Buffer For Steel Cartridges

[Smudger687]

Hello all

I'm sure this has been asked before, but what experiences have you had with shooting buffered steel carts? 

Instinctively I feel as though it should provide some benefit (albeit probably less than the benefit it would give for softer shot types). One of the areas I'd be somewhat concerned with is the additional stresses it could place on a choke tube - pellets ordinarily have some freedom of movement so can at least partially move to accommodate the extra force from being squeezed through a tight choke. With buffer though, I'm not sure...

Having also recently discovered that Winchester's Shot-Lok resin is in fact just a brand of polyurethane resin ("Smash-plastic", no less), I feel compelled to also ask if anyone has attempted to use any of these liquid resins either, and if so, how did they do?

[Dave at kelton]

Having patterned my 10 and 12 bores out to 60 yds without buffering loads I am satisfied it is not necessary. Be interested to here what experience people have had with it though.

[dipper]

Buffer is used to protect shot from distortion steel will not deform.

[Smudger687]

5 minutes ago, dipper said:

Buffer is used to protect shot from distortion steel will not deform.

Solway Gunner posted some pictures on another forum some time ago, showing the condition of fired wads using BBB steel both with and without buffer. Buffered wads were in substantially better condition, and he believed the patterns were superior too. 

It must have some effect, I'm just not sure as to the extent of it. 

[holloway]

Also use of buffer can hike the pressure up, with only small noted benefits.

[UK fowler]

If you are using light loads of small shot dont waist your time and money but bigger shot sizes can sometimes benefit from buffer and it can help even the pattern out on stubborn loads especially when you use a fixed choked gun this load would not pattern out of my browning until it was buffered then it shot around 90%at 40yds and fairly even  too 107 pellets in the load of copper plated B#

[6.5x55SE]

49 minutes ago, UK fowler said:

If you are using light loads of small shot dont waist your time and money but bigger shot sizes can sometimes benefit from buffer and it can help even the pattern out on stubborn loads especially when you use a fixed choked gun this load would not pattern out of my browning until it was buffered then it shot around 90%at 40yds and fairly even  too 107 pellets in the load of copper plated B#

Good to see you back 👍 looks a good pattern to me. I occasionally use buffer with steel B's even less with 2's but it definitely worked. Are you still getting amongst the Shep's Geese/Duck

[UK fowler]

5 minutes ago, 6.5x55SE said:

Good to see you back 👍 looks a good pattern to me. I occasionally use buffer with steel B's even less with 2's but it definitely worked. Are you still getting amongst the Shep's Geese/Duck

Cheers mate 👍had a little break got a bit tiered of the travelling if I'm honest 🦆

[Smudger687]

1 hour ago, UK fowler said:

If you are using light loads of small shot dont waist your time and money but bigger shot sizes can sometimes benefit from buffer and it can help even the pattern out on stubborn loads especially when you use a fixed choked gun this load would not pattern out of my browning until it was buffered then it shot around 90%at 40yds and fairly even  too 107 pellets in the load of copper plated B#

That's a nice pattern. 10 gauge with a Briley Light Full? Do you have a photo of the equivalent pattern without the buffer?

 

[6.5x55SE]

14 minutes ago, UK fowler said:

Cheers mate 👍had a little break got a bit tiered of the travelling if I'm honest 🦆

That's a shame to hear 🤞 you will get the bug back. I'm lucky in having a very keen young grandson who also drive's must admit my bags have dropped due to letting him have first crack. 

[UK fowler]

12 hours ago, Smudger687 said:

That's a nice pattern. 10 gauge with a Briley Light Full? Do you have a photo of the equivalent pattern without the buffer?

 

No that's a 12g 38gram load briley LF 107 B#shot  and no I dont have any pics of the un buffered load sorry this is quite a old pic that was saved on my pw attachments and it shoots so will iv not changed it .just checked the date on the photo 2014!  How time flies 🤔

Edited April 2, 2022 by UK fowler

[Smudger687]

10 hours ago, UK fowler said:

No that's a 12g 38gram load briley LF 107 B#shot  and no I dont have any pics of the un buffered load sorry this is quite a old pic that was saved on my pw attachments and it shoots so will iv not changed it .just checked the date on the photo 2014!  How time flies 🤔

That's a really nice pattern from a 12. Was it mix 47 you used?

[m greeny]

On 01/04/2022 at 19:47, UK fowler said:

If you are using light loads of small shot dont waist your time and money but bigger shot sizes can sometimes benefit from buffer and it can help even the pattern out on stubborn loads especially when you use a fixed choked gun this load would not pattern out of my browning until it was buffered then it shot around 90%at 40yds and fairly even  too 107 pellets in the load of copper plated B#

Very simalar results to my  load of unbuffered bbs through the briley light full in the 12. I got 91 out of 98 pellets in the 30 inch circle.. That choke and shell combo is deadly if I put it in the right spot.