Looking for info regarding loading .410 #000 Buck

[horsesoldier03]

Well I hope to take my grandson hunting with me this year and I am looking to start him with a .410 with #000 buck as the distance will be short. I am assuming that I will need a wad with the .375 round balls to fill the gap on a .410 bore. My question is does it matter what type of wad I purchase?

[Tycer]

I have been researching this extensively the past week. I got so much convoluted information I ordered the BP book on small bore shotshells. Should be here by early next week. I can let you know what I find out.
https://www.ballisticproducts.com/Small ... nfo/00MSB/

[horsesoldier03]

I was actually just on their website doing a little research. I like the looks of the Remington Ultimate Defense #000 load at 1225 FPS if I recall correctly. However, IF you can find them in stock they are very pricey. I did find a breakdown of the load and it only has a plastic wad at the base with 4 .360 balls.

[Ray]

I sliced off the crimps of a handfull of factory 3" #4s and replaced the shot with four .350" muzzleloading balls glued in with model cement. I doubt they would stand up to loading and unloading from a repeater but they work just fine in a break open and stay on a medium pizza box at 30 paces.

[Nath]

The trouble with 410 and soft lead balls stacked on top of the other is the they get squashed into cylinders on firing.
Personally I found better results going as big as you can get in the case. Then when they compress on firing they are kind of square as in height verses diameter.

[Gobblerforge]

I've never seen shot obturate that much. A flat spot at best.

[gcs]

I had looked into it and people did say that the inline buckshot would deform on firing, I never got to load any as I got sidetracked but maybe nickel plated buck shot would be better, with better penetration...

[horsesoldier03]

Ballistic Products has a product called a STUMP WAD. I plan to try those and some Full Length Wads as well. Thinking to start with 15 grains of W296 for the power with 3-4 .36 cal. balls to start. I also have some .38 SPL 145 grain LSWCHP that have a BHR of 10-12 that I may put in a wad as a SABOT.

[Bronco]

Shot buffer is for keeping the lead ball deformation upon firing!

[GunnyMack]

I posted this morning but apparently the puppies kept me from hitting the submit button!

I've loaded 410 buckshot for years, the 410 being a longer than wide shot column keeps tighter patterns than the larger bores. A little buffer helps.

Ballistic Products has good data, order the small bore manual and the slug manual is good to have also. Their Thug Slug and Small Game slug are a good thing to think about as well. I haven't chronographed the Thugs but to load says 2000 fps.

The Stump wad and 000 with buffer should work fine.

[Nath]

Never tried any buffer, sounds a good idea though.

[Bronco]

I have tried several brands and like this stuff the best !
https://www.precisionreloading.com/cart.php#!c=22

[GunnyMack]

From BP's Small Bore manual
2.5 hull( cheddite)
Lilgun-18gr
BX410 wad
NC410 overshot
3 000(208 grs)
12100 PSI
1540 fps.
Same hull, same powder/charge
Swap out for LGS41 ( Light game slug ) which uses 1 #0000
7700 psi
1590 fps

Same hull,
Unique, 10gr
TS410( Thug slug- 125 gr slug w/ attached wad)
9500 psi
1505 fps

Nothing to sneeze at , certainly capable of taking game as well as defensive loads.

[GunnyMack]

This morning I put together 2 different 410 buckshot loads .
3" Winchester hulls, 20 gr lilgun. One was 3 000 in a regular 410 wad, the other was a Stump wad with 4 00.
After inserting a piece of buck I sprinkled buffer to cover then a ball etc. Then I put 2 overshot cards in and crimped.

Then I tried 2 of the Light Game Slugs, 3" Remington hull and 26 grains of lilgun.

20230903_112942.jpg

My hold point was the black square, from my CZ imp cyl barrel at about 25-30 yards.

[horsesoldier03]

Thanks Gunny. I have been busy working lately and all my local stores are out of 000 buck round balls. Hope to make some progress on this soon.

[1894cfan]

Per the Lyman shotshell reloading handbook, I load 4 #00 buck in 2 1/2" Win HS hulls with 13.0gr A410 with CCI209 primers and 410 wads or 16.5gr H110 with Fed 209A primers. The Lyman book doesn't mention #000 buck, just #00 buck in 410. Never had a problem with my loads. HTH

[EdinCT]

In the archives at BPI load of the week. https://www.ballisticproducts.com/load03012021.htm
I have loaded 5 00 buck over 15 gr of 296 and covered them with buffer. Its not pressure tested so no guarantees.
It does shoot very well at 25 yards. I certainly wouldn't want to be on the receiving end.

[horsesoldier03]

Thanks to all for the recommendations.

[horsesoldier03]

Well I finally finished up my .410 Reloading Press. Still need to go pick up some powder and Shot/Ball.