I deconstructed some Federal "Tactical" rounds that contained copper plated 00 buck to begin my experimental handloads with. The wads used in those rounds were of a very thick un slit material, without a cushioning section, similar to Steel Shot wads. It is possible that these wads could tighten patterns even further but not having any baseline loading data and not knowing what powder was used by Federal I decided not to use them and opted for Federal 12S3 wads instead for my handloads. Is anyone familiar with the Federal "Tactical" rounds regarding pressure/velocity specs?
The penetration tests that I did this morning were encouraging. The 00 Buck passed through (6) 3/4 inch pine boards and were stopped by the seventh. Another round was fired into a live Oak and penetrated almost 1 1/2 inches. I also fired 3 rounds over my chronograph and got an average reading of 1236 fps.
Now all I need to do is find a deer.
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