Shotgun hunting for DEER

[tactical lever]

You're the only person I've ever heard say steel is fine through a full choke.

looking at manufacturers almost all of them have a little warning saying no steel through a full choke.

I've also had waterfowl guides tell me improved modified is the tightest choke safe for steel

Well I looked into it a little as I've never heard that it's bad, other than having a poor pattern. The rule of thumb is that you go one constriction down when switching from lead to steel to keep the patterns roughly equivalent.

With fixed choke guns, the restriction is much more gradual and I don't think there's ever been an issue with them. I did find however that some full chokes aren't compatible with steel. And I did read of some examples of guys ringing the barrels with bigger steel shot.

On the subject of buck shot through a full choke, I recall reading that after, many (thousands?) of rounds that a tight full choke could get opened up a few thousandths (?) of an inch, though it was nothing that a regular shooter would even notice. I believe that was the case for rifled slugs also.

And of course saboted slugs shouldn't be going through a choke.

 

[Arietta]

And of course saboted slugs shouldn't be going through a choke.

Saboted slugs can be used in rifled chokes.

 

[70m4h4wk]

Saboted slugs can be used in rifled chokes.

Rifles chokes don't constrict though, they just add a touch of rifling to a smooth bore

 

[brybenn]

I'm someone who has fired way to much buckshot in testing various loads and numerous guns. In comparing roughly 3 dozen 12ga guns of varying barrel lengths and chokes I've come to the conclusion that there is no set rule. I've seen short open barrels do well and horrible and I've seen tightly choked long barrels do well and horrible with everything in-between.
By far the best patterning buckshot load is federal flight control tac loads. The slower of the 2 loads offered. It's proved the best results overall. No matter length or choke it was the best.
You must test your gun ammo and choke to determine your limits.
If I were to hunt deer right now with buckshot I'd pick my 1301 comp with ext ic choke. It throws a 10" pattern at 30 yard with federal flight control tac loads. Very repeatable in summer. Colder temps open the pattern slightly and allow more variants in the pattern. I don't have extended mod or Im or full chokes for the Ochp to test but I've tested the flush chokes.
My a400xplor is almost as good as my 1301 comp shooting the same loads and same chokes

As for actually shooting deer with buck shot the best performance I've ever seen in person was the deer I shot in the head at 35 yards with #4 buck thru a full choke. 19/27 pellets hit the head with several more in the neck. I don't know if any area where #4 buck is legal for deer. I used it under the authority of the police to finish off a deer that had been hit by a truck and was standing in the field for nearly an hour. After skinning it it had a broken rear leg and some internal bleeding

As for 00b vs 000b. I've seen more consistent and better patterns with 00b. However there have been very few exceptions where I've seen 000b do better and unfortunately I've sold those guns off. They were AyA sxs guns using the modified choked barrel

Also just so no one wastes ammo trying. All buckshot is useless from a rifled barrel. A 45 gallon drum was completely safe at 12 yards.

2.75" 00buck in flight control will beat any form of 3.5" 00buck loads I've tried. I do not believe they make a flight controlled 3.5" load. If they do someone plz let me know

Moving to 10ga I have been stocking up slugs and buckshot for trials next spring. I only have two 10ga guns a sxs and a bps stalker. Plan is to try a 10ga for bear over bait because...why not

Sorry for the long post. But the truth is you must try your ammo in your gun to know for sure

 

[MiG25]

Anything that says they have to be free-floating? Wax slug or a hot-glue slug made from 00buck would probably give you a little better range…

Don't rely on my interpretation when dealing with the Game Warden, but the only thing I see like that is a prohibition on single projectiles when hunting Migratory Game Birds.

 

[Wendell]

You're the only person I've ever heard say steel is fine through a full choke. Looking at manufacturers almost all of them have a little warning saying no steel through a full choke.

On YouTube there's a channel called TGS Outdoors, and one of the things they do is factory tours, and some of the factory tours that you might watch - if you're so inclined - are those of Beretta, Kreighoff, Rizzini, and Perazzi.

 

[NSHUNTNFARM]

Remington 000 and the Carlson Dead Coyote extra full choke did a nice job for me on a deer a couple years ago. Around a 30 yard shot.