Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting #1 Buckshot vs. deer??

Okie John- I use full choke and the factory bead sight. I use buckshot for hunting tight cover and for hunting with dogs. Shots are close, and most often at a moving target, Rifle sights would get in the way.

A note on chokes: Both of my buckshot guns, a Remington 1910 pump 12ga. and a Browning A-5 16ga. were made prior to WWII. Both have 28" full choke barrels with long chokes. In the 12ga, a dime stops a 22" into the barrel from the breech. It patterns much better than my newer Browning BPS with the short screw-in Invector + choke.

My guess is that the long tapered choke of the older guns deforms the shot less than the newer back bored, screw-in choke barrels.

I know the improved cylinder is wrong for buckshot.The pattern opens up way to fast.But as said, I use buckshot only for follow up shots when deer is on the run.My first shot is a winchester super-x slug.Then this year trying Remington express #1 buckshot my next 2 shots.Winchester slugs shoot very accurate out of my browning A-5 with a burris 2x7 scope.I use a old big style cutts compensator choke.

Years ago, I killed an Ohio doe with antique Iver Johnson 16 gauge with full choke. Five of the #1 pellets struck the chest organs at approx. 50 feet. The animal wobbled a short distance and collapsed.

16 gauge with #1 BUCK is strictly a close range deer-getter.

Sherwood

I use full choke out of an A-5. Most other folks got better patterning with a more open choke (usually Modified)but my gun patterned fine with a full. with 16 pellets, I want them impacting in in a small area at 40 yds.

What's the standard? Do you look for a certain number of pellets in a 10-12" circle at a certain distance?


Okie John

Short magnum #1B has been discontinued by Federal, Remington and Winchester.

The two number one buckshot loads offered by Winchester are the only ones in their line with a shotcup to prevent flattened pellets from bore scrub.