whats the deer hunting range for 12ga 00 buckshot?

I went throught a similar process while deciding what loads to use for coyote hunting. What I heard, was that a full choke would actually cause shot deformation with 00Buck, so a Modified or IC choke might actually pattern tighter.

As to range, most people say 40 yards max, and with a 28" barrel and a Modified choke, I would feel confident, at least for coyotes. I have never hunted deer with buckshot though, so for the animals sake, I would shorten that down to 30 yards.

I would say bow hunting ranges with 00 buckshot from a 12 ga shotgun or about 40 yds max. Pattern your shot gun on paper at different ranges to see what kind of spread the shot has to help make up your mind.

Why don't you use Foster slugs? Your range would be lengthened and the killing power would also be increased.

Slugs are definitely the way to go. They will shoot like a rifle with a slug barrel. W/O a designated barrel they will still do great. I load a slug and then a OO in case there are other targets. 3" mags pack a wallop to your shoulder so hold 'er tight. Shot one left handed while aiming almost straight down and it kicked me well. Blacked my eye, bloodied my nose, and busted my lip. On top of that I missed the buck because I was trying a head shot. Just shot holes through his ears.

The trick with any load, including buckshot, is to experiment. Try 2 3/4" & 3" loads. Try with different chokes. One combination will pattern tight groups out to 40 or 50 yards. And by tight group, I mean more than half of the buckshot land on a volley-ball size circle. And 000 buck shoots better in some shotguns. So try some out. Good luck.

can a full choke be used safely with 00 buckshot

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There is no danger in shooting slugs or buckshot in a full choke.

However, as has been pointed out, you may very likely get better buckshot patterns with a more open choke.

2 3/4" shells have way less range than 3" 00 buckshot shells?

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Way less Max range? No, certainly not Way less.
It all depends on how you gun patterns each shell length.
In some guns, it may be 10 yards more. In others it might be the same distance.

Buy a pack of paper dinner plates and go test some loads and chokes.
Whatever range the load/choke combination will keep all 9 or 12 pellets inside the paper plate is the max effective range for deer.

But I agree, Forster type rifled slugs in a smooth-bore barrel will increase that range maybe twofold over buckshot. It should be no big trick to keep all the slugs on a paper plate at 60+ yards.

I will also caution you that 3" Mag buckshot will quickly have you flinching so bad from the recoil you could easily miss a deer entirely!
Most folks will shoot far better with 2 3/4" loads.

rc

2 3/4" & 3" 00 or 000 buckshot usually use the same amount of gun powder. This allows the 2 3/4" load to shoot faster speeds due to the lighter weight in shot.

Never tried a mod. choke, my berrels were all fixed and full but like able said try different brands and both 2 3/4 and 3" sheels. I would also try 1 buck. I never got a good pattern out of 0,00,or the new at the time 000. Always 1 buck . shotgun loads should be max loads for powder and will be same in both 2 3/4 and 3" just a wieght and count difference in shot and a change in pattern. Not all barrels have a likeing for the same loads and may not shoot any well . Find a big dumby to help with the bench shooting,sore shoulder a come'n. Good luck

Decades ago I sometimes carried a shotgun loaded with 00 or no. 1 buck. I shot 2 deer that I could have cleanly killed with a .22 rifle (head shot). Both deer ran off and I was able to find 1. The distances were about 25 yards - maybe 30. I have not hunted with buckshot since.

Recentely I heard some guys in the local gs talking about the new Federal buckshot loads. The patterns they were getting was scary, but I will never used buckshot on deer again.

I have zero experience with 12 gauge buckshot. But 16 gauge 0 buckshot is a different matter Full choke produces 7 pellets within a 6 inch circle at 20 yards. This will topple a deer.

TR

People think a shotgun can be just more or less pointed and take a deer down. At 25 or 30 yards you have might have to really know how your shotgun shots or you could simply miss. You can with a long barrel shoot at some longer distance than most beleave and still throw a reasonably tight groups. Just got to spend the time behind the gun. Oh with todays add on sites it should be easier than a brass bead. With some guns and your best load you had to cover the deer with the barrel to make up for the way the gun shoots.

I shot few with 00, from 10 to 30 yards, where I hunt it's normal distance I even used 270 once at 30 yards the bullet never had a chance to expand then I had to track him for 100 yards the exit wound was the size of the quarter that's with both lungs and some liver scratched, after that I use slugs with my rem 870 and scope, head shot with the slug and you don't have to track em...

I would recommend patterning your gun. My guns have all done better with modified choke. As far as range, I agree with others that have suggested "bow hunting range" for buckshot.

I have killed a couple of deer out to nearly 40 yards, but that was at very edge of my comfort zone. Most deer I have killed have been 25 yards or closer, and none have ever taken a step after being hit.

We used to run deer with dogs a lot when I was a young man. In my experience I'd agree with 40 yards being the max.

I agree with the 40 yd max people above have said. I took a shotgun out once and patterned it with all kinds of buckshot loads and chokes, and in that gun I had the best patterns with #1 3" magnum in a full choke. Since then I have killed a lot of deer with that shotgun and load/choke. All within 40 yards.

using 3" shells over 2 3/4" will not increase your range, just increases the # of pellets.

hunting deer with buckshoot is cruel and inhumane, its actually illegal in most states.

Not here, it's even required for hunting deer in many state parks. JT

My one experience with buckshot on a medium sized Arkansas buck at a range of less than 10 yards was so poor I'll never use the stuff on deer again.

IME shot from a shotgun is the most worthless stuff out there for deer hunting, I'd rather see folks using a .22lr. Shot is for birds and small game it has no place in the deer woods

hunting deer with buckshoot is cruel and inhumane, its actually illegal in most states.

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IME shot from a shotgun is the most worthless stuff out there for deer hunting, I'd rather see folks using a .22lr. Shot is for birds and small game it has no place in the deer woods

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Lets not get ridiculous. It's not my prefered thing to use on deer either but if you respect it's range limitations (which most people don't) and if you pattern it to find the best ammo/choke combo from your gun (which most people don't) then it will give good service at the limited range it should be used.

It's always been strange to me that many of the same people that will spend hours and hours on multiple days test patterning chokes and various shells for turkey hunting will often hit the woods with a shotgun and buckshot having never fired it a single time to see how it holds a pattern.

A buddy of mine back in the day had a shotgun that would put every pellet from a 3 inch number 1 buckshot in the bottem of an oil case box at 40 yards. At 40 yards and under it was wicked lethal on deer. My shotgun wasn't quite that good but I killed a lot of deer with number 1 buckshot as well.

Lets not get ridiculous. It's not my prefered thing to use on deer either but if you respect it's range limitations (which most people don't) and if you pattern it to find the best ammo/choke combo from your gun (which most people don't) then it will give good service at the limited range it should be used.

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When you give a deer a full load of the stuff at spitting distance and it gets up and runs off making a several hundred yard near bloodless track and a very steep recovery that takes a couple hours you begun to suspect it's limited range is 0.0feet. If you can hit it with buckshot you can for darn sure hit it with a slug, just use the slug then

When you give a deer a full load of the stuff at spitting distance and it gets up and runs off making a several hundred yard near bloodless track and a very steep recovery that takes a couple hours you begun to suspect it's limited range is 0.0feet. If you can hit it with buckshot you can for darn sure hit it with a slug, just use the slug then

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I've shot a good many deer with the same 870 express, same full choke, same load, and almost all of them dropped like they were hit with the hammer of Thor. The two that went anywhere at all didn't go more than 30 yards. One of those was a 40-50 yard shot. I have never lost a deer with it.

On the other hand, I have never lost a deer I shot with a rifle either, but the huge majority I've shot with a rifle did run off at least a little ways - some more than 100 yards.

I've shot a good many deer with the same 870 express, same full choke, same load, and almost all of them dropped like they were hit with the hammer of Thor.

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As did this one.....after which it promptly jumped up and ran off as if it was on fire


To you buckshot fans; What EXACTLY does buckshot do inside it's range better than a slug?

As did this one.....after which it promptly jumped up and ran off as if it was on fire

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Hey I'm being honest. I've had two do that to me. One went about 30 to 40 yards and left a gallon of blood on the way. One ran into a shallow slough. I don't know if he left any blood, because he was laying 30 yards out in the water from where he was when I shot him.

To you buckshot fans; What EXACTLY does buckshot do inside it's range better than a slug?

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Hit deer that are running past you wide open. Swing to the tip of their nose, pull trigger and watch them cartwheel.

I spent most of my youth hunting deer with dogs.

So you're saying you have these tight patterning buckshot guns that you can hit a running deer with but you can't do it with a slug

So you're saying you have these tight patterning buckshot guns that you can hit a running deer with but you can't do it with a slug

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No, I'm saying I have a beat up 870 that will lay them down with a full choke tube and 3" number one buck. I've never hunted with slugs or even shot them much. I have rifles. I don't shoot at running deer much anymore. Last year I deer hunted 1 afternoon for 1 hour and killed 1 deer that was standing still 20 yards away.

I'm just saying that buckshot has always been extremely effective for me. I usually hunt in places where there are ridiculous numbers of deer, and the woods are generally thick and swampy. YMMV.