20ga. shotgun, bird barrel, slugs or buckshot?
 

I have a 20 ga. shotgun single shot. I normally use it for rabbit or bird hunting, but might need it to go deer hunting. What type of shot should I use and why?

Trouserchili

RE: 20ga. shotgun, bird barrel, slugs or buckshot?
 

chris it depends on what the area you are hunting is like, if it is all going to be shots of 40 yards or less I would go with buckshot 00, or 000, if you will be having opportunities at greater distances I would go with rifled slugs.

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club

RE: 20ga. shotgun, bird barrel, slugs or buckshot?
 

With that gauge gun, and type of barrel, how acurate will a slug be at more than 50 yards vs. buckshot?

RE: 20ga. shotgun, bird barrel, slugs or buckshot?
 

chris the reason I said buckshot at 40 yards or less is because it rapidly looses it's knock down power beyond that range, but at that range and under it is deadly and hits a larger area of a deer. The advantage of buckshot over slugs at shorter ranges is you are shooting shot out of a smooth bore so you aim just like you normally would.

A rifled slug is pretty darn accurate at least to 75 yards, I would reccomend if you decide to use a slug to set up some targets at 50, 75, & 100 yards and see what kind of drop you are getting and also whether it is shooting to the right or left. Some smooth bores shoot rifled slugs straight as an arrow and others may always shoot to the left or the right, or high or low. You need to learn where the gun is shooting and compensate. The slug will definantly have the greatest knock down power of the 2.

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club

RE: 20ga. shotgun, bird barrel, slugs or buckshot?
 

I have heard of hunters who like both. It would depend on how well your gun shoots the two. In my club we have a kid who killed a 150 class 8 pointer with buckshot out of a 20 gauge. It will depend on you after you shoot them both and pick what shoots best.

RE: 20ga. shotgun, bird barrel, slugs or buckshot?
 

Make sure you try different slugs in your gun, my mossberg shoots a winchester slug a foot to the left while a federal slug shoots dead on. Different brands of buckshot will shoot differently too. Mine has a much better pattern with federal premium buckshot than with winchester buckshot. You'll have better luck finding 00 buckshot than 000 buckshot, but if you find the 000, snach it up, it puts a hurtin' on anything it hits. Whatever you do, shoot it at the range first to see how it does. I have a westernfield shotgun that patterns a foot low and to the right with anything (slugs or buckshot).

"Hey ya'll, watch this"

RE: 20ga. shotgun, bird barrel, slugs or buckshot?
 

For a single shot shotgun I would only use rifled slugs. Unless I was bloodtrailing one I already hit. Remember the golden rule for hunting with buckshot, KEEP SHOOTING UNTILL YOU CAN'T SEE THE DEER ANYMORE, OR IT FALLS DOWN. Or if you do use buckshot, aim for the head on a doe, and the neck on a buck.

"Hey ya'll, watch this"