{"id":8107,"date":"2020-03-13T13:11:23","date_gmt":"2020-03-13T17:11:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/?p=8107"},"modified":"2021-07-27T16:43:37","modified_gmt":"2021-07-27T20:43:37","slug":"more-stuff-you-should-know-about-buckshot-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/more-stuff-you-should-know-about-buckshot-part-2\/","title":{"rendered":"More Stuff You Should Know About Buckshot [Part 2]"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Today we&#8217;re continuing our deep dive into the topic of using buckshot for personal protection. If you missed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/stuff-you-should-know-about-buckshot-part-1\/\">Part 1<\/a>, I&#8217;d recommend looking over that one first. In this second and final installment, we&#8217;re looking at what buckshot is made of (literally) and the advantages tight-patterning buckshot over slugs or a carbine. Watch the video below for the details, or keep on scrolling if you&#8217;d rather read the full transcript.<\/p> <div class=\"entry-content-asset\"><script src=\"https:\/\/fast.wistia.com\/assets\/external\/E-v1.js\" async><\/script><\/p> <noscript class=\"idle-load\"><div class=\"wistia_responsive_padding\" style=\"padding:56.25% 0 0 0;position:relative;\"> <div class=\"wistia_responsive_wrapper\" style=\"height:100%;left:0;position:absolute;top:0;width:100%;\"> <div class=\"wistia_embed wistia_async_xndtslp3s1 dnt=1 videoFoam=true\" style=\"height:100%;position:relative;width:100%\"> <div class=\"wistia_swatch\" style=\"height:100%;left:0;opacity:0;overflow:hidden;position:absolute;top:0;transition:opacity 200ms;width:100%;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fast.wistia.com\/embed\/medias\/xndtslp3s1\/swatch\" style=\"filter:blur(5px);height:100%;object-fit:contain;width:100%;\" alt=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\" onload=\"this.parentNode.style.opacity=1;\" \/><\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div><\/noscript> <\/div> <hr \/> <p>Welcome back to our two part series all about stuff you should know about buckshot. In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/stuff-you-should-know-about-buckshot-part-1\/\">Part 1<\/a>, I talked about the different types of buckshot, the importance of patterning your buckshot, and why a smaller pattern is usually better in the context of protecting your home. I left off by mentioning a few common objections to using a tight-patterning buckshot and I said I would answer those objections this week.<\/p> <p>I will be getting there in just a minute, but first, let\u2019s go back to something else I mentioned last time and we\u2019ll call this the fourth thing you should know about buckshot&#8230;<\/p> <h2><strong>4. Controlled vs. Uncontrolled Pattern Buckshot<\/strong><\/h2> <p>Ammo makers have employed a few different strategies over the years for controlling the spread of buckshot. Let\u2019s look at a few of the most common ones and whether they actually make any difference.<\/p> <p>This is a round of Rio Royal #00 buck. This is the cheap stuff. It\u2019s really great for practicing. But the pattern is completely uncontrolled. This is what I would call a basic &#8220;lead-chucker load.&#8221; There\u2019s powder down here. There\u2019s a simple plastic wad to separate the powder and pellets and to fill the extra space in the shell. And then you\u2019ve got the nine plain lead pellets on top.<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rio-royal-shell.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-0\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8112\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rio-royal-shell.jpg\" alt=\"Rio Royal Buckshot\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1059\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rio-royal-shell.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rio-royal-shell-600x424.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rio-royal-shell-1024x723.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rio-royal-shell-768x542.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rio-royal-shell-350x247.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <p>And here\u2019s a pattern I got with this load. This is at 40 feet with a Remington 870 with an 18-inch cylinder bore barrel. The pattern is about 7 and a half inches wide. It\u2019s certainly not the worst pattern I&#8217;ve seen from that barrel, but it could be a lot tighter. I wouldn\u2019t have to worry as much about accidentally throwing a pellet off target.<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rio-royal-870-pattern.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-1\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8111\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rio-royal-870-pattern.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rio-royal-870-pattern.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rio-royal-870-pattern-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rio-royal-870-pattern-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rio-royal-870-pattern-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rio-royal-870-pattern-350x197.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <p>The theory is that all of these pellets are trying to get out of the barrel at once and they slam into each other which creates flat spots on the soft lead. Then the pellets are no longer perfectly spherical and they don\u2019t fly as straight.<\/p> <h3><strong>Buffered Buckshot, Plated Buckshot, and Shot Cups<\/strong><\/h3> <p>So to prevent that, sometimes ammo companies will put a buffer compound in the shell to keep the pellets from invading each others personal space. It\u2019s usually some kind of granulated synthetic material. Here\u2019s a round of Remington Law Enforcement Reduced Recoil 9 pellet #00 buckshot. I cut one of these open and found these little plastic disks they\u2019re using as a buffer.<\/p> <figure id=\"attachment_8114\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8114\" style=\"width: 1500px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/remington-9p-man-rcll.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-2\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-8114 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/remington-9p-man-rcll.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/remington-9p-man-rcll.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/remington-9p-man-rcll-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/remington-9p-man-rcll-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/remington-9p-man-rcll-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/remington-9p-man-rcll-350x197.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8114\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Remington LE Reduced Recoil 9 pellet #00 buckshot<\/figcaption><\/figure> <p>So let\u2019s see what kind of pattern I got with this load&#8230;<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rem-9p-man-rcl-pattern.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-3\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8115\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rem-9p-man-rcl-pattern.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1164\" height=\"844\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rem-9p-man-rcl-pattern.jpg 1164w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rem-9p-man-rcl-pattern-600x435.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rem-9p-man-rcl-pattern-1024x742.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rem-9p-man-rcl-pattern-768x557.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rem-9p-man-rcl-pattern-350x254.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1164px) 100vw, 1164px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <p>That\u2019s a 12-inch pattern. I guess the buffer didn\u2019t really do much in this case, at least with this particular barrel.<\/p> <p>Usually, the shot buffer is combined with some other features. Instead of a plain wad, for example, the pellets might be held together with a plastic shot cup. This #00 9-pellet Winchester Ranger load has a shot cup and the more common granulated-style buffer.<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Winchester-Ranger-9-pellet.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-4\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8116\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Winchester-Ranger-9-pellet.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Winchester-Ranger-9-pellet.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Winchester-Ranger-9-pellet-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Winchester-Ranger-9-pellet-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Winchester-Ranger-9-pellet-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Winchester-Ranger-9-pellet-350x197.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <p>But when I tried it in the 870, the pattern was about 10 inches at 40 feet.<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/win-ranger-9-pel-870.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-5\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8117\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/win-ranger-9-pel-870.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/win-ranger-9-pel-870.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/win-ranger-9-pel-870-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/win-ranger-9-pel-870-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/win-ranger-9-pel-870-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/win-ranger-9-pel-870-350x197.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <p>Another strategy is to harden the pellets, either by changing the formula for the lead or by plating them with something like copper or nickel. This is a Fiocchi 3-Gun 9 pellet load. The pellets are nickel plated and they\u2019re also in a plastic shot cup but there\u2019s no buffer.<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Fiocchi-3GJM-9-pellet.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-6\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8118\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Fiocchi-3GJM-9-pellet.jpg\" alt=\"Fiocchi 3G+JM buckshot\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Fiocchi-3GJM-9-pellet.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Fiocchi-3GJM-9-pellet-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Fiocchi-3GJM-9-pellet-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Fiocchi-3GJM-9-pellet-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Fiocchi-3GJM-9-pellet-350x197.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <p>My best pattern at 40 feet with this load out of the 870 was just over six inches. Not awesome, but a little better than the others.<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Fiocchi-3GJM-9p-pattern.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-7\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8119\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Fiocchi-3GJM-9p-pattern.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Fiocchi-3GJM-9p-pattern.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Fiocchi-3GJM-9p-pattern-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Fiocchi-3GJM-9p-pattern-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Fiocchi-3GJM-9p-pattern-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Fiocchi-3GJM-9p-pattern-350x197.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <p>Here\u2019s a Remington Managed Recoil 8-pellet #00 load. It\u2019s got a shot cup similar to the Fiocchi along with a shot buffer.<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rem-8-p-low-rcl.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-8\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8120\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rem-8-p-low-rcl.jpg\" alt=\"Remington Low Recoil 8 Pellet #00 buckshot\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rem-8-p-low-rcl.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rem-8-p-low-rcl-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rem-8-p-low-rcl-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rem-8-p-low-rcl-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rem-8-p-low-rcl-350x197.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <p>I got a pretty nice 5-inch group with this one.<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rem-8-p-low-rcl-pattern.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-9\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8121\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rem-8-p-low-rcl-pattern.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rem-8-p-low-rcl-pattern.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rem-8-p-low-rcl-pattern-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rem-8-p-low-rcl-pattern-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rem-8-p-low-rcl-pattern-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rem-8-p-low-rcl-pattern-350x197.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <p>So far, there\u2019s not really any predictable connection between a tight pattern and these features that attempt to control the pattern. The plating or the shot cup or the buffer might make a difference. But none of those things guarantee a specific pattern size. It doesn\u2019t mean they don\u2019t work. It\u2019s just that every shotgun barrel is different and you really never know how it\u2019s going to react to a given load. You just have to experiment.<\/p> <h3><strong>Federal FliteControl and Hornady Versatite<\/strong><\/h3> <p>But now, let\u2019s look at this load. This is Hornady Black 8 pellet #00 buckshot. These are plain lead pellets. There\u2019s no buffer, just a plastic shot cup.<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Hornady-Black-9p.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-10\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8122\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Hornady-Black-9p.jpg\" alt=\"Hornady Black 8 pellet #00 buckshot\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Hornady-Black-9p.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Hornady-Black-9p-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Hornady-Black-9p-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Hornady-Black-9p-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Hornady-Black-9p-350x197.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <p>And here\u2019s our pattern. Same gun, same distance: 40 feet, and we\u2019ve got an impressive 3.5-inch pattern.<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Hornady-Black-9p-pattern.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-11\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8123\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Hornady-Black-9p-pattern.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Hornady-Black-9p-pattern.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Hornady-Black-9p-pattern-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Hornady-Black-9p-pattern-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Hornady-Black-9p-pattern-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Hornady-Black-9p-pattern-350x197.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <p>That\u2019s because this is not just a generic shot cup, this is what Hornady calls the Versatite wad. It\u2019s the same technology they use in their Critical Defense and Law Enforcement TAP buckshot. It\u2019s also the same as the Federal FliteControl wad. Both Hornady and Federal either buy these or license the design from the same third party.<\/p> <p>For the FliteControl loads, Federal doesn\u2019t just use the special wad, they also copper plate the pellets and they\u2019ve got a shot buffer in there as well.<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/fed-flitectrl-8p.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-12\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8124\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/fed-flitectrl-8p.jpg\" alt=\"Federal FliteControl 8 pellet #00 Buckshot\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/fed-flitectrl-8p.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/fed-flitectrl-8p-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/fed-flitectrl-8p-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/fed-flitectrl-8p-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/fed-flitectrl-8p-350x197.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <p>The result is that, with the majority of cylinder bore shotguns out there, you will get the tightest possible buckshot pattern with one of the Federal FliteControl loads. Here\u2019s my 40 foot pattern with the 870 and the 8-pellet version of the #00 FliteControl. Just 2.5 inches.<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/fed-flitectrl-8p-pattern.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-13\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8125\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/fed-flitectrl-8p-pattern.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/fed-flitectrl-8p-pattern.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/fed-flitectrl-8p-pattern-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/fed-flitectrl-8p-pattern-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/fed-flitectrl-8p-pattern-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/fed-flitectrl-8p-pattern-350x197.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <p>Now, at 40 feet, do I really care whether I\u2019m getting 2 and half inches with FliteControl or 3 and a half with the Hornady Black? Not really. Personally, I prefer the FliteControl because it\u2019s a lower velocity load. It\u2019s 1145 feet per second, it\u2019s softer shooting and easier to control than the 1600 foot per second Hornady. And I don\u2019t have to worry as much about over penetration.<\/p> <p>What about the 9 pellet version of Flite Control? Let\u2019s look at the pattern from that one.<\/p><p><\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/fed-flitectrl-9p-pattern.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-14\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8126\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/fed-flitectrl-9p-pattern.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/fed-flitectrl-9p-pattern.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/fed-flitectrl-9p-pattern-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/fed-flitectrl-9p-pattern-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/fed-flitectrl-9p-pattern-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/fed-flitectrl-9p-pattern-350x197.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <p>We\u2019ve got a really nice group of 8 pellets right here together and then\u2026 who\u2019s this little guy? That\u2019s pellet number nine. And now I need to talk about the fifth thing you should know about buckshot&#8230;<\/p> <h2><strong>5. The Ninth Pellet Flyer<\/strong><\/h2> <p>It doesn\u2019t happen every time, but it\u2019s very common for 9 pellet #00 buckshot to have one pellet that has a mind of its own. I\u2019ll show you a few more examples. Here\u2019s that Rio Royal lead-chucker load we looked at earlier. I patterned it with a Beretta 1301 at 40 feet and got one pellet that was 4.5 inches away from the group.<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rio-royal-pattern.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-15\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8129\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rio-royal-pattern.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rio-royal-pattern.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rio-royal-pattern-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rio-royal-pattern-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rio-royal-pattern-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rio-royal-pattern-350x197.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <p>9-pellet Flite Control out of the 1301 did the same thing. Not quite as drastic, but still significant.<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/fed-flitctrl-9p-1301.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-16\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8128\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/fed-flitctrl-9p-1301.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/fed-flitctrl-9p-1301.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/fed-flitctrl-9p-1301-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/fed-flitctrl-9p-1301-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/fed-flitctrl-9p-1301-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/fed-flitctrl-9p-1301-350x197.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <p>I have yet to hear a really detailed explanation for why this happens. According to Tom Givens (who knows more about shotguns than most) it has to do with how the pellets stack up inside the shell. 8-pellet buckshot come arranged in four rows of two pellets each. 9-pellet buckshot comes in three rows of three. For some reason, that configuration sometimes causes one pellet to go off on its own.<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/9pellet-vs-8pellet.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-17\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8130\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/9pellet-vs-8pellet.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/9pellet-vs-8pellet.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/9pellet-vs-8pellet-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/9pellet-vs-8pellet-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/9pellet-vs-8pellet-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/9pellet-vs-8pellet-350x197.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <p>A couple more examples; Here\u2019s Armscor 9-pellet with the 870.<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/armscor-9p-pattern.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-18\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8131\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/armscor-9p-pattern.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/armscor-9p-pattern.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/armscor-9p-pattern-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/armscor-9p-pattern-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/armscor-9p-pattern-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/armscor-9p-pattern-350x197.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <p>And Remington Reduced Recoil 9-pellet with the 1301.<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rem-red-rcl-1301.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-19\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8132\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rem-red-rcl-1301.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rem-red-rcl-1301.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rem-red-rcl-1301-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rem-red-rcl-1301-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rem-red-rcl-1301-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rem-red-rcl-1301-350x197.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <p>And the same load with the 870.<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rem-redrcl-9p-870.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-20\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8133\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rem-redrcl-9p-870.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rem-redrcl-9p-870.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rem-redrcl-9p-870-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rem-redrcl-9p-870-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rem-redrcl-9p-870-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rem-redrcl-9p-870-350x197.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <p>Remember what I said last time about a wide pattern giving you a smaller margin of error? You can see I pulled this shot a little high. It still would have been a good shot, but that one pellet ended up completely off the paper. This isn\u2019t just a theoretical problem. There are documented cases of people being killed by single pellets that missed the intended target.<\/p> <p>Compare those to some of the 8-pellet loads I tested:<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/buckshot-8p-patterns-scaled.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-21\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8134\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/buckshot-8p-patterns-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2156\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/buckshot-8p-patterns-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/buckshot-8p-patterns-534x450.jpg 534w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/buckshot-8p-patterns-1024x862.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <p>They aren\u2019t all tight patterns, but there\u2019s not a trend of single pellet flyers. Flyers do happen on occasion with 8-pellet loads, but in general, the 8-pellet shells are more predictable. Of course, as always, you have to pattern the load in your shotgun to see what it does. But if all else is equal, I would choose an 8-pellet load over a 9-pellet load. And it\u2019s probably going to be FliteControl. At indoor distances, I\u2019ll get a one hole group for maximum terminal effect. And it\u2019s got moderate velocity so those pellets are more likely to stay in the bad guy.<\/p> <h2><strong>6. Buckshot and Choke Tubes<\/strong><\/h2> <p>The sixth thing you should know about buckshot is one I\u2019ll address really quickly: using choke tubes with buckshot. I know some of you are wondering why we don\u2019t just use a gun with a barrel threaded for chokes and switch to a tighter choke tube if we want a smaller pattern. Most of the 18-inch guns that are set up for self-defense use aren&#8217;t threaded for chokes, but some of them are.<\/p> <p>You can use choke tubes, but they don\u2019t work the same way with buckshot as they do with birdshot. Buckshot doesn\u2019t compress as easily, especially the big #00 buck. Remember, those pellets might already be smacking into each other on their way out the barrel and that can make the pattern wider. If we choke down that opening too much, it\u2019s like the front door of WalMart on Black Friday. The pellets won\u2019t actually get stuck, but we\u2019ve almost guaranteed that there will be collisions and that\u2019s not good for our pattern.<\/p> <p>That said, sometimes a little bit of choke can help with the pattern. So if you want to see what your gun does with an improved cylinder or a modified choke, knock yourself out. You could try going all the way down to a full choke, but don\u2019t be surprised if your pattern opens back up.<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/choke-patterns.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-22\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8135\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/choke-patterns.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1406\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/choke-patterns.jpg 2500w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/choke-patterns-600x337.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/choke-patterns-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/choke-patterns-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/choke-patterns-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/choke-patterns-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/choke-patterns-350x197.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <p>It&#8217;s also worth noting that Federal FliteControl and the Hornady Versatite loads tend to <em>not<\/em> work well with choked barrels. That special wad travels with the pellets and holds them together until about 10 yards, but a choke can separate the wad from the pellets before it\u2019s supposed to.<\/p> <p>If you want a tight pattern but you don\u2019t want to have to rely on specialty loads like FliteControl, an alternative to chokes would be to send your barrel to Vang Comp Systems. They will perform their magic on your barrel which essentially has the same effect as a choke without deforming the pellets. They guarantee a 10 to 12 inch pattern at 25 yards which is excellent by any standard. They\u2019ll also port the barrel to cut down on recoil a little. Vang Comp has been doing this for 30 years and they have a stellar reputation in the industry. Like any premium custom gunsmithing, it\u2019s not cheap, but if you\u2019ve got the budget for it, it might be a worthwhile upgrade.<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/vangcomp.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-23\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8137\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/vangcomp.jpg\" alt=\"Vang Comp Systems Remington 870\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/vangcomp.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/vangcomp-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/vangcomp-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/vangcomp-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/vangcomp-350x197.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <h2><strong>Answering Common Objections<\/strong><\/h2> <p>Okay, now I want to come back around and try to answer those common objections to using a tight patterning buckshot for self-defense.<\/p> <p>This preference for smaller patterns is a somewhat recent trend in defense-oriented shotgun training. 20 or 30 years ago, it was more common for people to talk about wanting a wider pattern. And some people still follow that line of thinking. They\u2019ll usually say the whole reason for using a shotgun to begin with is because that spread makes it more likely that you\u2019ll hit the target with at least <em>some<\/em> of the pellets.<\/p> <p>That might be true for moving targets and longer distances. At the kind of range we\u2019re looking at in most homes, getting a hit with a shoulder fired weapon is really not that difficult. Like I talked about last time, if you\u2019ve got a wider shot pattern, the hard part is making sure all of those pellets stay in the target when some of them are four or five inches away from the point of aim. You might have to respond to the screams of a family member who\u2019s trying to get away from a predator that\u2019s broken into your house. The last thing you want is to have to worry about whether your pattern is tight enough to hit the threat and not your loved one.<\/p> <h3><strong>What About Slugs?<\/strong><\/h3> <p>So if that\u2019s the case, why not just use slugs? Forget the pattern and just make one big hole with one big chunk of lead. I think there\u2019s some merit to that approach. Slugs are very effective and a lot more predictable in terms of what direction they go, but not necessarily in terms of how far they go. Most slugs are pretty good at penetrating hard barriers and if you let one of those go in your house and it doesn\u2019t hit the target, there\u2019s no telling where it\u2019ll end up. Some of the segmenting slugs or other specialty slugs might help to mitigate that excessive hard barrier penetration. I\u2019d want to see some pretty extensive testing on that before I\u2019d be willing to rely on slugs in my house. Using buckshot doesn\u2019t eliminate that problem, but it does mitigate it, especially with the lower velocity loads.<\/p> <figure id=\"attachment_6294\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6294\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/slug-penetration.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-24\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-6294 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/slug-penetration.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"497\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/slug-penetration.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/slug-penetration-600x249.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/slug-penetration-1024x424.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/slug-penetration-768x318.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/slug-penetration-350x145.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-6294\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Federal Truball Deep Penetrator slug had no trouble punching through both sides of a cinder block. Not all slugs penetrate hard barriers so easily, but there&#8217;s no way to know for sure without thorough testing.<\/figcaption><\/figure> <h3><strong>How About a Rifle or Carbine?<\/strong><\/h3> <p>Taking that objection even further, why not use a carbine instead of a shotgun? That would give us one projectile per trigger press and it\u2019s a lot more predictable than either buckshot or a slug. When 5.56 hits hard barriers, it tends to tumble and rapidly lose velocity. Depending on the load, it might even be less likely to penetrate exterior or interior walls than a pistol caliber. I don\u2019t have anything against carbines. They\u2019re easier to use than a shotgun or a handgun. They probably are the best choice for a lot of people.<\/p> <p>The main reason I like shotguns for home defense is that they are really, really effective. A single round of buckshot to the torso almost always results in an immediate change of behavior. I\u2019ve talked to guys who have seen a fair amount of combat overseas and they seem to like the M4 just fine, but they never shoot anyone just once or twice with 5.56. From what I understand, three to five rounds minimum is more or less standard operating procedure if you expect the guy to stay down. I can run an AR pretty fast, but every trigger pull is an opportunity to make a life-altering mistake. If given the choice, I would prefer to fire as few shots as possible. That\u2019s why, for me, a shotgun is the superior choice at close range.<\/p> <p>8-pellet Federal FliteControl will make a pattern between the size of a quarter and a baseball at any range inside my house. There\u2019s very little chance of stray pellets with a pattern like that. If I\u2019m faced with a deadly threat, I just have to get one round in the upper body and that\u2019s almost guaranteed to be the end of it. That\u2019s less opportunity for them to do harm to me or my family. It\u2019s less opportunity for me to fire a shot that misses and hits a family member or a neighbor. It takes a little more work to reach a level of unconscious competence with a shotgun, but to me, it\u2019s worth it because it\u2019s the tool that has the greatest potential to end the fight quickly.<\/p> <p>No matter what firearm you choose to protect your home with, please remember that you are fully accountable for every bullet, pellet, projectile that leaves that barrel. Get a bright light to go with that gun. Get some training, get lots of practice, and get your ammo from us at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/\">LuckyGunner.com<\/a>.<\/p> <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Today we&#8217;re continuing our deep dive into the topic of using buckshot for personal protection. If you missed Part 1, &#8230; <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/more-stuff-you-should-know-about-buckshot-part-2\/\">Continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":8108,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[266],"tags":[267,20,247],"class_list":["post-8107","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-defensive-shotguns","tag-buckshot","tag-home-defense","tag-shotguns"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>More Stuff You Should Know About Buckshot [Part 2] - Lucky Gunner Lounge<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Lessons that are all about buckshot - controlled vs uncontrolled, buffered, etc. We break it all down in this guide.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/more-stuff-you-should-know-about-buckshot-part-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"More Stuff You Should Know About Buckshot [Part 2] - 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