rafsob

Illegal in Virginia. Not enough power, and I agree. Too many guys out there will invariably try to take too long of a shot and just wound the deer. Not good hunting ethics I think.

eldeguello

You are correct. But VA DOES permit buckshot which I consider just as bad about permitting wounded deer to escape. Buckshot is also illegal for deer hunting in many states! At Camp Pickett VA (now Fort Pickett) I once saw a little ol' 90-pound buck go 1.5 miles from where it was hit before it piled up. It had three 00 buck through it from a 12-ga. - two through the lungs and one in the heart itself. If it had not been for the hounds, we would never even have known it was hit at all. No sign of a hit, no blood trail...... It was shot at about 40 yards on the run, and was no doubt pumped up with adrenalin when shot.

rafsob

You are probably right.I am no fan of buck shot! I do believe in slugs for hunting in shotgun counties. In Virginia we have different laws in different counties. Some I can understand because of population differences. Others I don't.

But back to the buckshot round. It is very effective from 25 or 35 yards. After that it fades fast in effieciency. In law enforement recently most agencies have gone to using the shotgun for CQG weapons on special teams (SWAT) or even less leathal. It does have its purpose has a special weapon.

eldeguello

Yep! I used to live in Petersburg (Fort Lee). I used to think the "buckshot" only countys had that rule so people who didn't belong to a local hunt club would be discouraged from hunting, because they used to allow farmers to use rifles to control overpopulations of deer! Buthunters couldn't use a rifle.