OT-Full choke for large buckshot

[Jason_W]

I'm about ready to make some 12 ga 0000 buckshot loads and I want to try a couple of chokes to see what works best. Do I stand to damage my gun or choke if I fire large buck out of a full choke?

These pellets are so big that two can't fit side by side in a 12 ga hull, so I'm thinking (perhaps wrongly) that pellet deformation may not be an issue.

[Goat]

I never heard of 0000 buckshot but do have some experience paterning and hunting with buckshot. I was raised in an area of Louisiana that deer hunting meant shotguns, buckshot and a pack of Walker deerhounds. (Thankfully things have changed.) I made many a hunt with a 12ga pump loaded with 3 inch magnum 00 buckshot. I even managed to kill a few. What I learned early on is that buckshot is a very strange"animal" to say the least. You may take two identical shot guns from the same manufacturer with the same choke shooting the same load and get very different results. My particular 12ga would pattern well with only two different loads. Winchester Super X 00 unplated shot and Winchester Super X No. 4 buckshot. If I changed ANYTHING the patterns fell apart. Plated shot did not work and even changing brands with the same shot size would not work. When you find what works for you stay with it. My shotgun has a very tight full choke and has never been damaged by shooting buckshot. I hope your loads work well for you.
Goat

[CEMENTHEAD]

Try these guys for info on LARGE buckshot...Impressive stuff. They believe in exclusively using tight chokes for buckshot.

http://www.dixieslugs.com/products.html

Thanks, Tom

[shawn_c992001]

Most of mine like a Mod. choke for anything bigger than #1 buck. Those guys at Dixie know their stuff too! Those things shouldn't qualify a shot more like multiple slugs!!!

[L_Kilkenny]

They did a test a couple years ago in the Trapper and Predator Caller" Magazine. Large buck generally didn't like being choked. Their best groups out of the guns tested indicated that "open choke" or "cylider bore" worked best with 00 buck. Only effective out to 25 yards or so do to lack of density in the pattern at ranges beyond that.

LK

[a357lever]

i ve heard different stories with this question, one writter says a tight choke with large buckshot deforms the shot when it is choked at high speed and the deformed pellets tumble and lose velocity and range compared to open cyl or imp cyl let them keep the round shape so they stay straight and fly farther. others disagree.

you make the call

[Buck Elliott]

In my experience, 000 Buckshot is about the largest practical size for 12-ga. loads. Anything larger begins to stack very erratically in the shell case, and in the trip down the bore, with inconsistant, uneven results at the target. Good shot buffering seems to make more of a positive difference that choke configuration.

Let us know how things work out for you...

[Jason_W]

I tried a few experimental loads today with the full choke. I was using a 3" buffered load with a payload of 8 0000 pellets.

At 25 yards 6 of the pellets made a hand sized pattern while 2 were not even on the giant piece of poster board I was using for a target.

I clearly need to do a little tweaking.

[Buck Elliott]

I'd say so...