has anyone actually shot big game with buckshot?

eltorro

eltorro

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I'm liable to go into an area where shotguns are a must.
Slugs would be my first option.
But as far as I can remember, hunters have used buckshot to take deer/bear, etc.
I don't have any personal experience regarding this matter - other than about 30 shells fired at paper.

Anyone that actually shot/whitnessed big game with buckshot, please chime in.
How big was the animal, how far, what kind of shot, penetration, meat loss... the whole ordeal.... including (if) any of the pellets have gone into the guts.

This is not a thread about the ethics of using buckshot, nor it is about what one thinks is suitable to be used for a certain species (see the bear defence threads for that).
A collective experience is the goal.
Thank you,
eltorro
 
shot my first deer with a single shot 12 gauge with 00 buck.

spike buck, ~20 yards or less, he dropped at the shot. no bloodshot meat IIRC, some pellets went right through, some didn't. i found 2 pellets, one of which went right through the near shoulder.
 
I saw a farmer shoot a bear at cloe range with buckshot. Head was hit and it went rigth down.

Also knwo of 2 bears that didn't have great results- One black bear up a tree, shot with buckshot, fell down, went ballistic and there was some messy ness. had to be finsihed with slugs.

One grizzly, charged and was hit int he shoulder/face with buckshot. Didn't faze it. Next shot was the slug and put it down.
 
Bears and Buckshot

I shot a good sized black at about 20 paces in the chest with rem 00 buck. He reared up faster than I could pump the next round in..and attacked the closest tree with both teeth and paws. The second round of 00 buck went behind the front shoulder and blew him off the tree and put him down. His jaws were snapping for 2-3 minutes. I left him and waited for daylight..dead as a nit. Now, I would use no 4 buck and shoot for the face/head(close range only), and follow with a good brand of slugs. Shot several for pest control at a dump with a rem 1100 with sites, using brenekes. Shot at close range thru the shoulder, they drop on the shot. Thru the boiler room, they all ran a short distance.
 
long bow said:
Now, I would use no 4 buck and shoot for the face/head(close range only), and follow with a good brand of slugs. .
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Why not just use the Brennkes in the first place, and when you hit that bear inthe face at close range, it will be dead, instead of having to follow up wiht anothe rshot?;)
 
Shot my buck last year using 3" 000Buck. 42', one shot in the neck, no meat loss, approx. 50% of the pellets were passthroughs. No tracking. If you use buckshot, keep your shots close, like under 25 yards. Just my $0.02.

-Jason
 
Gatehouse said:
I saw a farmer shoot a bear at cloe range with buckshot. Head was hit and it went rigth down.

Also knwo of 2 bears that didn't have great results- One black bear up a tree, shot with buckshot, fell down, went ballistic and there was some messy ness. had to be finsihed with slugs.

One grizzly, charged and was hit int he shoulder/face with buckshot. Didn't faze it. Next shot was the slug and put it down.
Click to expand...
I haven't had the opportunity yet.. but.. I was told not to shoot the bear in the head! Skull is extremely thick!
 
thebuckhunter said:
Shot my buck last year using 3" 000Buck. 42', one shot in the neck, no meat loss, approx. 50% of the pellets were passthroughs. No tracking. If you use buckshot, keep your shots close, like under 25 yards. Just my $0.02.

-Jason
Click to expand...
lots of great eating meat in the neck
 
I killed a bear at 15ft with a head shot 3" 000 buck....and I shoot deer every year in the County of Strathcona with my shotgun, usually with 00 or 000 buck. Dont think I shot one over 60 yds away tho.....I carry slugs too.
 
I have shot about 10 to 15 bears (work related) with magnum 00 buck. All were close (20 yards or less) and all died very quickly. When I was a young feller my family hunted deer with Walker hounds. We all used Imperial SSG and killed alot of deer. The advantage of the hounds was the recovery of wounded deer (and there were a few). Buckshot has a tendancy to break legs and place pellets in the guts. This can't be helped as the shooter cannot control the path each pellet takes. I have not used buckshot in years but I always have some around. A short 12 bore loaded with 00 is very comforting at times.

cheers Darryl
 
it does not thrill me to take on a bear with buckshot at such a short distance. if you do not hit him good the first time he will be looking for you and that is not a good thing to happen. ssg can kill them but i do not like to shoot again looking at white shinny teeth in front of me. i would rather use my win 458 loaded with 500grn to take care of business.
 
I shot my first 2 deer with buckshot, and a lot in my group has taken deer with buckshot as well. My first deer came running at me in the bush, so I stood still and fired, of course she was behind a tree! and then she quarted to me and not anymore then 15 yards I pulled the trigger again..thank god I had an autoloader, and the right to the head, neck put the big doe down. Then my second deer came running at me while on point (doe fawn) and I also shot her in the head and neck and flipped it head over heels. Now I own a fully rifled slug barrel, but still have the other gun/barrel for pushing deer in the woods.

This buck also met his end by buckshot during my December Controlled hunt:
994_0517.jpg
 
Have shot 3 deer with 2.75" 00 buck. First one was 40 yards broadside,, ran about 50 yards and died. Second one was about 10 yards away broadside flipped it on the spot, got up took one step and dropped dead. Third one 15 yards broadside fired and 4 legs were sticking straight up in the air,, never moved again. All 3 were very good sized bucks. would use it again if pushing thick bush or I ever had the chance too hunt the stand I killed all 3 of those deer at. Have moved on too muzzleloader for farm hunting in s. ontario.
 
I have seen dozens of deer shot with buck shot over the years... I have personally shot Deer, Bear, Russian Boar, and plenty of small game and varmints with buckshot.
Buckshot is for varmints...period.
If a Big Game animal is close enough to effectively kill it with buckshot...you can kill it much more effectively with slugs.
Unless of course you like pellets in your meat.... replacing your butchers meat-saw blades....it could be about watching the animal run while wounded and the excitement of wondering if you are going to find it?
Maybe the attraction to buckshot is the mistaken belief that it is good in the thick brush.... a slug will out penetrate buckshot in the thick stuff hands down.
Anyone still using buckshot for big-game hunting is very unexperienced or just plain foolish.
 
+1 On what Bigredd said!!! I have only shot one deer with buckshot, a button buck... At the shot (approx 30 meters), the deer sat down and CRIED!!! Anyone hearing that would have quit hunting if it was their first kill...

It required a second point blank shot to the head while looking at me with those big brown eyes...

Cheers
Jay
 
Jay said:
+1 On what Bigredd said!!! I have only shot one deer with buckshot, a button buck... At the shot (approx 30 meters), the deer sat down and CRIED!!! Anyone hearing that would have quit hunting if it was their first kill...

It required a second point blank shot to the head while looking at me with those big brown eyes...

Cheers
Jay
Click to expand...
i heard that cry once as well made sure second round hushed it up real quick
 
If your going to use buckshot please atleast find a choke that patterns it tight, I know a few who just load up and go out. I think I would use buckshot, but only in a 3 1/2" load with 18OOB pellets vs 2 3/4" with 9 pellets. And only after finding a choke that patterns it real tight.
 
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