Would you ever choose to use a shotgun for deer hunting?

[steelgray]

I get it that there are lots of zones where you have to use a shotgun to hunt deer. However, if you are an area where you are allowed to use either shotguns or a rifle, would you ever choose to use a shotgun?

I can see a minor argument can be made In favor of choosing a shotgun on the basis that - at least where I hunt - the brush is very thick and when the deer are moving, they are flying through the bush - and one shot can be encumbered by branches and trees etc. However, I know that, at least in Ontario, one is limited to 2 shot shells in the magazine and one in the chamber - even on a manually-operated shotgun -and I see that as a real "deal breaker".

Are there areas in Canada where you can legally hunt with more than 3 cartridges? Why would you ever use a shotgun in deer hunting if you had a choice?

 

[FLHTCUI]

There are some guys who live by the philosophy of "run what you brung"...cause thats all that they own/afford.
Then again some may like the added challenge of runnin with a scattergun.
Rob

 

[Sniper_485]

If I had a choice I would bring a rifle. If brush was a problem I'd bring 180+ gr slugs in a .30 cal, a .338, or .45-70.

 

[jparent]

Grew up hunting deer with CIL 12 gauge pump, 30" full choke loaded with SSG. Only because that's what we had.
.
While i have hunted since with a shotgun for deer, i've never seen or shot a deer in any situation where i wouldn't rather have a rifle. Period. Only reason i would do it today was if i was hunting multiple species at once (deer + grouse) or i was in a shotgun only area/season.

 

[unstableryan]

I have about 8 hunting rifles from .223 to .375 h&h and I really want to get one with my 20 gauge coach gun. I bought about 50 boxes of Rem slugger slugs for it when a store went under. They are 5/8 oz (273gr) at 1580 muzzle and 1240 at 50 yards. Pretty much my limit at a deer anyways. Seems like a fun challenge as I keep shooting deer at under 50 with my 4.5-14x scope turned all the way down.

 

[Suther]

One day I will take a deer with a shotgun, but I'm not successful enough to handicap myself like that yet.

 

[Dorian Gray]

Given a choice, I'd always go rifle. That being said, I hunted in a shotguns only zone for a decade or so and, out of the usual group of 4 or 5 of us, at least one person was usually successful in bringing down a deer or two.

A cousin of mine shot a really nice 9 point buck one year. Big old bugger. He put a foster slug into its chest in a quartering-on shot and it traveled most of the length if the deers body. Anyway, when we were skinning out the hind quarters, I found a bunch of buckshot in the deers ass. We had already made the decision to use slugs only within our group but after seeing the lack of penetration of those 00 buckshot pellets in that deer's butt, it only reinforced that we had made the right decision. I'm not saying that buckshot, when used appropriately under the right conditions and under the right distance is not lethal. It very much is, and what I saw that day was an inappropriate use of it. But given the added range and penetration of slugs, it seemed like a no brainer to use those over anything else.

 

[dan belisle]

Strathcona County in AB had a shotguns only rule. Dont know if they still do. I put together a rifled barreled Mossberg just for that purpose quite a while back. Pretty accurate for a slug gun. Certainly good for deer out to 100 meters or so. - dan

 

[Evanguy]

My grandfather only owned one 12g single shot, he used it for all types of animals. It was all he could afford (6 kids and a disabled wife) he used it to put food on the table ( well if it wasnt fishing season)

He died when my mom was 11 so her older brothers took over, they all used rifles but i have his shotgun. So ive taken that shotgun out quite a few times since getting it from my uncle.

So nostalgia could even he a reason

 

[Arietta]

Where I live it's shotgun only and I've done a lot of deer hunting. It wouldn't be my choice if I could use a rifle instead.

 

[BigUglyMan]

It wouldn't be my first choice, but if it was between using a shotgun or not hunting deer then I'd definitely use a shotgun.

3 round capacity wouldn't be a deal breaker for me.

 

[cooey43]

I have shot 46 deer in my life . Of those , 18 where with a shotgun using slugs or buckshot. The other 28 were killed with a rifle.
I only used the shotgun on those 18 because no rifles where allowed there . In all cases with the shotgun , I shot within the range
of that gun & had no problem in killing deer . If I had a choice I would always use a rifle , as I like them better & would give me more
range when needed .

 

[John Y Cannuck]

I've used both, I've even taken two deer with a bead sighted side by side. A rifle would always be preferred, even in heavy brush for me, although a shotgun is a very capable venison provider.

 

[Nathan231]

I have chosen to use a shotgun for deer. The main reason was to get closer to houses. In the area I was hunting you had to be approx 400m from a dwelling to use a rifle or shotgun with a slug, or approx 200m when using a shotgun with shot. That extra 200m opens up a whole lot of new opportunities in heavily populated rural areas. I was using Remington 3.5" 00 Buck. Sadly, I never had an opportunity to pull the trigger.

 

[rral22]

Not unless I "had to". My only gun? Regulations? Sure. But not by choice alone.

 

[conor_90]

In my experience shotgun deer hunting with shot on the Island situations where guys are all "its so tight you'll want a shotgun" the pattern of your shot is only marginally larger than a rifle and less accurate. Basically you're just using a really #### single projectile with an effective range of 30ish m .

 

[SuperCub]

However, if you are an area where you are allowed to use either shotguns or a rifle, would you ever choose to use a shotgun?

I would never use a shotgun if I could legally use a rifle.

 

[kodiakjack]

I get it that there are lots of zones where you have to use a shotgun to hunt deer. However, if you are an area where you are allowed to use either shotguns or a rifle, would you ever choose to use a shotgun?

I can see a minor argument can be made In favor of choosing a shotgun on the basis that - at least where I hunt - the brush is very thick and when the deer are moving, they are flying through the bush - and one shot can be encumbered by branches and trees etc. However, I know that, at least in Ontario, one is limited to 2 shot shells in the magazine and one in the chamber - even on a manually-operated shotgun -and I see that as a real "deal breaker".

Are there areas in Canada where you can legally hunt with more than 3 cartridges? Why would you ever use a shotgun in deer hunting if you had a choice?

Yep. I’m a gun nut that hunts. It’s not unusual for me to show up to deer camp with half a dozen guns and use a different one each day. My shotguns are a little more weather proof and rugged, so I’ll carry them if dogging through thick stuff or snow.

 

[TheCoachZed]

I may be hunting a new spot this year in thick brush, where I could legally use a rifle, but am seriously considering using a shotgun with buckshot. Up close, nothing flattens them more quickly (within 15ish yards), unless you shoot them in a spine. But I'd be using my 10 gauge most likely, that's a lot more buckshot than a 12 gauge.

 

[MiG25]

In BC the 3 shot rule doesn't apply to slugs.

I wouldn't hesitate to use a cool gun like an old Ithaca Deerslayer or A5 Buck Special.