buck shot for hunting

[jamaldog87]

how good are buck shot for hunting and what can you hunt with it? i used to use 3' buckshot loads for hog hunting at close range with my noble. I also used it sometimes on coyotes when i could get a shot.

[SHOOTALL]

we hunt deer with it . We have guns that are good for over 50 yards with matched loads .

[John R.]

It's ok for close range, but I've tracked to many buckshot deer and not found them for me to use it anymore. My rifle kills em from muzzle to 300 yds.

[SHOOTALL]

we either use buckshot or don't hunt in some locations .

[30-30man]

A lot of people complain about buckshot.  I hunt with 00 3" 12ga when we run dogs.  I've never had to track one.  It kills them pretty quick.  I've tried the 3.5" shells but they hurt like no other and only offer three to four more pellets, I've only bought one box and I only shot two.  They are kickers.  My largest deer was taken with 00 2.75 PMC buck shot.  The shot was taken at about 30 yards.  These shells had no shot cup and were only .99 cents a box on clearance.  It was a 210 pound 10pt that feel right on the spot. That is a heavy deer for South Carolina.  Our deer just don't get as big as other fellows are use to up North. I just drove down to the turkey pen one day and decided to bring my Remington 870. I shot the deer as I climbed out of the truck. The old deer had it's head poked through the screen on one of my buildings.  He was eating the scratch feed the feeders throw out. Even the most crappiest buckshot will still drop them, just use common sense.

[jamaldog87]

i got to think about this post after a read something in G&A about buck shot hunting in the swamps of south America. he killed both a deer and Capybara with a side by side 12ga. i used buck shot for 2 reasons, one it cost less then a slug and 2. my gun had a full coke only.

[SHOOTALL]

most foster slugs go thru a full choke , no one wants that liability these days . have bbl miked along with slug .

[charles p]

I've got an old 1100 with a 3' chamber in 30" full choke.  No telling how many buckshot have been through this gun.  Killed quite a few deer with it.  Once I killed two with one shot.  I've taken deer out to 75 yds but inside of 50 yds, it is deadly with 000 or 00 buckshot.

I stopped dog hunting about 20 years ago so now it is my turkey gun.  Once I paddled a boat with it.

[Wynn]

A lot of areas are shotgun only. Buckshot is the preferred load when running dogs. I have taken quite a few deer and hogs both running with dogs and still hunting with buckshot. Never lost one. My new to me Benelli Super Blackhawk handles the 3.5 00 loads out to 60 yds and though the recoil is stout, I hardly notice when shooting at game.

[kix]

  Hello all. I almost fell off my chair when I read of your success with buck because in my limited experience buck should be relegated to humans only. Many,many years ago my cousin and I hunted a government facility that mandated shotgun only. We were cruising a ranch road when a smallish doe burst out and ran parallel to the road; gunning the 1974 Maverick we were soon neck and neck until it tried to go under a fence and got momentarily hung, giving my cousin time to whip up his 2&3/4" 1100 and cut loose w/3 rounds of OO. Never found blood much less the deer;this at a range of 20ft. from a stopped vehicle. As I recall the gun had a Mod. barrel. And please don't give me any grief about this scenario; we were blood-thirsty kids back then. Fast forward 35 yrs. with me holding a red-lens spotlight and a 125#hog under the feeder. The same cousin fires 4 rounds in a nano second (he's pretty fast) with the same load (OO) but different 1100 at a range of about 15 yds, again a Mod. choke. Never found a thing. That hog is now known as "Buckshot Blackie" and is much feared (lol) cause he's probably pretty mad. The only deer I ever got on the gov.place was a spike,shot with a Win. 1200,OO, and a 20"rifle sight barrel. At about 10 yds. I had pellets from his rear hoof to his jaw but thankfully he dropped. Obviously you guys are experts with buck (and I mean that) but I just wanted to relate my experience with the stuff. Kix

[SHOOTALL]

maybe your cousin should take shooting lessons .

[Oldshooter]

  Hello all. I almost fell off my chair when I read of your success with buck because in my limited experience buck should be relegated to humans only. Many,many years ago my cousin and I hunted a government facility that mandated shotgun only. We were cruising a ranch road when a smallish doe burst out and ran parallel to the road; gunning the 1974 Maverick we were soon neck and neck until it tried to go under a fence and got momentarily hung, giving my cousin time to whip up his 2&3/4" 1100 and cut loose w/3 rounds of OO. Never found blood much less the deer;this at a range of 20ft. from a stopped vehicle. As I recall the gun had a Mod. barrel. And please don't give me any grief about this scenario; we were blood-thirsty kids back then. Fast forward 35 yrs. with me holding a red-lens spotlight and a 125#hog under the feeder. The same cousin fires 4 rounds in a nano second (he's pretty fast) with the same load (OO) but different 1100 at a range of about 15 yds, again a Mod. choke. Never found a thing. That hog is now known as "Buckshot Blackie" and is much feared (lol) cause he's probably pretty mad. The only deer I ever got on the gov.place was a spike,shot with a Win. 1200,OO, and a 20"rifle sight barrel. At about 10 yds. I had pellets from his rear hoof to his jaw but thankfully he dropped. Obviously you guys are experts with buck (and I mean that) but I just wanted to relate my experience with the stuff. Kix

it aint the arrow its the indian   

[jgalar]

A shotgun is not much different than a handgun or rifle. If you want to hit with one you need to try different ammo (buckshot) with different barrels/chokes to see where and what density it is putting it's pattern. If you can find a combination that will print a deadly pattern at up to 50 yards than limit your shots to 50 yds. If you can only get a deadly pattern up to 5yds then you need to limit your shots to 5yds.

[charles p]

When a load of buckshot at 50 yds or less hits a whitetail deer, something bad (to the deer) is about to happen.  Most often the buckshot pass through the deer and catch the offside hide or exit completely.  A single buckshot is no different that a black powder ball.  It has to hit something vital.  There are twelve to fifteen chances that it will, and follow up shots can increase the odds.  Bones that are hit are broken.

Do not underestimate the effectiveness or the quantity or deer that have been killed with buckshot.  It has its range limitations but is very effective at short ranges on running deer.  Where I grew up in the South, we never knew anyone who hunted deer with a rifle.  That changed in the 70's but the effectiveness of buckshot has increased.

[v-man]

My hog huntin buddy was not happy with penetration with 00 buckshot. We took 00 and 000 and did a bunch or pattern and penetration tests with stacks of phone books and plywood. No comparison. He only hunts with 000 now, 3 or 4 dead hogs this year and they died real quick. 50 yards is not a problem.

[jamaldog87]

i killed a few hog with 00buck shot but i got as close as i could(35 yards or less) and i hunted the smaller eating or sow hogs with it. I also used to use it on varmints(bevers,coyotes) and i never really had a problum with it.  To me a shotgun  is for up close work so i would not take shots pass 45 yards on anygame with any load. But that just me .

i took a shot at a nutria  at 40 yards with bb loads and it just wounded(my noble pattern well out to 45 yards with duck loads but everthing else it pattern well at 35 ) and i had to go find it and end it, if i was useing my airgun or 22 i would have killed it with one easy shot. so after that i only took shot at close rnage or passed up the shot, i can always kill it later.