Originally Posted by Nomercy448

Re-read your own statements and you might find clarity.

Two animals over the span of two years really isn't enough experience to make a lot of judgment around likelihood for pellets in the meat.

I personally don't complain about pellets in the meat, but I do often notice I waste a lot more meat from being "bloodshot". This typically refers to meat damaged by passing shot, so whether the pellet is still inside or not, I don't eat it - I find the cuprous taste of bloodshot meat to be off-putting.

Keep shooting small game with a shotgun, but give it a whirl with a rifle too. Both are very different types of hunting. You'll eventually find that you tend to get more game by being mobile and using a scattergun, but you'll also find that you ruin less meat with the rifle. Ups and downs to any choice.