Brister established that buffering tightens patterns. The best loads he tested were the old Winchester XX Mags, buffered and plated, carrying the "Luballoy" name.
Likely true. However, so does increasing choke constriction up to the fullest possible. I'd expect buffering to add a tad bit more choke effect to "fullest possible. If a buffered load was shot in a modified choke, a unbuffered load would shoot a matching pattern with about IM to full.
DDA
Don, there's something I'm not getting out of your last sentence. Do you mean the load without buffering would shoot the same pattern if you shot it through an IM or F choke, versus buffered through a modified? If so, I agree you could make up for the more expensive buffered load in a more open choke by shooting a less expensive unbuffered load in a tighter choke. The one place where you could no longer make up the difference, of course, would be a buffered load in a full choke, which will pattern extra full.
