Recommend best 12 gauge 00-buck ammo brand/manufacturer options for HD

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ezmiraldo

New member
Hey folks!

My research has led me in the direction of these as good home defense options:
  • - Federal Vital-Shok
  • - Federal LE132 or LE127
  • - Federal "Classic" (F127-00)
  • - Winchester Super-X (X12RB5),
  • - Remington Buckshot (SP12BK-5PK00)

What do you think about these? Any other candidates for good HD ammo in 12 gauge 00-buck?
 
In my testing, with my Remington 870 Police Magnum, nothing comes close to the Federal LE 'Flite Control' shells. My HD ammo of choice is their #1 buck, but I do shoot the 00 any time I can get some.
 
OO buck

As far as terminal effects, at HD distances, I'd hazard that one OO load is about like another. End result will be one very preforated, terminated threat.

What you can search for is reduced flash and recoil, and maybe some blast as well, but indoors, I wouldn't bet on that.

Some of the reduced recoil and tactical buckshot loads will offer those advantages over what seem like mostly common hunting buckshot in your list.
The Federal LE stuff may be ahead in that department, I don't know the details on the stuff.
 
Put me down for the Federal #1 Buck with flite control.

Only problem is I am waiting on a backorder that is now 24 months old.

The 00 will work until the #1's finally show up, if they show up.

Is anyone receiving the #1's ?
 
Read this about 00 and #1 Federal Premium with flight control and reduced recoil. I have Federal Premium Personal Defense that I believe is very similar, but in 00. It doesn't say "low recoil" on it but FPS is just 50 more than the low recoil LE. My product number is PD132 00 and the low recoil Law Enforcement #1 is LE132 1B. I figure it doesn't hurt that it says "Personal Defense" should I ever have to use it.
 
Am I wrong in thinking that copper-plated 00-buck balls are a bad idea for HD? Wouldn't it be better to use pure led balls, which are more likely to deform upon contact with flesh and bones, and thus act as quasi-expanding rounds (dump more energy into BG and be less likely to exit the BG)? If my thinking is correct, then why do many premium self-defense shotgun shells use copper-coated balls?
 
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IMO!!! The copper coat won't do much of anything, except made it cost more, and might prevent some oxidation...;)
 
Pure lead is soft and the pellets will be deformed by acceleration forces, which translates into a larger pattern at all distances. In addition pellets that deform easily on impact don't reliably achieve adequate penetration.
 
The best loads are the ones I make. 000 buckshot with BBs in the voids. I used to use 28 grains of Red Dot and 5 000 in 2 3/4" hulls and 7 000 in 3" and the fill the voids in the Winchester Red wads with BBs.

Nope no warning about overcharges because it is a maximum published charge BUT do not shoot these in an H&R style shotgun because you will rip the mounting stud loose from the barrel. I use them in a Mossberg 500.
 
Whether or not that load is safe depends on the combined weight of the Buckshot an BB's. Care to state the complete recipe and where it is published. (Other factors like wad and primer also affect pressures.)
 
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My results shooting soft lead unplated OO into a caliche rock wall at 5-25 yards (pellets recovered about 3-4 inches in the soft rock wall) have me agreeing with Bake. Most if not all pellets didn't deform all that much. OO in FBI ballistic gel penetrates up to 24 inches, which is twice the amount of penetration the FBI says is adequate for defensive on people. So if copper plated buck penetrates deeper, I don't want it. And as far as keeping tight groups go, there are plenty of non plated buck shot rounds that are made with wads designed to constrict the pattern.
Remington managed recoil OO buck patterned tighter and had more pellets in the center of the pattern than various other standard 2 3/4 OO out of my 20 inch Mossberg 500 persuader. Of the standard OO 2 3/4 buck I shot, Federals (F 127) grouped the tightest.
Hornady makes a OO buck with their "versa tite" wad (same thing as federals flight control wad) with an advertised velocity of 1600 fps marketed as their OO TAP FPD line. I would assume at that velocity with a wad constricting group there would be deep penetration. It also obviously grouped tighter than any standard OO buck I tested and better than Remington's reduced recoil OO.
Hornady also has a 2 3/4 #4 buck with the same versa tite wad at 1350 fps marketed as a "varmint express" round. It grouped tighter than standard OO, but not as tight as the hornady OO with versatite wad. At 25 yards all of the pellets landed on a torso sized target Generally smaller buck shot spreads faster than larger buck shot all other variables equal.
12 Ga Mossberg 500 persuader. 20 inch barrel cylinder bore.
Sellier&Bellot OO 9 yds- 5.4 inch spread.
Royal OO 9yds- 4.75 inch spread
Remington OO 9 yds- 4 inch spread
Military OO 9 yds- 3.75 inch spread
Federal OO 9 yds- 3.6 inch spread
Remington reduced recoil OO 9 yds- 4.15 inch spread with 1 flyer. Without flyer- 2.4 inch spread.
Hevi shot heavy duty #4 bk 9 yds- 14 inch spread.
Remington "ultimate HD" BB sized tungsten bronze (not lead- more dense= more penetration) 9 yds- 10.25 inch spread.
At 15 yards federal OO was still under 5 inches.
At 15 yards remington managed recoil OO was at 7.2 inches and again without 1 flyer would have had a 4.5 inch spread. Other OO rounds started opening up to 7-10 inches at 15 yards.
I don't have the numbers for the hornady OO and #4 buck with versatite wad but I remember they both grouped tighter than the other buck shot rounds and the OO was the tightest of all (and from other research I've seen, the hornadys versatite wad still does not group quite as tight as federals flight control wad).
Given all that, I live in an apartment in the city. The hornady varmint express #4 buck has an advertised velocity higher than any other commercial #4 buck I've seen at 1350 fps (which means more penetration than other #4 buck, but still not as deep as OO), has the versa tite wad (which means tighter groups) and is cheap and available at Academy on a normal basis.. So that is my choice for HD. I have the Hornady tap FPD OO in the side saddle.
I didn't test any #1 buck bc there was none readily available. Hope that helps bc it was a pain to type on my phone.
 
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At HD distances, which to me means 10 and little more if not less, I wouldn't expect spread to be an issue, which would be recoil as it affects follow up shots and penetration. Flash interfering with with night vision.
 
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As far as I'm concerned, anything from any of the name manufacturers is good.

Remington, Federal, Winchester, CZ, I've used it all.

Generally I go for No. 4 buckshot, though.
 
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