Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting How effective is buckshot?

Been working on hand loading buckshot and I have 2 loads I'm settled on for now. I'm loading for a 3.5" Benelli SBE 2. This gun does great with Factory Rem 3.5" 00 (factory 00 actually measures .32, so 0), but costs about $2.50 a shell. This gun with this load, through an extended extra full choke (.685) shoots 13" patterns all day @ 40 yards. The tru-lock extra full measures the same as the factory benelli full choke. The factory shell clocks at right around 1100 FPS, and I have killed a bunch of deer with this load.

The first load, through the same gun and choke, is putting 14 000 (Hornady 000 is .35 and 63 grains each) into 12- 14" patterns @ 40 yards. I also shot this load @ 60 and it put them all into 22" with 6 of the 14 into 6". This load clocks @ 1175-1195 FPS.

The second load is 16 true 00 (hornady .33 cal, 54 grains). Through the same gun and choke it is also throwing 12-14" patterns @40. Also @ just under 1200 fps.

I am loading these loads for about $1.28 each. That is with me buying the buckshot. and putting it in new primed hulls. I plan to start casting, and the cost will go way down then, as the shot is costing just under a dollar per shell.

Wow bet those loads kick! If I can't get the job done with 2 3/4 inch loads I just won't shoot. I also like the higher velocities of the shorter shells. Perfect to me would be a 20 pellet count #1 buck load using plated or extra hard buckshot.

I agree with this. I've spent a lot of time hunting blacktails in thick brush where shots are about like what you describe. I've killed plenty with rifles and revolvers, and never felt like not using a shotgun cost me an opportunity.


Okie John

It is hard to beat a shotgun for taking down running game at close range. Plus they seem built for hunting in bad weather and rough conditions.

Yes, they will beat you up a little bit. I don't even notice when I'm shooting deer. Patterning in the back yard is a different story. When patterning, it takes a lot of will not to pull the shot. I've tried a couple times to load lighter weight loads faster, but the pattern seemed to blow up when I got much over 1250 fps or so.

A true #1 .30 cal pellet weighs 40 grains. 40x20 =800, 800 grains is 1.83 oz. My loads are right @ 2 oz, not a whole lot different. If you find your "perfect" load, you better be ready to rattle some fillings loose too. especially if you try to get more velocity.

I found three 5 packs of now discontinued Federal 20 pellet magnum 2 3/4 #1 buck in my stash of unused old ammo. Yes no problem telling when they go off!

Interesting read. I just came upon it. I've never hunted deer with buck. I did however crumple a lioness back in the 90's in Zim with 12ga 3inch #1 Winchester XX magnum. That was a long time ago. A so called "buddy" winged her and she came on. Broken front shoulder and not very fast. PH shot, I shot. PH was a nano second faster than me. I think his 458 Lott did it, but, the buck hit her full force in the chest.

On my 5 acres at 100 feet I shot at a coyote broadside with 00 buck and he trotted off unharmed.

Animals I shot with #4 buck were not so lucky.

As said so many times above. You will have to pattern it, and know your range.

I gotta question. Why is #1 Buck so overlooked? I'm noooo way a buck guy. Have used it very occasionally. Did a lioness many years ago and the odd coyote here and there. My thoughts is #1 at moderate range is golden. 00 is big but very spread out, meaning some holes in the pattern. Yes?no?

I would guess the reason #1 is overlooked is that it isn't readily available. Being as buckshot isn't very popular, a wide selection is hard to find. Which in my opinion also makes it less popular. A lot of folks have had bad experiences with buck because they buy whatever they can find at the local walmart, throw it in an open choke gun and (because that's what they have read/heard) and either pattern it or just use it and see poor results. In no other use of a shot gun is patterning more important. Turkey loads even take a back seat in the "need to pattern" department to buck shot.

So to answer your question, poor performance leads to poor sales, leads to poor selection. Then poor selection leads to poorer performance, leads to internet buck shot "experts" condemning it's use (not speaking about 24 Hour. This has been a very open minded discussion).

If you can get a good pattern with #1, it would be a very good choice. I personally like larger buck shot and really like 00 and 000 if it patterns good and #1 would be the smallest I would personally use. In a tight patterning gun 00 won't have holes in the pattern. There are 18 00 in a factory 3.5" load. the gun I shoot will put them all into 13-14" at 40 yards, not much room for holes in that pattern. The same gun and load will shoot 20" 60 yard patterns, and I am very confident in it at that range. I have pattern pictures I could post, but don't know how with PB no longer working.

Last month I took the couple of shotguns I keep for home defense out for their annual shooting. Still no surprises. With various 00 and #1 the guns will pattern 1/2 or more of their load onto an 8-1/2" x 11" piece of paper well at 15 yd. and usually at 20 yd. Beyond that one should be thinking of wounding, not killing. My guns and my ammo, but YMMV.

I've only seen one deer taken by buckshot.
Southern boy dropped him at 40 yards.
Before the days of choketubes.

I guess if one tests and stays within limits..........it's certainly good enough (can be said about anything).

Wonder how many people confuse buckshot sizing with reg shot (#4 or #1) ?
Had a yote hunter flub it.

I have used 0 buckshot. There are 10 pellets in the shell. a 12 gauge 3 inch magnum. You have to pattern the shot. I have used an adjustable choke to pattern out to 100 yards. but use have to pattern your shotgun no matter what shot you are using to see what you can hit or maximum range. Be careful tightening the choke towards full. Too tight may blow your barrel with an adjusted choke.

mtnsnake, I've still got some of the old Remington Express 12 gauge 2 3/4" 0 Buck we used to be issued. It is a 12 pellet load. I would think that a 3" load of that would have to be somewhere around 15 pellets.

Thousands upon thousands of deer are killed across the south each year with Buckshot. At 35 yards it is wicked; however, you need to pattern several different shells to see which ones work best. My last shotgun would only pattern Remington buckshot for some reason but it patterned it exceptionally well. I took one large doe at 85 yards with Remington 3.5 inch 000 a couple years ago - penetration all the way to the far ribs.

Fellows ,

I live in New Jersey for the last 46 years . I came from Pennsylvania , a big rifle state where we use to have close to a million licensed hunters and " buck Monday " school was closed !
When I moved here and found out buckshot only for deer it was an awakening !

Lucky for me I hooked up with guys that knew how to setup and use shotguns . After much trial and error I found that my model 12 was good to MAX of 40 yards with number 1 buck . We hunted from tree stands with an occasional silent drive by a couple of guys or even just one . Never lost a deer and at that time you could shoot 3" spikes . Now we can use slugs and my Savage 220 F clover leafs at 100 yards with Remington sabot slugs .

Buckshot is very effective if you know and any attention to your limits . AND find out what shoots in your particular shotgun .

Semper Fi
Soup

This has NOTHING to do with effectiveness of buckshot - you just MISSED.

Haven't used it much but carried it a lot for bear protection in camp esp. at night in Alaska. The type pellets make a huge difference with the high antimony Magnum type patterning better and the copper or nickle hard plated shot doing even better. The buffered loads were also an improvement but don't know if anything better is available now.

Buckshot has been used to dispatch many wounded leopards and if the PH's trust it with their life as the weapon of choice that's a pretty good endorsement. They used European or Brittish loads that were about the equivalent of size 0 or # 1. Or if American loads then 00 as most of the improvements are directed at this size.

On the several leopards that I've done always a shottygun backup, buck for sure. 1st backup was 00 in an old Sauer double barrel. Now Rem 870 3 inch #1 Win XX. I have never had to blast one, but I did do a lioness point blank.