Does anyone here shoot "buck and ball?"

[SofaGeorge]

I've used Centurion Multi-Defense... and I'm about to order some Paraklese. (Centurion is a .650 ball and 6 single 0 buckshot. Paraklese is a .58 ball and 9 00 buckshot.)

I haven't found many buck and ball loads for sale... and minimal information online regarding actual use and patterning.

I'm surprised at how little info is available. Buck and ball goes back to the original musket load George Washington recommended to his troops for the American Revolution... and it would seem to be one of the more interesting rounds for this very versatile weapon.

Does anyone here have experience with buck and ball?

[3006mv]

What's your intended use? Post some pictures of patterning out of your shotgun at different diffences. Not the same but have used Tri-Ball for hog hunting with good success. http://www.dixieslugs.com/products.html

[SofaGeorge]

What's your intended use? Post some pictures of patterning out of your shotgun at different diffences. Not the same but have used Tri-Ball for hog hunting with good success. http://www.dixieslugs.com/products.html

Thank you for the link.

I don't have an intended use... more a curiosity as to what the strengths and limitations are to the style of load.

I was not able to pattern test remotely enough rounds to post a genuine result for the Centurion.

This is why I wanted to order Paraklese and find a few other variety for comparison.

I've heard the Tri-ball are remarkable for hog hunting.

[inbox485]

I've used Centurion Multi-Defense... and I'm about to order some Paraklese. (Centurion is a .650 ball and 6 single 0 buckshot. Paraklese is a .58 ball and 9 00 buckshot.)

I haven't found many buck and ball loads for sale... and minimal information online regarding actual use and patterning.

I'm surprised at how little info is available. Buck and ball goes back to the original musket load George Washington recommended to his troops for the American Revolution... and it would seem to be one of the more interesting rounds for this very versatile weapon.

Does anyone here have experience with buck and ball?

I tried the new Winchester PDX (1 slug + 3 00 Buck pellets). It wasn't quite as bad as I thought, but it was a pretty crappy pattern. I shot a round at about 3 yards and at about 7 yards. It spreads about 1" per yard with the slug in the center and the three pellets forming a triangular doughnut pattern.

[Sigster]

Thanks for the pics. i saw this for the first time last week and was wondering what purpose it had. Now I know.

[Killawhale415]

The winchester pdx is designed for people who cant aim for s***
The buck is supposed to spread into a triangle.

[inbox485]

The winchester pdx is designed for people who cant aim for s***
The buck is supposed to spread into a triangle.

I would go further than that. It is a patently reckless load. If it is ever used in HD, and the slug hits the assailant, and a stray pellet hurts somebody else or even "causes them emotional distress", I sincerely hope they get sued for every dime of punitive damages possible. The triangle formation basically minimizes any potential for those pellets to hit anything vital even if they all hit the target. One of the first things instructors tell people when patterning a shotgun is to swear off any load that forms a doughnut pattern. But worse than the doughnut pattern is the use of the slug as a spreading cone that makes it very likely that one or more pellets will be looking for grandma. It is a blatantly negligent round marketed to the clueless.

IF the pellets were mounted to the rear, I could see some value to it, but really the tri ball designs make a lot more sense than the big ball under little balls designs.

The other multi sized "HD" load that I haven't tried, but am 99% certain is pure and utter negligent BS is Remington's "ultimate" HD loads. It is a mixture of #4 and #2 birdshot. Go figure, I have my doubts that it has the capacity to incapacitate a determined assailant. Again, when it inevitably fails to perform as marketed, I hope they get sued for hocking that crap to the ignorant.