Anyone still use buckshot for deer?

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abrink

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Moyock North Carolina but i go to VA a lot also.
It seems like everyone now is using slugs instead of buckshot. Where i live alot of people still use buckshot for most situations due to close ranges. This brings up another issue. With a full choke just how far can you push 00 buck?

Thanks guys. Looking forward to going hunting for the first time ever this season!
 
I'll provide a first hand account of penetration problems and, as best I can, a recollection of an indepth Field and Stream article circa 1980ish.

First, 13 years ago, I shot an old moss back typical 8 point; very thick bodied; an old deer. He was taken with a single .30-06 round. During skinning, we literally plucked 11 buckshot of 00 size just beneath his skin; some with the minimal of penetration into muscle. The sites were all over that beast: hind quarter, neck, both sides along the ribcage. What does that say? Not much, I concede, as no one can know from what ranges such shots were taken. It can only say that they were from different events and they were well healed.

The article I mentioned stated that beyond 50 yards, a 00 buck has all the knockdown power of a .22LR. I dunno; I'm not equipped to test such. But...I've taken just a few big southern deer (150 or so on hoof) within 50 yards, typically 25-35 yards; they all dropped dead in their tracks.

Hope this helps some. If you ever get to watch videos of slug hunts that show impact shots.....whew....impressive. The ballistic shock effect is unparalleled by any rifle bullet.

--Bryant
 
The problem with buckshot is that everyone knows its intended for close range work but when that deer is as close as its gonna get and its not close enough (less than 30 yards IMHO) some idiots pull the trigger anyway.
 
Some folks swear by 00 buck and other sizes. When I was younger and hunted with dogs I used 00 buck with dismal results. That was about 40 years ago and I understand that the mfgs. have improved on the patters on their buckshot loads. With the right choke, load and range I've heard of many deer cleanly taken under about 35 yds. I much prefer a rifle as I still don't trust buckshot.
 
Last season I wasn't doing much hunting so I loaned out my 12GA to a friend's father, 3 1/2" magnum 00buck, 26" barrel, choke was a Super Turkey Full the tightest I could find, at 60 yds, yes SIXTY YARDS, he nailed a buck in the heart/lung area dropped on the scene, out of 18 pellest 9 were found all fairly close to each other. IMHO buckshot is plenty enough for a deer if you kow what you're doing and you have the right rig.
 
40 yards or less. Pattern your gun to see what the different chokes/load combinations do.

We use shotguns with 00 when we are driving deer. Other than that we use rifles (or slugs)
 
MCGunner,

Ever hunted the thickets and thick woods of NC? Unless you're on the edge of a field here, rifles really don't offer much advantage. Our woods (central and eastern regions anyway) are so thick with briars and small underbrush that 50 yds is about all you can see in most cases. Add some movement to the animal and a rifle becomes pretty useless.

Not sure how the area of Texas you are in compares. Parts of it I've been to were flat and big so I can see where a shotgun would be next to useless.
 
No, but I've hunted East Texas. I'm a pretty decent shot on a running deer with a rifle out to 50 yards. I even enjoyed a good, fast .22 rifle for running rabbits when I was a kid and hunted 'em a lot. I'd be happier with a rifle than a shotgun, frankly, in any situation. I have still hunted, stand hunted, and spot and stalked. Texas doesn't allow hunting with dogs, though, and I have never worked with folks to drive 'em. I could see some utility in a shotgun for that up in the "big thicket" of east Texas, but I'm a rifleman at heart. Handgunning 'em is fun, too. :D
 
I shot two with the .454. I now use a .357. :uhoh:.

I just swapped barrels on my 870 and 11-87 in the last few weeks. My 870 had a riflesighted smoothbore slug barrel with fixed IC choke. I would stand hunt with it in the morning and then either swap barrels or guns for drive hunting late morning/early afternoon. Now I've got a riflesighted remchoke barrel so all I'll do is swap out for a mod or full choke from the rifled tube. (got to pattern it now). Did the same with my 11-87.

Trying to simplify the gear somewhat.

Having said all that I'll still do my best to take a deer or three with a .243 or .30-06 this year.
 
I know buckshot will work well in it's range, 30 yards of less, but in my opinion and this is just my opinion. Buckshot should not be used for hunting big game deer and above. To many people think they can make longer and longer shots with them.

I am glad some States have made it illegal to use buckshot.
 
The problem with buckshot is that everyone knows its intended for close range work but when that deer is as close as its gonna get and its not close enough (less than 30 yards IMHO) some idiots pull the trigger anyway.
Click to expand...

Ding! We have a winner. Keep your shots to 35 or *maybe* 40 yards, and use an xtra-full turkey choke, and make a good neck shot, and the deer will go down with 00 or 000 buck.
 
One word to the wise. A tighter choke does not always mean a better buckshot pattern. It depends on your load and the gun itself. Take some time and pattern your gun.
 
A hearty AMEN to .351's comment. I hunt with dogs, I have also been 'stuck' with having to use buck on many occasions due to lease agreements. Frankly, my honest observation is that it stinks. Oh, yeah, it'l kill, trouble is that the animal all too often gets way away and doesn't leave a blood trail whatever. I recall one exceptional buck that I hit hard TWO times, once in the full frontal chest area as he struggled to push his way thru heavy briars, and secondly broadside at no more than 25 yards. Both shots put that deer on the ground!...both times he got up and hit 'fifth gear!!! There was no blood trail, and he just kept going. Now that deer had several good hard driving Walkers on his ass, but to the day I depart this world I'll regret not grabbin' the auto rifle I had sitting in my truck when I first took that stand.

Neither hit was farther that 30 yards, and I'm sure that the deer died, it was just that buck is so ineffective a stopping round that he managed to keep going. The area was so thickly overgrown that recovery was impossible as the dogs quickly pick up other deer............

I still use that old A/5, but now it's got a Hasting's rifled tube stoked with sabots. I'd rather miss completly than re-do that event!
 
Dogrunner. . . .

Come on over here to Pender Co, NC and get these high strung fox walkers of mine. They'll catchem for ya. Ha
 
in my neck of the woods, buckshot is completely worthless. They just like to spray and pray with it, and it was normal to find a few pellets of buck in every deer i skinned. Quite often ive seen deer walking around with festering wounds from buckshot.

Ballistically speaking, a single pellet of buckshot has slightly more energy the a 32 SW Long at 30 yards. No one here would say that that is suitable for deer hunting, yet throwing 9 equivalent bullets down range at one moment in time is?
 
Well since my range is within 30 yards if i use 000 buck with either extra full or full choke I'll probably be fine right? Everyone around here uses buckshot and there's gotta be some reason for that. The woods are so thick around here that distances are short so i think everyone just wants a better chance of hitting the deer.

Thanks everyone for your help.
 
Use a rifled slug, better accuracy and a lot better choice in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Is it any harder to hit a deer with a slug than it is with buckshot? This is my first year ever hunting deer and I obviously don't want to miss. Is a 2 3/4 slug with a 1oz. projectile enough? I'll probably experiment this year with buckshot and slugs.
 
ive lost deer that i shot with 00buck at 30-40yrds. now if im going to be hunting thick stuff with limited visability i still grab the 12ga but i load it with slugs.

rottwiel are my personal favorite
 
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