muzzle loading shotgun for deer

[T-Bird]

anybody ever hunt deer (successfully) with a ML shotgun and,say buckshot? I worked up a load from my 12 ga Pedersoli a few years back that seemed to pattern well from the full choke side but I never tried it. I think the load was 100gr pyro RS and 9 #00 buck balls. Just wondering if anyone actually does this? I do have a Navy Arms 12ga also that has wide open "chokes" that I could probably shoot a ball in like a double rifle.

[elk hunter]

1970 Western Oregon, Blacktail deer taken with a Williams, English made, 13-bore double loaded with 3 drams of Dupont 3-FG and a round ball. Didn't have to use the left barrel that was loaded with 9-00 buck. Have taken a lot of birds over the years with different muzzleloading shotguns. The second shotgun is a Fraser 15 bore.

[pietro]

.

Not a shotgun per se, I've used a T/C 56SB (smooth bore) Renegade with a PRB on deer - the combo worked great, but I never had the need to shoot a deer further than about 50-56yds away (I hunt in buck bedrooms - thick brush/swamps).

I also used it on small game with #6 shot in 28ga shotcups ( I know, my bad)………

[KCSO]

Not with buckshot as it is not legal here but my fusil with 90 grains of ffg and a 20 ga round ball has taken deer and buffalo with no problems, One shot to each animal taken. With a 12 ga I shot a leaping deer that folded in mid air. 75 Grains of ffg ans a 700 round ball with a base wad and a light patch to center the ball in the bore.

[waksupi]

I've seen too many wounded deer with buckshot. Stick with round ball. I had a Navy Arms 12 double years ago, and it did indeed shoot like a rifle out to a hundred yards.

[T-Bird]

Thank's guys! I may get that Navy arms out and try prb in it. Most of my shots over my 50+ years of hunting deer have been under 75 yards. I was nervous about buckshot, altho I killed a nice buck YEARS ago on a dog drive with it from a modern gun at about 40 yds. Waksupi, my Navy Arms , I bought at an estate sale probably in the '90s and it wasn't new, looked unshot, you said you shot .700 ball well in yours? I was just thinking they might have the same bore dia. It's so open it's not much use for birds. Apparently yours was also quite open if you considered shooting prb. Just was hesitant to go thru the findind the right ball dia etc, that's why I haven't started this project.

[LAGS]

I have a TC 56SB that shot PRB well out to 50 or 60 yards.
And it sure felt like it would do a number on deer.
I wanted something that would shoot accurately out around 100 yards , so I sent it to Hoyt to be bored and rifled
I like the .61 cal that it is now.
But now I wish I would have left the barrel the original smooth bore and just have polished out the light putting that was in the barrel when I bought it.

[Nobade]

I shoot a .715" patched ball in my old Investarms 12 ga, over 100 grains or so of homemade powder. Haven't shot a deer with it yet but seeing what it does to inanimate targets I have no doubts it would work on a deer. Though I'll probably be using my 20ga that Waksupi built on them this year.

[Jedman]

Another vote for the round ball, I have killed deer, hogs and other game with them even with a 410 tri ball load.

I have seen a deer that was hit hard by OO buckshot get away and never to be recovered and that just stays in my mind as a really bad choice to use for deer. I’m sure tons of them have been taken cleanly with buckshot but it’s not for me.

Jedman

[waksupi]

Thank's guys! I may get that Navy arms out and try prb in it. Most of my shots over my 50+ years of hunting deer have been under 75 yards. I was nervous about buckshot, altho I killed a nice buck YEARS ago on a dog drive with it from a modern gun at about 40 yds. Waksupi, my Navy Arms , I bought at an estate sale probably in the '90s and it wasn't new, looked unshot, you said you shot .700 ball well in yours? I was just thinking they might have the same bore dia. It's so open it's not much use for birds. Apparently yours was also quite open if you considered shooting prb. Just was hesitant to go thru the findind the right ball dia etc, that's why I haven't started this project.

Well, I haven't owned that particular gun for over 40 years, so I don't remember what diameter ball I was shooting!

[longbow]

I had a Pedersoli side by back in the late 70's I took on a black powder hunt, everyone else had muzzleloading rifles, some flintlock but mostly percussion.

I had the gun loaded with 12 pellets of 00 buck over about 4 drams of BP so a fairly stout load. I ran into a spike buck in thick brush and shot him on the move at about 25 yards. At first I didn't think I had hit him, or at least not fatally, because he kept on going. I waited a bit then followed and found him about 75 yards away down and about out.

When I butchered him I found 9 of the 12 pellets in him. Shot him in the left side and found smashed left shoulder, broken left leg with one pellet in the knee, lungs were perforated and heart as well. 8 of the 9 pellets recovered were in the body.

At that close range I can't say I was impressed with "knock down" effect but it did the job anyway. Having said that, I would side with the patched round ball at being a better choice within effective range.

I had tried 0.690" RB naked through the right choke which was IIRC I/C, or maybe modified, but dismal accuracy. I didn't try donut wads and didn't try patching due to the choke. With cylinder bore I'd go with patched RB. If there is a choke I'd be inclined to try donut wads now. Wasn't very smart then... maybe not very smart now but even less smart then!

Longbow

[megasupermagnum]

Unless you win the lottery of SXS's, you have a gun that is effective to 35, maybe 40 yards. Buckshot is plenty effective inside of 40 yards, and while a round ball is lethal much farther, the accuracy is not there. Chances are one barrel or the other will shoot close enough to the bead to be useful, although I have yet to have one be perfect. You can adjust your powder to see if you can get the POI to shift where you want. Generally a smooth bore with a good load will shoot in the ballpark of 4" at 50 yards off of a bench. When you take into consideration that you probably wont be shooting exactly to the bead, and field conditions make shooting a non-sighted shotgun tougher, you have a gun capable to 35, maybe 40 yards. Some might be willing to push the limit a bit more, but I'm not.

If you have choked bores, there really isn't anything you can do. Many have tried, but I have yet to see anybody get even remotely acceptable accuracy with loose fitting loads. About the only thing I have seen that I liked was 2 or 3 ball loads. Personally, if I were allowed, I wouldn't even mess around, shoot your buckshot load, and keep shots inside that 35-40 yard mark.

[toot]

you are so right, there is nothing worse than a GUT SHOT ANIMAL! UNESSARY SUFFERING! remember a hunters prayer, of LOARD PLEASE LET ME KILL CLEAN OR MISS CLEAN!!. doesn't happen with BUCK SHOT! I know that there are a lot of hunters that will say that they have killed game with B-SHOT. with 9 or 12 ,31CAL, pellets you are sure going to hit in various areas. jmho.

[BS2]

Now that I have a choke in my 7 Bore, I may try buckshot again.

Never could get any kind of pattern before.

But a 7/8" lead round ball will shoot length ways of a deer.

[megasupermagnum]

Now that I have a choke in my 7 Bore, I may try buckshot again.

Never could get any kind of pattern before.

But a 7/8" lead round ball will shoot length ways of a deer.

At only about 1000 grains, do you think you have enough gun?

[BS2]

Like 22 LR shooting a 1000 grain ball.