A few days ago I picked up some Federal Vital Shok 00 Buckshot with Flitecontrol. Many seem to rave about it because of the incredibly tight patterns it produces.

I wanted to pattern this load in my trusty 12 year old 1187 Police. At 25 yards I was consistently getting 6" patterns! Pretty much one big 6" hole at center mass on the target, with very few flyers. And none of the flyers were more than 2" - 3" away from the big 6" hole. Just amazing stuff! I hear it holds tight out to 50 yards, and I believe it. I have never shot buckshot that patterns nearly this well. Not even close. Will all other Buckshot I have tried, at 25 yards the patterns were always well over a foot, more like like 18". Glad to see some modern developments in buckshot loads!

Federal also sells a Law Enforcement version with Flitecontrol. However the description and velocities for the Vital Shok and the LE load are exactly the same. And the prices are exactly the same (if you can find the LE load). I think it's a little marketing trick...same load, different boxes :)

They make a low recoil self defense load with Flitecontrol as well. It's rated to 1145 fps. The Vital Shok/LE load is rated to 1325 fps. Since I have a gas gun and the recoil is marginal with the full powered load, I see no reason to use the low recoil load in my 1187P. But if I relied on a pump shotgun for defense, I would probably go with the low recoil load with Flitecontrol for faster follow-up shots.

Thanks for the review. I'll have to check it out.

How long a barrel does your shotgun have?

Barrel length?

11-87 Police with 18" barrel. The barrel is a fixed improved cylinder.

I agree, the flightcontrol wad is utterly amazing.  I had a chance to shoot some in a class this summer out of an SBS with a 14" barrel.  Was making one ragged hole at 20 yards out of that SBS with the flightcontrol.  Standard buckshot was getting 1 maybe 2 pellets on paper at 20 yards.  Stuff is the best shot I have ever seen.

That pretty much sums it up. Best buckshot I ever shot.

Definitely great stuff.  I completely agree that the LE and civilian versions are the same product, just different packaging.

Just to be complete, there is a low recoil version in LE as well.  Guess there are still a lot of cruisers out there with pump shotguns.  

my dept. issue Mossberg 590A1 14" bbl/GRS  will keep all 8 pellets of the Federal LE133 (its the low recoil, 8-pellet version of the load you are talking about)on an IALEFI-Q target at 40 yds.

Inside of about 20 yds., it is one fist sized hole in the target - I agree it is amazing.

It's amazing stuff.  I use the low recoil LE version as my HD load in my Mossberg 500 Mariner.  Patterns are half the size of those shot with the cheap Remington 00 from Walmart.

I think the stuff is available here for $3.29 per box of 5 rounds.

http://www.hendersondefense.com/store/pc/Federal-Tactical-LE-Buckshot-4p157.htm

We issue the 8-pellet version at work as well.

Just shot this stuff for the first time today.  All I can say is HOLY SHIT!  I could hardly believe the difference.  This stuff really does work.

I have a good supply of the 127-00 and the 132-00 tact loads as well as the 9 pellet vital shock .
They all pattern 4-5 inches at 20 yards with an 18.5" I C barrel . Which is great outside , but at
across the room range it's basically a slug . Not that a slug is a bad thing , but it requires more
accurate shot placement . Which is something that's not likely to happen in a grab and shoot HD
situation .

Half the reason I choose buckshot for the bedside shotgun is because I want 8-10 pellets in 5-6"
group at 5 yards . So after testing about 20 flavors of 00 buck I settled on Fiocchi nickle plated 2.75
00 buck because from my 930 SPX it's almost a perfect 1" per yard spread out to 10 yards . For me
this is ideal performance with that gun and my homes layout .

I still like the flight control loads and have good use for them . I just found that it wasn't across my bedroom
at 0 dark thirty .