Buffdaddy

Just curious how affective is 00buckshot 3 1/2 inch?? What is the max safely effective range up to fatal wounding a deer and not just wounding it??

timbercruiser

I'd keep my shots at 50 yards or less. You will have a lot of people talk about shooting deer at 100 yards with buckshot, and it will kill them that far, but safe range is closer than that.

nchawkeye

The more important question...How far away can your gun put 4-5 pellets into a 8 1/2 x 11 inch sheet of paper turned horizontal???My 3 inch Browning B-80 can do so consistantly out to 45 yards, with Winchester Supreme 00s and the Improved Cylinder choke tube...So that's as far as I shoot...

In my Remington 1100 with rifle sights I limit myself to 40 yards with buckshot, it prefers Winchester Supreme #1s...I usually load a slug first with this gun its good to 100 with a Slugger...

Catus Magnus

Buckshot.... I hunting in a club where we dogged deer for years, rule was buckshot only. Most of the deer I've killed have been with buckshot, followed by muzzleloader. All that said... it is a real short ranged proposition. If I knew I had only one shot... and the deer was broadside... I'd say 40ish... further out it gets dicier. I've shot and killed further, but I emptied the shotgun, too. I found that WInchester Supreme (black box) in 00 and 000 was tightest patterning in my 870.

My humble advice... pass on buckshot, if you can, or unless you're constained by rules, or are still hunting (that is, walking & jump-shooting) in really, REALLY thick stuff. At 30 and under it's lethal - get past 40 and effectiveness drops off quick, unless you're a good shot AND will get some followups. Buckshot doesn't penetrate that well - you won't get pass-throughs unless REAL close - and there may not be much blood.
Enjoy the hunt.

USNRETHunter

Buckshot is not legal for deer in Iowa. I'm curious, where is it still legal?

muckland

I dont get it.Why would anybody what to use BUCK SHOT??[:-]

retrieverman

Good answer! I do the same. Before I started using a Patternmaster choke, I kept my shots under 40 yards.

retrieverman

It doesn't get any better for close range brush hunting. Here in east Texas, I hunt in some places that you can't see over 30 yards, and buckshot is perfect.
I have often wondered why anyone would use shotgun SLUG??? To each his own...

formula1

Buckshot is a great close in stopper! I've heard it's used tracking wounded leopards in the bush in Africa as a close range stopper, but I'm no expert!

I've shot deer myself with it out to 60 yards very effectively. It makes it much easier to shoot a deer on the move. A good hit and the deer just fold up!

I must stay though, I use 000 (.36 diameter), not 00 (.33 diameter) from a long barrel full choke to increase the pattern and effective range. A word to the wise is my experience is that buckshot doesn't shoot well from a full choke 'tube', so I have a 30" fixed full choke barrel for it.

BillyMack

Killed a few dee w/ it. Range: I'd say 50 yds MAX.

Only bad thing IMO is that there wil be no blood trail, only dead deer. That's the way it's worked out for me anyway. But, it WILL put 'em down! I prefer Remington 12 gauge myself.