[RSVP2RIP]

Is this really an option or is there no possible way this can be done? I know 100 yards is out of the question, but is 25 yards gilding the lilly?

[DaleCooper51]

Providing you do your part, a load of buckshot will do the job on a whitetail at 25 yards. Just make sure it is legal in your state. In PA, aside from a few special zones, slugs are required.

[tribbles]

I'd think so - I mean, it's called 'buck' shot for a reason.

[scratcherky]

I have killed many deer with buckshot at 50 yards.

[JShirley]

Hey, I am very vocally much more a fan of slug than buck for both deer and self-defense. Much of this is due to controllability: I can take an ethical shot at deer at 50 meters with a slug. I will NOT do so with buck. I also only have a single, more accurate projectile to control.

But even I am 100% certain that any deer hit well with 0 or larger buckshot at 25 meters or less will be down.

John

[dfariswheel]

Most experts say that about 40 yards is the limit for effective use with buck shot on deer or humans.

The classic for deer is the 00 buck where its legal.
30 to 35 yards and as long as you get a well-aimed hit it'll definitely do the job.

[f4t9r]

It can be done and has been done.

[C-grunt]

My old team leader shot a buck in his back yard using 00 buck. It worked but the spread messed up a lot of meat and broke an antler.

[CajunBass]

I've killed more than one deer with buckshot at ranges from almost muzzle touching to 50 yards or so. I never had but one, one shot kill, but I don't recall but one that took more than two, either.

I used 3" Number 1 buckshot to kill all but one of those deer. That one was a 2 3/4" "short magnum" Number 1. I always felt that Number 1 gave the best compromise between pellet size and pellet count. Modified was/is my choke of choice for a buckshot gun.

A lot of guys I hunted with used 000. I never personally killed a deer with it, but the ones I've seen killed with 000 went down like they'd been hit by lightening. That stuff breaks bones like matchsticks.

For some reason 00 wasn't very popular with the group I hunted with so I can't comment on it. I don't remember ever hearing but one person say they used 00. It worked.

[cottonmouth]

50 yards is very doable, what you need to question is will your gun patern it well enough to use it. Get some cardboard and try diffrent loads at 25 yards and see what you come up with, a mod. or full should do depending on the load. OO will usualy shoot better out of a mod. no.4 buck might do better out of a full.

J.B.

[Fred Fuller]

Pattern your gun and load... the 870 on my side of the bed, with an old factory 18" Police CYL bore barrel, will put 9-pellet Federal LE127-00 into 4" at 25 yards. That FliteControl Wad is amazing. And at 25 yards the penetration is still there too.

But only you and the patterning paper can answer that question for your shotgun and your load...

lpl

[RSVP2RIP]

My gun keeps all the pelets from Fed's 1B standard load into an 8" circle at 25 yards. 35 yards might be my limit n range. Where I hunt in Ontario, it is legal and the farthest shot I took at a deer was a fluke at 65 yards. Only reason for that is he stopped and stood on a game trail after running from me. Most shot are around 30 yards, one was at 10 with a 338 Mag! Funny how that was the only deer I shot that didn't go down on the first shot. We hunt for partridge sometimes before and after lunch where we make a fire and since I got the shotgun anyways I was wondering if I had a load of buck I could nock the head of a partridge and take a deer if I ran into a good one. We usually use rifles on the partridge and shoot the heads off. They don't fly until you are on top of them, you would only get about 3 seconds to take a wing shot because it is usually so thick the barrel will hit something, so we ground pot them. If you think that isn't very sporting with a rifle, then I suggest you try it in the sunset country of Ontario. It isn't illegal there to do that, I can reliably hit them in the head with the shot wad when using a shotgun they are so close. So why not use a load of 1B?

[.45Guy]

As has already been stated, if it patterns well enough 25 yards is more than doable. FWIW, Remington 000 works wonders on Ohio white tails.

[bowman1962]

A lot of guys I hunted with used 000. I never personally killed a deer with it, but the ones I've seen killed with 000 went down like they'd been hit by lightening. That stuff breaks bones like matchsticks.

000 buck will not only drop them like lightening but will also kill another one standing the other side of him 60 paces down the trail ! Don't ask me how I know this but it's a fact.

[DrLaw]

RSVP,

Hope you are not planning on doing that in Illinois. We are strictly slugs for shotguns. No buckshot allowed.

The Doc is out now. :cool:

[RSVP2RIP]

Never hunted for deer in Illinois as for untill recently I lived in Lake co. wher the only thing that could be used was a bow for some god-forsaken reason.

[.45Guy]

DrLaw, do they have special provisions in IL for nuisance tags? Ohio is slug only, but we're allowed to use anything on the farm. Of course we have the best Game Warden I've ever met in this county.

[benatilstate]

Do your part, check the pattern and the shot will do fine at 25 yards.

I did some deer hunting with dogs (legal in SC, lets not get into the ethics, etc of it. More pest control with a social aspect then anything as it took place on a USMC air station. F/A-18 at full afterburner for takeoff + deer does not equal anything good) and managed a clean miss at less than 20yards and 2 DRT (35ish and 12ish yards) deer. Go figure. I think I had too much time to think on the one I missed, the others were running.

[PJR]

Pattern the shells at 25 yards and determine if the results are sufficient for a deer. I don't like buckshot for deer and will use a slug unless prohibited by local regulations.

I would not shoot buckshot at a deer further than 30 yards.

[RSVP2RIP]

45Guy

Illinois doesn't have a special nuisance tags that I'm aware of. The game laws are stupidly written though. It is ok to use any firearm with any capacity magazine in any cartridge to hunt coyotes, except a shotgun loaded with a slug. The only centerfire long arm you can use on deer is a shotgun loaded with a slug. Dumb.

Forgot to mention you can hunt coyotes at night with night vision, but not use an electronic call because that is unfair to the coyote!

[RMc]

The proper use of buckshot is not spray and pray!

Pattern testing with buckshot is as important for shotguns as sighting-in is with a rifle!

The last deer I killed with small buckshot, in this case 00B (.33/54 grain), was with a running shot at 40 yards. My shotgun consistently placed 12 pellets into an 18-20 inch pattern at that distance. I intentionally swung the bead just ahead and below the head of the running deer. The 6 pellet strike in the head, neck and front edge of the body sent the deer head over heels - dead right there.

A deliberate shot, with a well tested firearm and load, is not spray and pray.

Today, with 3 pellet/.60 caliber Tri-Ball buckshot, I deliberately target the shoulder. Again with a well tested firearm and load, I would not hesitate to take 50 yard shots with Tri-Ball Buckshot and would expect a DRT or at worst a very strong blood trail leading directly to my kill.

Taking shots beyond the tested sure range of buckshot, slug, handgun, rifle or shooter ability is completely unethical.

[Tom Held]

Farmers in Illinois (and most states) can request a DNR manager to inspect their crops for deer damange. If approved they are issued any number of tags from 5 up to 50 or more to control deer crop damage in their fields. last year when the Illinois River breached the levies and forced deer from the refuges into soy bean fields they devastated crops. These are deer that never are hunted and it was an opportunity to do herd thinning. I know farmers that killed 3o to 40 deer out of a single field with small centerfire rifles (22-250s, 243s).

[DRYHUMOR]

Providing you pattern your load, use a tight choke, buckshot is good out to 50 yds. Up to 25 neck and shoulder aiming points, past that neck aiming point. 00 buck would be the way to go if you expect a 25 plus yd shot, 0 buck out to 25. Stack the amount of pellets in your favor that way. 000 buck has too few pellets for my liking.

I won't comment on the farthest distance I killed a deer with buckshot, but lets say I wouldn't make a shot like that again. One pellet, in the neck, hitting the spine.

[Tom Held]

I'm a little confused (typical for me) but with scoped rifle shotguns accurate now out to 200 plus yards why even bother with buckshot? Taking a shot at a big running 250-300 pound buck even at 40 yards probably means a gut shot deer that will keep going for miles. Illinois whitetails are big and tough deer. In Maryland we can use buckshot for Sika deer which hang out in the eastern shore swamps and cattails which normally means hunting in hipboots. But a big one might onlyweight 50 pounds.

[Nicodemus38]

buckshot is not ethical for animals. the spread really kills any real ability to aim, and the nature of the projectile is to loose energy fast and that isnt good for damage to the target animals vitals if it cant get through the rib cage.

you can go online and order a few boxes of shotgun slugs that will deliver full power and velocity, and be accurate, and actualy be easier to shoot then buckshot for the same price.

[PJR]

buckshot is not ethical for animals. the spread really kills any real ability to aim, and the nature of the projectile is to loose energy fast and that isnt good for damage to the target animals vitals if it cant get through the rib cage.
Depends on the animal and the distance but I also prefer slugs for deer hunting.

[Arkansas Paul]

I'm another one who doesn't like buckshot for deer hunting. There sure has been a lot killed with it though. I've also seen a lot wounded and never recovered when shot with buckshot, but that's the fault of the shooter either for trying too long a shot or not taking their time. I personally don't think buckshot should be legal for hunting deer, and I know that's going to get me flamed, but it's my opinion.

[FullEffect1911]

As a disclaimer, I am not a hunter and as such don't know the ins and outs of it. I always wanted to hunt but just never got myself up to do it.

Anyway, what would be the typical spot to aim at a deer when using buckshot? Standard behind the front shoulder into the vitals or aim for the head? This of course assumes you are in range and know what your patterns will do.

I live in PA so buckshot wouldn't happen for me, I am just curious.

[AcceptableUserName]

Buckshot kills, period.

[Snarlingiron]

I have never hunted deer with a shotgun. Here in Texas it is legal with shot or slugs. With all that said I have hunted the Gus Engling Wildlife Management Area quite a bit. When they give the orientation talk they always request that if you are hunting with a shotgun that you use slugs. I asked the biologist in charge why and he said that they just experienced too many wounded animals when hunters use buckshot.

I don't see that as an indictment of the use of buckshot, but more the result of a lot of inexperienced hunters trying to take Bambi at 100 yards with buckshot.

[AcceptableUserName]

As a disclaimer, I am not a hunter and as such don't know the ins and outs of it. I always wanted to hunt but just never got myself up to do it.

Anyway, what would be the typical spot to aim at a deer when using buckshot? Standard behind the front shoulder into the vitals or aim for the head? This of course assumes you are in range and know what your patterns will do.

I live in PA so buckshot wouldn't happen for me, I am just curious.

My father claims to have hit a deer with what he thinks was one single pellet from a load of 12 gauge 2 3/4" 00 buck and broke its back killing it from what he says was 50-60 yards out. He was using an old long barrelled 870 with a choke (not sure, definitely wasn't cylinder bore though) I'm inclined to believe him. As mentioned before, it's called buckshot for a reason. Obviously do not aim for the head if you want to mount the animal. Some may advocate a shot to the vitals or nothing. but under 25 yards if you're hitting even slightly center mass, most things will be deader than a doornail.

[RMc]

Gentlemen:

We are in the Golden Age of Buckshot Performance. If your gun/load combination will not -at minimum- put the entire charge of buckshot on a paperplate (9 inches) at 25 yards then change loads/chokes until it does!

While there are many poor patterning buckshot loads on the market, there is no need to accept 19th century performance from your shotgun - unless that is what you want!

RMc

[CajunBass]

Anyway, what would be the typical spot to aim at a deer when using buckshot?

I've always used the neck/body junction. If not there, just behind the shoulder, slightly low.

I'm a little confused (typical for me) but with scoped rifle shotguns accurate now out to 200 plus yards why even bother with buckshot?

In a lot of cases, it's the only legal load. There are probably just as many areas that outlaw slugs and rifles as there are that outlaw buckshot. Maybe more. Around here it's on a county by county basis usually. Generally buckshot is thought of as safer than the longer ranged rifle/slug, especially in the more crowded, flatter eastern parts of the state.

Another reason, at least the areas where I've hunted is something longer ranged simply isn't needed. In thick woods, cut over areas, swamps, and such, 50 yards is a LONG shot. Most deer hunting is with dogs and the deer are moving quickly at times. Standers are close together, 100 yards or so apart, sometimes closer depending on the size of the area, and the number of standers.

Although most hunters I know these days have a designated "buckshot gun" at one time, not long ago, it was common for people to hunt deer today with the same gun they used for ducks yesterday and will use for rabbits tomorrow, changing only the ammo. It's not unheard of today either of course.

[RMc]

Most bad buckshot stories you hear are from unpatterned shotguns at excessive range.

Also known as:

Operator error: Failure to test equipment!

[BushyGuy]

i wouldnt use buckshot for deer hunting past 30 yards even with a full choke tube. i would opt for the rifled slugs with high viz sights on the shotgun your good out to 100-150 yards depending on the size of the shell .

3.5" Super Magnum Slug is good out to 150 yards
3 " and 2-3/4 Slug is good out to 100 yards .