kodiakhuntmaster

When turkey hunting some say that a passable pattern is 5 hits in a circle the size of a turkeys head. But what is a good pattern for deer hunting with buckshot? 5 hits in a target the size of a deer' s vitals?

jerseyhunter

you didn' t say at what yardage. but I would say eight pellets of 00 in a 36 inch circle at 40 yds is sufficient. It only takes one pellet in the right spot to kill it.

Tree climber

I use a shot gun for deer a lot of the time and I prefer at least 5 if not more in the vitals of a deer size target.
check different brands to see which works best in your gun.
my BPS 12 ga.3" likes Winchester #4 buck the best.I can get 10 to 12 in the vitals at 40 yards.thats great.

kodiakhuntmaster

Yardage? I guess that would depend on how well the gun shoots, or 45 yards, whichever comes first. I don' t think I' d shoot beyond that. One of the first deer I ever killed was with 00 buckshot at 50 yards. I aimed for the neck.

kodiakhuntmaster

Ok, here are my current patterns:

all based on Federal 00 buckshot and a mossberg 500 12ga.

I only had one 3" shell, with a full choke at 20 yards I had one hit in an 8" circle.

2-3/4" with Mod. choke had 3 hits in a 8" circle at 25 yards
2-3/4" with Full choke had 4 hits in a 8" circle at 25 yards
2-3/4" with Full choke had 3 hits in a 8" circle at 40 yards.

I think the 3" may have done better in a Mod choke?

With the full choke I never got quite 5 hits in the " vitals" but what I did get was a pretty consistant pattern from 25-40 yards. This seems pretty good I guess (i' m no expert at buckshot patterns) for deer.

Allen Denton

I use a 3 1/2 Remington Express pump with a Pattern Master choke tube and at 50 yards with Federal 00Buck I can repeatedly get 10 in a pie pan.Ï

jerseyhunter

Try different brands of shot to see what works best,maybe try diff.chokes.
Just this season I was talking to an aquaintance and they always drive deer , he uses an extra full turkey choke 3" rem. mags 00, and made a kill at 97 yds. he didn' t think it was that far till he paced it off, but I' ve watched these guys drive , and shoot, most shots are between 10 and50 yds. if allowed in your state maye try a rifled choke tube. I just nailed one at 110 yds. Also the barrel not being fully rifled lets you shoot buckshot fairly decent up to 45 yds for those times when you can position yourself some where within a drive. you just have to keep experimenting and asking questions. Good Luck

kodiakhuntmaster

00 out of a turkey choke!? I thought that would ruin the choke tube or the barrel. The pellets would almost have to come out of the muzzle one at a time!

I also wouldn' t want to shoot anything other a slug out of a rifled barrel or choke tube. Buckshot wouldn' t hurt it much, but it would be a pain to clean. Rifled barrels and chokes have the nominal bore diameter of an open choke. This would limit your range as the pattern would open up too much even at 30 yards for a tight shooting gun.

So you can use 00 out of a turkey choke? I have one that is a .675 (i think).
Allen D. Is that patternmaster tube you have a turkey choke?

Allen Denton

No, the patern master people posts all of their results using 00 buck, Federal to be specific. I found out about it when my friend got a new Beneli and put one one his shotgun. His shoots a great pattern but not as good as mine. This was the third deer season I have used it and I am still very happy with it. In 2001 I killed a 148 class eight pointer at about 75 yards. I would not have shot at this deer but I was able to get it to stop by grunting at him and with one shot he dropped after going about 50 yards. 

jerseyhunter

to kodiak I only use oo out of a rifled choke tube not my fully rifled barrel. and only as a second shot while these guys are driving as the deer by that time is running right by my tree. as for the extra full turkey choke I' ve never tried it only repeating what this guy told me when I asked him what he was using. to each their own I guess.