My county is also buckshot only. I use Federal 3 1/2 00 with a 870 Rem, Kicks chole tube. I killed my biggest deer at 80 steps, about 65 yards and it only went 20 yards. I use as a rule, if I can get teh deer to stop I will shoot out to 70 yards but if the deer is moving I keep the shots to under 40. This will be my 20 year hunting whitetail and I have only used buckshot and have not recovered only a few. The deer that I did not find was not the fault of the buckshot but my shot.