Got the 8 and 10 to the range today
 

And I didnt really get any useable patterns well with the T and F shot, I was shooting at 50-55 yards next time I need to bring it back some. I did shoot the 000000 buckshot load out the 8 gauge at 10 and 50 yards, looks like 7 out of 8 pellets landed in about a 16" area at 50 yards. Interestingly I found 1 pellet stuck in the 100 yard rifle target, I thought after passing through a couple 2x4s it would have deformed severely? They are .410 roundballs I bought from trackofthewolf but they surprised me. I noticed my 10 gauge NH seems to prefer #2 bismuth over anything else even lead 4s, the RST bismuth load pretty much covered the poster board at 50 yards evenly.

I started shooting the 8 gauge like I was at a CAS match and thats actually alot of fun too bad 8 gauge isnt legal for CAS.

Forgot to add when I was walking back the the truck there was a old fellow sitting in the parking lot, he seen me walk by with the 8 gauge and I heard "Good God almighty what a shotgun". He quickly walked over to me and asked me what the h*** kind of shotgun I had was. When I said 8 gauge the look on his face was priceless and he told me he was a cartridge collector and offered to buy one of my fired cases, which I just gave him one for free. I plan on giving them to someone when I get enough shot up anyhow.

them are some good patterns....a deer would be in trouble shot with those loads...them would make good beaver dispatchers....the look on someone s face wnen they see a 8 ga is priceless...I would like to hear the old mans storey as he tell s others about what he had seen today...made me smile I know that look....charlie

Boy those are some big guns! Looks like you're having fun.

Maybe I'll run into him again and let him shoot it, I had shot all 23rds I took with me though when he showed up. Im surprised 7/8 pellets stayed on the paper at 50 yards as my 8 gauge has no choke left it in. I tried to pattern some 000 out of the 10 gauge but they had no pattern at 50 yards. I noticed last night 000 stacks in even layers of 4 in the 8 gauge but seeing how hard the 41 cal round balls hit I now want to try tweaking the load. I wonder if developing a buffered load would help there is a ton of empty space around the .41 rbs. I tested my homemade 8 gauge shot cups also they work but could use some adjustments.

I kind of wish I had a 4 bore to do some testing with as .490 round balls should stack in a layer of 2 in a 4 bore case Im thinking that would make for a nasty buckshot load.

So the recovered buckshot weighs 98.9grs and a non fired one weighs 99.1grs so pretty good weight retention. I also found a SP-8 wad at about 55yds you can see the pellet shape pressed into the fiber wad from setback.

I believe you have a good buckshot load...I too wish I had a 4 gauge to shoot I ve got a fey loaded shells and several new primed hulls in yhe 4 ga but no gun...charlie

I just loaded a few 10 and 8 gauge loads with some #2 shot I had salvaged from other shells. The 10 gauge seems to prefer it well see how it does in the 8 gauge. My 10 gauge actually seems to pattern bismuth 2s better than lead 4s for whatever reason. I found a place that has some #2 hard shot in stock, #2 is pretty versatile in GA since its about the largest shot size you can use for most things.

no 2 is the biggest shot we can use too..not many years back we could use a rifle or even buckshot...my favorite shot size was bb and no 2...used a rifle some but never got to kill one with a rifle...my scope got knocked outa specks once missed turkey at about 40 steps turkey flew into a tree about 100 steps wind was blowing hard I shot up nearly abox of shells...was shooting a 222 Remington....my dad came up and wanted to know what I was shooting so much about that time turkey flew outa off the tree...got home shot the rifle it was shooting about 4 feet off....charlie