I shoot the 3" 15 pellet 00 Winchester Super X with a full choke. Killed a pile of deer with that combo. I feel comfortable shooting to about 60 yards. I have patterned it at 80 and can still consistently get hits on target but that is pushing it a bit, mainly because of velocity at that point. I have shot it though xxxfull comp-n-choke. It did great. Could put all fifteen in a 6"circle at 40, but it ruined the choke. Never fooled around with the 2 3/4 stuff too much.

i used the copper coated ones . might just be me but they seemed to kick a little less than the Federals.

i used the 000 in my BPS 10ga

Don't deer hunt with buckshot... BUT I shoot a lot of pigs with it under 50yds they are toast. Buck Kicker for 00 but I prefer #1 and #4 for the woods and use a Carlson Coyote and think it's better with #1 and #4 than the Buck Kicker. #1 will kill the crap outa something I don't know why it isn't more popular.

For me, I don't shoot the #1 because it gives wider patterns. And for the loss of energy at long range. Shot density will be about the same as 00 just wider.

Said it before but I will say again. Different guns even the same brand' pattern differently. If My Gator gun didnt prefere 31 cal. buckshot' then i would not go to the trouble to powder coat the pellets. I shot nickel plated, buffered loads from #2 to 000 with good results in my other guns. Some would like one load and some another. Sometimes one load would be outstanding for the first shot and fall short the next. I will say that : if you are going to hunt deer with buckshot, Then at least pattern at least 5 shells from that load and restrict your shots to a distance that you can be sure of a clean kill. I know that has already been said by another member but it need repeating. I want a clean kill on Even the predators around my place

From what I remember,
2 3/4 = 9 pellets
3” = 12 pellets
3 1/2” = 18 pellets

I cringe when I think about shooting 3.5” out of a pump. It’s tolerable in my SBE2 though.

A 3.5 throws 18 00 pellets a little slower than a 2 3/4 throws 9 or 12 pellets. If you're shooting the 9 pellet load that this thread was started talking about. It's like shooting twice every time you pull the trigger on a 3.5. Speed doesn't kill. Pattern density does. I've killed deer @ 70 yards with a 1050 fps load before I knew it shot that slow.

A lot of deer have been killed with a 2 3/4 and also a 3" gun. I spent a lot of time and $ to find a gun and load I'm happy with because I use it for 90% of my deer hunting. I've went back to the drawing board over a 14" 40 yard pattern or a 12" pattern that had holes in it. Whatever 9 or 12 pellets will do, 18 will do better. Under 40 yards on a wide open shot, it probably wouldn't matter. For a pattern that will still kill at 50, or 60 yards, or through light brush, I want all the help I can get.

I don't think it's bad through mine either (SBE2). I shot a 3.5" 870 a few times and it might have taken a few years off my life. Kicked me right in the face.

yeah i shot one a few times , ill stay with my 10ga pump . pushing that much lead out of a smaller hole makes a lot of difference .

We bought 3 new mossberg 3.5” pumps when they first came out in the late 80’s. Killed a lot of deer with 3.5” #1 buck, several out to 70 yards walking clearcuts. Yeah they kick just a little though.
We’ve always gotten better patterns with #1 buck and mod chokes.
Y’all got me wanting to try that choke though. I plan on shooting some pigs with buckshot this summer.

If you don't like it, they will swap it out for 30 days till you get the patterns you want. They make it in a Lt full, a full and an extra full.

i stocked up

10ga hammer

As far as 3.5 goes. I don't shoot it anymore. For one its expensive. 2 my accuracy isn't as good, 3 follow up shots are either slower and/or less accurate.4 3.5 hulls mess up if they're left in the tube too long. The hull will deform.

I'd rather double tap 2.75 than all 18 pellets in one shot.

2.75 shells can be bought on sale pretty cheap. That and the reduced recoil allows me to shoot more before / after season.

I have an 870 Express with the standard mod chole tube that patterns 000 buck into pie plate sized patterns at 40 yds and puts 6 of them in there at 50. 000 will break bones

I was always a #1 buckshot fan, always had/borrowed uncles or dad's guns, full choke 30" seemed what most everybody ran back in the day. That set up sure piled up a mess of them.