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Old March 3, 2013, 03:43 PM   #26
jimbob86
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First of all, in the video it is apparent to this Southerner, the pattern was centered on the junction of the neck and body.
So the near front quarter was all shot up ...... and this was "the plan". I also noted a hit back in the belly area ..... not part of the plan, but something that can happen when using a systen that randomly scatters projectiles, mostly in a pattern, but never 100% .....

Damaging +/-15% of the meat, on purpose, and standing a good chance of poking a hole/holes in the guts while you're at it is a bad plan, in my book..... especially when there are better options available.

While I have heard good things about the Federal Flite-Control loads, they still don't hold a candle to a rifled barrel and slugs, or better yet, a centerfire deer rifle for accuracy or lethality, when properly placed ......

I am not real sure why some folks place such a premium on "poleaxing" an animal- if you hit them in the lungs with an expanding rifle bullet or slug, they WILL die, and quickly ...... they might make it 100 yards on a dead run, but they don't run without a brain, and the brain does not work for more than a couple of seconds without oxygen, and O2 won't get there without blood- and a 1/2" or better hole through the lungs will spill all their blood out on the ground inside of 15-20 seconds..... makes tracking easy, as well.
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Old March 3, 2013, 05:54 PM   #27
SteelChickenShooter
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My opinion, based on experience suggests 100 yards for many smooth bore or rifled bore shotguns with a variety of ammo. But also, you can get 200 yard performance if you do your homework and if you need that particular extra range. As an example, a single shot NEF or H&R 20 gauge is quite capable to 100 yards with the right ammo. Certain types of ammo may not go to 100 yards, but many will. In my case a Savage brand bolt action shotgun with Hornady SST gives me the 200 yard results I'm looking for.
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Old March 3, 2013, 06:26 PM   #28
RMcL
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So the near front quarter was all shot up ...... and this was "the plan". I also noted a hit back in the belly area ..... not part of the plan, but something that can happen when using a systen that randomly scatters projectiles, mostly in a pattern, but never 100% .....

Damaging +/-15% of the meat, on purpose, and standing a good chance of poking a hole/holes in the guts while you're at it is a bad plan, in my book..... especially when there are better options available.

While I have heard good things about the Federal Flite-Control loads, they still don't hold a candle to a rifled barrel and slugs, or better yet, a centerfire deer rifle for accuracy or lethality, when properly placed ......

I am not real sure why some folks place such a premium on "poleaxing" an animal- if you hit them in the lungs with an expanding rifle bullet or slug, they WILL die, and quickly ...... they might make it 100 yards on a dead run, but they don't run without a brain, and the brain does not work for more than a couple of seconds without oxygen, and O2 won't get there without blood- and a 1/2" or better hole through the lungs will spill all their blood out on the ground inside of 15-20 seconds..... makes tracking easy, as well.
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In Alabama, buckhshot remains legal and popular for dog drives, stalk and stand hunting. There are also few area restrictions on the firearms one can use to hunt deer. Those who choose to use buckshot do so because it works and in many cases is the superior tool for their hunting environment. Given modern shotshell/choke technology, and wider pellet size choices, buckshot hunters are not stuck with 1940's performance.

Nebraska has a totally different terrain than the Gulf Coast yet allows bows, spears, handguns and any single projectile smoothbore with or without sights for deer hunting. I find it ironic that many of those choices have no more effective range than today's Buckshot/choke technology.

Last edited by RMcL; March 4, 2013 at 09:15 PM.
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Old March 4, 2013, 09:26 PM   #29
jimbob86
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RMcL, just because a thing is legal does not make it the best choice.

Were I restricted to a shotgun (I do know of a landowner that will allow anyone to shoot deer on the creekbottom near his farm, as long as they use a shotgun or a roundball out of a muzzle loader), I'd think that a slug would be superior to buckshot.
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Old March 4, 2013, 09:34 PM   #30
RMcL
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Limited maximum danger range is another reason for using buckshot for deer hunting:

Here is an example from Montana:

http://www.hornady.com/team-hornady/...e-skyler-roope




Here is another DRT in a "semi-rural" setting. Notice the house in the upper right hand corner of the screen and pick up the shot at the .40 frame. This with 00B, load unknown. Stand hunting with buckshot is becoming quite common in many areas. This with today's tight patterning loads is changing how many view the effectiveness of conventional size buckshot on deer size game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa8bjSYIPOo

Last edited by RMcL; March 4, 2013 at 09:43 PM.
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Old March 5, 2013, 11:50 AM   #31
RMcL
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Within the range limitations of the Shotgun/Choke/Load and the hunter's awareness of the limits of his equipment and abilities...buckshot will do the job.

As a hunter I have seen the results of both top notch performance and very poor performance with many types of firearms and loads...rifles, shotguns, muzzeloaders, and handguns. All are capable, within the limitations of the genre, of top field performance. All are subject to performance failures when stretched beyond design limitations.

There is however, more unknowing vitrol against the use of buckshot than any other ammunition type.
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Old March 5, 2013, 12:22 PM   #32
hogdogs
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Short of super close (under 20 yards) i feel the buckshot offerings in 20 gauge are lacking for deer hunting... biggest I find OTC is #3 buck...

I wouldn't hunt anything bigger than 'yotes with that at 20-40 yards...

I have pretty good results (60-65 yards) using the basic rifled slug from either federal (first choice) or Winchester super x line (second choice)...

Don't care for the cheapest remingtons as they seem to be dirtier than the other 2...

Brent
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Old March 10, 2013, 11:15 PM   #33
RMcL
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hogdogs

Certainly 20 gauge buckshot ammo has not seen the level of commercial development seen in top tier 12 gauge rounds. Even so, the application of high antimony (5 to 6 %) buckshot pellets and using the largest pellets that can be stacked in layers of two, with a simple mark 5 type shot collar would go a long way in improving 20 bore buckshot.

Even with the paucity of load development, careful selection of choke diameter matching the diameter of the pellet stack can improve the performance of current commercial 20 gauge buckshot ammo.
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