Buckshot?

[.30cal]

Anyone actually use this anymore? My kids first season, and I'm thinking of getting him to use his shotgun instead of one of my rifles, for a variety of reasons. Never used it myself, or even seen it used. Must do the job though, as long as the range is right. Any thoughts.

[Dacotensis]

I hunt in Strathcona and I use a Sabot slug rather that Buckshot, but hey it has worked in the past, it should work now.
Set up a slab of plywood and get the young fella to know it's pattern at different distances

[duffy4]

I read an article in Peterson's Hunting some time back where a fellow did some testing on the effectiveness of "buck shot". He found it very poor except for at very close range.

When the pattern is about the size of your fist and the lead is all hitting at once, it is effective as a slug. (so why not use a slug?)

An individual pellet does not have much energy and 2 or 4 or 6 pellets hitting a deer in different places is not really an effective way to make a quick kill.

[deadeye]

Why would you want to use buckshot???? Bad idea, sees like a recipe for wounding to me.

[rhuntley12]

Don't think it's as popular now days with all the slugs and such on market. I remember young in Washington people never had issues bringing deer back with buckshot.

[walking buffalo]

Originally Posted by .30cal

Anyone actually use this anymore? My kids first season, and I'm thinking of getting him to use his shotgun instead of one of my rifles, for a variety of reasons. Never used it myself, or even seen it used. Must do the job though, as long as the range is right. Any thoughts.

Buckshot ( OO ) is still used by a lot of hunters today, mostly by people hunting in VERY thick cover.

Maximum Effective consistent lethal range is around 25 yards. After 30 yards the pattern spread is too great to be assured that the buckshot will hit vitals.

I'm curious what the reasons are for considering buckshot?

If he must use a shotgun, get some slugs.

[Richard B.]

I have patterned buck shot (00, 000, 0000) in just about every shotgun that I have ever owned, thorough several different chokes and for the most part the patterns were terrible but some times the patterns were good enough to kill a deer at 25 yards as Walking Buffalo suggests.

However in every case the shot would hit somewhere on the deer usually resulting in a wounded animal.

[drake]

Originally Posted by .30cal

Anyone actually use this anymore? My kids first season, and I'm thinking of getting him to use his shotgun instead of one of my rifles, for a variety of reasons. Never used it myself, or even seen it used. Must do the job though, as long as the range is right. Any thoughts.

That might be one of the worst idea's ive ever heard. Why get your little guy a cheap .243?

[deanerG]

Originally Posted by drake

That might be one of the worst idea's ive ever heard. Why get your little guy a cheap .243?

x2. Teach him the proper way the first time.

[Arn?Narn.]

Originally Posted by .30cal

Anyone actually use this anymore? My kids first season, and I'm thinking of getting him to use his shotgun instead of one of my rifles, for a variety of reasons. Never used it myself, or even seen it used. Must do the job though, as long as the range is right. Any thoughts.

The only bad idea is that you are teaching without knowledge. Stick to what you know and have experience with and pass that one. You can't teach what you don't know.

Buckshot is fine for deer.