Not really a “sale” or discount at $1.60/shell, but this has been extremely hard to find in recent years.
This is the 8pellet version (9pellet version seems to frequently have a flyer). At the time of this writing its only available by the box of 250 shells.
Would have likely jumped on this “deal” but I found another outfit with a small supply available a couple days ago. Will give it a try to see how my new shotgun likes it and then keep my eyes out for more if it does. I’m sure this batch will all be gone very shortly.
@Shamrock I’m hopeful this means there will be general availability for a while. This was unobtanium for a good while and even the 9pellet was hard to find.
LuckyGunner now has them available by the single box (5 shells)…
Thanks for that info! Definitely a better bargain by the case! Hope my shotgun likes them and that other dealers will be getting them in soon as well. They seem like the best option out there for keeping all the pellets on the target if you end up needing to reach out beyond home hallway distances.
Hopefully this means the murmurings about the #1 buck version coming back have some truth to them…
I would buy those if they make them again. Seems like the best balance between sufficient penetration to stop a threat and limiting the chances of over penetration at least compared to 00.
My closest neighbor is 50 yards away. It is the least likely direction I would end up having to shoot as all my shooting lanes are set up to avoid neighbors homes even though the rest of the homes in my neighborhood are over 100 yards away. But on the unlikely chance I had to shoot in that direction I suspect #1 buck would have a very hard time making it through an attacker, 3 to 5 layers of drywall, insulation, siding, 50 yards of open space and through their walls as well.
I hope so too. I am a passenger of the #1 Buck train. I have bought it when I could find it.
Another shotgun load I’ve liked the idea of is #4 buckshot, it’s what I used to keep back in the day when I was poor and in an apartment with a pump shotgun. Figure it to be the minimum of penetration that can be mostly relied on to stop an attacker, and there is decent balance between that minimum-ish of penetration combined with a ton of pellets.
Particularly the Federal 2 3/4" magnum, because it’s 34 pellet where the regular is 27 pellets so the magnum, with the higher payload, has lower velocity (same pellts) so even less penetration per pellet probably
But nobody I’m willing to buy from seems to have it right now
I keep reading mixed reports on #4 from people who seem to have solid knowledge. Some say it fairly reliably just meets the minimum penetration standards and others say it doesn’t reliably hit the 12” minimum. I suspect copper plated #4 penetrates more reliably than unplated? Though the plated probably goes through walls a little better too? I did read a bit ago about one test that showed that #4 and #1 went through about the same number of drywall layers. But I wasn’t able to find the actual test data or photos.
If I lived in an apartment or housing development with side by side walls I would definitely look into #4 buck as an option. Over penetration would be a significant concern in that setting. But where I live it seems like a more useful load for hitting problem coyotes or feral dogs on the run.
Yes sir, agreed. I stocked up on it too for a while. Lucky Gunner did a test years ago that indicated an issue with #4. It seems like the normal lead shot tended to flatten out. They recommended that one should use Flight Control or plated shot to resist the flattening tendancy. I thought I would pass that along to the group.
Yeah, good to know. Due to more faith in 00 plus availability, and no longer being in an apartment, I currently use an AR or a 12 gauge with either Hornady Critical Defense 00 or Federal LE 00/#1 that I still have but I’ll search that out before looking to buy more #4
Speaking of #1 Buck. 
Winchester Super-X Ammo 12 Ga 2-3/4 Buffered #1 Buckshot 16 Pellets (midwayusa.com)
Our Price:
$9.49
($1.90 per round)
Available
Ships 11/27/2023 from MidwayUSA
When will it arrive?
Made in USA
I think the Fiocchi is a mislabel on the Midway site. The UPC code and pellet count are for 00 buck.
I actually found some of the 00 Defence Dynamics for 60 cents/shell on another site. They seem well reviewed and should be very good at in home distances under 10 yards or so but they don’t have the flight control wad like the Federal or Hornady options for tighter patterns at longer ranges.
I’m hoping to get a chance to pattern them along with the flight control this week to see the differences at different ranges.
Fiocchi also makes an 8 pellet version that may pattern a little better but I haven’t found any cheap enough to try out yet.
O.K. I will delete it. Thanks.
It was still a good link to some affordable self defense buckshot. It’s Midway that needs to make the correction:)
The 60 cents/shell Fiochi Defense Dynamic 00 9 pellet I found was from Palmetto State Armory. Black Friday deal still ongoing it seems:
Too bad it’s Winchester.
I wouldn’t trust Winchester reliability for my video games
I ‘‘home roll’’ 6- 00 buck in a 2 3/4 ‘’ shell
they do not have any ‘‘flyers’’ and hit the target in pairs about an inch apart
@ 1330 fps … no other people around with in a half mile sooooooooo 
If you ever feel like experimenting… for science 
… can you see if there is a difference in the pattern between different number of pellets? I think it was a LuckyGunner video said he thought the 9th flyer was in the way the pellets were stacked in 9pellet vs 8pellet shells. So I’m not sure if its just an even vs odd thing, or if the quantity of pellets makes a difference.
