00 buck vs 000 Buck

S

Super-Dave

New member
Is the 9 pellet 00 Buck better for hunting than the 8 pellet 000 Buck.

With one you get more pellets, with the other you get bigger pellets.

What do you say?
 
1 big pellet (also known as a slug)...

I don't get the whole buckshot thing - either I can hit it with one bullet, or I can't hit it at all.

Sorry, I realize that is absolutely no help to answer your post.
 
A cop buddy of mine did a sorta-casual test between 00 and 000. He shot at an angle to a sheet of tempered glass. He was trying to do a deal similar to a shootout that had occurred in a jewelry store.

The 00 glanced off the tempered glass, as had been the case at the store. The 000 shattered the glass.

Dunno if that's any help...

Art
 
I had a .380 richochet off a glass counter in the range i used to manage. The gun was pointed at me, and the guys said, oops, it's unloaded. As he pointed it away from me to rack the slide to prove it, the gun went off. After a cussing, he never came back again...sorry, I know this has nothing to do with the post, sorry for hijacking...

Anyway, I like more pellets. Give me #1 buck and 24 pellets anyday. When i'm hunting, I'm not shooting glass...:rolleyes:
 
00 or 000 buck may be good for black bear at close range. but even then i would rather have slugs for bears. if i was in a buckshot only area i would rather have #1 buck for deer, 00 for bears or as the last 1 or 2 shells in the mag behind 2 rounds of #1 depending on the area and state regs. even having said that. i wouldn't use the 2 and 3/4" 00 i would use the 3" and get 15 pellets.
 
For davelanddrums comment!

Buckshot does have it's place.I must say the first shot should be with a slug.You probley will hit it,with huge results.But after the first shot,the animal is down or running.Now im simpley trying to put anything else, in that animal,to make that blood trail bigger.Bounding whitetail are very hard to hit with slugs.Here is what you should think about?It's just a few more holes to find that deer.I loved the results from #4 buck out of a open cylinder slug barrel at 50yds.I had over 8 hits on a deer 3d target.The cool thing is there is 24 pellets.For 00 to 000 there is hardly any differance.Go with a slug,followed by buckshot.It has served me well,for smooth bore setups.
 
Jay,

I have no dog in this fight, since I am lucky enough to not hunt in a buckshot only zone. I would just think you would end up with a lot of bloodshot meat. We only get one deer a year, so I try and get as much meat as possible.

I did hunt a lot with slugs while stationed in MD. They are tremendously effective. I spun one doe completely around with one.

I didn't mean to get this thread off track, sorry.
 
My Grandad shot many coyotes with 16 gauge and #1 buck. Choke was FULL.

Seemed like some pellets penetrated deeper than others. I observed pellets that appeared bent and even one which looked sawn in half!

I doubt if there is a penetration differential between 00 and 000. Each buckshot pellet carries very little strike energy. To make a kill shot on deer sized animals I advise using the load that produces the BEST fairly tight group at 30 yard paper plate and go with that. When it comes to toppling a deer with buckshot -more pellets in the vital zone the better.

Jack
 
The difference between 00 Buck and 000 buck is the diameter of the pellets, I think they are both 30cals I dont have the numbers here, I think one is like a 32-36cal all and the other is a 38 or so. You whould have more shot with the smaller, and more energy retention into the target with the biger.

The amount of shot in it I would think has to do with how the cartridge is loaded, a 3.5" shell can hold more than a 2.75."

If I handloaded for home defence I think I would load for more shot in it than powder since the range would be under 10yrds.
 
We use buckshot sometimes on hogs in the palmettos. Short range, less than 30 yards, usually much less. It works good but I have noted that when I clean the bigger ones that the penetration of 00 is not all that great if you hit them in the tough part around the shoulder.

We've got a few boxes of 3 inch 000 ( Winchester with 12 pellets. ) and a few boxes of 00 ( Remington 3 inch with 15 pellets. ) that we are going to play with. Have a few old phone books along with some white paper to pattern on.

Plan is to check penetration differences and then to do the patterning.

Also plan to try a few slugs, which I am sure will clean their clock. What I'm not sure of is how they will shoot out of our guns.

It'll be a interesting way to waste a afternoon..................
 
00 vs. 000 buckshot

The size of the buckshot is NOT the best determining factor to which is best....as a general rule, the larger the shot the better (more energy) BUT total energy on target is more important that the size of the individual pellet and total energy is a function of how many pellets you can place in your pattern at any distance. Make no mistake about it, both 00 and 000 can be awesome close range killers. The buckshot size that your gun/choke combo shoots the best is what determines which one you should use! Where I live we use buckshot for Deer hunting (mandated by Law) and there is nothing we have not tried at least a dozen times. In the past I have used custom choked guns that would shoot 000 buckshot so good as to be unbelievable....but most stock chokes will not shoot 000 very well....it is basically trial and error. My present buckshot gun is a Beretta 391 field grade with an aftemarket 'Pattern Master' choke tube.....it shoots 000 only fairly.....but it will shoot 100% patterns (20" circle) with 2 3/4 Mags (12 pellets) 00 buckshot out to almost 50 yards....it simply drops whitetails in their tracks out to the 50 yard range with a shoulder shot! With buckshot, you must be flexible and do some work to find out which size/choke/mfg. works best in your particular gun.
 
Is the Patternmaster one of the tubes that stops the wad but has no constriction?

In the end I think it will be as you say, we need to do the testing as there will be one that patterns better.

I actually tried #1 buck a while back. The patterns were good but the two hogs I shot with it worried me. They both went down, very close range, but the individual pellets did not penetrate all that well. What worries me is that even with a good pattern at least one of those pellets MUST reach something vital.....spine, lung, heart etc.

I'll post what we find out, not that it will be applicable to someonelse's gun.
 
Yes, the Patternmaster is the tube without constriction....works by retarding the wad and as a result not disrupting the shot charge.....it only works with buckshot cartridges that use a plastic wad to contain the shot....it also will not work as well (in most cases) as a custom buckshot choke....there are some gunsmiths that can make a shotgun do magic stuff with custom chokes. As for me, I will not use buckshot smaller in size than 00 and actually prefer 000 if the gun will shoot very tight patterns with it....presently I use 00 and I am very pleased with the results. A good load balance must be found when using buckshot....large pellets mean more energy, penetration and effective range....more pellets on target is a very good thing....tight patterns with large buckshot (00 or 000) is where you want to be. For what it's worth, I have used just about every kind, make, and size of buckshot on the market and I believe the best buckshot load out there is the Federal Premium 12 ga. 2 3/4 Magnum 00 load....this load has 12 pellets and is about 100 f.p.s faster than most 3" mag loads...the pellets are copper plated and the load is buffered....patterns great in most guns....try it first and you may never not to look any further!
 
I carry an old Mossberg 20 gauge with me when I am coyote calling along with my M/N model 44.more than once I have had a songdog come within 25 or 30 yds of me without being detected.Even with their afterburners fired up they can't out run a load of #3 buck Federal premium out to about 40 yds it has never failed to anchor them ELMOUSMC
 
I've always hunted deer with 00 and #1, and always had great results. In 21 years of hunting deer, I dont recall ever seeing anyone at my deer club hunting with 000.
 
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