Buckshot for Game?
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The Deer Hunter
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I'm no expert on hunting with 00, but you cant go wrong with rifled slugs.
I know several people who have used buckshot on Black Bear, with excellent results.
I have always been fond of #1 and #4 buckshot....
Buckshot is a "woods" gun. Closer range, but it is excellent on deer, hogs and just about anything else that you see in the woods. It is not the right tool for coyote, as you would rarely if ever be close enough to use it. Any kind of small game would also have to be close and IF they were close would be blown to tarnation....
This is a guess, BUT most of the time I hear about buck shot doing poorly, I think that they may have not taken the range limitations seriously enough. If buckshot is used at anything approaching 50 yards, it's effectiveness drops considerably.
I have always been fond of #1 and #4 buckshot....
Buckshot is a "woods" gun. Closer range, but it is excellent on deer, hogs and just about anything else that you see in the woods. It is not the right tool for coyote, as you would rarely if ever be close enough to use it. Any kind of small game would also have to be close and IF they were close would be blown to tarnation....
This is a guess, BUT most of the time I hear about buck shot doing poorly, I think that they may have not taken the range limitations seriously enough. If buckshot is used at anything approaching 50 yards, it's effectiveness drops considerably.
I don't use much buckshot. Having patterned it I wouldn't shoot at a large animal like a deer with 00 buckshot much beyond 25 yards with a cylinder. Holes open up in patterns that hitting an area that will put an animal down becomes less certain.
My other issues with buckshot are that velocity drops off rapidly as does penetration. I've done penetration testing with buckshot and slugs and buckshot performed very poorly in comparison.
The one buckshot I will use is #4. At close ranges on small varmints there are enough pellets to present a reasonable pattern out to about 30 yards.
My other issues with buckshot are that velocity drops off rapidly as does penetration. I've done penetration testing with buckshot and slugs and buckshot performed very poorly in comparison.
The one buckshot I will use is #4. At close ranges on small varmints there are enough pellets to present a reasonable pattern out to about 30 yards.
Cocked & Locked
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Inside 30 yards it is very lethal. I deer hunt with a shotgun often and use 3" magnum 00. The important thing is to find a gun/choke/shot size that works well together with the shooter that must do his part.
34 paces, 3" 00, modified choke on this buck
34 paces, 3" 00, modified choke on this buck
Dave McCracken
Moderator In Memoriam
Nice buck, C&L.
I've never taken a deer with 00. I have gone out with that intent but saw nothing I wanted to shoot. When I did go,it was with a load and choke that were well tested in that 870.
And that,IMO, is the key. Buck, like other loads, has limits and when those limits are exceeded, things suffer.
And we do not want that to happen....
I've never taken a deer with 00. I have gone out with that intent but saw nothing I wanted to shoot. When I did go,it was with a load and choke that were well tested in that 870.
And that,IMO, is the key. Buck, like other loads, has limits and when those limits are exceeded, things suffer.
And we do not want that to happen....
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