10 ga Bucksot loads

[Paul Harm]

Anyone load em ? I want to try 10ga buckshot loads - I will have ) buck, or .32 round balls. I believe 4 of them will sit in a SP-10 wad, so they should stack nice. Does anyone use a filler to keep the balls in place ? I was thinking between 1 3/8 to 1 1/2 oz loads.

[Bill Murphy]

Try them for stacking and then get back to us. It sounds like a great plan.

[Jerry Harlow]

I load 2 7/8" Buckshot using Sherman Bell's # 11 load

Remington Black letter cut down
Win 209
Universal Clays 29 grains
1 1/2 ounces
SP10
6 point crimp
1161 fps
8300 psi
I do use some plastic buffer shaken down in the load, but not full of buffer.

I like multiple hits so I loaded

#2 buck 21 pellets
#4 buck 32 pellets

Have only shot one deer so far giving her one of each and she is in the freezer.

Just weigh out 1 1/2 ounces and pour them in. I don't try to stack mine since they are smaller. I've got almost every size except 0, so I can't see how many pellets that is.

[David Holes]

I have used .32 on coyotes. very lethal, but have yet to shoot a deer. I have loaded up on heavy shot for odd reasons, just in case, for whatever. I mainly use a sp10 wad with buffer and fill full of shot. I even mix different sizes of shot for filler. The short tens are real fun and easy to load for.

[Paul Harm]

That's for the replies. I ordered some buffer - see how things work out.

[CraigThompson]

I've killed several deer with handloaded buckshot in a 10 gauge .

Used 000 , 00 , 0 and #1 .

All pushed with SR7625 and inside REM SP-10 wads . Last couple years I've used WIN Grex buffer as well .

With 000 I got 8 pellets in a shell with 2 pellets per layer . In 00 I get 3 pellets per layer and four layers but its a bit tight in diameter . With 0 I again get three per layer and four layers and this one does the best .

BPI sells a 0000 that's about .38 caliber I wanna try these at some point but it'll have to be done without the SP-10 . I'll have to use the old style wad system and a mylar wrap .

FWIW , I've also handloaded Buck #2 , #3 and #4 with pretty decent results in the 10 gauge .

What I need now is to have a mold cut for the 10 gauge that closely resembles the Lyman 525 grain 12 gauge sabot mold . That 12 gauge mold loads very well in CB AA12 wads and shoots pretty darned well in smoothbore guns , so I'm hoping I can do the same thing for the 10 gauge and maybe later the 16 !

[Paul Harm]

I loaded up some with .35 RB - around 000 buck - 6 to a shell with rice for filler. Then some that mic between .27 to .32 - I'll call them #1 buck - some with 21 and others with 28 balls. All the light loads are with a SP-10 and 21grs of Green Dot. The heavy loads [ 28 balls ] with 27.5 grs of GD. The #1 buck loads stack tight with 7 per layer - don't think a filler is needed. I like the loads with the big buck - the small buck just doesn't look big enough for deer, but maybe with 28 balls it will do the job at close range.
Craig, you ever think about round ball for the 10ga ? A .690 will fit in a SP-10 wad and weighs 485grs. A .710RB will slide down a 10ga shell - have to use a fiber wad - weighs 530grs. The 690 would be just under a 1 1/8 oz and the 710 would be just over a 1 1/4 oz. I used to shoot the 710 in muzzleloading matches for smoothbores and would load it like a bird shot load with fiber wads. The ball would roll down the barrel but still shot just fine - won a match or two with it. At 25 yards off hand I could hold a 3" group. I'll get out this next week and try my buck shot loads.

[scott kittredge]

Craig, you ever think about round ball for the 10ga ? A .690 will fit in a SP-10 wad and weighs 485grs. A .710RB will slide down a 10ga shell - have to use a fiber wad - weighs 530grs. The 690 would be just under a 1 1/8 oz and the 710 would be just over a 1 1/4 oz. I used to shoot the 710 in muzzleloading matches for smoothbores and would load it like a bird shot load with fiber wads. The ball would roll down the barrel but still shot just fine - won a match or two with it. At 25 yards off hand I could hold a 3" group. I'll get out this next week and try my buck shot loads.[/QUOTE]

i did load a 20 ga slug in a sp 10 wad with 23 grs of 700-x ,filler under 3/4 oz slug and star crimp. it shot 4 inches low at 6 o'clock at 40 yds. shot it with 32 in. EH choked .032. i think with a little work i could get it shooting dead on at 40 yds,
scott

[CraigThompson]

Think I might have to find a 69 cal Minnie ball mold to try in the 10 gauge .

[Paul Harm]

There's a guy in England making RB molds from brass, no cut off plate. His prices are good and they make a good RB. I'll try to find his address.

[CraigThompson]

There's a guy in England making RB molds from brass, no cut off plate. His prices are good and they make a good RB. I'll try to find his address.

Track of the Wolf sells a thing called a "bag mold" same as what the longrifle guys carried back during the revolution period . And you can buy them for about $40 I think . Mold has no sprue plate , but has cutters in the handle to lop the sprue off . Old guys used to say roll round balls between two pieces of glass to kinda round the cut sprue area to make them a bit more round where the flat spot is or was .

[Paul Harm]

No luck with the buckshot. The 710 shot right on the 10 ring at 50 yards - 690 about 4 " right. That 710 has a tad bit of recoil.

[CraigThompson]

No luck with the buckshot. The 710 shot right on the 10 ring at 50 yards - 690 about 4 " right. That 710 has a tad bit of recoil.

Try some smaller buckshot . I found in the ones I have , the tight barrels seem to like the somewhat smaller shot .

In my Ithaca NID 10 gauge I load of all things #3 Buck in the right barrel and 000 in the left barrel and that guns choked tight and tighter .

I have an LC Smith Quality 2 10 gauge that likes #1 buck in both barrels . My Parker Grade 2 top lever hammer gun and my EH both seem rather happy with 0 Buck .

Now with all that in mind very rarely do I ever take a shot with buckshot past 30 yards unless I'm shooting at a wounded animal . Also bear in mind ALL of the buckshot I've loaded to date for the 10 gauge has been in a SP-10 wad with the petals still attached . And lately everything gets WIN Grex buffer .

[Paul Harm]

I'm going over to a local muzzle loading gun shop next week. I'll take a 10ga shell and wad and try different size RB's in it to see what will stack flat.

[CraigThompson]

I'm going over to a local muzzle loading gun shop next week. I'll take a 10ga shell and wad and try different size RB's in it to see what will stack flat.

000 will stack flat 2 to the layer

00 with stack flat 3 to a layer, however when you're done you can feel slight bulges on the outside of the shell , but they still go in and shoot okay

0 will stack flat 3 to a layer

1 will stack flat 4 to a layer

I have tried 2 that was a little loose 4 to a layer and #3 #4 were pretty much dump them in .

The idea of 0000 Buck or .375" roundballs intrigues me . And as I said earlier that's not going to be a Remington SP-10 wad propostion . However those balls in a brass shell with more shall we say classic wads is interesting . Someone here got some of the new Parker headstamp brass shells from Track of the Wolf and made turkey loads . I think his same loading procedure with these bigger balls might be a winner or atleast good enough for me to pot a porr unsuspecting deer inside say 25 yards . Even in the brass shell I think I would try and get a mylar or feflon wrap around the shot to help it scoot down the barrel a bit better .

[wayne goerres]

You can buy .710 round balls from midway. I shoot them in my Pedersoli safari rifle.

[Paul Harm]

Craig, what is the diameter of the different buckshot ? Digging through my molds I finally found my 690 and 710 molds and a 350. Have you ever used a filler to keep the balls in place ?

[Paul Harm]

The reason I ask about buffer is that years ago in another life [ early 1970's ] when lead was legal for waterfowl I used a MLing 8ga O/U I had made with 400grs of 1F and 4 oz of shot - 30 .30cal RB's. We hunted farm fields and I couldn't hit anything - about 30yds away. Got back home and a fellow showed me a article from White Laboratories . It was high speed photos of buckshot that didn't use buffer and wasn't in layers - all the shot went every which way 15 feet out of the barrel. They claimed the balls needed to be stacked flat and buffer used to keep them from trying to go into the space ahead of them as they went down the barrel. Using a MLer, I just dumped them in after the cushion wad was seated. I never had a reason to try buckshot again till now, but enough buck in a 10ga sounds like a good close range deer load. The only buffer I've seen for sale is from BPI. Anyone else sell it ?

[Frank Cronin]

Quick question on buffer. Doesn't it increase PSI? Is there a rule of how much buffer and increase of PSI of the load?

[John Dallas]

Years ago, I loaded turkey shells with copper 6's and buffered with GREX. Haven't done anything since then. Is GREX stilll the buffer of choice?

[CraigThompson]

Craig, what is the diameter of the different buckshot ? Digging through my molds I finally found my 690 and 710 molds and a 350. Have you ever used a filler to keep the balls in place ?

Lets see ;

0000 is .380"

000 is .360"

00 is .340"

0 is .320"

1 is .300"

2 is .270"

3 is .260"

4 is .240"

I use WIN Grex in my buckshot loads . I have a 9mm case with wire around the base and "generally I put something like 3-5 case fulls per shell depending on shot size and gauge .

At the moment all my buck loads in 10 , 12 , 16 and 20 gauge get buffer .

[CraigThompson]

Over the course of the last five or six years I've killed a doe with the W&C Scott 10 gauge shooting unbuffered 00 , another doe with a Parker GH 16 gauge shooting unbuffered #1 , another doe with the LC Smith Quality 2 10 gauge shooting unbuffered #1 , a doe with the Ithaca Grade 2 10 gauge shooting unbuffered #3 , a spike with the Ithaca Grade 2 10 gauge with both barrels one with #3 and the other with 000 both unbuffered . Used my Parker Grade 2 10 gauge top lever loaded withbuffered 0 to take a pair single barrel each .

All the loads mentioned were handloaded by me , no factory so far !

[Paul Harm]

Well, you have a whole lot better luck than I have getting buckshot to pattern - even at 25yds.

[charlie cleveland]

paul what choke are you useing with the buckshot loads....charlie

[Paul Harm]

I believe it's Mod.

[Paul Harm]

I finally checked at my friends BP gun store and .315, or 32 cal RB's fit real nice in a 10ga wad. I got three in a layer. Also received BPI 10ga wads and buffer. The wads are cheaper than Remington SP-10 wads, and they unslit. There's a couple tabs holding the petals together. I loaded one with unslit and one with a slit wad. Nine of them is only a nice light 1oz load. I read where the unslit wad will tumble 180 and act like a plastic nose bullet. I'll be shooting them with a sand bunker behind the target board. If I get just one big hole maybe I can dig it out. 12 balls would be about a 1 1/3oz - maybe try one of them if I get a decent group with the lighter load.

[James Halvorson]

Quick question on buffer. Doesn't it increase PSI? Is there a rule of how much buffer and increase of PSI of the load?

Buffer will increase pressure. There is no "rule" on how much that I'm aware of.

[Mark Garrett]

The BPI wads are stitched , not unslit should break apart when shot .

Yes buffer can increase pressure significantly , no rule and type of buffer can make a big difference .

[Pete Lester]

Last year I pulled apart some 3 1/2 12ga buckshot loads (15 pellet of 00). I used the scavenged buckshot and buffer to make a 2 7/8" 10ga buckshot load. I made a 9 pellet (1 1/8 ounce load) stacking the pellets and filling the voids with buffer. It was propelled by 19 grains of Red Dot. I fired 2 of them through my Rem 1894 A grade that has .045 and .046 for choke. At 30 yards both barrels put all 9 pellets in a 30" circle. Both barrels also put 4 of those 00 pellets in a 10" and 12" circle close to the point of aim. Those tight chokes did not blow the pattern, the buffer did not blow up the gun. If I was inclined to hunt a deer with buckshot in this gun I think it would do the trick.

[charlie cleveland]

pete you now have a real deer slayer... my remington 10 ga has not been shot with buckshot yet...i m having trouble with the left barrel not fireing...guess i will have to work on it soon....charlie

[Paul Harm]

Craig, what distances are you taking these deer at ?

[CraigThompson]

Craig, what distances are you taking these deer at ?

Anymore when I head to the woods in any of my "normal" spots I carry a shotgun and a rifle .

Generally the furthest rifle shot I can get is 75 yards at best .
When I pattern my buckshot loads it's only at 25 yards, so to date I've not fired on one with buckshot at over 30 yards . When I go out I also carry a range finder . But most of my stand sites I know well enough to know when the deer are inside or close to the 25 yard area . I suspect they'll do ok further out but I set that as my limit and so far I've stuck to it . But then if they ease on out a ways and I can find a reason to kill them anyway I'll go on and do it with the rifle .

I suppose you could say I bowhunt with a shotgun .

I am planning to go out Monday and shoot patterns with buckshot and #1 Bismuth in my new to me EH #3 .

[CraigThompson]

I've killed deer with buckshot so far only with 10's and a 16. Used homemade slug in an 1891 GH 12 this past year but so far no 12 buckshot deer .

I have a couple 12's I wanna blood . But the ones that are interesting me most at the moment other then the 10's are a trio of 20's I have . My little VHE 28" , a Philly Sterlingworth 28" and a Philly Sterlingworth 26" . The 26" is IC/M and the 28" guns are both M/F . For some reason the two tighter guns really like my handloaded #2 buck although they don't do bad with handloaded #3 buck .

Again all my buckshot loads are patterned at 25 yards .

[Paul Harm]

Well, I have the 40 cal rifle barrel liner in my 1882 Remington hammer gun sighted in so now all I have left is seeing how well my buckshot loads group. That should give me the best of both worlds.

[CraigThompson]

Well, I have the 40 cal rifle barrel liner in my 1882 Remington hammer gun sighted in so now all I have left is seeing how well my buckshot loads group. That should give me the best of both worlds.
Sounds like a decent plan . Since we had no DCP's this year I'm a little behind on my usual take . But I have faith in my luck to come from behind lol's 😉 At some point I wanna get a mold cut to closely resemble the Lyman 525 grain 12 gauge sabot mold but large enough to fit the Remington SP-10 wad like the 525 fits the Claybuster knockoff of the WAA12 wad .

[charlie cleveland]

paul at what range would your rifle take a deer...what i mean is how far do you think you can kill a deer withthat 40.....that 10 ga buckshot loads will kill a deer at 40 yards real good but will usally go farther before they drop than one shot at 25 yards or less..up that close buckshot are really deadly...charlie

[CraigThompson]

Just finished loading some buckshot for trial in my new to me EH #3 frame gun .

All are in brand new Remington hulls with SP-10 wads and over cards . Also all have 30 grains of SR7625 and CCI209 primers .

For 000 I have eight pellets and six 9mm cases full of Grex .

For 00 I have 12 pellets and four 9mm cases full of Grex .

For 0 I have 12 pellets and five 9mm cases full of Grex .

For 1 I have 16 pellets and five 9mm cases of Grex .

For 2 I have 22 pellets and three 9mm cases of Grex .

For 3 I have 26 pellets and three 9mm cases of Grex .

Plan on trying them in the AM at 25 yards .