About Buckshot
All of us familiar with shotguns are probably familiar with or at least know
what buckshot is. To those not
knowing, buckshot is large caliber shot pellets used for hunting big game, or
for defensive and tactical use.
Buckshot is best utilized in heavily wooded hunting conditions where multiple
target hits are desired on a possibly moving target at ranges not any farther
than 50 yards. Good pattern
coverage of the target area is a must, and only the best buckshot loads perform
consistently. More often than not,
buckshot is misunderstood and incorrectly used.
One must think of buckshot pellets as rifle or pistol caliber projectiles.
Each one is traveling at 1100 to 1300 fps depending on the gauge and
shell type. Upon firing you unleash
anywhere from a few to more than 20 pellets at the target.
Each pellet carries a surprising amount of energy at short range.
Choice of shot is important, especially for use in populated areas.
One must not use a pellet that will be effective much beyond the intended
range of use for safety. Buck
pellets can easily travel over a quarter of a mile and cause injuries and even
fatalities at these distances.
Buckshot used for defensive purposes must be used with great care too as over
penetrating pellets and those that miss the target can easily pass through walls
only to wound or kill innocent people in other rooms or outside of the home, or
if outside, errant pellets can be lethal well beyond 100 yards!
The best that can happen from the bad situation where buckshot misses or
goes through the target is that your furniture, walls, and possibly the wiring
and plumbing within your home may get scrambled.
Buckshot ranges in size from 20 cal. to 38 cal. diameter and several of the
desired size are contained in each shotshell.
Sizing denominations range from “T” at the smallest to “OOOO” at
the largest. The smaller the size,
the more pellets are contained in any shell, and the more pattern coverage you
will get. However, smaller pellets
have less energy per pellet, therefore less killing potential as the game size
increases. Larger pellets are
definitely for larger game, but fewer pellets are in any given shell, so pattern
coverage is more limited.
More often than not, the incorrect size of pellet is chosen, leading to numerous
problems, most notable being not enough pellets for proper pattern coverage.
This problem is most common with smaller gauge calibers where less is
more. Most often, a smaller pellet
than the shooter thinks desirable is needed and by using the smaller pellet you
will get better pattern coverage and greater likelihood of having multiple hits
on your target. The best pellet
size is the one that will get the job done at the intended range of use!
Call us for recommendations if you are unsure as to the correct size for
your particular hunting.
All Stars and Stripes’ buckshot loads use only premium hardened and plated shot for the least amount of deformation during firing. We also buffer and wrap the shot in a Teflon wrap or buffer and load it into an appropriate wad to further protect the pellets as they pass through the barrel and choke area. This attention to detail will give the shooter the tightest patterning buckshot loads possible.
All Stars & Stripes’ buckshot loads are fully waterproofed and use only world-class premium components.