Musings on hunting with a shotgun

[thewillweeks]

Hello all from all over,

I live in a state allows all .22 and up center-fire single projectile firearms for deer. I have however always wanted to hunt with buckshot. Could anyone lend me some perspective on hunting with buckshot, whether it's a poor choice to begin with, and if it's worth lobbying to legalize it here. Buckshot, with a close shot, should be absolutely sufficient.

Trying to expand my horizons, thanks ladies and gents!

Edited to correct my accidentally profanity

 

[Robbins290]

I shot a deer with buckshot once, It worked very good at close range. just make sure you pick a good one.

 

[Meeks36]

Took my first deer w buckshot. Shot him 4 times so I wouldn’t have to track him. He made it 5 yards. And I had the biggest grin. This was with a old sears and robuck pump. Miss that old thing.

 

[illinoisburt]

Buckshot can be very effective at reasonable distances, like up to 60 yards or so depending on how your gun patterns. I hunted with slugs for many years in the Land of Lincoln. Buckshot wasn't allowed there though given all my deer were under 75 yards it certainly would have worked.

Here in Alabama there are plenty of dedicated buckshot hunters, especially guys with hounds running deer through the mountains and swamps. They seem to be pretty successful. A good acquaintance swears by buckshot for hogs over bait. I have noticed a distinct preference by these guys for 3" 15 pellet 00 and 3-1/2" 18 pellet 00 loads even though those shells tend to be slower than standard 9 pellet (plus harder to locate recently). I've taken a shotgun with buckshot when stalking the pine woods in the foothills but no deer to show for it as yet. Hunting fields and open areas I stick with rifles these days.

 

[Barbaroja]

I don’t like the idea of multiple projectiles hitting the animal. I hate when the gut gets punctured on animals and it’s harder to prevent that from happening so I use slugs when hunting large game with a shotgun.
Effective, yes
Just not my cup of tea

 

[FL-NC]

Very common to use buckshot around here when chasing deer with dogs. I would use slugs hunting deer if I was required to do so. And if a inline muzzle loader were an option, I would pick that over slugs.

 

[jmr40]

In some parts of the south hunters are placed in elevated stands at one end of a hunting area. Dogs and drivers are positioned at the other end, and they drive deer toward the stands. Buckshot is used for 2 reasons. Shooters are shooting in the general direction of the drivers, but since they are elevated, any misses SHOULD go into the ground. But buckshot is still preferred for safety reasons since it won't travel as far. Plus, the deer may well be running at high speed when shots are taken, and a buckshot pattern improves the likelihood of a hit.

I wouldn't use buckshot by choice under any other circumstances. Slugs or a rifle bullet is simply a better option. Unless they've changed the law recently buckshot is not allowed in GA on WMA's. It can be used on private property, but I haven't seen anyone actually use it in 40-50 years.

I used it the 1st year I deer hunted because the only gun I had was a SXS 12 ga and slugs weren't a viable option in that gun. I didn't get a shot and I had a rifle by the 2nd season.

 

[22250Rem]

Zero experience with it. N.Y. state won't allow it for big game hunting. Even looked up the state big game regulations off their web site and for shotgun, they state that it "Must be 20 gauge or larger and fire a single projectile. Rifling in the barrel or choke is allowed". So that "single projectile" obviously rules out buckshot. Slugs are a much better option I guess, after hearing all about the limited range of buckshot. About 10 years ago a LGS had lots of 5 round boxes of 12 ga. "00" Buck on the shelves at a very nice price. I would grab one every time I was in there, intending to play around with it and pattern it at different distances just to say that I've shot some. Never got around to it and they are still sitting in a G.I. ammo box. Figure I will keep them as defensive shotgun ammo if I ever needed any. ...

 

[Scout21]

It's legal here, but I've never used it before. My father and his family used buckshot extensively and exclusively when he was young. In fact, my father was restricted to a single shot 12 gauge for deer hunting until he moved away from home at 18, at which point he promptly picked up an '06. He rarely uses a shotgun for deer these days, but considering the amount of deer that his family has collectively put on the dirt with buckshot I would have no qualms using it.

 

[Aletheia]

It's legal here, but I've never used it before. My father and his family used buckshot extensively and exclusively when he was young. In fact, my father was restricted to a single shot 12 gauge for deer hunting until he moved away from home at 18, at which point he promptly picked up an '06. He rarely uses a shotgun for deer these days, but considering the amount of deer that his family has collectively put on the dirt with buckshot I would have no qualms using it.

Your father's thinking is my attitude to buckshot too. A guy, who you admit killed lots of deer with buckshot, switched to a rifle at his first opportunity. That is a good indication that he knew buckshot is not the best choice for deer hunting, even though he got it to work well in some circumstances. I would never choose a shotgun for deer hunting unless rules made me, and a slug would be my load preference.

 

[Hugger-4641]

Up until the early 1990's,
the county I live in now didn't allow rifles. Shot gun only. So I killed several deer with 12ga and 20ga slugs, only a couple with buck shot, never had a scope on any of them. After they started allowing rifles, I quit using shot guns for deer. Simply a matter of range for me. Though I did make a couple shots well over 100yds with 12ga slugs, rifles are just a better choice past 100yds. Ironically, about half of the deer I've taken the last couple years could probably have been taken with a shot gun, and maybe half of those could have been buck shot. However, I honestly don't need or want a buckshot pattern for deer. if I can't put a slug where I need to, I don't need to be shooting at it. Other varmints are a different matter, especially if they are on the run.

 

[Scout21]

Your father's thinking is my attitude to buckshot too. A guy, who you admit killed lots of deer with buckshot, switched to a rifle at his first opportunity. That is a good indication that he knew buckshot is not the best choice for deer hunting, even though he got it to work well in some circumstances. I would never choose a shotgun for deer hunting unless rules made me, and a slug would be my load preference.

He has used his 10 and 12 gauge using buckshot on a few deer that I can recall, and it works and works well. Given a guaranteed range of 50 yards or less I wouldn't feel limited by it one bit given it's track record. A thin skinned animal is no match for buckshot.

The only real issue that I can think of with buckshot is effective range. It seems most people aren't limited to such close ranges that buckshot excels at, at least not anymore. It seems that more often people hunt powerlines and fields than dense woodland. Why would someone limit themselves with buckshot with an effective range of 50 yards when they can get a 308 with an effective range of hundreds of yards, including those close in shots that you'd use buckshot for? If you exclusively hunt dense forest all you'd ever need is a shotgun with buckshot. Most people hunt at longer ranges, though, and really benefit from a rifle.

OP, if you've got a close range hunting spot in mind, I would say go for it. What I would recommend is getting a few different loads of buckshot, patterning a few shells of each different load at 20-50 yards and seeing what it can do. Take a look at the patterns and decide for yourself if they seem sufficient, that should give you a good effective range limit. Maybe bring a rifle with you if it's possible for longer shots to present themselves. Sure would suck if a monster stepped out at 100 and all you've got is nine .33 inch diameter lead balls to sling in its general direction.

 

[Rickt300]

I have one shotgun that shoots buckshot good enough for maybe up to 40 yards and most of the others I would call 30 yard guns. I base this on preferring all nine 00 balls to pattern on a 9 inch paper plate. It works well and I sometimes use it when hunting from stands I made for bow season.

 

[wombat13]

I’ve killed a handful of deer with 12 ga slugs, never buckshot. The problem with shotgun slugs is it’s a lot of recoil for the performance. You get the recoil of an elephant gun and the range of a .22 lr. Buckshot seems like it has a very narrow window where it is the best choice. Under 40 yards I’d prefer crossbow, handgun, or bow, Posters above indicate a max effective range for buckshot of 60 yards. So that’s about a 20 yard range where it’s arguably the best choice and only if you want increased risk of penetrating the guts when multiple projectiles hit the deer.

No thanks, not for me. A rifle outperforms a shotgun for big game hunting. Even if you know that you will never take a shot beyond 100 yards a rifle is a better choice. I’d rather use my .44 mag lever with a red dot reflex sight at any range a shotgun would be effective. Excellent on game performance with a small fraction of the recoil.

 

[Patocazador]

I hunted every year on a west-central Alabama plantation. It was a charity hunt for the local church and the tickets were limited and NOT cheap. The whole congregation turned out with dogs, man drives (including kids), 4-wheelers, and horses. Standers were placed ~100 yds. apart and buckshot ONLY was allowed for safety reasons. I killed about 22 deer with buckshot on those drives using 2 3/4" 00 buckshot, 12 pellets. I learned early on that shooting for the head/neck area was the way to go. I either had a miss or the deer dropped within 30 yards.

Later I hunted hogs with my 30 lb. Boykin spaniel. She would bay them up and I used 12 ga. 3" shells with 15 00 buckshot. Again I aimed for the head. 20+ hogs fell to that regimen.

Buckshot is extremely effective inside of 40 yards and aiming for the head/neck. After that it gets less effective. As with anything else picking the right shot, aiming for the right spot, and realizing the limitations of your ammo is imperative.

NOTE: Use a full choke tube in your shotgun with buckshot.

 

[Captcurt]

Many moons ago we had a shotgun/muzzleloader only area. I took two bucks with #1 buck. Both were about 30-35 yards with one in high gear. Neither went anywhere. Well, the one running did a somersault, but the other dropped in his tracks. I shot the #1 because it patterned better than the larger shot. BTY, Modified choke worked best in my 1300 pump.

 

[Bfh_auto]

I’ve killed a handful of deer with 12 ga slugs, never buckshot. The problem with shotgun slugs is it’s a lot of recoil for the performance. You get the recoil of an elephant gun and the range of a .22 lr. Buckshot seems like it has a very narrow window where it is the best choice. Under 40 yards I’d prefer crossbow, handgun, or bow, Posters above indicate a max effective range for buckshot of 60 yards. So that’s about a 20 yard range where it’s arguably the best choice and only if you want increased risk of penetrating the guts when multiple projectiles hit the deer.

No thanks, not for me. A rifle outperforms a shotgun for big game hunting. Even if you know that you will never take a shot beyond 100 yards a rifle is a better choice. I’d rather use my .44 mag lever with a red dot reflex sight at any range a shotgun would be effective. Excellent on game performance with a small fraction of the recoil.

For me buckshot was relegated to hunting tag alder swamps and clear cuts that had just started regrowing.
It allows for a twig to possibly take out a pellet or two and still make a clean kill.
I'm not saying shoot through heavy brush. Just the incidental twig that you don't see when making a quick shot. These can ruin a rifle shot.
If you're in a stand. Buckshot is not the best option.

 

[buck460XVR]

I have no desire at all to use buckshot for deer size and larger game. No real reason to. Rifle bullets are much more effective and I prefer one hole to 9. As for running game, I cannot see how a shotgun with buckshot is more accurate than a rifle. The hunter still has to figure the lead and continue to swing thru. At buckshot range, the same hunter should be able to hit a moving target with the same consistency as with buckshot.....this is for killing shots. I grew up in Wisconsin in the 60s and 70s when deer drives were the norm, so I do have some experience with running deer.

This is just MHO. If it's legal, you are proficient with it, and it's what you want to use.....go for it.

 

[Micro]

I do the vast majority of my deer hunting in shotgun only areas. And much of that is with buckshot. Much of where I hunt is extremely thick. And hound hunting is allowed here and many of the deer are driven and moving fast when the shot comes. Many are very, very close. I've shot deer as close as 15 feet. But buckshot is a very viable round out to 40-50 yards IF you use the right round and choke and pattern your gun and know where it hits. In my opinion, 12 gauge 2 3/4" 00 buck with 9 pellets is a home defense round. It is simply obsolete for deer hunting. It will kill deer, but even with a full choke, the ranges have to be short. There are better choices now adays. If you have a specialized buckshot choke, like from Kicks or Carlsons, and you use a 3" load or 3/12" load, with 15-18 00 pellets, with a velocity of 1100+ fps, and you practice with it and know where it hits, you will have an extremely effective deer killer out to 40-50 yards. I use a Winchester SX4 with a 24" barrel, Kicks Buck Kicker choke tube, a Trijicon RMR dual illuminated reflex sight, and Winchester Double X 3 1/2" high velocity 00 buck (15 00 pellets at 1450 fps). In the eastern part of the country, in the swamps and pine thickets, when you are wading through neck-high weeds, or when the deer are driven, 00 is not only a very effective killer, but in many ways a better weapon than a slug gun or rifle.

 

[Patocazador]

One thing that hasn't been brought up is how a shotgun handles. Many of us use a shotgun for bird and rabbit hunting. If your shot gun "fits" you with proper LOP, etc., quick, swing shots can be made quite easily. I have killed 2 deer while walking in thick stuff and catching a glimpse of horns on a deer that just jumped up. Muscle memory kicked in and the shots were swift and deadly. I would never have been able to swing a scope-mounted rifle the same way and connect.

 

[red rick]

I am on the same page as Micro on this . There are many counties in Virginia that are shotgun only for deer hunting . A shotgun is all that I have ever used on deer . Like Micro said , pattern your shotgun and try a specialty choke . I use a Winchester SX3 with a custom light full choke , shooting Remington 3 1/2 00 bk . It shoots a nice pattern at over 40 yards . I also use a Remington 870 with a Kicks extra full choke with Remington 3” 00 bk . It also patterns great at 40 yards . Most of my deer hunting is with hounds in a club with maybe 30 people in woods where you can only see about 50 yards . Buckshot is very effective in those conditions and it would be my choice over a rifle , even if I had a choice . .223 caliber is unlawful for deer in Virginia even in rifle counties .

 

[Savage30L]

I agree with the other Southern hunters here....I used to live in South Carolina, and killed a number of deer with buckshot. Use the right load (my favorite is a 12-gauge 3" magnum load of #1), and shoot it in the head or neck. Every deer I ever shot with buckshot dropped in its tracks, except one buck that was running full-out across a soybean field...it went another 15 yards, but that was all somersaulting.

I live now were buckshot isn't legal for hunting, but I would always use it if it was, and I wasn't hunting over a wide-open field. I've killed a good many deer, and I shot most of them, regardless of weapon, at ranges of 25 yards or less. That's perfectly fine for buckshot. And if you have to make a snap shot...nothing beats your old favorite shotgun, that you've used for ducks, doves, rabbits, and everything else. It's like a part of your body....muscle memory wins out every time. I do love hunting with a shotgun. I like having meat to bring home.

 

[PapaG]

The only living thing I killed with OO Buck was a groundhog at the unbelievable distance of five yards. I’m not an expert. My dad shot some big game and one human with buck. (As a deputy and it was a fleeing felon). He wasn’t impressed. Of course the deer and the perp were well out of effective range, sixty to eighty yards each and the guy had a heavy coat.
Anyway, if I have to use a shotgun it will be with slugs or sabots but, the only smart thing my state has done since time began, I’ll be using either my 44 or 45-70 for my 2023 deer.

 

[Thomasss]

I once saw some pretty ugly wounds on a buck that ended up and died on my property. Unless I was shooting under 40 yards, I would never even consider it.

 

[Kingcreek]

If shooting running game inside of 40 (maybe 30?) yards. Ok. If it ain’t running a slug is a better choice.
I once saw a deer killed with #6 birdshot at 10 yards. Not recommended but it worked.