How would you describe an effective 40 yard buckshot pattern for deer hunting?

Your question is not clear. Do you asking what size is an effective pattern? What type of hunting are you talking about? Running deer with dogs? Still hunting? Stand hunting?
What range are you contemplating shooting deer with buckshot?

I have seen deer taken cleanly with Buckshot, but not very often. If you just HAVE to hunt with a shotgun, then you probably should be using slugs.

So far as what size pattern, with 00 Buck with 9 pellets, you would want them all within 4 or 5 inches, and hold your shot unless you are within 20 yards or less of the deer.

All the pellets into a 12"-18" circle, with no open holes in the center.

Would you consider a 6 pellet 00B (.33") or 8 pellet #1B (.30")strike in the 10" pattern core at 40 yards to be an effective deer hunting pattern?

I've killed all of one deer with buckshot. Also been involved with culling operations using helicopters and buckshot, I was not the shooter, mostly the carcass picker upper/wounded deer dispatcher, so take this for what it's worth.
If you can legitimately keep 6 OOB or 8 1B pellets within 10 inches at 40 yards, then yes, it'll probably be effective. Think about it this way, those pellets are going maybe 1,000 or so fps at 40 yards and weigh 40-55 grains. That's not a whole lot of energy,and a bit worse than a .25-20, so you better be able to put those in the right spot.
My personal experience with a deer and 00 Buck at about 15 yards is that it was very effective, but it still no bang-flop. In the culling operations I've been apart of when there was shotgunning involved, it was not pretty. Lot's of wounding, gut shots, broken legs, most of the deer required some sort of finisher before I could load them up and transport to the processing area.

Maybe. I've shot quite a few with buckshot - Virginia coastal plain. Our standard was 3" 12 guage with #1 buck, full choke. We patterned the guns at 50 yards and wanted all or close to all pellets in a 55 gallon drum lid. If I remember right there were about 25 pellets. Many of my friends used #4 buck with good success.

Wicked weapon, the buckshot. I did then and do now prefer shooting deer with a rifle. But when you have to, buckshot does kill them dead.

4

well get just as close as you can and then YOU make the call.It will work if you do.Kawi

I like to have at least half or more of the load within a 12" to 18" circle. I like the full choke the best because they pattern better and allow for longer shots. I prefer to hunt with a rifle but some of the places I hunt a shotgun is better so that is what I take. I prefer 3" Winchester Super X #1 buckshot and I try to keep my shots 50 yards or less. I have killed a few deer all the way out to 75 yards but those shots are far and few between where I use a shotgun. Used within 50 yards, a shotgun is very deadly. About 75% of the deer I've shot with buckshot have just melted in their tracks. In fact I killed the biggest buck I've ever killed with the load I mentioned. He was a 12 pointer that grossed 152 7/8 B&C.

That 3" #4 buckshot load looks like serious medicine. I bought some for a coyote calling load, but haven't pattened it yet.

41 .24cal pellets @ 1225fps. Basically slinging a whole box of .22lr at once.

Yep.

IIRC, #00 buck is .35cal, #0 buck is .32cal and #1 buck is .30cal. In addition to more shot, the #1 buck always patterned better in my shotguns.

Half of your 24 pellet #1B (.30"/40 grain/1040fps)load would place 12 pellets in roughly a 15 inch pattern - presumably at 40 yards. What specific shotgun, Choke brand, type and constriction are you using? Also what kind of penetration are you getting?

By the way, Winchester's 2.75" and 3" #1B rounds are the only hunting buckshot rounds in the Winchester line that have a full length shot cup surrounding the buffered buckshot pellets.

I am using a Remington 870 Wingmaster with a 30 inch barrel, and the barrel is a fixed choke barrel, a full choke. I prefer the #1 buckshot over the others because it gives the best blend of penetration and pattern. Like I said, try to keep all your shots within 50 yards because buckshot does not penetrate nearly as well as a rifle. I'd say that about half the pellets that hit shoot all the way through and you recover a few just under the offside hide.

From the responses it appears that #1B (.30"/40gr.) is the minimum size for adequate penetration on deer size game at 40 yards.

From the ballistic gelatin tests I have seen on line, #1B is also the smallest size that will consistently penetrate 12 inches in the test medium.

Have seen experiments on hwy signs with buckshot. I forget the yardage, but 00 buck would punch holes when #1 and #4 left little dents at equal distances. This was 30 yrs ago and I'm sure buckshot has improved like everything else.

I can't tell you how many hundreds of deer I have seen killed with buckshot. In S.C. during the 70's most people hunted with buckshot as most folks hunted with dogs. Today, the opposite is true and very few folks hunt with dogs anymore and most hunt over fields and swamps with rifles.

The biggest mistake you can make is to choose the size of buckshot that you want to use before you know what your gun shoots best. Full choke does not always provide the best pattern. I had a Remington 11-87 that would put all 15 OO buck in a paper bag at 40 yards with the modified screw in choke, but with the full choke it was horrible.

I wouldn't use anything smaller than #1buckshot. I only know of a couple of folks that shot #4 but it's really at its best in real thick cover and close up.

I have seen multitudes of deer killed with one pellet. That being said, the devasting kills are the ones that put 5 or more pellets in the chest. Blood trails with buckshot can be very skimpy. Only on extremely close shots of 10 yards or less will buckshot exit the animal. On longer shots, you will invariably find the pellet(s) just under the skill on the far side. Frontal shots are not the best for buckshot - try to wait for a broadside shot. I remember a big fat doe my brother shot head on one time from a tree stand. She had about three our four pellets in her chest/brisket but there was literally no blood to follow and she ran about 80 yards in a very thick swamp.

Don't let anyone fool you - buckshot can be used with great confidence to 40 yards, and in a shotgun that patterns really well, out to 50-55 yards. I have seen lots of deer killed beyond that, but the probably of a wounded animal is much greater. Buckshot is simply devastating on deer when it is up close and personal.

Another thing to consider is how you will be hunting. Say your shotgun shoots #1 buckshot well and also 000 buck well. If you were hunting with dogs and expected a very fast moving deer you might be better off with the #1 buckshot due to the larger number of pellets. On the other hand if you will be sitting in a tree stand in a fairly thick area and expect to see deer that are walking or slowly slipping along, then the 000 would be your best bet. 000 buck has a much more dramatic effect on deer than the smaller #1 buckshot. A 3.5 inch shell containing 15 pellets of 000 is some serious medicine.

Best of luck to you and post up some pics when you put one down.

Considering your concerns on the lack of penetration and blood trail, wouldn't you prefer to use larger factory loaded buckshot size than 000B (.35 caliber)?

I've only killed one doe with buckshot so I'm certainly no expert. These are the details:

- 16 gauge single barrel with FULL choke
- Remington ammo featuring #1 buckshot
- Distance: approx 15 yards (from tree stand)
- Strike location: head and upper neck

Result: one dead deer that never knew what hit 'em.

In my opinion, lethal distance is determined by cluster of 6 or more balls into a 6 inch circle. My shotgun will group like this out to approx 18 yards. Beyond this distance, the pattern opens up considerably. Less balls means less strike power and tissue damage so I wouldn't take a shot beyond 18 yards or so with my shotgun. But each scatter gun shoots differently based upon many factors.

My scoped crossbow shoots much better (deadlier) for shots of 30 yards or slightly farther. I prefer to restrict my hunting with the old 16 to squirrels and such - its not much of a deer-getter (for me)with its limited range and vicious recoil.

Sherwood

Interesting: You made a decision on a minimum pattern vs maximum effective distance for your ammo/gun/choke combination. Isn't that exactly what you do to determine how far to use your crossbow or any other weapon on game?

Ammo advances and specialty chokes have made buckshot radically more effective today. Just as ammo and barrel advances have changed slug shooting. For some reason however, the perception of buckshot effectiveness for hunting seems to be mired in the 1940's!


Your thoughts?

RMLC:

Actually the 6 balls into a 6 inch circle comes from a book written by Sam Fadala. He goes on to describe energy figures and tissue destruction. Since I admire his research and observations, I determined to follow Sam's advise.

In contrast, my crossbow shoots its high speed bolt completely through a deer's chest at 30 yards. Much tissue destruction and organ damage is predictable and always lethal.

Whether another hunter decides to take deer with buckshot or other type of ammo does not concern me. I simply shared my experience with buckshot - for me its not a good choice due to limited range and vicious recoil.

Good hunting to you.
Sherwood

If one wants tighter patterns with a shotgun/buckshot, look at the federal buckshot with the flight control wad, I've been reading where it cuts buckshot groups down more then half!!
http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot45.htm

I use a Carlson't turkey choke with OO and OOO. Patterns in my 1187 run ab out 15" at 40 yards with copper plated buffered buckshot...be sure to check your impact vs aim point.

I"ve run copper or nickel plated #4 buck in 3 inch 12 and out to 40-45 yards you get enough pellets in every time for the kill on our small whitetails. I"ve always preferred multiple holes iwth buckshot rather than fewer.

Most of my buckshot use has been on pigs though. Have yet to have one get away, probably have never shot past about 35-40 yards on pigs.

Can't say I've seen a blood trail to speak of.

Can't say that #4 buck has been not enough for penetration either.

At 40 yards if most all the pellets are in an 18 inch or so sized group, thats plenty good for me.

As to comments of get to 20 yards or less.... I don't think we've ever shot one that close with buckshot. So NO you don't have to.

Just like any other shotshell load, you must pattern your gun.

YMMV.