Success with sub-gauge buckshot?

[Brutus]

I admit I'm a skeptic, but that aside, let's here from deer hunters that use the gauges smaller than 12 and buckshot on close range deer. Your success stories with details and otherwise. Let's just keep things honest and polite, no trash talking please. Just the facts Jack!
(And if you use a 12 or 10 gauge with buckshot let's hear that too okay?)

I suspect we'll hear from some Van' Isle hunters that use these tools in certain areas.

Cheers!

 

[madtrapper143]

I have killed a couple with 16 gauge 0 or SG buckshot. That was years ago when I lived in a shotgun only zone. I presently have a Remington 1100 16 ga choked modified that throws incredible patterns with Remington 0 buck. I wish I had it back then. For the 16 keep the range short (25 yards) and aim for the front half of the deer. It works but better choices are available (slug).

regards, Darryl

 

[mvarley84]

I dont like buckshot even out of a 12g....I use a .410 slug mostly, or 12g slug if I am shooting out to 100yds.

 

[tactical870]

I use 3.5" OOB and have had really good luck with the buffered remington stuff. While I have had good patterns out to almost 70 yards with it, I prefer to keep my shots with buckshot inside 20 yards. The real downside is that there is very seldom any blood trail with buckshot and a lot of fatally wounded deer are never recovered.

 

[TheCoachZed]

I have read good things about 16 gauge with #1 buckshot, but never tried it myself - yet. One nice thing about that gauge would be that shells are relatively close to 12 gauge buckshot prices, but a dedicated buckshot gun could be had quite cheaply. People pretty much give a 16 away if it's a little worn.

I have also heard that .410 buckshot groups very very tightly. True or not, I don't know. I'd love to pattern some of those 5-ball loads out of a pump .410.

I've shot my last two deer - a button buck and a decent-sized doe - with 00 buck out of a 12 gauge Winchester 1300 duck gun. Both were knocked down with the first shot at about 20 yards or less, but both required some finishing. You'd probably have to finish anything off at that range, anyway, unless you shot it with a .45-70 or a slug or something. I think people thinks buckshot takes longer to kill, because the game is right in front of them while it dies. In any case, I ended up cutting the button buck's throat, and put a second round right into the doe's neck at point blank range, to make sure the died fast.

I use it when I'm hunting in areas that are too close to houses to legally use slugs, otherwise I'd go with a slug, no question. Buckshot might be nice on a running deer in brush, but I've never seen anything shrug off a slug.

 

[mbogo3]

I use 3.5" OOB and have had really good luck with the buffered remington stuff. While I have had good patterns out to almost 70 yards with it, I prefer to keep my shots with buckshot inside 20 yards. The real downside is that there is very seldom any blood trail with buckshot and a lot of fatally wounded deer are never recovered.

Never had any problem on deer under 60 yards with either #1 or 00 buck.And of course they don't bleed except at point blank with buckshot.Had a WT doe travel over a 1/4 mile with one lung shot out with a 6.5x55 last weekend left lots of blood then quit.I found her and finished things up. First I've seen of this tenacity in 40 years of prowling...........Harold

 

[rral22]

I've shot my last two deer - a button buck and a decent-sized doe - with 00 buck out of a 12 gauge Winchester 1300 duck gun. Both were knocked down with the first shot at about 20 yards or less, but both required some finishing. You'd probably have to finish anything off at that range, anyway, unless you shot it with a .45-70 or a slug or something. I think people thinks buckshot takes longer to kill, because the game is right in front of them while it dies. In any case, I ended up cutting the button buck's throat, and put a second round right into the doe's neck at point blank range, to make sure the died fast.

Read that over a few times and decide if using even less shot will be a good idea. Buckshot had a very few specific uses IMO, but I would never use it if there was any other choice.

 

[TheCoachZed]

Read that over a few times and decide if using even less shot will be a good idea. Buckshot had a very few specific uses IMO, but I would never use it if there was any other choice.

It's not about the total number of pellets, it's about how they group. If I can take a .410 and be assured that 3-4 pellets are going to land right where the bead is pointed, or take a 12 gauge and be assured of the same performance, there's little practical difference. In fact, the .410 could be safer, since there's less flyers.

Now, I've never tried the .410 with buckshot, so this could not be the case! The only way to know is to try it yourself...

I think the key with 16 gauge and 20 gauge buck would be to go with slightly smaller shot than 00, but not too small. That way your pellet count doesn't suffer too much anyway. Maybe #1 shot?

BUT OVERALL, you're right. Buckshot sure isn't ideal, not as good as slugs. It just happens to fit very nicely into my hunting area, and I assume others would be in the same boat.