Mislabeled buckshot shells

[williejc]

I decided to pattern my new 590a1 with buckshot using my recently bought lot of Federal Tactical low recoil 00 buckshot. At 25 yards I fired one round at a big cardboard box and discovered one big round hole where there should have been eight small holes. I fired another round. Same result.
Then I stood on the bank of the adjacent river and fired three more rounds into the water at sixty yards. I observed one buckshot pattern and two slug hits. All shells were labeled as 00 buckshot. The next box of five showed five buckshot patterns.

I emailed Federal and will share their reply. Lot number is 5V-01QJ699.

[Ryno12]

Is the shell crimped at the end? Slugs are usually exposed. I wonder if the wad didn't open.

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[Leaveammoforme]

I was thinking 'wads' but sounds like a legit problem. Wow.

[williejc]

Shells are crimped on end. Definitely not a wad. Slug produced two cookie cutter round holes on front and back of box.

[Ryno12]

The wad can/will create slug-like holes. I've patterned my turkey gun at 50 yards & even though the wad was empty, it leaves a larger hole in close proximity to the pattern. If your wads didn't open, you essentially have one single projectile. I've seen it happen before. Not an entire box but one here or there, throughout the years.

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[williejc]

Yes, I've seen many hits of wad on paper over the years, but hole was always irregular. Here the acid test was firing into the river and seeing the big splash from the slug.

[williejc]

Federal requested that remaining rounds be returned to them, and today UPS picked up the package on their dime. They agreed to replace the ammo.

I doubt if I'll ever learn their findings.

They were really nice to deal with.

[williejc]

Today I got an explanation from Federal. The ammo that I returned was ok. They pointed out the same thing as did Ryno as a likely cause.

They gave me 10 more shells than I had bought. Their letter was courteous and professional.