buckshot for deer

[zackyholdem]

i do a lot of deer hunting drives and would like to set up a 12ga gun strictly for buckshot, i plan on shooting 3" 00buck and my question is...

do you prefer high velocity (1400fps 9 pellets) or magnum (1200fps 12 pellets) rounds?

more pellets or more energy? i'm leaning towards more pellet magnum rounds

[pastorp]

Zaky,

Since no one else has answered you I'll share my experiences. Generally speaking buckshot is a short range affair. Jeff Cooper, at gun site training always said that buckshot was a 25 yd round on human targets. Deer are about the same size. However I found that you could improve on that some.

I once had my gunsmith build me a dedicated buckshot gun. We started with a Remington 870 and he cut the barrel to 22" and installed a imp modified truchoke. Screw in choke tube. The best load I found was the 2&3/4" 12 pellet oo buckshot load. It would keep all of those pellets inside a man sized target at 50 yds. That's the best I've ever been able out of buckshot.

Regards,

[zacharoo]

For many years in south Louisiana all we used were shotguns for deer. We hunted the swamp and the Basin with dogs. In the thick stuff a long shot was 100 yards. It all depends what your gun will pattern best. Some guns shoot 00 some #1 and others 000. If you can put 4 or 5 buckshot in a pie pan at say 45 yards that is about the best you can do. 45 yards is about the longest shot with 2 3/4 in. 55 with 3 inch. Never shot longer 12 gauge shells. Brother had a 16 gauge double barreled old Stevens model 311 that could put a whole load of buckshot in a pie pan at 45 yards. He killed a lot of deer with it before he bought a rifle. Also all depends on the shooter. Even a 7mm mag . won't kill if you can.t hit it.

Zacharoo

[STUMPJMPR]

Check out the federal flite control buckshot.  I can put all 12 pellets in a 10" circle at 40 yards with a cylinder bore.

[marine]

 i shoot buckshot through my 870 slug gun quite a bit.  at 25-30 yds seems about right.  no use in a dedicated gun for it as pastorp said.  as for your choices i would pattern and decide.  i would think either should due for you.  i find that both rem and moss slug barrels have enough choke to do well.  my winchester 1200 has a cyl bore and isnt hot at slugs or shot.  im in ohio and we use shotguns for deer no rifles allowed.  good luck and have fun.