At 50 yards with practice, any deer will be in serious trouble if you do your work. The 2 3/4" 12g. slugs pack a mighty wallop. for the life of me I have never figured out why a 3" slug was ever made. The size of the slug makes moa shooting moot at 50 yards. I specifically sought out and bought a near new Ithaca model 37 smooth bore last fall because I think it is a perfect close action deer gun. Shooting a bird barrel though, is a whole new ball game. With no adjustable sights, it is very hard to get a consistent sight picture.