Are you shooting buckshot?

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Rusty
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Are you shooting buckshot?

Post by Rusty »

Since I've been off because of my shoulder surgery I've been spending a lot of time watching Youtube videos. One channel that I've found interesting is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlK7ca8951k

This is just one example of his reloading videos. He also has videos on hunting with dogs, something I have no experience with, and range tests with his loads. I've never heard of taking a deer at 120 yards with buckshot but these folks are doing it.
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Ray
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Re: Are you shooting buckshot?

Post by Ray »

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Last edited by Ray on Fri Apr 08, 2022 4:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
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guido4198
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Re: Are you shooting buckshot?

Post by guido4198 »

They may be "doing it" in South Carolina, but I have serious reservations about using a 30 caliber roundball on a deer at those kind of ranges.
The patterns are certainly impressive. Much better than we expect at those long ranges. Might be fine close-up but the energy generated doesn't even come close to my (personal) minimum for Deer and Hogs.
Paper punching tests look OK...so long as he's hunting paper he'll be fine.
All I can say is that I HOPE they are using dogs so there's a chance to find all the deer that are going to suffer wounds that don't put them down, but will likely (eventually) kill them.
wolfdog
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Re: Are you shooting buckshot?

Post by wolfdog »

40 yards is about the max for taking a deer with buckshot from my experience although I di see one buck dropped at about 80. The guy hit the deer with one pellet right at the base of the skull, pure luck on his part.
Pete44ru
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Re: Are you shooting buckshot?

Post by Pete44ru »

.

I have had zero interest in using buckshot for deer, over the past 25 years.

After sadly losing a few deer (here & in Maine) to buckshot :oops: (their bloodtrails invariably led to deep water swamps, where the trail was permanently lost :( ), I was happy to see that my state has now banned the use of buckshot in any gauge, for deer.

I DO, however, have no aversion to using buckshot in my home-made 20ga HD Whippet Gun. :mrgreen:

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gcs
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Re: Are you shooting buckshot?

Post by gcs »

I've done a little buckshot hunting, keeping a decent pattern even at 40 yds ain't easy, 120 is near impossible, not that one pellet couldn't thunk it in the head.
I wouldn't dream of even trying at 75 yds.
A friend of mine used to take deer with oo buck at over 70 yds fairly frequently, but he lost a lot too, and his gun shot buckshot like a laser beam.
In my eyes, buckshot should only be used in heavy brush at close, under 40 yds, range. otherwise its a crapshoot, no matter what you read.
Rusty
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Re: Are you shooting buckshot?

Post by Rusty »

I've always considered 40-50 yards the maximum for Buckshot myself but these guys hunting over dogs seemed to have figured something out. One thing, and maybe the key to the mater is the type of wad they're using that comes from Ballistic Products. I'm not sure I want to try it since I don't have dogs but I do find his long range performance amazing. It might work for someone that wants some long range waterfowl of coyote loads.
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GunnyMack
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Re: Are you shooting buckshot?

Post by GunnyMack »

The wad is the key! Any wad will work, but this guy happened to find a supply of good old AA wads.
I've loaded buckshot in the past and patterns get better with a wad. Most factory stuff used over powder wad but nothing for flight /pattern control.
My 870 with a 30" full choke(fixed) that I ported to 80% bore diameter shoots like a dream. I can put 9 pieces of 00 in the lung heart are of a deer at 50 all day long. Longest shot I've taken is about 65 and killed the deer DRT.
I also tried 4 Buck but it made mince meat out of shoulders.
My Benelli loves Federal 3" 00, last deer I shot with it was a small 6 point around 40 yards, it never twitched, 9 out of 12 pellets through the lungs.

Yes it's good in tick stuff but if you know your gun/ load it's just as good or better in the clear within reasonably distances.
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44shooter
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Re: Are you shooting buckshot?

Post by 44shooter »

I have carried buckshot, especially when I was a little boy starting out. Never shot a deer with it and never had much confidence in it much beyond thirty yards. I think the bulk of the pattern need to hit vital tissue to work reliably. I've heard of long shot kills but I never believed they were a certainty.

I grew up around hounds. Most of the hunters had rifles. Some carried a spare shotgun for when they couldn't see far and expected a fast close shot. But each hunter was expected to do it all: cover a stand, cut off and catch dogs, turn dogs out etc. the fields are big where I'm from and the brush is often thick. A shot can be feet to hundreds of yards so most use a scoped high power rifle.

I do know of clubs with self imposed limitations of shotguns. Some allow buckshot, some include slugs too. Even knew of one that allowed lever class cartridges like 30-30, 35 Remington, but not powerful bolt type cartridges like 308, 270 etc. yes I know they all have been chambered in autos, pumps, levers, bolts, singles and more.
t.r.
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Re: Are you shooting buckshot?

Post by t.r. »

I've toppled only one deer with my 16 gauge shooting buckshot so I am not an expert. Distance was approx 75 feet and my full choke produced a deadly pattern at this short range. The doe stumbled at the shot but trotted away into the forest. I waited about 30 minutes before taking up the blood trail to find this deer dead after it traveled about 50 yards. When I dressed it out I discovered that the chest organs were badly damaged. At the time I felt that this older shotgun had completed the job quite well for me at this very close range. But I've been hunting with my 30-30 carbine since the 1970's and never considered buckshot again.

TR
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southfork
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Re: Are you shooting buckshot?

Post by southfork »

I have wondered about using buckshot in full choke shotguns. Isn't that hard on the barrel where it is choked? Is it even recommended to use a full choke? I could use either a cylinder bore or a full choke, and don't wish to damage either gun.
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Blaine
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Re: Are you shooting buckshot?

Post by Blaine »

southfork wrote: Wed Nov 01, 2017 11:34 am I have wondered about using buckshot in full choke shotguns. Isn't that hard on the barrel where it is choked? Is it even recommended to use a full choke? I could use either a cylinder bore or a full choke, and don't wish to damage either gun.
With modern firearms, you will not hurt the shotgun.
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Old Ironsights
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Re: Are you shooting buckshot?

Post by Old Ironsights »

I've tried on and off for years to shoot buckshot, but my eyes are not good enough and I'm not quick enough with a .22 to hit more than one in nine from the 12ga thrower... :twisted:
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Paladin
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Re: Are you shooting buckshot?

Post by Paladin »

Old Ironsights wrote: Wed Nov 01, 2017 6:42 pm I've tried on and off for years to shoot buckshot, but my eyes are not good enough and I'm not quick enough with a .22 to hit more than one in nine from the 12ga thrower... :twisted:
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44shooter
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Re: Are you shooting buckshot?

Post by 44shooter »

You won't hurt your chokes with buckshot. Your choke might hurt the shot though. Only way to find out is to shoot and look at patterns.
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