Buckshot

rhombus

rhombus

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I was curious what any of your experiences were using buckshot for actual bucks. I've only ever harvested deer with a rifle, but after finally buying a non-tactical shotgun (870) I think I might make that my main gun for this season (hunting in Maine).

An old timer always told me to run two slugs, then fill the rest of your tube with buckshot in case you miss the first two and have to take a running shot. I was just curious, for any of you that may have bagged a deer with shot, was it a clean kill or did it wound and lead to a long track?

What size do you usually run? I've always used 00 when I do hunt with a shotgun, but I'm thinking of going to #4 after some experiments at slightly longer distances given to spacing between shots when you only have a few pellets.
 
I'd never use buckshot to shoot a deer. It's inhumane.

Use slugs instead. If you can't hit a deer with a slug, you shouldn't shoot at it.

If you you're thinking about using #4 on deer, you should probably not hunt.
 
Buckshot has been the load of choice in my years of hunting as all my seniors. Basically because 99% of all our hunting is in woods/heavy brush and almost always inside 50 yards.
A good vital zone hit with OO buck even one pellet should do the trick...

A known hunt in fields or along the edges of tree lines slugs are good.
If I where to get back into hunting I,would probably buy a savage 20g bolt action rifles barrel and shoot sabot rounds and increase my range and accuracy. ... for a shotgun only state anyway
 
Last edited:
rhombus said:
#4 Buckshot, not #4 Birdshot.

.24 caliber ~27 pellets

I have a few boxes I use for coyote hunting
Click to expand...

I can see on coyote but not deer... .240" ball vs .350" in 00 doesn't seem like much but it is.
I rather a 00 shot 20-50 yards than #4.....
What if any is the minimum shot size where you are hunting.

You also have to see what ammo does well in your shotgun.
My 870 with modified choke will shoot much tighter groups than my win1300.
 
mac1911 said:
I can see on coyote but not deer... .240" ball vs .350" in 00 doesn't seem like much but it is.
I rather a 00 shot 20-50 yards than #4.....
What if any is the minimum shot size where you are hunting.

You also have to see what ammo does well in your shotgun.
My 870 with modified choke will shoot much tighter groups than my win1300.
Click to expand...

As far as I know in Maine, the only restriction on hunting implement is for rifles, they must me a minimum of .22 magnum. I don't think they specify any restrictions for shotgun.
 
I grew up and do almost all my deer hunting in central NY where it is slug only.
In fact, in my home county, Tompkins, we are the only county left in the Finger Lakes that has not permitted rifle hunting.
(This is due to the county seat being Ithaca NY which is mega-moonbat central)

So, although I have no experience with buckshot, I don't know why someone would favor that option over slugs. Unless, you are hunting in dense brush and jump shooting your deer in close quarters...?

I've shot deer from 5 yds out to over 100 yds with slugs of many different types.
Thinking that 2 misses with slugs followed up by some buckshot is a good idea....?
If you are flailing away at a running deer and miss twice with slugs, by the time you get down to the shot isn't the deer going to be pretty far out there?
 
EddieCoyle said:
I'd never use buckshot to shoot a deer. It's inhumane.

Use slugs instead. If you can't hit a deer with a slug, you shouldn't shoot at it.

If you you're thinking about using #4 on deer, you should probably not hunt.
Click to expand...

Lots of wisdom there.

I used to hunt with an over/under with rifle sights mounted to the rib, in VT, for a woods gun.

000 buck (yup, 3 ought) in one barrel, sabot slug in the other. I only ever intended the buck for use under 50 feet (like in about 20 feet), and only for sudden shots at that. Everything else it was use a slug. Not recommended for most folks. You'd have to know the situation then.

As to #4 buck, when lead shot was legal for waterfowl, we used to use it hunt geese. I quit doing that after wounding a goose, with probably one pellet. Went to BB shot, now with steel, we use BBB shot. Yeah, most folks (including me) consider it very inhumane for deer.

These days, I sit and watch, too old and lame to stalk like I used to.

By the way, I use slightly reduced loads in a 458 Win Mag this year. Basically similar to a 45-90 lever gun with 300 grain bullets. Even though it's actually a bolt gun. I have used a 7.62x54R a bunch. Not a Mosin though, a PSL.
 
Used buckshot with great success and it was the go to choice where I deer hunted in Virginia. Key is to pattern your shotgun and don't exceed its effective range. I had better success with 000 than 00. I would not suggest smaller buckshot for deer. Within your effective range, it's a proven deer killer; extend it just a few yards past and it quickly becomes a crippler.
 
Buckshot is effective up to about 30 yards. A slug from a smoothbore slug barrel like a Brenneke slug is good out to about 50. A rifled barrel and a slug designed for rifled barrels can take you beyond 100 yards.

Use a slug. If you can't take a deer down with a giant of a bullet that makes a 3/4" + hole, you need to practice more. As for the "I load 1 slug, 1 buckshot, 1 slug..." or "2 slugs, then buckshot" theory, I've only heard that said by internet posters who aren't very familiar with hunting.

1 shot, 1 kill. Slugs give you an excellent opportunity to do that with a shotgun.

http://www.brennekeusa.com/cms/ko.html
 
EddieCoyle said:
I'd never use buckshot to shoot a deer. It's inhumane.

Use slugs instead. If you can't hit a deer with a slug, you shouldn't shoot at it.

If you you're thinking about using #4 on deer, you should probably not hunt.
Click to expand...

^ +1
 
Buckshot is dangerous. The group I hunt with doesn't have a lot of rules, but one is non-negotiable - no buckshot. There's no way of knowing who's in the line of fire, especially in heavy cover. A slug in the wrong direction can certainly kill, but it's one projectile, hopefully aimed at a visible target, not 27 pellets randomly sprayed at a white flag.
A deer season fatality that occurred years ago near the town where we were hunting was a farmer out feeding his animals. A 16-year-old kid let loose with #4, and a single pellet hit the guy just above his collarbone, puncturing an artery.
 
Woodstock said:
Buckshot is dangerous. The group I hunt with doesn't have a lot of rules, but one is non-negotiable - no buckshot. There's no way of knowing who's in the line of fire, especially in heavy cover. A slug in the wrong direction can certainly kill, but it's one projectile, hopefully aimed at a visible target, not 27 pellets randomly sprayed at a white flag.
A deer season fatality that occurred years ago near the town where we were hunting was a farmer out feeding his animals. A 16-year-old kid let loose with #4, and a single pellet hit the guy just above his collarbone, puncturing an artery.
Click to expand...

This is why buckshot is illegal for hunting in RI.

http://ripr.org/post/warwick-hunter-killed-buckshot
 
EddieCoyle said:
I'd never use buckshot to shoot a deer. It's inhumane.

Use slugs instead. If you can't hit a deer with a slug, you shouldn't shoot at it.

If you you're thinking about using #4 on deer, you should probably not hunt.
Click to expand...
THIS!!!!
 
When I hunted deer I used my BPS with a Buck Special barrel (smooth bore because MA didn't allow rifled then) with a 1X4 Leupold. Always used 2 3/4 slugs. Only one deer ran about 75 yards before dropping. All others dropped within 10 yards of where they were standing. All were taken under 75 yards.

At the range that combo killed antifreeze jugs filled with water at 100 yards. Would love to have a rifled barrel.
 
rhombus said:
I was curious what any of your experiences were using buckshot for actual bucks. I've only ever harvested deer with a rifle, but after finally buying a non-tactical shotgun (870) I think I might make that my main gun for this season (hunting in Maine).

An old timer always told me to run two slugs, then fill the rest of your tube with buckshot in case you miss the first two and have to take a running shot. I was just curious, for any of you that may have bagged a deer with shot, was it a clean kill or did it wound and lead to a long track?

What size do you usually run? I've always used 00 when I do hunt with a shotgun, but I'm thinking of going to #4 after some experiments at slightly longer distances given to spacing between shots when you only have a few pellets.
Click to expand...

If you miss twice at (presumably at a still target), what makes you think that a shot at a running target will be effective or ethical?



+
 
I've seen deer sadly limping through the woods after being wounded by people who shot them with buckshot. I believe that as hunters, we are obliged to use slugs.
 
I hunt every year with buck shot , including running deer. It works 00 3 1/2 buck shot. Especially in heavy cover

I've only had to track one deer. That was only 30 yards. I've had to track a deer that far after a double lung shot with a slug
 
My usual load out is 2 slugs, then custom 00buck short-shells. I can fit 5 more in there. If I can't make it then, I've got a pressurized flame thrower strapped to my back. It doesn't do a good job of even cooking and there's a slight off-taste to the meat, but it works. [rofl]

Another vote for skip-the-buck. We've come a long way in humane hunting in the last 100 or so years. Let's keep it that way.
 
Woodstock said:
Buckshot is dangerous. The group I hunt with doesn't have a lot of rules, but one is non-negotiable - no buckshot. There's no way of knowing who's in the line of fire, especially in heavy cover. A slug in the wrong direction can certainly kill, but it's one projectile
Click to expand...

Here's something you might want to try.......How about being 100% certain when it comes to what you're shooting at.

Yeah....with thinking like that, I'm happy I don't hunt with your group
 
Is a smoothbore with rifled slugs good to go for deer or will you be really limited on range? Unfortunately rifled barrels for my nova almost cost as much as the entire gun.
 

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