Buckshot is very effective IF you pattern your exact load and choke you'll be hunting with and realize it's effective range as well as know the POI in relation to POA. Shotguns don't always shoot where the bead is pointed, in fact many rarely do with certain loads and chokes.
Shoot at a large sheet of paper and find where you get 50% of the payload in a 16" circle. Call that your max range and you'll have no problem slaying deer.
I've shot a bunch of deer with buckshot and always thought 000 killed with much more authority if it patterned decent. OTOH if your gun puts up tight patterns with #1, that's what I'd use. Some guns will not pattern very well and some ammo sucks out of certain guns.
Federal's Premium CP buck is good stuff.
Good luck,
loder
