Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Serious Deer Talk Forum Buckshot

Not that I've had a bunch of experiences with buckshot, but for the ones I've had, there have been more "bad" experiences than "good." I think I've killed two deer ever with buckshot, one was a doe at point-blank range, the other one was a spike running WAO at a long distance (maybe even 75-100 yards) and ONE pellet hit him in the head (had a hole through his ear).

Worst experience I've had was 25+ years ago (I know I was still in high school), I shot a dang good buck 3 times as he ran by (he was way out in front of dogs on Nat'l Forest land). I can still see it....it was like each time I shot you could see hair "POOF" off of him, and all he did was run faster and faster slap outta hearing. Two weeks later my dad killed that deer with a rifle, when we skinned him he had lots of purple bruises all over his front and one side, and several of the pellets were barely under the skin (this was 3" 12ga #1 buckshot)

Talked with Hal and he recommended T shot in TSS and I was able to use all the components I use with my turkey load so all I had to buy was the shot, it come out to 32 pellets in the load. Not as even as I’d like but I think it’ll work, I only used my factory chokes and the full seems to be the most consistent, didn’t really wanna buy a bunch of chokes to try. This was at 50 yards

That’ll do it!

I don’t know the answer to this, but is T shot considered buckshot and legal for deer?

Ive always thought of T shot as a goose load.Smallest buck shot is #4. Here is a good chart that shows the diameter of different size shot, buckshot included.

https://www.hunter-ed.com/images/pdfs/ammo_shot_sizes.pdf

The TSS is Tungsten shot. In the same way Turkey hunters are using #9 shot for turkeys, folks who use Tungsten for buck shot use a lot smaller pellet with great results. I know die hard dog hunters who are using it with great results. I refuse to try it because I don't want to have $5-8 per shell just in the shot. I started loading my own to keep from spending $2.50 a shell. It was costing me $15 every time I ran a buck across the road. Casting my own pellets and putting them in new hulls, I have 38 cents in a 3.5" shell. And they better any factory load I have shot.

I've kill a lot of deer with buckshot from a 20 to a 12 3", from ten feet to 90 yards over 25 years. My advice on it is to avoid it unless absolutely the only option. Regardless of what yer "testing patterns" look like hold yer shots to under 40 yards. Last time I hunted with buckshot I shot and lost TWO big bucks in two days, both at about 40 yards. I found both of them later on, one a week later and the other in turkey season.

I'll bet the hit and lost % with buckshot is 10X that with a rifle.

I don't think we lose many. We do already have dogs on them though. I wouldn't use it if I wasn't running dogs.

By the time I fed dogs all year, worked on trucks, bought garmins, paid club dues, wired in cb’s, etc.....$15 for shooting a buck would be the last of my worries, especially if those were the most effective shells I could find.

The deadliest "jump shooter" I've ever seen carried a rifle slung on his shoulder and a shotgun in his hands. If he jumped a deer, he rolled it with the buckshot. The rifle was for longer shots, at still or running deer.

What if the 38 cent shells were the most effective shells you could find?

The best factory load in my gun is the Remington 3.5" 00. My gun will put that load into 13" every time @ 40 yards. My 38 cent hand load consists of 16 true 00 pellets (factory 00 are closer to .32 cal 0 pellets). My gun will put them into 11-12 " @ 40 yards. They will also beat the factory Remingtons by almost 200 fps.

I had a fella once ask me if I had a good Model 12 Win buckshot gun. Didn't know. I got a 30" full gun out and tried some buckshot thru it. It would put all 9 2 3/4" 000 pellets in a five in group at 40 yards every time..like a damn rifle. I charged him extra after I saw how good it patterned!!!

I have/have had several winchester model 12s. A few 16 gauges a 2 3/4 in 12 and a couple 3" 12s. I don't think I've ever had one that didn't throw buckshot pretty damn good. Killed my first deer with a 16 that would put all 12 #1s in about 10" @ 40. Would love to have that one back
Someone broke into mom and dads house and stole it in 1998.

at the time I had near 20 model 12s of all styles. That gun was a Post 72 model trap gun with a rib and 30" full bbl. When Win quit making Model 12s they continued the trap and the skeet guns for several years.

nicest one I had was a Black Diamond model, 12 ga, 30" full bbl. Wish I still had that one.

As far as I'm concerned, they were the best pump guns ever made. I never had any fancy ones, just field models. The one I had stolen did have a solid rib. I still look for it when I go in pawn shops.

Prefer to use 22 gauge* hard cast lead three pellet buckshot loads in the 12 bore. Ultra-tight patterns and complete penetration from any angle! Yes, that's the other end of the buckshot size range from TSS BB and T buck.


* Gauge refers to the number of lead pellets needed to equal one pound. For example lead 00B would be approximately
130 gauge in size.

i like the 3.5" winchester's with imp mod choke. Started with a full choke but it flattened the pellets out some and cut down on the range. 40 yards is the sweet spot to me. If the pattern is too tight, it makes shooting at one at 10-20 yards tougher cause the pattern is to tight.

Like others said, i like to get behind a bush and shoot him on the far side of the road when it crosses. If some fresh long legged dogs have him stretched out, you wont have time to raise your gun. So i have my gun up and aimed at opposite side of the road, cause if its creeping you can always adjust, but if its in a goat run, you can bout blink and miss it.

I hope they make some tss buckshot the size of #4 one day, that would be awesome.

also, we kill alot of deer slipping out while we're surrounding the block, so get on your stand get quite and still and start hunting, Don'y just wait for the jump to start hunting, and keep hunting if the race goes by. 3 years ago on opening day, race went by me and a minute or 2 later i heard a twig break, seen a good buck jumping like he was jumping a fence in some thick briars and crap, and disappear, it seemed like it took forever but he finally come out in dim road where i could get a shot.

A true doghunter just wants to hear a good race,( something that takes time to realize when a stand hunter dog hunts) killing deer is just the cherry on top.

There's alot of good info in this thread.

Pellet size?

Apex ammunition recommends TSS shot sizes 2, BB and T for deer hunting. This expands the size range of available factory loaded buckshot.


Indeed, this opens the possibility for Alabama waterfowl hunters to take Deer and Hog when the opportunity arises on the same hunt and with the same non-toxic shotshells - during overlapping seasons

https://apex-ammunition.myshopify.com/collections/pk-series-predator-hogs-deer

My bad, 00 that's 18 pellets in 3.5.