Buck Shot For Deer.???

[aliagha]

have any of you ever use buck shot to kill a deer?? there are some places that only allow shotguns using pellet for hunting and i was planning on visiting a place like it for early season deer hunting. which no of buck shot is more lethal? and whats it range??
any suggestions???

thanks.

[22savage]

2 3/4 , 3 ,3 1/2 inch 00 or 000 buck shot ,30 to 40 yards ,best to take you gun to the range and pattern it then you will have a good idea of how your gun shoots and the distance you will be comfortable shooting it at .Good luck with your shotgun hunting.

[bandit]

Whats the meat damage like from buckshot?

[kyleklassen]

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/HPIM0043.JPGmy daughter got this one 12 gauge 3" oobuck at about 30 ft in the face. it's awesome

[aliagha]

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/HPIM0043.JPGmy daughter got this one 12 gauge 3" oobuck at about 30 ft in the face. it's awesome




nice shot, did the buck drop in his tracks or did u guys had to do sime tracking??

[kyleklassen]

it fell over backwards and never twitched

[slayer B]

Pattern your gun, preferably with a few different brands of buckshot. I've read that mod. choke is best so that may be the way to go if you can. Good luck and start scouting, there are no lack of places to hunt in the shotgun / bow zone!

[aliagha]

thanks for the advice slayer B.
i have heard that shooting buck shots will destroy my shotguns pattern, how true is that??
also, how about using a slug in a smooth bore shotgun, is it accurate?

[hoochie]

A rifled slug through a smooth bore is very accurate within 50yards. As far as the pattern of the buckshot through your shotgun, you dont want the pellets to all be one lump anyway. If the pellets spread somewhat, they increase the chances of hitting the vitals ( lungs/heart and even the spine) which will cause a terminal injury. Dont under estimate the power of buck shot.
The shotgun is actually one of the most versatile firearms out there. By changing the ammo from birdshot to buckshot you can do anything from shoot grouse and rabbits to dropping a nice deer.

[aliagha]

thanks for the info hoochie
which brand of ammo would you recommend???

[hoochie]

oh man... now you've opened a can of worms lol.
I have been reloading my own buckshot for a while now,as I started to shoot lots of it. Sounds like you are new to the shotgun, so I would recommend buying the cheapest you can find, so you can practice more. I think the going rate is $1 per round of factory stuff. Look at Winchester X lead 00buckshot 2 3/4". There are many types out there, including copper plated buckshot. Stick with the cheap stuff ( as close to $5 a box) as you can find, it might end up costing you $6.50 per 5 rounds + tax. Using 00 or 000 will be just fine (000 being a slightly larger pellet).
And dont bother yourself with any of the more expensive "defensive rounds" designed for the LEO market, all you need is good old fashioned 2 3/4 00 buckshot and some practice shooting at various distances at pieces of cardboard or large pieces of paper to learn how the pellets fly out of your barrel. Once you see your pellets are scattered too far to be an effective hit, then you have learned the effective range for a humane shot.

[rollingrock]

There is a reason it's called 'buck shot'. :D

It works very well on deer or even black bears at certain range.

[Tanya]

We've used OOB lots for blacktail and bear. We have a household rule of under 20 yards for bear. Neck shots are good on deer, but have taken them with lung shots as well, but under 30yards. Remember it is like throwing a handful of gravel, the stuff spreads, so closer you can get the better.

[OOBuck]

I used a ton of OOBuck, hence the name.. 30 yards max on deer, neck shot. I used the Winchester supreme copper coated stuff in 2 3/4 seem to drop them a little easier.

[shotgunjohn]

Have been using buck for a while now. The 3inch 00 out of a full choke is what works best in my 870. We have found that buckshot does not usually create a good blood trail so we go for head and neck shots and try to drop the animal in it's tracks. Also try to get within 25 yards.