Question about chokes for buckshot
 

I haven't used buckshot for deer in a very long time; however I have an opportunity this year to hunt a local park that requires hunters to use buckshot. I have a Mossberg 500 and in the past used a 28 inch modified choke barrel. Now I have an accu choke barrel. I've read and heard that I should use the full range of chokes from full to cylinder. I'm probably not going to get a chance to pattern my gun before the season so I'm looking for advice or experience. I plan on using 3 inch shell with 00 buck shot.

Thanks in advance.

If you can't take an hour out of your time to pattern your gun with several chokes BEFORE you go hunting with it, then don't go hunting! That's just a cardinal rule of hunting with any weapon, as hunting should not involve guessing when it comes to taking an animal humanely!!!

If you are going to use buckshot, better use a full choke in hopes that you rip a clump of skin with tight pattern to allow for tracking if needed. I am anti buckshot for deer. You are lucky if you get any exit holes. The small pellet holes on entry close quick, so if it doesn't drop right away, the blood trails stops quick as the meat swells. If you can hit it with buckshot, then you can hit it with a slug. That way when it runs for a bit, you have good steady blood loss out of both sides. Personal opinion that you should reconsider using buckshot over slug.

Tuna, there are some state areas like parks that ONLY allow buck shot. No slugs. Been there, done that, and I am 100% with you on the stupidity of it but if it's all that's allowed then you have to make the best of a given situation. I know my Mossy liked 00 through a modified choke tube. Full actually over tightened it and made the pattern go every which way. Modified I had a pretty decent pattern out to 45 yards. I ALWAYS went for just behind the shoulder for pure lung shots. Seemed to be the most effective with the least resistance.

I re-read the part that buckshot is a requirement. Same as the Controlled Hunt we have up here in certain areas in December. I'd go with the full. Make the time to test the pattern. It isn't like hitting a small duck in the neck at various distances, you will hit the deer with any choke you use. Go with the choke that increases your odds of retrieving the animal.

I have used modified and cylinder with similar results. I remember reading field and stream in the 70's and they had a theory that you can't compress large pellets and doing so will result in a skewed pattern. I have read this theory (possibly proven) multiple times since then but have not tried to reproduce it since I use a rifled shotgun barrel when there is a shotgun only requirement. I would use the more open choke and severely limit the range.

+1

Sound advise !:poke:

This should be left to the more experienced hunters around here.

This may sound harsh, but it's very true.

I've had situations where this method was certainly beneficial.

There is no one size fits all, and this has been beyond much debated. I chose my choke based on the area I pre-determined to hunt. That involves the conditions I expect to encounter/create. Are you going to hunt an area where a longer shot is necessary or will you be closer to cover the animal may come from? Will you be sitting or still hunting? The nice thing about interchangeable choke systems is that you can carry them to the field and change them out as conditions change or evolve. As an example,-even though I don't think this will be the circumstances of your hunt-I was hunting an area where I was using FC w/000. The area allowed dogs and a club showed up and turned them loose about an hour after daylight. I killed 9 pointed at 20 yards. M or IC would have worked fine at that range. I now put the choke I expect in the barrel and bring the other 2 to change out as conditions merit.

As was already said, open chokes are better for buckshot and if you can't take the time to pattern a gun you are going to use with buckshot, leave it at home. It take more than one buckshot to be quickly fatal on a deer, if your gun doesn't shoot a tight enough pattern you will be crippling them. You also need to pattern at various ranges to see at what point the sot pattern opens up too much to be effective and that distance will be closer than you think.