with a remington 870 express 21" barrel shooting 3" #1 or 0 buckshot with a full choke. what about with a modified choke? this would be for deer and hogs. do ya'll think i would have a good pattern out to 40-45 yards or maybe more??? i figured with a full choke we would have a better pattern but with the modified i could shoot rifled slugs without changing the choke. what do ya'll think would be the best way to go???

Buckshot will almost always shoot tighter out of a modified choke than a full choke. Maximum range will be the point at which, with a pellet size big enough to achieveadequate penetration,you no longer have enough pellets on the target to expect a kill. Probably about 40 to 45 yards. Personally, I would shoot the smaller buckshot pellets and aim for the head.

I have applied the same model to coyotes, and found that head shots with #2 or BB's is a lot better than body shot with even 00 Buck.

I'd say the finest buckshot shooter i ever saw was an uncleof minethat passed away a few years ago. He killed so many deer with buckshot you wouldn't believe it even if i told you! He was a "master" at it. He killed deer into his 80's, and always used a 12 ga. his whole life from the time he was a kid. He killed a lot of deer out to 80 yards with buckshot, most with one shot kills!

One of the biggest mistakes he always said hunters make is, aiming at the "head or ribs" ofa deer. Healways aimed at the point where the neck met the body, because the bulk of the pellets for the most part will go around the point of aim. This means if they go around the POA above, the pellets will land from the lungs to the head.

To answer your question: you HAVE to buy a few different "brands" of buckshot, and then pattern them in YOUR shotgun with both chokes to really know what YOUR guns max range is!!! THIS IS IMPORTANT!!

My uncle traded shotguns many many years ago, untill he got one that would pattern buckshot out to 80 yards, once he had one that would do that, he kept it untill he passed! Every once in a while inbetween, he'd buy another 12 ga. andpattern it,just toend up selling itand keeping his old Remington semi auto!

Drilling Man

why exactly would buckshot group better from a modified??? it makes since that i would be shooting larger shot but the remington box said for best results use full choke... i guess i'll just have to get a bunch of buckshot and see. i liked the idea of using the smaller shot rather than the larger stuff since i would have more pellets and a better pattern. should i pattern it on like a cardboard box to see how it will shoot or what?? especially if i aim for where the neck meets the body.

Smaller pellets give you a better pattern, BUT each pellet carries less energy and penetrates less! Out to 40 yards my vote goes for nothing smaller than number 4 buck. For beyond 40 yards my voteis for00 buck. "If" 00 buck won't keep a decent patter at longer ranges, your stuck with shorter shots. I hope you can watch a deer walk away if it's a longer shot....

Many times (but not always) mod patterns better because you not squeezeing all that shot through such a small hole and deforming the shot.

Pattern on an open piece of news paper at 40 yards.Draw a 24" circle onthe paperand shoot for the center of the circle. Then write on the paper what you shot it with, the range ect.... Make up a different paper for each shot, then when you get home, take some time to look them over and decide what keeps the most shot in the 24" circle, and shoots closest to your POA.

Take the best combo's and double check them again. Doing this will tell you what is going to work for YOU. REST the shotgun when you shoot so you KNOW what the load is doing and not you wobbleing around.

Drilling Man

would 2 shots or each type out of each choke give me enough reliable info. i think i'll try a few different kinds of 1 and 0. i don't know that i'll have shots over 40 yards where i'm hunting.

ps thanks dm and everyone.

If your sure ofeach shot meaning that you have a solid rest, 2 shots of each load (not on the same paper of course) will give you a good idea of what your gun is capable of.

You may be surprised to find that not all loads shoot to the POA of your shotgun. You never know what's going on, untill you go out and try it, and i'm glad your willing to do just that!

Drilling Man

i like to know where my gun shoots and know i can shoot it well even if it is with a shotgun. i would use my little 44 mag carbine but where i'm hunting is even a little tight for it otherwhise i would use it. i've never used my shotgun for anything other than turkey and clay pigeons so it's an unusual change for me to be going after big game with it. hopefully i can get someting figured out pretty soon though for my shotgun.