchester and federal make low recoil 00, so I will give them a try.

FWIW- Get it if it's the cheapest stuff around and practice.

Best- Coop

[Poodleshooter]

The S&B has a funny crimp that make the shells slightly longer. I find they are more difficult to load quickly through the ejection port. They do not have the buckshot in a shotcup but instead use a flat wad. I believe this helps deform the shot. Consequently it seems you get more leading of your barrel and loose patterns.
The "funny crimp" is probably a roll crimp. That's the way shotshells were crimped for decades, as it allows more space for powder, cushioning wads and pellets. Most commercial buckshot doesn't use a plastic shotcup either (remington express for example-though their premier line does). Regular shotcups get torn to pieces by buckshot, so usually loads with shotcups are wrapped with a teflon or Mylar wrap, use plastic buffer or harder shot to protect the barrel, ease the pellets through the bore and shrink patterns. This costs quite a bit for reloading, and presumably for manufacturers as well.
Non-shotcup load: http://www.remington.com/Ammo/PAGES/shotshell/exp_bucksh.htm
shotcup load: http://www.remington.com/Ammo/PAGES/shotshell/pre_bucksh.htm

[Jager1]

I use the stuff for practice in the 00 Buck 12 pellet loading. They used to sell the 04 Buck 27 pellet loading, but I have not seen it offered at the gun shows for awhile. I understand that it is still available, however.

For budget buckshot, it patterns reasonably well. I have patterned it from my 870's and consider it acceptable (most pellets in the black at 25 yards on a B-34 target).

Pellet deformation is a fact with this inexpensive buckshot. Additionally, the hulls are not reloadable, should that be a consideration for you.

Be aware that the shell length is noticeably longer than traditional 2 3/4" shells and will reduce capacity of your shotgun. In my 870's, I am down one shell as a result using a 7-shot tube.

The gun shows typically sell Remington and Winchester buckshot for $2.50 a 5 round box here. I prefer those rounds for serious applications, but will not hesitate to use the Sellier & Bellot should the need arise.

Best.

[FPrice]

I'd like to thank everyone for taking the time to answer my question. I will probably order some of this ammo, but not as much as I had originally planned.

As Coop de Ville mentioned, the Estate buckshot seems to have the best reputation (especially here on TFL). I got some when it was on sale at Natchez but not as much as I wanted.

Thanks again for all of your help.

[AAshooter]

Poodleshooter, interesting comments. Thanks for the information.

I am not sure but I think I have seen roll crimps and this is something different (I think). If I had the capability, I would post a digital picture and see what you think. Perhaps someone could post a close up on the crimped top.

If you get a chance to look at one, I would be interested in your opinion.

I also didn't realize the details related to the wad/shotcup and buckshot . . . interesting.

[zanthope]

PMC is marketing a HD low-recoil 00 buck that I like. It moves about 1200 fps, and is effective out to 25 yards. It's made in Italy....I'm paying 1.99 for 5.

Shooting full-horse buckshot or slugs is cruel and unusual....

[Mo_Zam_Beek]

Dirty, smokey but it is also the 3rd best patterning round I have found for my Vang thus far. And it is cheap.

[Dave McC]

IMO, S&B has old fashioned nitrates, the few shells I've seen fired reminded me of the long lost days of my youth, living on a horse farm. I spent many an hour pitchforking those nitrates.

There seems to be more negative comments on this than positive. However, it seem to be reliable, feeds OK, and would serve nicely as cheap training ammo for those of us that are recoil tolerant to some degree.

[CWL]

Shot several boxes out of my Rem 870. Felt like a pretty heavy load. Left a lot of lead in the barrel. No real complaints besides that.

[FPrice]

Took my Savage Model 69RXL to the range today with some S&B, some Estate buckshot loads and tried to do some testing. For various reasons, mainly weather and crowded range, I only got 5 rounds off, 2 S&B, 2 Estate, and 1 Winchester 1 oz slug. Since I wanted to see how the rounds shot, I was more interested in checking each shot than getting off a lot of shots.

At 15 yards, all four shots placed all pellets on target (a standard USPSA target). However, all also printed left and high of the aim point (center of mass). But they all hit. The Estate load was easy to shoot, while the S&B did kick noticeably more. However, considering that the S&B also put 33% more pellets on target, it was not an undue difference.

I think either would do the job. But for maximum effect the S&B probably has the edge. I probably would not want to shoot this load all day long, but for a reasonable practise I'll be okay.

[Cavè Canem]

I purchased a few boxes at a gun show a while back. 00buck to be exact. Took them to the range and they all went BOOM and hit where I was aiming. :D

I would recommend that brand.