Since it's hard to get Federal Flite Control 00 buck now, anyone have an opinion on either of these?
https://www.sgammo.com/product/12-ga...hot-ammo-sb12b
https://www.luckygunner.com/12-gauge...cchi-25-rounds
Since it's hard to get Federal Flite Control 00 buck now, anyone have an opinion on either of these?
https://www.sgammo.com/product/12-ga...hot-ammo-sb12b
https://www.luckygunner.com/12-gauge...cchi-25-rounds
"The victor is not victorious if the vanquished does not consider himself so."
― Ennius
Every shotgun barrel is unique, but in general, I've found the S&B stuff to be reliable (albeit with hard primers) but filthy, and pattern about on par with what you'd expect from 19th-century buckshot technology.
I haven't tried the new Fiocchi stuff.
Matt Haught
SYMTAC Consulting LLC
https://sym-tac.com
I got a case of the Fiocchi last winter from them for about $84 plus shipping. It’s decent, no issues through my 870. I’d be comfortable using it at inside-the-house distances.
I use both of those loads as practice buckshot. Both reliable, just don't pattern that well out of my 18" IC barrel.
The best patterning load I have ever shot was the 8-pellet Remington reduced recoil LE load. Fuck that stuff blew Flite Control out of the water. Every shotgun barrel is truly a special snowflake.
Many shotgun gurus have stated that 8 pellet buckshot loads in general pattern pretty well. If you can get any reduced recoil loads, that will also help with the pattern.
I tried the new Fiocchi stuff in my 870P SBS worked over by Vang Comp. Works okay for home defense distances. But not much beyond 10-15 yards. I wrote it up on my blog...
https://wp.me/p6gwfx-2KV
Try to find a copper plated and buffered 8 pellet load. It will pattern better than any 9 pellet load. My 2 cents.
I have shot the Fiocchi buckshot. Functioned ok. Pattern was typical old school buckshot. Spartan and Rio functioned ok. I did get a batch of S&B that extracted with difficulty from my Mossberg.
These days when I buy buckshot or slugs, I remove the barrel and do a plunk test to ascertain that shell has correct dimension. I also polish chambers with 0000 steel wool.
Flite control Federal buckshot is designed to pattern well from cylinder bore barrels. For all other brands I get better results with an improve cylinder choked barrel. I consider buckshot a 35 yard proposition though some hobbyist claim that their custom loads will shoot tight past 50 yards. I never saw this.
Last edited by willie; 09-19-2020 at 06:52 PM.
Fiocchi Exacta nickel plated 1150 fps 9 pellet load 12LE00BK shot well for me out of my Beretta 1301 Comp. Patterns were 3" at 10 yards, 7" at 20 yards. OTOH the load shot into 11" at 20 yards out of my Vang barreled Browning Auto 5 but wouldn't function the gun. Same issue with Federal LE133 8 pellet 1145 fps load in the Browning, but shot into a 7" pattern at 20 yds.
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