buchshot load for 28 gauge

[taylorh]

Hello All!
Just bought some number four buckshot (.240) for rabbits and coyotes. Have any of you experimented with buckshot and smootbores? What load worked best for you? Should I use a paper cup? All advice welcome!
Thanks,
Taylor in Texas

 

[Russianblood]

Buckshot for rabbits? :rotf: I don't think you'll need a paper shot cup. It's basically going to be trial and error at the pattern board. I'd start with 12-16 pellets over 60gr powder.

 

[taylorh]

Obviously you haven't seen the size of our rabbits. :grin:

 

[paulvallandigham]

With all due respect, Texan, you can quietly walk up on a sitting rabbit and get with a short throw with a hood sized stick and kill them. Certainly, you only need a .22 pistol to shoot them. Why would you wnat to use buckshot on rabbits. Even those Texas rabbits will have to work hard to get to 5 lbs. on the hoof. Some people jump them and then try to shoot them with a .22 rifle. I would think buckshot would tear them up, even the small .24 cal. variety. Are you just shooting them as a nuisance, or were you planning to eat them? A 28 ga. is a fairly small bore gun, as you well know. Assuming you are going to shoot rabbits at 75 feet or less( 25 yds,) I would think 6-9 pellets would be enough. As has already been suggested, you have to see how your gun patterns them. so you have some idea of the effective range of the shot load in your gun. I fiddled around with a .410, which is much smaller, many years ago, but I have not had access to a 28 ga. gun to do this kind of work-up.

 

[taylorh]

I was just wondering what the proper loading would be. I had thought maybe 16 pellets with 60-70 grains of black powder would do the trick. But why are you guys so down on using number four pellets on rabbits? I figured any one rabbit might only catch a pellet or two. After all, as you mentioned, .24 pellets are only a fraction of an inch bigger than .22 and we use .22s all the time on rabbits. Plus it would give me an excuse to use my muzzleloader on rabbits. Do you guys really think I'm that far off base?
Taylor in Texas

 

[Slamfire]

The biggest rabbits I've seen were the antelope jacks in the High Sierras of California. They were about the size of a big ground hog, maybe 10 lbs. I shot 'em with my deer rifle. Of course the object was practice on running game, not dinner. You might want to consider a buck and ball load for such dangerous critters. :hatsoff:

 

[roundball]

I was just wondering what the proper loading would be. I had thought maybe 16 pellets with 60-70 grains of black powder would do the trick. But why are you guys so down on using number four pellets on rabbits? I figured any one rabbit might only catch a pellet or two. After all, as you mentioned, .24 pellets are only a fraction of an inch bigger than .22 and we use .22s all the time on rabbits. Plus it would give me an excuse to use my muzzleloader on rabbits. Do you guys really think I'm that far off base?
Taylor in Texas

Well, if you're taking still shots at them you really don't need a "shot" type load at all...you could just pop them with a PRB.
If you're taking running shots at them seems like you'd want more of a "shot load" than a few buckshot would give you...maybe #5's or #4's?

My .28ga Flinter throws an outstanding pattern of #6's at the 25yds I've tested it...planning to try it on crows / doves / squirrels this year
70grns Goex 3F
Oxyoke wad
1+1/8oz #6's
Circle Fly OS card

 

[AZ-Robert]

Do you guys really think I'm that far off base?

Not me! But I've seen a jackrabbit or two I mistook for a small deer at first glance.

I generally use #4 or #5 on rabbits. But I don't think a hit from a 24 cal ball will tear it up much (as you say, not much larger than a .22, and probably moving slower). I'd say the biggest disadvantage to using buckshot is lower chance of getting a hit.

If you are going with 16 pellets, and you get the standard cylinder bore result of 40% of the pellets in a 30" circle at 40 yards, you have only 6 pellets in that circle... there could be a foot between pellets... plenty of room for the average rabbit to slip through unharmed. Of course, you're probably not shooting rabbits at 40 yards, but going with smaller shot is going to up your chances of a hit at any range. Using an oz of #4, for example, should give you 54 pellets in that circle, with only a few inches between pellets.

Lemme see... ... 16 pellets of #4 buck comes to about 0.75 oz of shot. Not a bad load, weight wise. Should be moving along at a good clip over 60 or 70 grains of powder.

 

[musketman]

They say that everything is bigger in Texas, guess the saying holds true for jack rabbits as well...

 

[ffffg]

if you dont use the proper size buck shot your asking for poor patterns at least..hopefull not other trouble.. the shot should fit in the bore with three peices fitting neatly in one row, then the next row lines up in the gaps above that.. so put a nitro card about 1/3 inch down the bore and see what size shot lines up.. by the time you buy about 3-5 bags of shot youll figgure it out.. to be unaligned will give you terrible leading at the best.. id buy a bag of 4 shot, 5 shot and 6 shot and 7 1/2 shot and that coupled with round ball will take care most of your smoothbore shooting.. some number 4 bismuth will be fine for ducks.. yes use shot cup or knickle plated shot to stop leading which decreases accuracy(pattern quality) for round ball or shot.. dave..

 

[whummell]

Here in Indiana we use 7 1/2 or 7 for our rabbits. It gets through the thickets well enough to take em out. # 4 we use on turkey. I also do not use a shot cup at all. But your out there in texas. Ive been there so ur trying to get through that sage brush or mesqite. #6 should work for you. You also will have a longer shot as its more open terrain out there. So yes I agree with fffg experiment with a shot cup to hold your pattern longer for that longer shot. Be patient with it as it will take many trips to the range and a whole lot of counting to get that perfect combination of shot, oz, and powder. Longer then it takes for a round ball. IMHO Have fun and be safe.

 

[taylorh]

Thanks to all of you for your advice and humor guys. It is all much appreciated. I normally would use six to seven-and-one-half sized shot for squirel, rabbits, etc... But when I do, the meat is peppered with pellets that I have to dig out. So I just thought instead of buying a small bore muzzleloader, why not just use some smaller buckshot loads. Jokes aside, I'll give it a try and report back to you later.
Taylor in Texas
:hatsoff:

 

[taylorh]

Hey Musketman,
That looks like one of those smaller New Mexican Rabbits I've heard so much about, Hah!
Taylor in Texas
:rotf:

 

[Slamfire]

That weren't much of a wrangler there, he plumb forgot the bridle. :rotf:

 

[taylorh]

We don't use bridles. We just grab them by the ears!
:haha:

 

[Wes/Tex]

And don't forget the Jackalopes...horny little varmints! Get caught in the 'bob-war' fences and you have to go out and detangle them all afternoon!

As for shot, use 5's, good individual pellet energy. When you eat critters taken with shot it's easier to keep a shot bowl on the table and chew slowly. The shot collection by the end of season is an interesting guest borer!!

 

[Many Klatch]

Try a balanced load to begin with. Use as much shot as will fit in your powder measure. That should give you enough shot to start with.

Many Klatch

 

[Ohio1777]

Hello Texan! A lot of good posts on about what to use, each rifle is different and a lot of experimenting with different loads and wads to find your best pattern are required. I have a 28 ga smooth bore fowler with a green mountain 42" barrel octagon to round. This particular rifle shoots best with 70 grains of 3F, an 1/8" circle fly nitro card, the same 70 grain powder measure is what I use for my #6 shot, then I use a 28 ga overshot card on top of the shot. This has a nice pattern at 25 yards. Have fun experimenting. :thumbsup:

 

[arcticap]

Just bought some number four buckshot (.240) for rabbits and coyotes.

The #4 buckshot sounds good & interesting for hunting both.
Maybe it would also be fun to experiment with a duplex #4 buck & shot load too.