Buckshot

[Bruce Hering]

The trick to using buckshot to my mind is getting the chokes right based on the load you are going to shoot. My father sent two Remington Model 11 12ga. guns and several boxes of ammo (these were paper shells without shot cups) to some guy in the South when I was a kid (late 50's or early 60's) and had him work the chokes to shoot the stuff he sent with the guns.

I can say these loads and "worked" barrels were devastating to deer out to 40 yards or so. This was in New Jersey. I dont remember the loads but I do remember Dad saying they would put all the pellets inside an 18" circle with several pellets always grouping close together.

Buckshot is funny stuff especially 00...

[6pt-Sika]

I’ve killed plenty deer with buckshot from damascus barreled guns . All sizes #3 up to 00000 in the 10 gauge , 0 in the 12 , #1 in the 16 . Also fooled with 000000 in the 8 gauge . As Stan stated earlier thirty yards is a good max range . My parameters may not be as stringent as others but it’s worked for me . Also had a fair amount of success with home cast slugs in all gauges from the 8 down to the 28 and again my parameters are thirty yards or less . Punkin balls I’ve messed with in the 8 a fair amount and in the 10 a little . Bare in mind all the ammo I used in damascus/twist guns was Handloaded , buckshot sizes 0000 , 00000 and 000000 as well as slugs and punkin balls I cast myself .