Here in Va we still have a few areas that require buckshot, particularly if you aren't in a tree stand. Probably 1/3 of the deer I've ever shot were with buckshot. I've never lost a deer to buckshot. I've used buckshot in my Ithaca 37s, an old Mossberg 500 with one of the adjustable chokes, and in a Remington 1100 I had. Usually full choke. 2 3/4" in the Ithaca, 3" in the Remington and Mossberg. This year I'm going to try Winchester XX High Velocity 3.5" out of a Winchester SX4 and my Kicks Buck Kicker full choke buckshot tube. It patterns nicely and I think I can easily stretch out to 50 yards with it. Recoil is brisk, to say the least.

Just curious if anyone else uses buckshot. If so, what load, what gun?

I use 3.5 inch 10 gauge 00 Buck yearly out of my Ithaca Mag 10 or Browning Gold 10. I have a lot of Federal and Winchester branded shells.

I have the guns for goose hunting so it was a no brainer for me.

18 pellets is the standard load. I bought a ton of these before they got kind of hard to get. I still have about 20 boxes of shells and only go through 4 or 5 shells a year.(I also use a slug gun for tree stand hunting)

I've had everything from bang flops to 200 yards of tracking but I have never lost one.

The one thing I hate is chipping off antlers on running deer, which can happen on occasion.

These guns soak up the recoil pretty good. I don't even notice it when hunting.

Nice. I had a Remington SP10 years ago (based on the Ithaca). But I never deer hunted with it. It was heavy as hell, but it patterned #5 shot better than any 12 I ever had.

It seems 10 gauge ammo is making a come back. I see it for sale with some regularity.

Luckily I've never chipped an antler. But on occasion theyve gone some distance.

I lost a buck with a shotgun when I was a teen. Bloodied him with some newly-purchased 3" 12ga buckshot at 35-40 yards but couldn't find anything other than a bit of blood and white hair. Seemed impossible. Patterned the load the next day and found it shot really tight and about 8" lower than point of aim with that particular choke tube. Learned a lesson there: Always sight-in, even with a shotgun.

Here I am from about 10 years ago with the Browning Gold 10 and a really nice 9 point taken on a drive.

Good buck!

Spent a little over half of my Navy career stationed in VA and did a lot of deer hunting in shotgun/muzzleloader areas. Tipped over my share of whitetails with buckshot but always went with slugs if allowed. A slug is just better out of a shotgun for deer but I can't remember losing one with buckshot but I had some fairly hard tracking jobs with the buckshot. Slug cuts a hole nearly an inch around and that lets a lot of blood out and a lot of air in.

I’ve got cousins and friends that deer hunt in the Atchafalaya Basin (Louisiana) with dogs. Most of them use shotguns/buckshot. Shots are generally close and fast! I think that it’s generally 12 ga. with double aught! memtb

Number 1 Buck is the ticket...

When I lived in VA, I had to use buckshot. My preferred load was the Winchester 3" 00 plated load with 15 pellets. out of my 870. It patterned best with the modified choke tube, about an 8" pattern at 25 yards, Wouldn't hesitate out to 40. My longest shot was 30 yards, it was a bang-flop. Never lost a deer I shot at, but was careful with my shots. I sometimes referred to it as my loud bow, because I placed the same limitations on its use.

Old70

That is a very nice buck, ROMAC.

MAC, I prefer slugs, too. I'm a big fan of slugs here in Va. Some counties still require buckshot unless you're in a tree. I don't always want to use a climber, and on one piece of land I have access to, the owner doesn't want tree any stands, either, for whatever reason. So buckshot it is if I want to hunt there. But fosters are a deadly. I've used Brennekes, too, and they work very well.

MOGC, that's the smallest buckshot I've ever hunted with but never killed a deer with it, though I think I used it on a feral cat. My go-to is usually 00. 00 is all I have on hand right now.

Here is one from 2 years ago that took some buckshot to its rack.

He was running through the thick stuff with his head down about 25 yards.

Look as the base on the left side and brow tine on the right side. It also took two to its' cheek and one to the brain pan. The rest in the neck/shoulder area. This was a bang flop.

I'm just glad I did not have to go searching for antlers on the ground to make it legal.

As far as slugs, I like Lightfield Hybred Supremes out of my Browning A-Bolt, but they are getting hard to find for less than $25 to $30 a box, which is crazy, but the factory shut down so it is what it is. I use Winchester Partition Golds out of my Benelli Super Black Eagle dedicated slug gun. They are expensive now too, but at least they are still making them.

You're right. Any sabot slug is hard to come by right now. 20 gauge is spotty, but 12 gauge is nearly impossible to find. I've got a box or two of Federal Premiums BRI type slugs that shoot well out of my Ithaca M37 with rifled Deerslayer barrel, and a decent quantity of Hornady SST slugs that print 1 inch at 100 yards out of my Savage 212. And I've got a metric ton of Federal and Remington 1 oz foster slugs that shoot very well out of my other Ithaca M37 with 26" vent rib barrel with a IC choke tube. I can hit stationary clays with that gun with foster slugs at 75 yards, which is plenty accurate enough.

Too bad about the chipped antler. That's not bad, though, and gives you something to point to when someone sees it on your wall.

Remington SP-10 and Browning Gold 3 1/2", both using 00 Buck, they are deadly.

my first deer, at 7 years of age, was taken with a single barrel 20 Ga and buckshot.

I’ve killed a bunch of deer and pigs with 00 buck.

I had a coyote walk through an 00 buck pattern.
I had a coyote die from #4 shot pattern.

Killed two does one weekend with a 20 gauge single barrel and #3 buck - high school years. East Texas, where we hunted with dogs and shotguns, mostly. Also killed several hogs with the 20 and buckshot. My 12 gauge Mossberg 500 was a lot more powerful and effective, however.

Mike Holmes

I hunted in SE Virginia with buckshot for a few years. I never was impressed with how well it killed unless you got the head or spine.

Deer running ahead of dogs, buckshot and grown over clear-cuts make for some rough tracking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=688KkPzDXrU&t=1324s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Icpeo6PBPgA&t=883

Grew up in SE Texas hunting w dogs/shotguns. While I never got a shot when I packed a shotgun ( 20ga/#3 buck; later an 1148 12ga 00/#1Buck) the deer that were shot/lost by other hunters was the result of shooting too far. Few even patterned their guns. I later, on a whim, all I used it for was small game, bought a Stevens single shot 12ga Magnum with Full choke that shot 3" #4 Buck into rabbit sized patterns...at 90 steps! Kid you not. My dad killed many squirrels (it did same with #6 shot) but that "knife edged" comb would blacken your eye! It hurt soo bad! I was glad when they outlawed dogs and the "group hunts" stopped. I have many fond memories but I have some bad ones too...it was a different time.

I like 000 buckshot in 12 guage

I hunt in VA and most people use 3" 00. I also like #1 buckshot and have used #4 as well. If my stand is in a thick place where I can only get close shots, I will use the #1 or #4. A more open stand and I use the 00. I had a Benelli SBEII with a buck kicker choke and it actually shot too tight for my liking. It shot a pattern about the size of a pie plate at 50 yards which made it tough to hit deer that were really moving up close. Each gun is a little different so you will need to experiment with different chokes and buckshot to find what you like. I prefer a good even pattern about the size of a large pizza box at 40 yards.

Federal premium copper-plated 00…

Grew up hunting a bow or shotgun only county, slugs not allowed. Always used Federal 3 1/2in 00. I believe they had 18 pellets in them. My dad and I had a pair of Mossberg 835s.

When I was 9, dad gave me an old single 20ga. Had a doe and yearling feeding on some crab apples. I pulled the trigger on the doe and both fell over. Must have been quite the spread. Pretty neat for you first kill though.

I've got a couple of boxes of old Remington Premier 3" nickel plated buffered 00 buckshot. It patterns best of any buckshot load I've fired.



That sure doesn't happen very often, LOL. Great story.