8 gauge pre 1920 buckshot

[6pt-Sika]

Originally Posted by Dave Noreen

I've not seen a catalog listing of factory loaded brass shells. From the 1870 into the 1930s our ammunition companies offered brass NPEs for Nimrods to load with black powder only. From the 1923 Remington catalog --

Attachment 93693

The only factory loaded brass shells I know of is the 00 Buck 12-gauge shells for the government from WW-II to Viet Nam, the Ducks Unlimited 25th Anniversary 12-gauge shells from Remington --

Attachment 93694

And the U.S. Cartridge Co. brass 2-inch .410-bore shells that held the 3/8 ounce load of the 2 1/2 inch paper shell in a 2-inch shell.

Attachment 93695

Might you have something in your archives on 8 gauge paper buckshot loads that were pre 1920ish .

[Alfred Greeson]

I once read about a Parker 12 that was ordered with the instructions -"pattern to shoot close with buckshot" The old fellow was a bear hunter in Canada.

[Researcher]

From what I've seen only Winchester and Union Metallic Cartridge Co. later Remington Arms - Union Metallic Cartridge Co., etc. offered 4-gauge NPEs and 8-gauge loaded shells and NPEs. None from Western Cartridge Co., Peters Cartridge Co. or U.S. Cartridge Co.

Union Metallic Cartridge Co. 1900 --

8-gauge TRAP Shells 1900.png

1901 --

8-gauge TRAP Shells 1901.png

1905 --

8-Gauge Trap Shells 1905.png

1909 --

8-gauge ARROW Shells loaded with Black Powder June 1909.png

8-Gauge ARROW Shells loaded with Bulk Smokeless June 1909.png

Remington Arms - Union Metallic Cartridge Co. 1913-14 --

8-gauge ARROW Shells loaded with Black Powder 1913-14.png

8-Gauge ARROW Shells loaded with bulk smokeless 1913-14.png

The Remington Arms Union Metallic Cartridge Co., Inc. 1918-19 --

8-gauge ARROW Shells loaded with Black Powder 1918-19.png

8-gauge ARROW Shells loaded with Bulk Smokeless 1918-19.png

[6pt-Sika]

Originally Posted by Alfred Greeson

I once read about a Parker 12 that was ordered with the instructions -"pattern to shoot close with buckshot" The old fellow was a bear hunter in Canada.

Was that the one Jason Peck wrote an article about and later sold it to a descendent of the original owner ? That was somewhere in Cannanada .

[Tom Flanigan]

Buckshot was illegal in New York when I was a kid. But in those days that meant little to me. There was a thick swamp close to the house that the deer frequented. It was a perfect setup for buckshot, so I went to work testing different buckshot handloads. I settled on #1 buck which patterned well from the modified barrel of my grandfather’s 12 bore DHE. I melted candle wax over the shot column and used plastic wraps that I purchased from Herter’s. I killed a few deer with buckshot which included a big eight pointer. I sure was proud of myself.

[Researcher]

From going through my old ammunition catalogs it certainly seems the the specific Buck Shot offerings were in 10-, 12-, 16- and 20-gauge shells.

NITRO CLUB Buck Shot loads 1911-12.jpeg

ARROW Buck Shot Loads 1911-12.jpeg

From 1900 to 1909 UMC just mentioned a bit extra cost for Buck Shot loads. From 1910 through 1919 the Buck Shot loads were listed as the ones from the 1911-12 Rem - UMC catalog I show above. I suspect that the demand for 8-gauge Buck Shot loads was so small that they were never a catalog symbol item.

The only Winchester catalog of the period I have is 1916, and it's Buck Shot load offerings mirrors the Rem UMC Buck Shot offerings shown above. While Rem-UMC only cataloged 8-gauge loads with black or bulk smokeless powders, I see Winchester offered their 8-gauge LEADER shells loaded with dense smokeless powders as well.

[Bruce Hering]

Originally Posted by Tom Flanigan

Buckshot was illegal in New York when I was a kid. But in those days that meant little to me. There was a thick swamp close to the house that the deer frequented. It was a perfect setup for buckshot, so I went to work testing different buckshot handloads. I settled on #1 buck which patterned well from the modified barrel of my grandfather’s 12 bore DHE. I melted candle wax over the shot column and used plastic wraps that I purchased from Herter’s. I killed a few deer with buckshot which included a big eight pointer. I sure was proud of myself.

Tom:

Not to hi Jack a thread but....

I have always found interesting the difference in regulations between NY and NJ. No slugs were allowed in Jersey until more recent history yet back in the day we could go a half mile from the last house I liven in in Jersey and be in Rockland Co. NY and shoot slugs.... Go figure.

[Tom Flanigan]

Originally Posted by Bruce Hering

Tom:

Not to hi Jack a thread but....

I have always found interesting the difference in regulations between NY and NJ. No slugs were allowed in Jersey until more recent history yet back in the day we could go a half mile from the last house I liven in in Jersey and be in Rockland Co. NY and shoot slugs.... Go figure.

I never could understand the use of buckshot only in NJ. I would hate to have to hunt with it exclusively. I guess the reason was that it was a populous state. Even so, allowing the use of slugs was a wise decision.

I never took a shot over 40 yards with buckshot and made damn sure that I knew what my buckshot loads were capable of. i shot a lot of paper back in those days. The right modified barrel of the DHE was a sure killer at 40 yards with #1 buck but things fell apart after that.

The problem with buckshot is that the average hunter has no idea how his gun shoots with buckshot. He just grabs a box of 00 buck (I never had a gun that would pattern them worth a damn) and probably takes shots he shouldn't. I'll bet the percentage of wounded deer went down in NJ after slugs were allowed.

[6pt-Sika]

Originally Posted by Tom Flanigan

I never could understand the use of buckshot only in NJ. I would hate to have to hunt with it exclusively. I guess the reason was that it was a populous state. Even so, allowing the use of slugs was a wise decision.

I never took a shot over 40 yards with buckshot and made damn sure that I knew what my buckshot loads were capable of. i shot a lot of paper back in those days. The right modified barrel of the DHE was a sure killer at 40 yards with #1 buck but things fell apart after that.

The problem with buckshot is that the average hunter has no idea how his gun shoots with buckshot. He just grabs a box of 00 buck (I never had a gun that would pattern them worth a damn) and probably takes shots he shouldn't. I'll bet the percentage of wounded deer went down in NJ after slugs were allowed.

When I first started doing the buckshot thing with my grandfathers old Scott I only had 00 to load and it did okay to about 25-30 yards . Have an Ithaca NID 10 Super that we’d owned thirty years and never fired so I tried it on paper as well . Anyway to make a long story short over the last eighteen years I’ve spent a fair amount of time fooling with buckshot in everything from an 8 gauge down to the little 28 gauge . I’ve also put a decent amount of time in slugs for all the same gauges . To a lesser degree the punkin ball (round ball ) as well in the 8 , 10 and 12 . So in most cases now if I’m in a treestand the double barrel will have buck in whichever barrel patterns better and a slug in the barrel that shoots closer to point of aim at 25-30 yards . I’ve been fortunate with the 10 gauge having killed deer with every size buck from #3 up to 00000 . Also with all three of my 10 gauge suitable slugs although I’ve not plunked one with a punkin ball yet .

[charlie cleveland]

your probably right about there never being a factory loaded brass shell for buckshot except those for the military snd those duck boxes of Remington buckshot...I always find the researching of your very enjoyable...thanks charlie