# "buck and ball" shotgun ammo
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buck-and-ball-shotgun-ammo/490913
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 26, 2009, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buck-and-ball-shotgun-ammo/490913 "2009-03-26T20:21:12Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2009, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buck-and-ball-shotgun-ammo/490913/1 "2009-03-26T20:21:12Z")
I understand they make buck-and-ball loads for shotguns (a single large ball, plus some buckshot), but most of what I could find via Google was historical references to smoothbore muskets. What I want to know is what the standard size/weight for the ball is, and if it varies with gauge.
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### Author:  [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2009, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buck-and-ball-shotgun-ammo/490913/2 "2009-03-26T21:02:48Z")
I’ve only seen it [retail](http://www.dkgtrading.com/centurion/cenbuck.html) in 12 gauge with a .65" ball and six #1 buck. There’s also a slug with six 00 buck [combo](http://www.ammunitiontogo.com/catalog1/product_info.php/pName/9rds-12-gauge-pit-bull-buckshot-slug-dual-load-ammo/cName/12-gauge-specialtyexotic). I’ve also seen double slug rounds and triple ball rounds for sale, all 12 ga.
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### Author:  [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2009, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buck-and-ball-shotgun-ammo/490913/3 "2009-03-26T21:34:08Z")
Not many manufacturers out there, and no real standard. Centurion apparently makes a shell with a .65 caliber round ball and 6 #1 buckshot; someone, not named where I read it, makes a shell with a 1.3 oz. slug and and 6 #00 buckshot.
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### Author:  [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2009, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buck-and-ball-shotgun-ammo/490913/4 "2009-03-27T02:10:18Z")
My interest was that buckshot comes in standardized sizes/weights, and slugs presumably match the gauge (bore) of the shotgun they’re for. So I was wondering what the rule for ball size was.
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### Author:  [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2009, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buck-and-ball-shotgun-ammo/490913/5 "2009-03-27T15:00:21Z")
You might want to ask [here](http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewforum.php?f=13), [here](http://thehighroad.org/forumdisplay.php?s=&f=15&page=1&pp=50&sort=lastpost&order=desc&daysprune=-1), or [here](http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=9).
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### Author:  [@Gbro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gbro)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2009, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buck-and-ball-shotgun-ammo/490913/6 "2009-03-28T03:00:46Z")
There is only one true magazine for anyone interested in the [history of Muzzleloading](http://www.muzzleloadermag.com/Back%20Issues/currentissue1.html)
This issue is available and this story is a very good one;
> [@](#):
>
> 9 Shooting the Bull Ol’ Tacky —Mike Nesbitt
Buck and ball would be a load that could be used for small game and big game universally. Sometimes when a hunter is after small game and comes across a deer or larger food item, he would load a ball on top of his shot load.
Yes this was largely done with the smoothbore musket and the ball would be .005" undersized of the barrel when a patch is not used. If it is tighter it would be very hard to seat the ball tight to the load. If a patch is used the ball may be .010"-.015" undersized depending on the thickness of the patch(lubed).