I'd choose a smaller gauge shotgun and use slugs. But if you want to use it on deer too I like the 12ga.

I have a 12ga mossberg 500 smoothbore that will shoot rifled slugs out past 100 yards with a good rest, but it won't pattern tight enough to hit a barn door at 25 yards with buckshot.

I've shot two foxes with #4 2-3/2" shells, and one fox with buckshot. The buckshot did well but it was such a close shot I could have killed it with a stick. I've taken a bobcat with buckshot too but like I said my gun won't shoot buckshot well so it took longer than I would have liked to kill the cat. I took one fox with a slug and it didn't do too much damage, the hole on both sides was about the same diameter as the slug. Same with a deer I shot last season.

A 410 would be great to use with slugs. It's about the same as a 40 or 45 caliber handgun I think. They wouldn't do too much to the hide, they shoot flat enough, and have great knockdown power on small game. That's all my dad ever used. Add a scope and you have probably the best varmit gun in the shotgun/slug world. It's not so hot on deer though.

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Edited by - Kodiakhuntmaster on 02/05/2003 11:16:13