buck shot

[cajun kid]

just wondering what would be better to shoot buckshot a barrel with no choke or a mod or full for 40 -50 yds

[Syntax360]

Best for what? Deer?

[cajun kid]

sorry for hunting deer.

[Nanuk]

Do not use buck shot for hunting deer. Too much shot dispersal, use slugs.

[115grfmj]

If you know where your gun patterns. The trick is to pattern through differing chokes at different ranges. I'm sorry that I'm not giving you an exact answer, but no one can predict what your gun will throw. My 870 will 9 put out of 15 pellets in a pie plate at 40 yards useing a modified choke, and winchester supreme buffered copper plate 00buck, 3" inch mags. Full choke throws to many flyers for me. For me this is the max range I'll use it at. One old guy I know has an ithaca 37 that has an effective pattern at 50 yards, and my brother benelli throws donut patterns with some brands. Just try what works.

As far as it's effectiveness, with a good patterning shotgun. Nothing is better for running shots, inside it's range, than buckshot.... Buck shot is a very effective killer.


Btw the way.....Nanuk.....um....shot disperal is kinda the idea behind.....SHOTGUNS!!

[Nanuk]

Well my 870 spreads it all over the county. I use shotguns for LE, so my max range for 00 buck is 15-25 yds. At 25 yards I have a 3' group, no way I would use that on deer. Sorry, I grew up in Michigan and saw too many irresponsible people wound deer with buckshot and 410's and such. I never had trouble hitting a running deer with slugs or rifles.

[115grfmj]

Since you use an 870 for LE I image it's probably cyliner bore (possibly the worst choke for buckshot), your concerns are valid. Also I agree there are probably many irresponsible hunters out there, however, if you know how your gun patterns, and you limit your shots to within you effective range than
buckshot is an extremely effective tool.


My 870 is by no means exceptional, 21" vr barrel remchoke modified, yet it prints a 30" pattern at 45 yards, meaning 100% pellets at that range. 9 out of 15 in a 10" circle at 40 yards. I've tried many diff. loads and the winchester supreme is the tightest.

[FirstFreedom]

I'd go with a slug. But if you must use buckshot (not ideal at all), use triple ot, full choke, mid to mid-low neck shots. Stick to 40 yards or less.

[115grfmj]

Aim for the vitals with buckshot, you need the largest part of the animal to aim for. Also generally full choke distorts shot to much to be useful. OOObuck is great (if your gun will pattern it). Since your range will be at most forty yards 00buck still has enough to do it's stuff, wouldn't you want the greater
quantity of pellets that oobuck has to offer over OOObuck.

[RoscoeC]

Recently took a defensive shotgun course, and the first day was spent patterning the individual guns with many different brands of 00 buck shot. It was all over the place. With that said my Remington 870 with 20" barrel, cylinder bore, rifle sights would put Hornady TAP 00 buck or Remington Managed Recoil 00 buck into a 16 to 18 inch circle at 40 yards. Bottom lilne is you simply cannot generalize about 00 buck shot. You have to pattern your gun with a number of different brands and find the one that performs best in your gun. I am not sure that I would want to go after deer with buck shot. I know studies have been done on that subject, and the number of wounded deer goes way up with buckshot versus slugs. With proper sights on your shotgun, you should have no trouble with slugs out to 100 yards or so. With the proper ammunition, you should have no problem with 00 buckshot out to 40 or 50 yards. The Hornady TAP uses some highly developed combination shot cup / wad that minimizes shot deformation, and keeps the shot together until it exits the barrel. It has "wings" that open up after it exits so the cup / wad sheds off. Very effective. Not sure what Remington does with its Managed Recoil stuff, but it is even more effective (in my gun) at longer ranges than the Hornady is. Buy a bunch of different brands, set up a patterning board at 40 yards, and pattern, pattern, pattern. You will come away with solid answers about what you and your gun can do at that range. Answers that no one can give on this forum.

[Daves-got-guns]

so far, my experience with buckshot has been gun and the only buckshot i patterned was federal premo. I dont like their target loads, as i prefer winchester loads for target shooting but their buckshot patterns 7 or 8 out of 9 pellets out of my mossberg in a area of a human torso at 40 yards, and buckshot seems to hit dead center to the left at 40 yards, with a open choke! of course it has the 28" barrel and mossberg claims backboring the 12 helps keep patterns denser, and so far this has been true. Every shotgun is different and maybe i just got lucky! oh also federal classic oo buck loads are allegedly the tightest patterning loads on the market, but they make the same claim to fame as hornady's, so try em both!