Buckshot for deer?

[Dutchman01]

Originally Posted by dovehunter

I hunt in many areas where it's not legal to use slugs. I also hunt in areas that are pretty densely wooded. This has forced me to use buckshot over the years and I am absolutely convinced that it is effective up to at least 50 yards. I lost one of the nicest deer I have ever seen shooting slugs. Afterwards I noticed that I had chopped down several small pines trying to shoot through them to the deer. Had I been shooting buckshot I would have gotten that deer. After 40-plus years of hunting deer under these conditions and ranges I will take buckshot any time over slugs at ranges of 50 yards or less. I hear a lot of people say "Oh don't use buckshot, use slugs". That tells me either that (1) someone is just giving what they think is the politically correct answer and/or (2) that they have never tried buckshot at all or at least not given it a fair chance. Get some buckshot and try it out at ranges up to 50 yards. Don't just restrict it to 00 buckshot, also try some 0, 000 and no. 1 (my personal favorite). If your shotgun has screw-in choke tubes try modified as well as full. Sometimes I have found, particularly with larger buckshot sizes, that modified will actually give denser patterns than full choke. I think you may be surprised just how effective buckshot can be.

Actually I wouldn't be surprised by buckshot. I have patterned it at 50 yards already. My drilling has a full and modified choke. Both pattern quite well at 50 yards. 50 yards is plenty of range in the area I hunt.

What I'm uncertain of is the killing ability of buckshot. On this forum it's about 50/50 for/against using it on deer. Surprisingly it's about the same on the other forums I've asked the same question. I'm quite surprised by the difference of opinion on this subject.