slugs or 00 buckshot

Took a few shots at butcher paper with three different types of 00 Buck last week. Used my Browning BPS with MOD and FULL choke, all shots were lasered at exactly 35 yards, the absolute maximum I'd consider shooting a deer at.

My little shooting session was a real eye-opener and discouraged me from using this combo ever again. Not only did the 12 pellets (from a 3" shell) spread to an uncomfortable 23"-27" circle but oddly enough all the hits were in the outer perimeter, essentially a 2-foot wide Hoola Hoop of a pattern. Barrel is a standard smoothbore 28" model, chokes were original Brownings as well, I'll try to take a pic of the sheets later to post.
 
yorgi said:
Took a few shots at butcher paper with three different types of 00 Buck last week. Used my Browning BPS with MOD and FULL choke, all shots were lasered at exactly 35 yards, the absolute maximum I'd consider shooting a deer at.

My little shooting session was a real eye-opener and discouraged me from using this combo ever again. Not only did the 12 pellets (from a 3" shell) spread to an uncomfortable 23"-27" circle but oddly enough all the hits were in the outer perimeter, essentially a 2-foot wide Hoola Hoop of a pattern. Barrel is a standard smoothbore 28" model, chokes were original Brownings as well, I'll try to take a pic of the sheets later to post.
Click to expand...

I've found my buckshot too pattern better with a open choke cylinder or improved cylinder
 
I've tried a few different brands of buckshot and I find the brand makes a huge difference. Out of my SX3 Federal Premium put 2 or 3 pellets in a 10'' circle at 40 yards where as Winchester Supreme put 9 pellets. I believe I also tried the cheap grey box Winchester buckshot and it was slightly better than the Federal. I used a Mod and IC choke and noticed little difference at that range.
 
Each gun/choke/ammo combo is very different. I once owned a Remington 1100 16 gauge 28" factory fixed MOD that would put 8 of 12 #1 buck pellets in 10" at 35 yards. Every thing clicked. The same load through a FULL choked 16 gauge Mossberg 500 put 1 or 2 at best at the same distance. You have to test your loads.

Darryl
 
I have had great luck with Federal TruBall rifled slugs out of smooth bore shotguns. I have been present for 2 buckshot kills on deer and am not impressed at all. Stick with the slugs.
 
madtrapper143 said:
Each gun/choke/ammo combo is very different. I once owned a Remington 1100 16 gauge 28" factory fixed MOD that would put 8 of 12 #1 buck pellets in 10" at 35 yards. Every thing clicked. The same load through a FULL choked 16 gauge Mossberg 500 put 1 or 2 at best at the same distance. You have to test your loads.

Darryl
Click to expand...

once you start squeezing the big pellets through chokes like a full they really deform and don't fly all that great
 
00 buckshot has .33" diameter pellets that weigh 54gr each. Muzzle velocity is usually around 1350fps. At 25 yards each pellet will have less than 150 ft-lbs of energy. Just something to think about.
 
1899 said:
00 buckshot has .33" diameter pellets that weigh 54gr each. Muzzle velocity is usually around 1350fps. At 25 yards each pellet will have less than 150 ft-lbs of energy. Just something to think about.
Click to expand...

When you find the proper choke and load combination for your shotgun every pellet would be in the kill zone at 25 yards. An arrow It's the yahoo's venturing into the bush without patterning first who give buckshot a bad name just like the guys who never visit a range with their gun or bow and the result is wounded and unrecovered animals.

Going by many archery websites the minimum recommended FPE for deer sized animals is only 25-40 ft/lbs for proper penetration. How much does a 00 buck shot need?

25 yard shot should result in every pellet in the load hitting the kill zone. A 3" shell results in 15, .33 cal holes in the vitals and 2250 ft/lbs on target.


The problem is the numbers look good at 25 yards, but far too many hunters really suck at range estimation meaning their "25 yard shot" was actually 40-45 yards....
 
It doesn't matter if the "combined energy" is X. Each pellet is weak. Each pellet has to make it through hair, tough hide, a layer of fat and then muscle. What if you had 1000 pellets from a pellet gun, each having 2 ft-lbs of energy? That is 2000 ft-lbs.

The two deer I witnessed being killed were both under 15 yards.

Also an arrow is very, very different than a round lead ball. The broadhead is razor sharp - or should be - and designed to kill by cutting. Furthermore, even though the energy is less it will have double or more momentum than that tiny lead pellet.

Look at it this way, would you rather shoot a moose in the lungs with a .22LR or a proper broadhead tipped arrow? The answer is quite obvious, yet the .22LR might have more ft-lbs. Also look at big game hunters who use round balls in their muzzle loaders. The very minimum suggested for deer is a .45 cal and a .50 is much more sensible.

IF you have a choice between slugs and buckshot then slug is by far the best choice. IF you are in a shot only area then see if you can you archery equipment. If not, well then there isn't much choice is there. Just make sure you get as close as possible and, as you mention, pattern your shotgun first!
 
1899 said:
00 buckshot has .33" diameter pellets that weigh 54gr each. Muzzle velocity is usually around 1350fps. At 25 yards each pellet will have less than 150 ft-lbs of energy. Just something to think about.
Click to expand...

its not about energy its about stopping the lungs/heart from working a .22 through the heart will out perform a shotgun slug though the guts
 
Last edited:
00 Buck, or SSG in the Old British name is deadly on broadside deer at 30 yards or less with proper choke. Don't take a Going away shot.My eldest daughter has killed 17 deer in as many years with my full choke Auto five shotgun. Non went over 30 yds, many dropped in their tracks. Beyond that, slugs, and range depends on what your gun will group.I prefer a rifle, when I have a choice. Jim
 
Deerdr said:
00 Buck, or SSG in the Old British name is deadly on broadside deer at 30 yards or less with proper choke. Don't take a Going away shot.My eldest daughter has killed 17 deer in as many years with my full choke Auto five shotgun. Non went over 30 yds, many dropped in their tracks. Beyond that, slugs, and range depends on what your gun will group.I prefer a rifle, when I have a choice. Jim
Click to expand...

ssg is Canadian 00 sg is british 00 and british ssg is #3 buck we mostly use the American nomenclature now
 
Last edited:
Never lost a deer when using buckshot. BUT hounds will catch a cripple when needed. The guys in my old group that did not trust buck shot used slugs and more than a few deer were recovered with the help of the dogs when wounded with slugs. Poor shooting, no matter what you shoot with will result in lost animals. Again 00 buck or SSG on a broadside deer (or approaching as driven) 30 yards and under = dead deer every time.

Darryl
 
antiqueguy said:
its not about energy its about stopping the lungs/heart from working a .22 through the heart will out perform a shotgun slug though the guts
Click to expand...

The point about shot placement is obvious to the point of not needing to be mentioned. And energy/momentum has plenty to do with it when there is very little of it - after all you need to make it past thick hair, hide and muscle before you even start talking about hitting the heart.
 
1899 said:
The point about shot placement is obvious to the point of not needing to be mentioned. And energy/momentum has plenty to do with it when there is very little of it - after all you need to make it past thick hair, hide and muscle before you even start talking about hitting the heart.
Click to expand...

54gr 00 buck pellet at 1300fps makes it no problem you don't need to dump a billion tons of energy to kill a deer you also don't need to turn organs into jello but putting holes in both lungs will make any animal stop even if a few pellet to make it all the way through they don't need to that's why you have more then one pellet.

I've never every went out with a idea of dumping tons of energy into a deer i used a .303 with a 210gr soft point not moving much over 1300fps more then once ive also used 7.62x39 from a sks with no problems and twice ive used a shotgun with buck both 00 and 0000
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom