So it's legal to hunt when it is still that dark? I know what you mean about plain iron sights if you do not have tru-glo, at the 30min prior to sunrise start of legal hunting hours it can be difficult.

Assuming it is legally light and still too dark to see your sights well, I still suggest that buckshot is not your best option. What you would basically be saying is that you are using the buckshot as a substitute for being able to see clearly enough to aim well -- the pattern is making up for aiming precision. I know I said I'd sit on my hands, but my experience with buckshot has shown it to be a pretty poor killer of game. The only time I ever shot at a deer with buckshot myself was many years ago, I had a perfect 30 yd shot and not a single pellet hit it -- it easily could have been a wounding shot, yet my follow-up shot with a slug was through the heart. I've recovered numerous deer over the years that had been wounded with buckshot and took days to die or me to find them by happenstance and put them down. IMHO there is no substitute for putting a bullet where you intend to vs. hoping the buckshot finds the vitals. 00 buckshot is 30 caliber, low velocity, a poor killer unless you DO center the pattern on the vitals in which case the slug would have done better anyways.

I think buckshot is great for smaller vermin or home defense, however!

Just one man's opinion, I know some people use it with success. You know I have a pair of good quality clip-on Tru-Glo's I use for turkey, I think they were only $40-$50 at Cabelas.