2.75" vs 3" #1 buckshot

[No1Buck]

Anyone use 3" #1 buckshot for home defense? I cut open a few different types of shells today to compare different pellet sizes and wad types, and it got me thinking. Some advocate #4 for HD but I don't like to go smaller than #1, and I currently use 2.75" #1 (Federal Flite Control).

I was thinking about how it might be an advantage to launch 24 pellets instead of 15, if the difference in recoil isn't too noticeable. This is about the same number of pellets in a #4 2.75" shell, without sacrificing pellet size.

 

[Rossignol]

I haven't used any #1 buck but I have used both 2-3/4" and 3" in 00 and #4. In those cases there was a noticeable difference in recoil. Not as much now, but I shoot 3" almost exclusively.

 

[nitesite]

I dunno much about ammo in general and even less about shotgun buck loads. The claim is that that #4 buck is like .22-caliber. Okay, I get it.... there is a denser cloud of buckshot for the shot weight. Sounds good. I guess. It won't penetrate worth a damn but it sure puts a cloud of pellets out.

The Federal Flite-Control #1 Buck 2-3/4 load patterns great but is woefully slow for my tastes. But against paper and steel it shines. It would also shine in a home defense sitch where the distance is under thirty feet. What company do you buy from that sells 3" buck loads of #!?

But i have somewhat minimal experience with 3" ammo. Rossignol is the guy to take advice from, for sure.

 

[Rossignol]

I dunno much about ammo in general and even less about shotgun buck loads.

I'm not buyin that!

I really don't know much about the terminal ballistics except what I glean from leaning on knowledge from the rest of you guys. Though I do have it on good authority that low recoil FliteControl is not a reliable threat stopper at distance. But I'm talking well beyond home/personal defense.

But just strictly speaking in terms of felt recoil, you can definitely feel more from more payload where you're going from 1 oz to 1-3/8 oz (or whichever for the load). Or say a 1 oz slug vs 1 oz of shot is going to feel different. But it's all manageable and one can acclimate to it.

 

[Rossignol]

Oh, I just remembered something else.

I have the 3" #4 I mentioned. But I use it for varmints at distance where I'm looking for a load that reliably gets 3" of penetration in gel tests. The #4 lets me push the distance out a little as long as I can put a decent pattern together. More pellets for me means less hope in "the magic bullet" or magic pellet in this case where you're hoping for that one pellet to land on target in such a way that it's a clean kill on game without a crippling wound and a slow death.

In a home defense situation, going down to a smaller pellet (but more of them) is to me I guess to balance threat stopping ability vs the possibility of over penetration. And slower speed makes for easy shooting and nice patterns but also less lethality as well as reduced risk of over penetration. But, at close range, the 1 buck is still going through a wall. The only thing that doesn't go through a wall retaining its lethality is like 4 shot and smaller. (I think) Debate is ongoing on that one.

 

[Tom396]

Winchester sells a lot of 3" #1 buckshot shells. They are pretty easy to come by. Even WalMart stocks them. They pack a pretty good kick. Take care. Tom Worthington

 

[nitesite]

Keep in mind that Federal Flite Control "reduced recoil" usually means 1350-fps rather than "full power" which is 1600-fps.

Inexplicably, they have a few buckshot loads in the 1100-fps range and that is what I avoid.

I trust the 1350-fps loads a LOT. It is my duty carry buckshot and always has been.

So @Rossignol if it was me I would not worry about 2-3/4" reduced recoil. The low recoil is however a completely different story.

 

[Rossignol]

Keep in mind that Federal Flite Control "reduced recoil" usually means 1350-fps rather than "full power" which is 1600-fps.

Inexplicably, they have a few buckshot loads in the 1100-fps range and that is what I avoid.

I trust the 1350-fps loads a LOT. It is my duty carry buckshot and always has been.

So @Rossignol if it was me I would not worry about 2-3/4" reduced recoil. The low recoil is however a completely different story.

Right, so get this;
As far as I know of the FliteControl 00 is all reduced recoil. Their marketed "low recoil" is 1145 FPS. Their "full power" (speaking solely to the FliteControl 00 buck which was originally marketed to law enforcement) is the one that is 1350 FPS.

The "low recoil" as I've been told from a retired LEO now teaching and training is the one who told me of a real life scenario where the low recoil didn't penetrate clothing including a leather jacket at a distance of about 40 yards. That's as much as I can say about it.