Buckshot,Whats it good for?

BIGREDD said:
Buckshot is for Varmints.:mad:
Other than in select few Jurisdictions where it is illegal to use slugs, using buckshot for Big Game is not only stupid it is downright unethical! In Ontario there has been much talk (MNR) about making it illegal for Big-Game.:eek:
If you are close enough to kill a deer cleanly with buckshot ( under 25 yards ) then how hard is it to put a slug in the vitals? :confused:
Now we can hear from the "Lucky Pellet" shooters who will argue that Buckshot is the answer!:onCrack:
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yep and the thousands of deer that have been dropped in the past by buckshot must just be very unlucky critters eh? :rolleyes: i only use rifled slugs for deer but wouldnt hesitate to use buckshot on deer at 40 yards or less with a good patterning load. ive folded coyotes at 55-60 yards with 3 1/2" #4 buck so at 40 yards on a deer with a good load it wouldnt be a problem.

""If you are close enough to kill a deer cleanly with buckshot ( under 25 yards ) then how hard is it to put a slug in the vitals?""

its simply a choice of preference....

-why use a long bow when you can use a crossbow?
-why use 2 3/4" shells when you can use 3 1/2"?
-why use a 150gr bullet when a 220gr will work?

people have choices and shouldnt be frowned upon, unless they make unethical shots that is. buckshot can make nice clean kills on big game if the shooter does his part...just like with any other gun/bow.
 
IMHO, buckshot can be a ethical choice for certain types of hunting.
However, it has limited range and it is easy to take a shot that you shouldn't if you are not mindful of the range.
 
for big game i use either my .303 or if i "have" to use a shotgun i use slugs,
as for the buckshot well i use it for defense purposes only
 
I have two packs of old Imperial buckshot, 12ga, 2-3/4" SSG
the "older" one made by CIL shows shot size SSG, & "US size 0 buck"
the "new" one made by IVI shows shot size SSG, & "US size 00 buck"
take your pick!
 
Longwalker said:
I have two packs of old Imperial buckshot, 12ga, 2-3/4" SSG
the "older" one made by CIL shows shot size SSG, & "US size 0 buck"
the "new" one made by IVI shows shot size SSG, & "US size 00 buck"
take your pick!
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Hmmm interesting.
 
I used 00 buck from a 14 inch barrel the other day, no choke. It patterned about the size of a fist at 50 yards. (the distance was at the 3 gun at EESA) maybe it was alittle more? ANyways it was Federal LEO tactical with fluted wads. Was really really impressed with the concentration of the shot.
 
I had never shot a buckshot load in my life before Friday.

However due to an error at lebarons (no need for a rant) I ended up with a few boxes.

That prompted me to selfishly put in 5 shots of buckshot into this past weekends 3 gun match.

When setting up that stage I was worried that the positioning of the penalty targets would be either too close or too far.

If they were too close then people would get a PT hit on random chance which I did not think was fair. So I took some test shots out of my 20 inch rifle sighted smooth bore 870

The results were frankly alarming.

at 40 yards (which I consider a close shot on a deer) the pattern for OO buck was fully 3 feet in diameter!

O buck was even worse at 4 feet!!

There is no way on this planet I would ever use one on a deer sized animal. That said they were a hoot to shoot in IPSC Shotgun.
 
stormbringer said:
So I took some test shots out of my 20 inch rifle sighted smooth bore 870

The results were frankly alarming.
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Yah it's called not having a choke...
Try the same test again with Modified, or IC choke. :D
 
Calum said:
Yah it's called not having a choke...
Try the same test again with Modified, or IC choke. :D
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LOL no kidding, If you don't choke and pattern your gun you should NOT be using it on anything living past a few yards.
 
stormbringer said:
I had never shot a buckshot load in my life before Friday.

However due to an error at lebarons (no need for a rant) I ended up with a few boxes.

That prompted me to selfishly put in 5 shots of buckshot into this past weekends 3 gun match.

When setting up that stage I was worried that the positioning of the penalty targets would be either too close or too far.

If they were too close then people would get a PT hit on random chance which I did not think was fair. So I took some test shots out of my 20 inch rifle sighted smooth bore 870

The results were frankly alarming.

at 40 yards (which I consider a close shot on a deer) the pattern for OO buck was fully 3 feet in diameter!

O buck was even worse at 4 feet!!

There is no way on this planet I would ever use one on a deer sized animal. That said they were a hoot to shoot in IPSC Shotgun.
Click to expand...


you shouldve seen my pattern out of my gun. Your ROs said it was the closest tightest pattern they have ever seen. As the gun has no choke, perhaps it was the specialty LE Federals I was using? The pattern was very small...I was sort of suprised.
 
USP said:
you shouldve seen my pattern out of my gun. Your ROs said it was the closest tightest pattern they have ever seen. As the gun has no choke, perhaps it was the specialty LE Federals I was using? The pattern was very small...I was sort of suprised.
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If your pattern is as big as you stated out of cylinder bore you should be very surprised.
 
If your pattern is as big as you stated out of cylinder bore you should be very surprised.
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I have heard many americans who use buckshot claim that it is not uncommon at all to get tighter patterns out of a cylinder with buck than with a modified or tighter choke. These guys actually use the stuff, so they probably have a pretty good idea. Depends on the gun a little i guess, and maybe the brand.

I've never heard of a fist-sized pattern at 50 yards tho - that is most impressive.
 
there were 4 targets. 1 was fist sized. The other three were about dinner plate sized. Frankly its gotta be the shells I was using. Using other shot in the past the pattern was barn door sized. These shells were Federal 2 3/4 00 Buck LE Tactical- said they were "fluted" as well. Ill dig up the box if anybody needs the particulars. I sort wish I had of had a picture of it... it wouldve fit nicely in a WTF thread...
 
Barn door sized is kinda what i'd have been expecting :) some seem to do a lot better and reach 'kitchen cabinet' size at that range - but even dinner plate size is shocking in the extreme. I'd love to hear the particulars - i'd be most curious.
 
stormbringer said:
I
The results were frankly alarming.

at 40 yards (which I consider a close shot on a deer) the pattern for OO buck was fully 3 feet in diameter!
Click to expand...

30" circle is what I get out of my gun and a imp.cyl choke with 4 buck (25 pellets or so) and I think its just fine for my application. As long a coyote couldn't sneak through the pattern at the chosen cut off distance its good to go for me.

But 36" and only 9 pellets, thats to thin even if for coyotes.Choke it down a bit and see what hapapens. If you could get down to 7 or 8 pellets inside 20" circle @ 40 yrds or so, I'd shoot it at a coyote no problem.
 
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The Federal Tactical loads are slower and the shot harder than most buckshot loads. Slower and harder shot contributed to smaller patterns.
 
Quote:

If they were too close then people would get a PT hit on random chance which I did not think was fair. So I took some test shots out of my 20 inch rifle sighted smooth bore 870

The results were frankly alarming.

at 40 yards (which I consider a close shot on a deer) the pattern for OO buck was fully 3 feet in diameter!

O buck was even worse at 4 feet!!

There is no way on this planet I would ever use one on a deer sized animal. That said they were a hoot to shoot in IPSC Shotgun.


40yds = 120ft on a deer in a cedar swamp would be an extremely long shot!
A 3ft pattern would be approx 1ft @ 40 ft. I would suggest that's about right for swamp shooting where max shots could go as far as ohh..80 ft.

Many hunters have found a very good use for buckshot, it's extremely effective used in the right situation.
 
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