Whitetail Deer HuntingGain a better understanding of the World's most popular big game animal and the techniques that will help you become a better deer hunter.
if im using 12 ga, 00, 3in, buckshot out of a 28" 870 barrel, what will my effective killing range be for a full and/or a superfull choke? im going to pattern it in a few days, but i would like an idea of where to start.
Buckshot should never be used beyond 40 yards max, and they really start losing steam beyond 30 yards. A lot of guys will tell you that they killed deer at 60 or 70 yards, but for every deer killed many more are wounded. One 00 Buckshot pellet at 40 yards has the energy equivalent of a .22 long rifle bullet, make sure that your pattern is still dense enough at that range to hit him with at least half a dozen pellets.
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Diamond Justice 65# 29"DL
Gold Tip XT Hunter 5575 27.5"
Spot-Hogg Hunter Hogg-it w/wrap
QAD Ultra-Rest HD, Limbsaver M6 Quiver
Custom Stab w/Limbsaver modular nodes and QD
First off, full and super full will cause horrible patterns. Modified will probably produce best. Second, its about the most ineffective setup one can use. I have been on two hunts with it. And I won't use it again.
They use it alot here in MD for sika deer hunting in the swamps. Kinda like jump hunting. I was with a group who all vollied 3 rounds at a sika at 35 yards, and I happen to be using sluggers and took it down.
Only shotgun slugs can be used here in Illlinois so buckshot isnt an option for us. However, I've talked and chatted with folks from different states that have used it and it sounds like about 40 yards is MAX with even the best grouping buckshot and chokes.
As mentioned above, their are MUCH better options to use than Buckshot. If I were limited to shotgun only (if I couldn't use my muzzleloader) I would most certainly opt for a SLUG... they are awesomely devastating to any deer they strike!
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An "archer" tries to see how far away he can get from his target and still connect, a BOWHUNTER tries to see how CLOSE he can get to his!
The best advice is don't use buckshot. Go with a slug or get a rifle. Very ineffective.
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Darton Pro 1100 65#
QAD Ultra Rest Pro Series HD
Carbon Express Maxima 350
G5 Striker Broadheads
G5 Magloc Arrow Quiver
Browning X-Bolt 30.06
Whackin a Michigan deer with an all Michigan archery set up...that's Pure Michigan!
In the lower part of the state in SC, buckshot is used quite allot in driving deer out of thickest into feilds. The most common step up i have seen is a shotgun shooting mod chk...3 1/2 in magnum with 000 buck. I have seen it DRT deer at 40 yards but i wouldnt shoot much farther than that. I have seen it kill deer out to 75 yards but it wasnt pretty..the deer was more or less hobbled or wounded and had to be shot again. i would keep it under 50yards.
My son uses a 20 gauge 870 with 3" #2 buck and I limit his shots to 40 yards. He has dropped 3 of the five deer he has killed in the past 2 years in their tracks and 2 others went less then 100 yards, the 2 bucks we had to track and the 3 does fell when he pulled on them. Wolfman who makes the 3 1/2 000, I have not ever seen 000, only the Nitro and they are over $100 for 25 shells.
Buckshot effectiveness
