Hornady #4 buck ???

[m-g Willy]

Seen a video from hornady showing varmit hunters using the Hornady #4 buckshot loads.
Has anyone used this roun?
How do they pattern with what choke?
 

[Hellgate]

Here's their ad:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYD4C8gq7r0&feature=player_embedded



I have been loading my own from home cast pellets. A standard #4 Buck round holds 24 pellets. The Hornady Varmint Express says theirs has 24 pellets. I suspect they use a thick steel shot type (Versa-tight) wad that stays together out there a while longer before letting the shot go. From what I have found and read a longer choke tube works better with the smaller buck. My plain old Model 12 Winchester pump with a full choke gave the best patterns as did my brothers Mod 12 with a Weaver choke tube setup with the extra full choke tube installed. My load was 27 pellets. If you have too tight of a load it might be harder to hit a close 'yote. Mine would be good out to 30 yds. You'd be best to try you own gun with them as YMMV. No need to get complicated: staple a bunch of butcher paper to a big cardboard box, mark an aiming point, back off 20 yards and blam away. On one load & choke combination I got donut (thin center) patterns. So, you have to pattern the load to see if it is gonna work consistantly.

[james]

Way back when I was a kid we shot a lot of #4 buck because no one in my family had a rifle.  Here in the south we hunted deer with dogs and the shots were often close and moving.  The larger O and double O buckshot didn't pattern well in my dad's and uncles' modified or full choked barrels.  I still have a 10 pt rack that I chipped the brow tine with #4 buck.  We also used the load for an occasional turkey, goose, or coyote.  Most folks had 2 &3/4" barrels and shot a load of 27 pellets.  When I got a 3" barrel, the 41 pellet load extended my range another 10 to 15 yards.  I haven't used #4 buck in years but I did shoot a coyote with 3.5" steel T shot at 30 yards and he never knew what hit him.

[cjclemens]

Never tried it, but watching the coyote carnage in that video makes me want to try some in the worst way

[Catfish]

I bought some of their # 4 buck shot to load and was vrey supprised to find that their buckshot is swedged and not drop shot. Their shot is perfectly rond with none of the flat spot you get with drop shot. From what I have seen of it it should patterent alot better than drop shot.

[cwlongshot]

I Agfee I have always found 4's shot better patterns. I also find mag BB works very well.

#4 also works better thru the tighter fixed choke guns. Try it in yours. No way for any of us to know what it will do.

CW