So there are 8 types of 'buckshot'
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — General Discussion
Soul_Venom — 3 days ago(March 30, 2026 03:33 PM)
#4
#3
#2
#1
#0
#00
#000
#0000
#00 is the most common one.
Then it turns out there is something above buckshot. 3" magnum shells loaded with three 0.58" lead musket balls. This is called Hogshot.
Makes for an interesting study, finding out which gauges are optimized for with size shot.
Trump is still your President. Charlie Kirk still Wins! -
Decent Samaritan — 3 days ago(March 30, 2026 03:35 PM)
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Have a nice day! -
bitchsurn — 3 days ago(March 30, 2026 05:01 PM)
Actually, the way lead shot is sized and the way shotgun gauges are determined is a fascinating subject.
The size designation of birdshot is based on an 0.17 caliber pellet. Using #6 shot as an example, a #6 pellet (a very popular load) measures 0.11 in diameter. Note that this is 0.06 smaller than the 0.17 caliber pellet. Hence the size designation #6.
#5 shot is 0.12 and #8 shot is 0.09 and so on and so on. As far as birdshot, I am only familiar with #2 through #9 (which includes #71/2) and have only shot as big as #4 and as small as #8, however, I believe that #12 is used in .22 rounds that are loaded with shot. (#12 would not be good for much at all; I believe it was intended for snakes at close range, and #2 would be used for goose hunting. #8 and #9 would be small upland birds that typically flush at close range, and #6 through # 71/2 would be great for a variety of midsized birds, including duck and pheasant and rabbits. Some would choose #4 and #5 shot for duck hunting, depending upon the range they thought they would be shooting at.)
As far as buckshot, I was aware of single ot through triple ot buck, but was not aware of 0000 or #1 through #4 buck. #1 through #4 are buckshot sizes, NOT birdshot that is considered buckshot?
I've fired double ot buck out of various 12 gauges I own, just messing around, but I have never hunted with it. Based on what it did to some old appliances I was using it to shoot at, it would be devastating if one was hit with it. I was given to understand that 00 buck was .34 caliber, but after doing a google to refresh my memory, the first hit said .33; however, depending upon the way the shell is crimped, that's 9 or 10 .33 caliber balls, and on the gas stove I was shooting up, it was looking like it had been hit by an automatic weapon! I have read that the kill range with double ot buck is up to 75 yards, but that seems to me like it would be stretching things a bit.
On a related note, I was once buying up 12 gauge HD ammo and messing around with that with a Stoeger side by side I picked up at Dicks. If I recall, it was a slug like projectile surrounded by pellets, but I'd have to look through my ammo hoard to find some to remember what exactly it was. What I do remember is that it was doing some nasty things to those appliances I was shooting up. -
Soul_Venom — 3 days ago(March 30, 2026 10:10 PM)
You are correct the difference between #4 bird & #4 buck is 0.13 & 0.24". Do not underestimate #12 birds hot. My father has a .22 revolver and we have taken down many a sparrow with it.
Typical 2 3/4" shells hold 9 double ought pellets. A 3" magnum shell will hold 12. You can also get 2 3/4" flight control shells with 8 pellets. Those are primarily for home defense. Deal with 9 pellet is that you will often get 8 in pattern and then 1 pellet ends up being a flier well outside pattern. Obviously in the home you dont want to risk fliers. Flight control loads are also lower recoil.
Trump is still your President. Charlie Kirk still Wins! -
bitchsurn — 3 days ago(March 30, 2026 05:19 PM)
Then it turns out there is something above buckshot. 3" magnum shells loaded with three 0.58" lead musket balls. This is called Hogshot.
That's another load I was not familiar with.
If I would have seen it available I am sure I would have bought some up.
Three 0.58 caliber balls lined up in a row would do some damage.
Donna would find this topic to be riveting. -
bitchsurn — 3 days ago(March 30, 2026 06:00 PM)
I remember learning way way way back when, in hunter's safety, about shotgun gauges. At that time, the 10 gauge was still a popular shotgun. I am pretty sure it is still legal to hunt with, but its popularity has waned. Also at that time, the 16 gauge was probably the most popular shotgun. I cannot even remember the last time I saw a 16 gauge for sale. At one time (before my time) the 8 gauge was a legal hunting gun (that one must have had a nasty recoil!) and commercial waterfowl hunters actually used a 2 gauge which was mounted to something; that must have been a true cannon.
Anyway, as far as the gauges go, and I had to give myself a quick refresher, that size designation was based on how many lead balls that were the barrel diameter it would take to make one lb. For a 12 gauge it would only take 12 balls the diameter of the barrel to make one lb and for a 28 gauge it would take 28 balls of that barrel's diameter. Hence, why the larger bore shotgun has the smaller number gauge designation.
And then, of course, the bastard .410, which is not a gauge, but a caliber. Although I recall reading somewhere, that 0.41 is a bit misleading because it doesn't measure out exactly. But I am not sure about that.
Donna, are you taking notes?
and on edit: the first google I did says that a .410 does measure out to 0.41. -
Soul_Venom — 3 days ago(March 30, 2026 10:19 PM)
Those big 2 gauges were called Punt guns. I ca think of a few board members id like to march in front of a punt gun full of rock salt. Warren for example.
Trump is still your President. Charlie Kirk still Wins! -
bitchsurn — 2 days ago(March 31, 2026 06:42 PM)
I was not aware of that.
What I remember from what the instructor in Hunter's Safety told us, was that back when commercial waterfowl hunting was a thing, they would simply point the 2 gauge up at a flock that was flying and cut one loose, and then retrieve carcasses.
I've never seen one, but as I typed, it must have been a cannon. Even though those shotguns are going back a ways in time, I would still have to think that they were NOT Damascus twist barrels?
I haven't bought a gun for several years, but I used to impulse buy a lot. At my favorite gun shop, the owner used to always have a literal **** load of used (including military surplus) guns. (I bought a Garand and a Swiss 7.5 mm Mauser from that rack, both of which I subsequently sold. What appealed to me about the Swiss 7.5 was the straight pull bolt. As I said–impulse buying.) He kept all of those in a long two-sided rack on the floor that went nearly the length of his store, and I always enjoyed exploring that, and it made for a lot of my impulse buys. I recall a 10-gauge side by side that I didn't need but was seriously considering. My buddy talked sense into me, and in retrospect, I am happy he did.
The last time I bought 12 gauge ammo was back when I was buying to hoard, and I saw some turkey loads that appealed to me. Magnum (I think 2&3/4 ", but I'd have to check to be sure they aren't 3") #5 LED shot. It was probably the fact that it was led shot that appealed to me, but there is an argument to be made for not using 00 buck for HD if one lives in an environment with neighbors in a relatively close vicinity, as those .33 balls are going to go through one's dry wall and keep on going. I've never shot anyone or shot at anyone with bad intentions in mind, but personally, I am inclined to think that a magnum load of #5 led shot within the close confines of a small floor plan would be sufficient.
On an aside and as far as 00 buck, there actually are shotgun only counties (for deer) in this state, but slug only. Buckshot is illegal to hunt deer with here. -
bitchsurn — 3 days ago(March 30, 2026 07:03 PM)
#1 through #4 are buckshot sizes, NOT birdshot that is considered buckshot?
Well, I just answered that for myself. Interesting link:
https://gunmagwarehouse.com/blog/various-types-of-12-gauge-buckshot-the-buck-stops-here/
