Have shot the 3030 for years and have hit deer out to 175 yds.with it on more than one ocassion(while dogging my job is to get them up and moving so I'II take my best crack at them,if I miss so what)but I don't normally shoot at those distances.All I have ever used is 170 gr. silvertips and swear by them for deer sized game.Now that my eyes can't see the sights any more I have switched to my my 303 Brit.with the military peep sights (long range peeps are to fine for bush shooting and the "battle" peeps are way to large for accurate placement)untill I get my new 870 with the rifled cantilever barrel with the proper shotgun scope on line (will shoot the Win. 385 gr.sabot Partion Gold),the stats on these sabots are awesome,it has about the same energy at 100yds. as the 3030 has at the muzzle and the recommended zero is 150 yds.As for buckshot,I only shoot them from a full choke barrel and not further than about 40 yds.(used mostly when I have to dog a swamp where a snap shot is the norm using the normal bead sight),have seen way to many blood trails from guys shooting at deer too far away and that were never recovered.