Shotgun hog ammo
 

Would #4 Buckshot be good for hogs at close range? I have a Carlson's Coyote choke that I can shoot #4 buckshot out of. I also have 1 oz rifled slugs(these are my primary ammo with my rifled choke for deer) Just wondering if the #4 buck would be good to have as a backup ammo or should I use 00 buck as my backup ammo? (A group of them was seen not to far from me so I want to be ready) I already know buckshot works for smaller hogs, but what about bigger hogs (say 150+) Not sure how the #4 buck will preform on hogs beings a small pellet compared to 00/000 buck. I would think with a head shot at close range (25 yards max) they would be good.

I've never tried Buckshot on Hogs, my instinct says no. I have used slugs and they work well. Hogs are different than Deer and other larger game, they have a higher resistance to shock and their hide is self-healing. IMO unless you got lucky it is doubtful you'd bring down a Hog with any sort of Buck at likely distances.
The common local wisdom says the bigger the better for Hogs. You never can tell when a Five+-year-old Boar is going to wander by and you don't want to be under-gunned. Also the bigger the hole in and out the better if you have to track one. They have self-healing hide and a wound can pucker shut and stop the bleeding pretty quickly. You have to figure they are basically tanks that can barrel through thickets at speed, their hide has to be tough.

Id strongly suggest,after 5 decades of hunting hogs,
if your using buckshot stick to double ought shot size ,
and under about 35 yards in range if you intend on getting good results
http://www.grumpysperformance.com/jan18/dd9908.jpg
thats been good advice even when I use my 10 ga semi auto ithaca
a
1 3/4OZ slug loaded for stationary first shots followed by two 18 pellets 00 buckshot shells in the magazine
http://www.grumpysperformance.com/jan18/CIMG0064.jpg
a 12 ga works, but it's not quite as effective especially once ranges exceed 35 yards
now obviously smaller hogs under let's say 100 lbs maybe a bit easier to kill
than larger versions but most hogs are shot in fairly thick brush
and can go some distance once wounded, you don,t want to lose many with less than quickly lethal wounds

Got it. So pretty much no buckshot for hogs. My primary ammo as mentioned are 1 oz slugs. Just wondering is buck was a good backup ammo. I'll use slugs only when I go hog hunting. Thanks

Yep! Slugs will be your best bet.

000 Buck or slugs is what I'd suggest.

you might consider a dedicated slug gun, like in the video,
with a rifled barrel,
if you want to hunt hogs with a 12 ga/20ga,
or a ITHACA 10ga road blocker

I use Brenneke rifles slugs in my Remington 1100 12 gauge 2 3/4 inch . They work well in my modified choke smoothbore barrel and naturally in my slug barrel. I found what Brenneke used to call semi-magnums, a 2 3/4 with a little more oomph. Since I mounted my holo sight and practiced to find proper hold over at extended ranges I can take good accurate shots out to 50 yards, likely much farther with more practice. Brenneke renamed some of their ammo, I haven't seen semi-magnums listed as such recently. Getting the right load for a semi-auto can be a little problematic, the recoil spring only has so much range. Too little and it will stove pipe, too much and things can break. I've read the specs on some of the newer hot slugs and am skeptical my Remington will tolerate them. I'm underwhelmed with the performance of 00 Buckshot on varmints so have my doubts about its performance on Hogs.

In a few counties of PA buckshot it legal for deer. I used to work the hunts on some of the state parks in those areas. I am under whelmed with buckshot to stop deer, I know people use it but I would not.

As with any tool, understand how it works and use it properly and it's fine. Guns need to be patterned at specific yardages, and then those yardages have to be respected.

Buckshot gets a bad rap from people shooting too far with no idea what kinda pattern they are throwing.

-Jake

You are right, distance is the problem with buckshot a 50 yard shot with slugs is a piece of cake with buckshot it is a wounding shot. The reason I don't recommend buckshot is because most people don't know it's limitations, stretch shots and wound animals. Part of my qualification 3 times a year was with shotgun, both slugs and 00 buckshot. I know that after 25 or thirty yards, depending on the shotgun the pattern opens up substantially and lots of the shot is not in the kill zone. I can see no reason to advise someone I don't know and not know if they will take the time to pattern their gun at different ranges to find out where it is fatal and where it will not be, when rifled slugs are readily available. That is my story and I am sticking to it.

I agree with OT. 00 Buck is pretty lethal but only at closer range than most shots are taken on both deer and hogs. A rifled slug gun reaches out to well over 100 yds fairly accurately.

That's fair.

I was just saying.... Everything has it's limitations. Guys kill deer all the time with a pointy stick.

No deer or hog in it's right mind wants to take multiple .330 balls at 1200 fps, or whatever they come out at, to the vitals.

Just pointing out that it is effective when used properly. If guys were slinging arrows at running deer 75 yards away (like many do with 00 buckshot) you'd see allot of misses and injuries too.

But used properly it's a good option still...

but I see your point about not suggesting that.

And to the OP.... Big NO on the #4s. And I agree... A slug is your better option.

-Jake

Hornady "Black" has eight 00 pellets, leaves the barrel at 1600 fps and shoots a fairly tight group out to twenty-five yards. Supposed to be a defence round, but sounds like it may do the Job on varmints at reasonable distances.

I get where you are coming from .33 caliber traveling at 1200 feet per second sounds impressive. I think if it a little differently, a 00 pellet weighs around 50 grains. A 22 lr weighs avg 45 grains and has about the same velocity. Sure the 00 has a larger cross-section but in all likelihood, it doesn't have much more mass or kinetic energy and is unlikely to penetrate as deeply as a 22 lr. Buckshot can spread a foot or more at 20 yards with a cylinder barrel. The way I think of it is, it is pretty feeble for large game unless you get lucky and hit something vital. If you can get all the pellets into what you are shooting at, which is unlikely at 35 yards, it might do the job with a little luck.

if your intention is to use buckshot, get an Ithaca road blocker shotgun,
or similar 10 ga, that throws (18) 000 buck with every shot.
thats double the average 12 ga shot guns 2 3/4" shell load of 8-9 pellets,
doubling your potential for hitting the vitals
and yeah, try hard to limit the shots to about 35 yards max.

https://www.federalpremium.com/shots...-P108F+00.html



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