Buckshot - NF

[nancur373]

Hey guys. I will be getting back into hunting again next year. I am in the process of converting from a NFLD license to an ONT license. I am planing to buy a universal shot gun for waterfowl, turkey, small game, and deer. Now I have never hunted deer and was wondering what kind of reach would a good buckshot have with a full or extra full choke to take down a deer.


The gun I plan on getting.

www.winchesterguns.com/products/catalog/detail.asp?family=021C&mid=512270


Thanks guys,

Curt

[Freshtrax]

Get a rifled slug barrel and shoot sabbot slugs....back when I deer hunted in NC. I could drop em from 100 yards no problem ( we weren't allowed to shoot rifles in our county for deer. )

[Skud]

Buckshot wastes to much meat. Even a rifled slug is a better way to go and they easily stay true for 60 to 80 yards. A better reach than buckshot which I wouldn't trust much past 50 yards.

[Fisherman]

Ya, I think the general feeling is that buckshot does more damage than good. Too many wounded deer left for coyote food. There are a bunch of multi purpose shotguns out there withat come with different barrels.

[nancur373]

The gun I want doesn't come with a rifled barrel. I have no experience with rifled slugs. Can you shoot them from a smooth barrel? Or would it be the same effect as any normal slug in a smooth barrel?

[Sinker]

Yep, rifled slug through a smooth barrel.

 

Honestly, all ya need is a 12 guage with a slug. The buckshot just isn't worth it. Sure, there are times when buckshot will be handy, but MOST times, a slug is better.

 

I can shoot remington sluggers out of my rem 870 to 70yds easy, and put them all in a pop can. Good enough for me.

 

S.

[Fisherman]

Yep, rifled slug through a smooth barrel.

 

Honestly, all ya need is a 12 guage with a slug. The buckshot just isn't worth it. Sure, there are times when buckshot will be handy, but MOST times, a slug is better.

 

I can shoot remington sluggers out of my rem 870 to 70yds easy, and put them all in a pop can. Good enough for me.

 

S.

X2 on what Sinker said. On top of that, you can use the cheap 12 ga. "clod of lead" 5rounds for about $4.99 compared to 4 or 5 times that for the sabot slugs for rifled barrels.

[nancur373]

Thanks guys

[wallyboss]

You can buy a rifled barrel for most shotguns, it will do lot's for accuracy!

[Freshtrax]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nNTyCcip-ks&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DnNTyCcip-ks

[Big Cliff]

Yep, rifled slug through a smooth barrel.

 

Honestly, all ya need is a 12 guage with a slug. The buckshot just isn't worth it. Sure, there are times when buckshot will be handy, but MOST times, a slug is better.

 

I can shoot remington sluggers out of my rem 870 to 70yds easy, and put them all in a pop can. Good enough for me.

 

S.

What Sinker said, I too use an 870 and no problem at 70-100 yards with a slug.

 

Now I do have one place where I hunt and use buckshot, actually I use a Remington 3" magnum 00 buck buffered load and the longest shot I have made with it was about 70 yards and I did drop the deer. The thing most guys do wrong with buck shot at the longer distances is they think they have to aim high, believe me you don't, hold right on target or you will be shooting over the deer. (same thing goes for slugs too)

 

At 80 yards you are going to have "about" a 4' spread, with 15 pellets (lots of variables here, barrel length/choke/buffered/non buffered/ ........ (and they will still have plenty of volicity) there is a very good chance you will put a couple in the lung/heart area. I'm not suggesting that you go out with 00 buck and start shooting deer at 70 or 80 yards but it is capable of dropping a deer at that range.

 

As for damage to the meat, I've seen as much or more damaged meat from slugs as I have from buck shot, again so many variables!

 

As for your gun choice; well I have had my Remington 870 for probably 25 years now, it has been dragged through the mud, wet, frozen, in short used hard and this thing just keeps doing it's job. Not fancy but a good solid well built gun!

[nancur373]

Great video upload Freshtrax.

Thanks for all the info guys

[richyb]

depends on your hunting situation. If you are still hunting and may have a 100 yard shot I would go with slugs. If you are hunting with other people dogging deer that will be running hard and close to you then buckshot is the way to go.

[DOS]

Leave the buckshot for the zombies, use a slug, rifled slug thru a smoothbore is just fine. Switch to cyl or IC for your choke and have at it...

 

Dan

[Freshtrax]

Great video upload Freshtrax.

Thanks for all the info guys

Obviously you wouldn't take a shot from that range but kinda cool to to see it done.

[Sinker]

Look into the rem 870 combo kits, or a mossberg 3 barrel combo.

 

Are you set on that winchester for a specific reason? Im a little biased, im a hardcore 870 guy, but your not getting much with that winchester for your money IMO.

 

Ive been shooting the same 870 for everything for a long time. Works like a charm EVERY time, and ive seen MANY fancy auto loaders become single shots when my 870 still functions flawless. They're not pretty, but they ARE reliable and versitile. The 2 or 3 barrel combo sets are tough to beat!!

 

S.

[Bernie]

I don't use a shotgun for hunting deer, but have done a fair amount of duck hunting and trap shooting.
One thing that is important is that the gun "fits" you.
I tried several different shotguns before I settled on one that felt comfortable and shot where I pointed it.
Don't just go by the feel of it. Go to a range and try it if possible.

 

I'd agree that some semi shotguns can/do have issues.
The 870 is a tried and true gun for many, but for some reason they just don't suit me.

[nancur373]

Look into the rem 870 combo kits, or a mossberg 3 barrel combo.

 

Are you set on that winchester for a specific reason? Im a little biased, im a hardcore 870 guy, but your not getting much with that winchester for your money IMO.

 

Ive been shooting the same 870 for everything for a long time. Works like a charm EVERY time, and ive seen MANY fancy auto loaders become single shots when my 870 still functions flawless. They're not pretty, but they ARE reliable and versitile. The 2 or 3 barrel combo sets are tough to beat!!

 

S.

I liked the feel of the winchester but I will look into those you speak of

[Old Ironmaker]

I just watched that video. I haven't held a shotgun for 40 years shooting at the range. Man I'm impressed, didn't think it was possible to do what Chuck Connors did with that weapon. 230 yards, could have been farther.

 

I was always told the barrel needed a cool down time. He ripped off 20 rounds in less than 15 minutes. 15 for 20 at 230 yards in a tight grouping, amazing. If I counted correctly he loaded 6 or 7 rounds in the semi. Gotta love the good old USA and I gotta get me one of them that there pea shooters.

 

I would have thought a slug would have done more damage. Clean entry and fairly clean exit. Is there such a thing as a hollow point slug?

 

If there was a war to break out I want that dude on my side. 230 yards or farther, man very Impressed. I never understood why some infantrymen in Viet Nam carried shotguns, now I do.

Edited December 16, 2013 by Old Ironmaker

[nancur373]

 

I would have thought a slug would have done more damage. Clean entry and fairly clean exit. Is there such a thing as a hollow point slug?

 

[nancur373]

For the sabot guys...

[ch312]

 

 

 

 

Those companies who make the buckshot, professional hunters, hunting guides, and ethical hunters who use buckshot each season all recommend using buckshot at typical bow hunting ranges with an absolute maximum of 40-50 yards. A 4 ft pattern is not to be considered adequate for any animal and I cannot being to understand how anyone in their right mind would even attempt such a ridiculous shot. Buckshot doesn't have spectacular penetration at 50 yards and at 75 yards each 00 pellet will have less than 100 ft/lbs of energy meaning you'll be very luck to penetrate the offside lung and any experienced knows that a deer with a one intact lung can run very far. I've rolled coyotes at 50-55 yards with 00 buck and penetration wasn't very impressive, even though they're smaller with much smaller rib bones than deer.

 

Visit any hunting forum and start a poll asking the maximum effective range of buckshot and I'll bet less than 1% would suggest using buckshot for any animal over 50-60 yards.

Edited December 20, 2013 by aplumma

[aplumma]

I backed this thread up 1 hour to keep it on track. Do not go down the same path please. We need to respect other opinions and all the readers to judge if the info is useful to themselves.

 

 

Thanks

 

 

Art

[icedude]

Well said Dude....the temptation to jump all over a comment here was overwhelming

 

 

With Best Wishes All for a Merry Christmas and a Healthy and Prosperous New Year

 

OFC ROCKS !

[Freshtrax]

Ahh.. What did I miss?