Hello all,

Based on recommendations from Mr. Massed Ayoob, I decided to check out some #1 buckshot for HD scenarios. Luckily, it wasn't too hard to find some in 12 gauge online. He was absolutely correct about the tighter patterns vs 00 Buck. However, it was dang near impossible to find any 20 gauge #1. I was able to find these guys:

http://www.custombuckshot.com

They specialize in 20 gauge buckshot. I was able to custom order some #1 for my wife's 20 gauge Mossberg 500. It patterned well, and cycled perfectly. Im not affiliated in any way, nor do I carry it in my store. (Perhaps I should!). However, I'm a happy customer and wanted to share the info.

Hope this helps,
Brad

Thanks Brad....did you get my Private Mail (PM) message....!?

I've always favored the smaller buckshot - #2B, #3B, & #4B - in the 20ga. I actually like smaller buckshot in general for HD; I load my bedside 12ga with Remington #4B. These smaller sizes put a whole lot more pellets into a target per trigger pull, while providing more than sufficient penetration for close-range defense. Outdoors, I like bigger pellets because they penetrate better at extended ranges, but that extra penetrating ability is overkill for taking down someone coming through my bedroom door.

#1B can be made to fit in a 20ga, and it's been shown to work fine (there's a Rio 9-pellet #1B 20ga load that's been on the market for a while), but it's not very efficient. #1B in a 20ga stacks like 000B in a 12, while #3B and #4B 20ga loads mimic the pellet stacking of #1B in a 12ga. It's just a better use of the available space, and in both gauges, the tighter packing tends to reduce pellet deformation & improve patterning (one reason 12ga #1B loads are known for tighter patterning than 00B).

But as I like to say, if you don't trust ammo or equipment, for whatever reason, it doesn't matter how well it performs. Ten .30-caliber pellets is certainly going to put the hurt on any home invader short of a Terminator. It's cool that that the outfit you're purchasing from offers different pellet counts, types, and velocity levels rather than just selling a single load per pellet size. The fact that they provide recoil figures is a nice touch, too (though there's nothing that I can find concerning the gun weight they use to calculate those recoil figures). I wish the big ammo companies would do something similar. Which version of their #1B did you guys order?

Synchronizor wrote:I've always favored the smaller buckshot - #2B, #3B, & #4B - in the 20ga. I actually like smaller buckshot in general for HD; I load my bedside 12ga with Remington #4B. These smaller sizes put a whole lot more pellets into a target per trigger pull, while providing more than sufficient penetration for close-range defense. Outdoors, I like bigger pellets because they penetrate better at extended ranges, but that extra penetrating ability is overkill for taking down someone coming through my bedroom door.

#1B can be made to fit in a 20ga, and it's been shown to work fine (there's a Rio 9-pellet #1B 20ga load that's been on the market for a while), but it's not very efficient. #1B in a 20ga stacks like 000B in a 12, while #3B and #4B 20ga loads mimic the pellet stacking of #1B in a 12ga. It's just a better use of the available space, and in both gauges, the tighter packing tends to reduce pellet deformation & improve patterning (one reason 12ga #1B loads are known for tighter patterning than 00B).

But as I like to say, if you don't trust ammo or equipment, for whatever reason, it doesn't matter how well it performs. Ten .30-caliber pellets is certainly going to put the hurt on any home invader short of a Terminator. It's cool that that the outfit you're purchasing from offers different pellet counts, types, and velocity levels rather than just selling a single load per pellet size. The fact that they provide recoil figures is a nice touch, too (though there's nothing that I can find concerning the gun weight they use to calculate those recoil figures). I wish the big ammo companies would do something similar. Which version of their #1B did you guys order?

Liked your analysis of how pellets stack within a given hull inside diameter. Thank you for your input!

UltimateGuns wrote:Hello all,

Based on recommendations from Mr. Massed Ayoob, I decided to check out some #1 buckshot for HD scenarios. Luckily, it wasn't too hard to find some in 12 gauge online. He was absolutely correct about the tighter patterns vs 00 Buck. However, it was dang near impossible to find any 20 gauge #1. I was able to find these guys:

http://www.custombuckshot.com

They specialize in 20 gauge buckshot. I was able to custom order some #1 for my wife's 20 gauge Mossberg 500. It patterned well, and cycled perfectly. Im not affiliated in any way, nor do I carry it in my store. (Perhaps I should!). However, I'm a happy customer and wanted to share the info.

Hope this helps,
Brad

Sounds good, for SD use a 20-ga with #1-Buck sure would be an effective and lower-recoiling shotgun setup.

Thanks for the info Brad!

I have had great patterns with rem 2.75" buck in 20ga. from a turkey choke I get about 2" patterns at 15 yds. racoons stay put and even got a small bear at about 10 yds. #3 buck

351 power wrote:....racoons stay put and even got a small bear at about 10 yds. #3 buck

Are these raccoons and small bears nuisance animals in your trash or campsite, or are you hunting them, or just encountering them unexpectedly?