000 buck in your .36? Results???

[Skychief]

Anybody use 000 buck shot in your .36 rifles?

If so, how's the accuracy?

I read on Hornady's site that they are not pure lead, hence the question.

Thanks, Skychief

 

[azmntman]

How big is it? I thought folks just loaded em in revolvers?

 

[Skychief]

.350

 

[No Deer]

I use .300 buckshot in my .32, works just fine. Head shot on squirrel at 25 yards.

 

[Billnpatti]

I used to shoot Hornady 000 buckshot in my .36 rifle and it worked just fine with a .015 cotton drill patch. I ran out and the stuff got so high with the shipping charges that I just quit buying it. When I first started ordering it from Hornady, they even paid the shipping so the cost wasn't so bad but after the price of the buckshot went up and they started adding the shipping charges to my order, the stuff just got too pricy for me and I bought a mold and now I cast my own balls for my .36. The lead that I have is not pure but it seems to work just fine. Since it is the patch that grasps the rifling, the hardness of the ball is not all that important. It will effect the terminal ballistics in that a hard ball will not deform as much in a game animal as a soft lead ball will but if you are shooting targets, you will not notice any difference between soft and hard lead. If you can get 000 buckshot at a good price, go ahead and shoot it.

 

[Patocazador]

I've been looking for an affordable .36 rifle for two years ... no luck. People aren't selling the decent ones.

 

[mooman76]

I've been looking for an affordable .36 rifle for two years ... no luck. People aren't selling the decent ones.

Keep trying. Took me several years too. 2 deals fell through but I finally got one on the 3rd deal. Not a great one but still a good one and suits my needs.

 

[excess650]

A .36 is on my list to BUILD.

 

[Brokennock]

Yup. Same here, especially as I don't want a deep crescent but plate. Jackie Brown has a "Virginia style" .36 for sale on another forum. Tool long a l.o.p. for me and I'm suspicious of his work based on reports here.

More on topic. Are all brands of buckshot the same diameter? I was told that OO Buck would be the right size for another shooting use but the shells I bought and took shot from had shot too small.

 

[eggwelder]

i got a bag of old oxidized 00 buck that shoots beautifully from my .32 with a purchase of another gun.

 

[Ridge]

Have you guys ever measured the shot yourself? Is it consistent?

I only ask because I use buckshot for my .25 caliber. I was getting a lot of fliers in my groups, so I measured the pellets and found that they ranged from .240 to .260.

 

[MSW]

You might or might not find substantial variation in diameter of the shot, depending on your source and even the run. I don't know much about the manufacturing techniques - i.e., if the material is molded, swaged, dropped or some other method, but there are a boatload of variables (temp, composition of the lead, etc.) which could effect the diameter.

I suspect that the only way to find out is to buy some and test it. Ballistic Products lists their 00 1/2 shot at $36.90 for an 8 lb. jar, with UPS FedEx charging their customary pound of flesh. Hornady buckshot is .350, claims to be swaged to a tolerance of =/- .001", and runs (according to their website) $33.92 a five pound box. Since a 000 pellet weighs about 70 grains, you should get about one hundred per pound, so your Ballistic Products shot comes to about $.0046 per shot, or about $.00678 for the Hornady.

Hmmm...

 

[curator]

Hornady 000 buckshot shoots fine in my T/C Seneca .36 rifle with .016 ticking patch. These measure .352 + or - .002 and are nice and soft (about BHN6 or so)

 

[MSW]

curator,

thanks for the post ... what thickness patching does your rifle like? lube? ballistol & water 8:1?

thanks!

 

[MSW]

oops!

apologies :redface: :redface: :redface:

bad arithmetic: the Hornady cost about 6.78 cents a shot, and the Ballistic products about 4 cents a shot ...

my bad!

 

[BrownBear]

It's worth emphasizing that not all buckshot is created equal, or the same way for that matter. I'm shooting #2 1/2 buckshot from Ballistic Products (.290 diameter) from my 30 cal flinter. It shows a decided contrast from the soft Hornady buck folks are talking about here. Wish I could find some Hornady #2 1/2!!!

The Ballistic Products version is swaged rather than cast or dropped, so it's pretty uniform in diameter and weight (.289 +/- .002). But it's HARD with its 6% alloy of antimony. I also cast .290's (Tanner mold) from pure lead, and you wouldn't believe the difference in getting them started in that little bore. I still have most of the 8# jug I bought, because it takes a running start and a hefty swing to start them with .018 patches, and accuracy drops when I drop down to .015 or thinner patches. Yet the pure lead cast models start with ease.

Bottom line, I don't think I'll be buying more buck in any caliber if it's not pure lead. Casting may be a little tedious, but it puts you way ahead of the game.

On that note, years ago my wife paid a king's ransom (almost $200) buying me a 2-cavity .350 mold from RCBS. She had no idea about pricing and just wanted to get me a nice birthday gift. And it's sure nice! Being a double cavity, it really speeds up casting, and I can roll out a year's supply of very good balls in a couple of hours at the lead furnace.

If I was desperate to get more .350 balls with less effort or expense, I'd sure look into finding a double-cavity mold and be done with it. But not at $200!

 

[timothy prouty]

Hey if you guys are looking for a round ball mould go to moose mold they got mould for about125.00hope this helps

 

[curator]

My .36 Seneca shoots best using the Hornady 000 buckshot with .016 pillow ticking patch (WalMart) I also use the "Dutch system" Balistol 7 to 1 ration dry patch, cut at the muzzle.

 

[FishDFly]

Two schools of thought, some folks like it and some do not since it is not pure lead, I cast my own with pure lead.

The way some folks shoot, not sure that it matters.

 

[Tinker2]

The way some folks shoot, not sure that it matters.

Yep, that’s why I use them.




William Alexander