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Our favorite buckshot shellsI’m a huge shotgun nerd; so with many new shotgunners out there, I wanted to teach you guys about buckshot. Ultimately, the best type of ammunition for home defense is the one that you’re most comfortable using and that you feel confident will stop an intruder. If you’re not sure which type of ammo is right for you, talk to a qualified firearms instructor or another expert before making a decision. Buckshot is typically used for hunting rather than home defense. In short, old school buckshot is probably best for the shotgun armed home defender.
This is the only load that clocked more than its factory velocity rating. Recoil was not severe, and the load patterned at 7.5 inches by 6 inches in the Remington. It was also unusual in that the pattern was larger, or at least lopsided, in the Benelli at 8 by 3.5 inches. We would have preferred a tighter group, but then, some of the raters felt this is ideal for home defense. At any rate, this is a great buy for 10 shells at a five-shell price.
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For this reason, No. 4 often spreads wide, and that’s not good for home defense. You want tight, controllable patterns that deliver consistent tight groups. It’s much easier to miss with a partial load of Number 4 buckshot than a tighter load of tactical 00. The main reason why you shouldn’t rely on number 4 buckshot for home defense is that it fails to reach acceptable standards of penetration through fleshy targets. In-gel tests, the majority of pellets from a 2.75 inch No. 4 buck load rarely reach the 12-inch minimum standards.
That’s EXACTLY why no one makes it…..because it’s freakin’ stupid. Not to mention the fact that your reasoning for doing this is to mimic the effects of a slug. I don’t sharpen the points of my .45acp FMJ’s to get “yawing effects similar to rifle ammo” out of my handgun ammunition.
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While Hornady’s execution of a #4 buck load is the best currently available, there are still some beneficial design features that they left on the table. Until someone optimizes the #4 buckshot load, it will be an unacceptably subpar solution for the defensive application of the shotgun. Stick with the high performers, and all the high performers right now are 00. If I get in coyote range with a shotgun, it’s likely moving, and as such, the spread of pellets helps make it easier to hit a moving target. Lots of little pellets increase my chances of taking the animal down.
Usually two or three pellets were wider than the center spread, but none went into the white. This is a reasonable load for home defense, but it’s not our favorite. There are advantages in a 1254-fps load in penetration and energy. In the Benelli, the loading sent all eight balls into a 4.5-by-2.8-inch group, statistically little different from the pumpgun. If you are looking for a full-power loading, this one works well. Some of the raters noticed the difference in recoil between this and the reduced recoil load in the Benelli, and some did not.
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He’s a lifelong shooter who just happened to be mediocre enough with a gun and a keyboard to combine the two and write. He currently teaches concealed carry courses and enjoys spending time in Florida’s Nature Coast. He is interested in helping folks protect themselves with firearms and shoot better at the range.
The total spread in the Remington 870 was 17 by 11 inches, with one pellet off the paper. However, 10 of the 15 pellets went into a group of 8 by 2.5 inches including four in one hole! We are certain this 3-inch load would offer devastating potential at 5 to 10 yards. Although the 10 shells that were fired never failed to function the Benelli, velocities ran from 807 fps to 1107 fps.
The copper balls are designed to be safe when firing at steel targets as close as 4 feet. The pattern is surprisingly tight at 4 by 6 inches, with two pellets sometime opening up the group to 4 by 8 inches. The load is advertised to function in gas-operated shotguns, but it did not work in the Benelli, with about 20% failures. Penetration in water was shallow due to the pellets’ light individual weight.
This isn’t a reduced-recoil load, but at 1145 fps, it isn’t what is usually regarded as full power. There are nine buckshot balls rather than eight in this loading. It is reliable and burns cleanly and functions the Benelli. Patterns were not the worst or the best of the test at 5.8 by 8 inches. The Benelli was a bit better at 6 by 4.5 inches, with a 6-fps velocity increase. This is an acceptable choice for home defense, but it’s not the favorite.
There is recoil and muzzle blast, but the load is controllable. The pattern was very good — six pellets in a group measuring 3 by 1 inches. The other two pellets made for a 3-by-5-inch pattern. The Benelli fared less well, but still shot very well, with a 3-by-2-inch pattern for six pellets and 3 by 7 for all eight balls at 1290 fps. In gearing up for this test, the project seemed simple at first. The logistics of collecting shotguns, shells, targets, and a measuring tape seemed simple.
It isn’t too hot and it isn’t too light, and it uses the original nine-00-buckshot-pellet payload. We measured an average of 3 by 1.5 inches in the 870 at 1233 fps. In the Benelli, results were similar with a 3.8-by-3 pattern at 1248 fps.
An Official Journal Of The NRAThese loads are specifically designed for gunfighting and manage recoil, pellet spread, and penetration. I still stick by the points that I made in the book and the article. Considering the numbers of hunters over the years killed by close range birdshot, not to name people killed by these loads speaks to their lethality. Yes, I am aware they can penetrate drywall, but certainly not to the extent that any buckshot does. I stand by my assertion that birdshot will be just fine at close range, with a mass of 1 oz of lead held tightly together.
You should compare the price-to-performance ratio instead. See how well the product is composed and how efficiently it performs and put that data against other products to have a precise idea of which product to choose. Calling a technician to do the installation may incur additional costs.
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