I participated in a management hunt yesterday. Because of the proximity of houses, the only weapons allowed are shotguns loaded with buckshot. My shotgun is a Mossberg 500 with a 24" barrel, rifle sights, and a full choke. Ammunition is Winchester 3" magnum 00 buckshot.

I had a broadside shot at a nice six-pointer at 40 yards. I aimed and fired, and he looked at me and trotted off. I walked to where he stood when I fired and saw no blood or hair. I can' t imagine that I' m so bad a shot that I missed completely at that distance.

I did notice that, throughout the day, I rarely heard only one shot. Most shots came in clusters of three. Once I counted 10 shots in about five seconds!

So - has anybody had a similar experience with buckshot? Is it so ineffective that it' s necessary to fire three times at 40 yards? Or did I just blow the shot? Thanks.