#1 Buck

[Arisaka99]

Can you use #1 buck for deer? If so, whats the max range? Its 3in shells.

[missionary5155]

Good morning
I would think you are still Going to have to stick to the 20 yard rule unless you are facing real BIG deer... like HUGE whitetail and Muleys. Problem is those pellets loose energy so fast. You still must get penetration through ribs and into lungs / heart and deer are well constructed.
Personally I would prefer Buck shot only when I am crawling up on a bedding area where my shot would be 15 yards and under. Any other hunting I figer to see the deer first and and if carrying a smoothbore it has a round ball in it. If the deer sees my first I just do not shoot unless it is a perfect setup. I do my hunting in river bottoms by the way. Farthest I have ever shot a deer was about 33 yards and the last was at 12 yards with my 52# recurve.

[Arisaka99]

ok, I was just wondering, because some of the lands around here are only shotgun, but I dont have the 118$ to spend to rebarrel my H&R with a slug barrel. I figured it would be easier to load or buy some buckshot.

[izzyjoe]

i've always felt that 50yd. is streching buckshot out, but i've heard a few tall stories of people shooting it farther and taking deer. but i believe it would be pure luck to shoot past 75 yd. and kill deer with buckshot.

[Arisaka99]

yeah, I wasnt figuring on shooting past 50 yards anyways.

[10 ga]

Here in Eastern VA and NC hounds and shotguns with buckshot are the standard hunt method. I have used buckshot for over 45 years and it will kill deer very dead, or at least as dead as any other thing. After many years and a lot of hunting here is what I know. For smaller deer say 15 to 70 lbs #4 to #1 buck is OK at ranges under 40 yards with a good choke that is tested and known to shoot your chosen load well. It will kill them dead. For larger deer 00 or 000 buck is by far the best. Choose your load and test your gun and choke. For hound hunting I shoot the 3" winchester high velocity 00 buck in a modified choke. Good velocity and good pattern in my 870 and Charles Daly. For stand or still hunting I carry one of my #10 guns. Both have custom chokes and shoot very hard cast 000 buck very tight. Both guns have custom sights due to the very tight patterns shot. Both of the #10 guns have had other tricks to shoot very tight patterns with the 000 buck. I can consistently put 13 out of the 14 #000 pellets into a 15" target at 55 yards. It is very deadly on most any deer you see in the woods and shoot at. Yeah, it's thick here in Eastern VA and the longest woods shot I've ever had was 85 yards and that even counts ML season. With my #10 Browning Gold auto or my Ithaca Mag 10 auto I have no hesitation to shoot at deer at 65 yards and know they are getting a fair deal if I do my part. If you have any more questions PM and we can discuss. Best to all, 10 ga

[Arisaka99]

Where do you hunt 10ga, I live in College Park, but I hunt in Middlesex w/ a guy from church. He is part of a hunt club there. The deer there only get to be maybe 100-150 at most, they go through and kill them all, I'd rather go out to princess anne or dismal swamp and hunt by my self and get a bigger deer.

[Arisaka99]

BTW, I use a 20ga w/ a fixed mod choke and a 3in chamber, but I can use my Mossberg Bolt action with a poly choke and a 2 3/4 chamber.

[10 ga]

PM sent. Oh yeah, Unless you go out to Southampton or Surry or over to Northampton or Accomac 150# is about as big as you'll get. 3 years ago I shot a 5 yr old 14 pt. and he was only 158#. We scale all of our bigger deer and anything over 150 is a BIG deer unless you're on the Eastern Shore or Southampton/Surry area, for some reason they grow and average considerably larger there. 10

[muskeg13]

10 ga: I used to hunt in Surry Co, along the Blackwater River, but that was 25 years ago. The deer and turkey were plentiful and good sized. I attribute this to their feed, with all of the peanut, corn and soybean fields. They could graze all night and hang out in the cypress swamp during the day. 12ga 3" 00 Buck from a stand at about 35-40 yards would do it every time. The full choke barrel of my Savage 311 would put all of the pellets in about a 9" circle at 50 paces. I used to pattern different factory loads on paper grocery bags and found that any of the buffered 3" 00 loads shot very tight patterns, but #4 and #1 Buck shot all over the place and the then new 000 loads weren't as tight as 00. Bottom line: You have to pattern your gun to see what it shoots best...and at what range it is effective to.

[Arisaka99]

Well, I have a 20ga, and it has a mod choke on it. I dont know where to get 00 or 000 buck for it at all, all I know is fiocchi makes it.

[Lloyd Smale]

#1 buck is great for home defense where you dont want alot of penetration but personaly i wouldnt fool with anything smaller the O for deer.

[megafatcat]

Slugs will not harm your barrel. Try a few and see how they shoot. You do not need a dedicated barrel for slugs.