Buckshot Parkers

[jefferyconnor]

I've heard of reference to guns that were requested to pattern well with buckshot. Does anyone own such a gun? Would you be up for posting pictures of your gun and letter? How do they pattern? Do they have a regular shotgun sight or rifle sights? What are the actual choke restrictions?

[Bill Murphy]

My buckshot gun, the "Charleston Gun", a two barrel Bernard CH made in 1897, was described in a long thread several years ago. It was ordered by the owner of a large plantation, the 32" barrel set ordered to "shoot buckshot". No size of buckshot mentioned and I have never patterned the gun with buckshot. No sights other than beads on this gun. The original thread brought to the top on this subforum "A C grade without barrels" for your enjoyment. I would pattern the gun with buckshot if I had some. The "Buckshot" barrels are full choke, both sides.

[jefferyconnor]

Thanks, Bill! I thought I had read buckshot chokes were more open. I'll read over that thread, I sure appreciate your bringing that thread to my attention.

[Phillip Carr]

Bill it might me interesting to know the actual bore dimensions and choke constriction if you have recorded these.
I wonder if they back bored the barrels, or altered the length of the choke. You may have already done this and might shed some light on what was done to pattern for Buckshot

[Bruce Hering]

From my reading and talking to some very old timers in GA and SC, years ago, it was traditional to deer hunt with hounds (dont shoot the messenger here). Especially in the "low country" of both states.

I also found many of them alluding to "buckshot" in their loads . However the term "buckshot" seemed to cover somewhat of a variety of shot. Some referred to casting soft lead in .36 caliber pistol molds while others said they bought "Buckshot" by the bag to load in brass shells.

No one seemed to be able to put a definitive size to their shot. I do know that #4 buck will pattern in a mod choke quite well from shooting it back in the day at geese. (Not sure how that would work on deer.) I, however, have trouble getting 00 to work as well out of a full choke.

Just a comment and MHO.....

[CraigThompson]

From my reading and talking to some very old timers in GA and SC, years ago, it was traditional to deer hunt with hounds (dont shoot the messenger here). Especially in the "low country" of both states.

I also found many of them alluding to "buckshot" in their loads . However the term "buckshot" seemed to cover somewhat of a variety of shot. Some referred to casting soft lead in .36 caliber pistol molds while others said they bought "Buckshot" by the bag to load in brass shells.

No one seemed to be able to put a definitive size to their shot. I do know that #4 buck will pattern in a mod choke quite well from shooting it back in the day at geese. (Not sure how that would work on deer.) I, however, have trouble getting 00 to work as well out of a full choke.

Just a comment and MHO.....

There are many so called “rules” about buckshot that aren’t necissarily so . The number one rule was more open chokes perform better with larger sizes . And while that “may” be a good “general” rule it isn’t necissarily so in ALL guns . I’ve spent the most time with 10 gauge guns and a larger percentage of them are choked tight . I however have had better than expected results with buck sizes 3 all the way up to 00000 in 10 gauge handloads . Now let’s clear up one matter , 25 yard groups are all I ask for most time with buckshot and I’ve been able to take plenty tight choked Parker 10’s and have them meet my parameters with all sizes and have killed deer with all the sizes from #3 up to 00000 buck . I’ve gone one size larger to 000000 but that’s strictly for the 8 gauge . Now all my buckshot loads for 10 , 12 or 16 are loaded with the expectation that they might be shot in damascus or twist barrels so the velocity will be below factory levels . I’m kinda of the opinion of velocity and pressure are less that just might play into my hand of getting usable patterns from tight choked barrels . #3 on up to 00 are relatively easy to get shooting well in 10 gauge tight choke , 000 - 0000 and 00000 take a little thinking outside the box but it can be done .

[Stan Hillis]

I hunted deer in the Savannah River swamps of GA and SC for many years with dogs, and shotguns stoked with buckshot. As has been mentioned, there were several different buckshot sizes available but the most used ranged from #1 up to 00. Admittedly, many men shot at deer too far with buckshot, so they tried to use the biggest size shot they could get that would pattern decent and "hold tight" at distance. Almost everyone used 3" loads, to get a few more pellets in it. As I recall, in 00 size, a 3" shell held 3 more than a 2 3/4", which is significant when you're talking so few pellets total.

The percentage of men who used #1 was very small, with the majority of gunners using 0 and 00. I was a shotgun "patterner" at an early age, having read of the importance of it in articles and books. My tightest shooting shotgun for deer was a Rem. 1100 with a factory full choke barrel. I remember well when the copper plated buckshot factory loads were introduced. I bought a box and patterned them in my gun, and was astounded at how much the patterns tightened up. I thought it had really increased my range significantly.

I quit using buckshot for deer when I shot a very nice buck one day at about 30 yards dead on in the front of his chest, as he was walking straight to me. He bled a few tiny droplets of muscle blood and I eventually lost his trail. I killed him the next year a few hundred yards away with a .300 Savage 99. When I skinned him I found several buckshot pellets lodged just below the skin and encased in a clearish gristle-like substance, but completely healed, healthy and fat.

My buckshot today is reserved for self-defense, and I like the smaller sized pellets for that. I never could get 000 to pattern to suit me, but did no reloading in those days. Working a farm for a living left precious little time for me to fiddle with testing "specialty loads" for deer.

[charlie cleveland]

on the side of the old Remington buck shot boxes it recommended full choke for buckshot...charlie

[CraigThompson]

My tightest shooting shotgun for deer was a Rem. 1100 with a factory full choke barrel. I remember well when the copper plated buckshot factory loads were introduced. I bought a box and patterned them in my gun, and was astounded at how much the patterns tightened up. It thought it had really increased my range significantly.



When Remington was loading buckshot and turkey loads with Hevi Shot I got some of the 2 3/4" 00 12 gauge stuff to use in a Pre 64 Model 12 I had that sometime before I got it had a PolyChoke put on the end of the barrel . I do not think you could crank that thing down to tight for 00 in that gun . It shot some awesome patterns at 40 yards . But then 25 years ago at about $3 a shot it shoulda done very well .

[jefferyconnor]

I hunted deer in the Savannah River swamps of GA and SC for many years with dogs, and shotguns stoked with buckshot. As has been mentioned, there were several different buckshot sizes available but the most used ranged from #1 up to 00. Admittedly, many men shot at deer too far with buckshot, so they tried to use the biggest size shot they could get that would pattern decent and "hold tight" at distance. Almost everyone used 3" loads, to get a few more pellets in it. As I recall, in 00 size, a 3" shell held 3 more than a 2 3/4", which is significant when you're talking so few pellets total.

The percentage of men who used #1 was very small, with the majority of gunners using 0 and 00. I was a shotgun "patterner" at an early age, having read of the importance of it in articles and books. My tightest shooting shotgun for deer was a Rem. 1100 with a factory full choke barrel. I remember well when the copper plated buckshot factory loads were introduced. I bought a box and patterned them in my gun, and was astounded at how much the patterns tightened up. I thought it had really increased my range significantly.

I quit using buckshot for deer when I shot a very nice buck one day at about 30 yards dead on in the front of his chest, as he was walking straight to me. He bled a few tiny droplets of muscle blood and I eventually lost his trail. I killed him the next year a few hundred yards away with a .300 Savage 99. When I skinned him I found several buckshot pellets lodged just below the skin and encased in a clearish gristle-like substance, but completely healed, healthy and fat.

My buckshot today is reserved for self-defense, and I like the smaller sized pellets for that. I never could get 000 to pattern to suit me, but did no reloading in those days. Working a farm for a living left precious little time for me to fiddle with testing "specialty loads" for deer.
Thanks for the detailed reply, Stan. It would seem a tighter choke patterns better, in your experience.

[Stan Hillis]

Up to a point, Jeffery. but, you can go too tight, particularly with the larger sizes, and start getting too many fliers. I think my Super Fox would likely be too tight for 00 or 000, but without having patterned it to see I can't say for sure.

I know I've got an old Montgomery Ward S X S with 32" extra full choked barrels that blows a load of 000 all over the place. I don't shoot coyotes on my land, but am willing to help out a neighboring cattleman if I see a coyote in his pasture. Once tried a shot at one with it, at about 35 yards, and 000, and they struck the ground all the way around him, over, under, and on both sides without a one ever cutting hair. There was a "coyote sized hole" in the pattern, evidently. No more 000 in that "truck gun".

[Bill Murphy]

To answer Phil C's question, the Charleston Gun, CH grade ordered to shoot buckshot in the 32" barrels, is bored at .735 with .030 chokes in both barrels. No choke designation was specified in the order except "To shoot buckshot". I'll shoot it someday.

[jefferyconnor]

Thanks, Stan and Bill! Parker bored at least one buckshot gun to .030" and it may be that tighter than that can cause blown patterns.

[Bruce Hering]

Just thought I would put this out there for your collective buckshot information....

A friend was a long time PH in Kenya. Did a good bit of guiding on leopards and if a client blew a shot on the cat and it went into the thick stuff he and his best guy would have to go get it as you might assume. His guns of choice were 12 ga SxS's loaded with rounds supplied by Kyoch that were OO buck strung together on piano wire and affixed in an "x" pattern.

He showed me a leopard skull he hit with one of these loads at about 10 or so yards and it was destroyed.. The wire had cut through the skull in several places and the rest of it looked like it had been put through a rock crusher. Oh, yea, that was an in the air shot as the cat had lain in wait and leapt for him.

He gave me a couple of these but I never tried one out. I gave one to a friend who is a big ammo collector and he was amazed by it.

[Stan Hillis]

I read all of Peter Capstick's books many years ago, right after they were published. As I recall he also used a shotgun for wounded leopards, but made himself a suit of armor from linoleum tiles wired together to form a breastplate of sorts. He said that a leopard would leap for your head/neck area, grab you with it's front feet and use it's rear feet like buzz saws to rake your chest and abdomen.

Obviously the shotgun was used to prevent that from occurring. :nono: I can't remember for certain what action type he used.

Blue whistlers (buckshot) are serious business at close range, no doubt.

[jefferyconnor]

Buckshot obviously worked back then! A lot of people carry it in shotguns for bear to this day.

[Tom Flanigan]

The one thing I learned, back when I used buckshot for swamp deer when I was a kid, is that you need to pattern your gun with multiple sizes to find out which shoots best out of an individual gun. My best patterns were obtained out of a modified DHE barrel using #1 buck. It was a true 40 yard gun. The full barrel patterned ok but not as well as the modified barrel. I bought my buckshot from Herter’s in five pound bags. The larger size buck didn’t pattern that well out of that gun. Results would probably be different with a different gun.

I took a few swamp deer with that gun and load. Two wend down immediately and one ran for about 25 yards. None of the deer were shot over 30 yards. I melted candle wax over the shot as a buffer. It worked well. About ten years later I shot another deer in that swamp with buckshot just for the hell of it. I shot it on the run and it collapsed immediately. I generally don’t shoot at running deer, but that one was about 10 yards away and it was a broadside shot.

I no longer use buckshot for anything. For one, its illegal in NY. As I got older, I decided not to flaunt the law. Second, I found that the best tactic for me was to use a .243 or .270 and pick an opening in the brush. I never shoot through brush. You sometimes don’t get an opening but that’s ok. A couple of years ago I passed on a big nine pointer that I really wanted. He didn’t step out of the brush and I couldn’t find a clear opening, so I passed on the shot. He was only twenty yards away. I felt good about not chancing a shot through brush.

[charlie cleveland]

I ve killed several deer with buckshot in the 8 ga the 10 ga and the 12 ga...I still use it every once in a while...tom arbrust loaded me some 8 ga 00 buck several years ago it worked great...charlie