It's mind boggling to me why Federal has ZERO 20ga Buckshot loads with FliteControl wads.

Im lookin at my ammo. 2 boxes stick out.
Attached File
Attached File

Nearly clones of each other in weight & speed.
Only one is standard wad and buckshot. The other Flite Control and birdshot.
Both use roughly over an ounce of shot @ 1100fps.

Come on Federal!  Get it together. It's ridiculous.

At first I was thinking “swear I’ve seen turkey loads with FC”.

Yes, they certainly need to expand their FC line, but I don’t think there’s really enough market to justify the expense of warehousing or distributing the loads. The market for 20ga #3 is nonexistent. Because of marketing, the only truly popular buck loads are 12ga 00 and #4, although #1 does seem to be coming into style with internet-backed demand in the last few years thanks to ballistics and pattern testing being shared online.

IMO 20ga buck is not really needed with FC (don’t take this as saying it shouldn’t be available or is inherently wrong). I’d wager most people using the subgauge with buck are doing so for HD, probably don’t even pattern their guns anyway, and are smaller shooters. FC isn’t necessary to make a 7yd shot across your house.

The only product line that comes to mind for actually making available odd size buck loads is Remington. Which who knows what the heck they’re going to actually make now, especially in this market. They were only basic loads at that. I think the recent dump of odd size R shells into the market was from the warehouse being unlocked after their bankruptcy/shutdown, or them burning up the last of their odd components to make room for more standard production of clay/dove, double aught, and slug loads. Of course anything will sell in this market, but this market demands the norm, for now.

Federal really needs to release the FC wad as a component, or even easier for their production lines, just sell one of the wad makers the rights and collect their royalties.

Why you no 12 gauge?

Alot of 20ga fans out there.   IMO 20ga will do nearly everything a 12ga will do with less weight and recoil. Only thing it really doesn't do well is waterfowl.
2 & 3Buck are the "standard" for 20ga so I'm not sure where the odd size comes from.
And as far as 7yd shot goes. Same arguement goes to 12ga.  Not all shootings take place in the home or are even for SD.  Buckshot is used in a lot of other venues. Predator hunting comes to mind.



My 20ga is under 6lbs. My 12ga 7+  less recoil, faster followup. plus I can carry more 20ga shells than 12ga shells of equal weight.  
All the same arguments people like with 5.56 vs 7.62x51.




I'm really a minimalist at heart. I can be content with just my 20ga & a 22lr for nearly all my firearm needs.  And I can get by with the buckshot load listed above.  It patterns well in my gun, FC would be better IMO. Then I could use a IC choke instead of a MOD and shoot slugs better.

I've written Federal just about every year on this.  Well over a decade now. Probably close to 2.

I don’t disagree with you about the usefulness of a 20. I’m guilty of frequently borrowing my wife’s 20ga youth model. Kills stuff just fine. However, the market is 12ga. Much the same that I’ve never seem #7 shot, the market doesn’t demand it. Also why, IMO, there’s not many varying loads in 20, when most average sportsmen use 12.

Sorry I’ve only ever seen #1B in 20, less the one time walmart had a couple boxes of #3B.

Predator loads seem to be #4B as well.

maybe a decade plus ago, there was a brief resurgence in HD loads for 20ga.  Thought it would take off again, 12ga is too much for most women and elderly.  20ga will do 95% of what a 12ga will do for home defense without barriers as a concern.

He does several hunts and reloading with 20 ga buckshot in videos.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnhZ4j12opJD0oDDbRGenxA


CD

The only 20Ga buck I can find in local stores is the federal 2 3/4” 3B. From my gun it throws large patterns. At household ranges it would be fine. But past 15 yards it won’t keep every pellet on a man sized torso target.

Brenneke KO slugs shoot great in my 20Ga.


So it’s slugs for deer hunting and #3 buck in the house

16ga even better. All the weight and handling benefits of a 20ga, but it knocks down stuff like a 12  - birdshot, buckshot, slugs. Doesn't matter.

Plus, you could actually find 16ga ammo on store shelves during the panic.

That guys videos have saved me and people I know, hundreds of hours of experimenting. And who knows how many dollars

Extending the effective range of buck is a deep and interesting (to some of us) pit.

I got some 20 ga. flight control wads years ago from a reloading buddy.
He said he bought them from a guy online taking them out of  rejected factory loads.
I can't find a name or contact information anywhere,  and I have been trying.
Those things with 18 #4 buck and 21 grains of Pro Reach threw beautiful patterns at 1,350 f.p.s.