Hornady Critical Defense 00 Buck - Is the Bomb.com

[jmevis]

Guys, this weekend I took a fighting shotgun class at tactical response. At one point of the class we checked our patterning with 00 Buck. With my Mossberg 590 (smooth bore, no choke) It was one ragged hole at 7 yards and at 25 yards all 8 pellets were on target in maybe a 10-12 inch spread. I wish I took pictures.  

 

This ammo out preformed any other buck shot. Now not everyone's guns will shoot the same, but the instructors said this was the 3rd time they have seen this ammo come through the class and it excelled every time. While it is only 8 pellets it is at 1600 FPS.  Tight groups, I can make hostage shots at 7 yards with it.

 

While it may not work the best in your gun, I suggest you try it if you can. Not too expensive either. 

 

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/151704/hornady-critical-defense-ammunition-12-gauge-2-3-4-00-buckshot-box-of-10

[musicman]

From some informal shooting with another member here, we noticed that 8 pellet buck always grouped toghter than 9 pellet. It was a significant difference even up close through an 18" 870 and a 28" 930. I can't remember what brand it was... it was a blue box and marked for LE, if I remember. He had experience with other brands of 8 pellet loads that were similar. His conclusion was that it had less to do with the brand and more to do with going from 9 to 8 pellets.

So the decision is this... do you want smaller groups from you shotgun, making it maybe more like a rifle or slug, or are you wanting to take advantage of the spread that the shotgun potentially offers versus a rifle? What distances do you foresee using the shotgun, and what is the goal of the shot choice? Lots of stuff to think about. :-) Edited November 16, 2015 by musicman

[Caster]

I don't shoot much shotgun but I love Hornady's Coyote Varmint 3" buckshot.  It's hell for stout and patterns well in a 20" smoothbore.  

 

I assume the Critical Defense is 2-3/4"???

[shotgunshooter]

Glad to hear. I'm personally a big fan of Federal's Flite Control buckshot. It patterns stupid tight and I have a lot of it. The next time you shoot some of the Hornady make sure to take pictures.

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[jmevis]

From some informal shooting with another member here, we noticed that 8 pellet buck always grouped toghter than 9 pellet. It was a significant difference even up close through an 18" 870 and a 28" 930. I can't remember what brand it was... it was a blue box and marked for LE, if I remember. He had experience with other brands of 8 pellet loads that were similar. His conclusion was that it had less to do with the brand and more to do with going from 9 to 8 pellets.

So the decision is this... do you want smaller groups from you shotgun, making it maybe more like a rifle or slug, or are you wanting to take advantage of the spread that the shotgun potentially offers versus a rifle? What distances do you foresee using the shotgun, and what is the goal of the shot choice? Lots of stuff to think about. :-)

Interesting about the 8 pellet theory... I wonder if it has to do with how they are stacked? Ill have to look in to that.  

 

I want to be as unlimited by a shotguns spread as I can be, (meaning the tighter the better). Being the good guys, every round and or pellet that comes out of my gun I am responsible for.  So a tighter pattern means have have a greater distance to work with in a self defense type of situation. But this is a HD gun not a bird/clay gun where I guess a larger spread would be more desirable. 

[jmevis]

I don't shoot much shotgun but I love Hornady's Coyote Varmint 3" buckshot.  It's hell for stout and patterns well in a 20" smoothbore.  

 

I assume the Critical Defense is 2-3/4"???

Yes it is 2-3/4.

[jmevis]

Glad to hear. I'm personally a big fan of Federal's Flite Control buckshot. It patterns stupid tight and I have a lot of it. The next time you shoot some of the Hornady make sure to take pictures.

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I've shot that, albeit it was... 5 or so years ago? So I don't exactly remember the pattern. But I do remember it was tight. (shot out of my same gun)  I'd like to do a test. There are a few federal round with the flight control wad... which one are you talking about? 

[shotgunshooter]

Specifically I have the low recoil ( http://www.sgammo.com/product/12-gauge-ammo/50-rd-brick-12-gauge-275-inch-federal-le13200-low-recoil-buckshot-ammo ) and what I think of as standard 00 buck ( http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/product/36183 )

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[jmevis]

Specifically I have the low recoil ( http://www.sgammo.com/product/12-gauge-ammo/50-rd-brick-12-gauge-275-inch-federal-le13200-low-recoil-buckshot-ammo ) and what I think of as standard 00 buck ( http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/product/36183 )

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Hmmm the Critical Defense is 1600 FPS and the Federal Low Recoil is 1145 FPS and Full power is 1325 FPS. I'm not sure how much or if that matters in 00 Buck ammo. 

[shotgunshooter]

I prefer all of my shot shells to be low recoil or have slower velocities. I based this off of what my dad has told me and articles like these http://www.shotgunlife.com/shotguns/tom-roster/does-speed-kill.html
But at the distance 00 would be used it probably wouldn't make a difference. I just like having a tighter pattern with buckshot so I can extend its effective range before I have to change over to a slug or draw my pistol.


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[dcloudy777]

I prefer all of my shot shells to be low recoil or have slower velocities. I based this off of what my dad has told me and articles like these http://www.shotgunlife.com/shotguns/tom-roster/does-speed-kill.html
But at the distance 00 would be used it probably wouldn't make a difference. I just like having a tighter pattern with buckshot so I can extend its effective range before I have to change over to a slug or draw my pistol.


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You could just get a rifle you know.... :devil:

[musicman]

You could just get a rifle you know.... :devil:

I restrained myself from saying that in my earlier post, lol! Haha!

[Bassoneer]

Hornady Critical Defense is awesome! That's what I have loaded right now. Very powerful. It has something similar to Federal's flite control plastic cup that seems to keep it together. Very, very impressive ammo for a 12 Gage! B

[jmevis]

Lol!!! I could just get my AR out you are absolutely right about that. And it would probably be a lot easier. I'm for sure much better with the AR. 

 

However, I don't want to limit my self to only knowing the limitations/effectiveness of one gun. Training and learning things like this are very valuable. I like to know what the limitations are of every tool I own, so that if I ever find my self in the situation where I don't have the preferred tool I'm not screwed over. I want use every thing I have to the best of it's ability, and not solely rely on one. 

 

Plenty of people cant afford an AR. Hell I bought my parents a mossberg 500 last year for christmas and it's their only gun. This post that was meant to be informative to others who may find value in it. 

Edited November 17, 2015 by jmevis

[Mark A]

This is interesting to me. A few years back I took a 1 day shotgun class from TN-popo I think. He suggested we bring some different types of ammo to profile what would work best in each of our guns. I searched the net high and low. If a brand sold 00 buck I got it. If the same brand offered 01 or 02 buck I got a box of
them as well. And if they offered it in 2.75" & 3" I added all those options as well. I must have shown up with at least 20 different kinds of buckshot and 10-12 different slugs.

After we ran through various drills he ask us to pick 1 or 2 of the best performers for some serious pattern testing. By then, Hornady Tap 00 light magnums was shooting head and shoulders above everything else out of my gun.

So everyone got done and he handed each of us a few rounds of this new stuff called federal flight control. It was like shooting a laser beam... for everyone except me. The Hornady was still best in my gun. I spose I should get some critical defense and give it a whirl....

Mark

[jmevis]

This is interesting to me. A few years back I took a 1 day shotgun class from TN-popo I think. He suggested we bring some different types of ammo to profile what would work best in each of our guns. I searched the net high and low. If a brand sold 00 buck I got it. If the same brand offered 01 or 02 buck I got a box of
them as well. And if they offered it in 2.75" & 3" I added all those options as well. I must have shown up with at least 20 different kinds of buckshot and 10-12 different slugs.

After we ran through various drills he ask us to pick 1 or 2 of the best performers for some serious pattern testing. By then, Hornady Tap 00 light magnums was shooting head and shoulders above everything else out of my gun.

So everyone got done and he handed each of us a few rounds of this new stuff called federal flight control. It was like shooting a laser beam... for everyone except me. The Hornady was still best in my gun. I spose I should get some critical defense and give it a whirl....

Mark

So I just looked up that Ammo, the specs are pretty much identical. 8 pellets 1600 FPS and the VersaTite Wad. It also says law enforcement only on it. Id bet its the same round, Just stamped LE. 

 

This is the same with the Zombie Max ammo. Its a critical defense round, with green ink on the shell. (8 pellets 1600 FPS and the VersaTite Wad)

[dcloudy777]

Lol!!! I could just get my AR out you are absolutely right about that. And it would probably be a lot easier. I'm for sure much better with the AR. 

 

However, I don't want to limit my self to only knowing the limitations/effectiveness of one gun. Training and learning things like this are very valuable. I like to know what the limitations are of every tool I own, so that if I ever find my self in the situation where I don't have the preferred tool I'm not screwed over. I want use every thing I have to the best of it's ability, and not solely rely on one. 

 

Plenty of people cant afford an AR. Hell I boult my parents a mossberg 500 last year for christmas and it's their only gun. This post that was meant to be informative to others who may find value in it. 

 

I gotcha... just yanking various chains.  :pleased:

 

My shotgun is pretty far down the "depth chart" for social use, but it is there.  I actually like the Federal 000 2.75" 8-pellet load.  It patterns like a dream out of my gun.