[jeffery c]

Originally Posted by Stan Hillis

I hunted deer in the Savannah River swamps of GA and SC for many years with dogs, and shotguns stoked with buckshot. As has been mentioned, there were several different buckshot sizes available but the most used ranged from #1 up to 00. Admittedly, many men shot at deer too far with buckshot, so they tried to use the biggest size shot they could get that would pattern decent and "hold tight" at distance. Almost everyone used 3" loads, to get a few more pellets in it. As I recall, in 00 size, a 3" shell held 3 more than a 2 3/4", which is significant when you're talking so few pellets total.

The percentage of men who used #1 was very small, with the majority of gunners using 0 and 00. I was a shotgun "patterner" at an early age, having read of the importance of it in articles and books. My tightest shooting shotgun for deer was a Rem. 1100 with a factory full choke barrel. I remember well when the copper plated buckshot factory loads were introduced. I bought a box and patterned them in my gun, and was astounded at how much the patterns tightened up. I thought it had really increased my range significantly.

I quit using buckshot for deer when I shot a very nice buck one day at about 30 yards dead on in the front of his chest, as he was walking straight to me. He bled a few tiny droplets of muscle blood and I eventually lost his trail. I killed him the next year a few hundred yards away with a .300 Savage 99. When I skinned him I found several buckshot pellets lodged just below the skin and encased in a clearish gristle-like substance, but completely healed, healthy and fat.

My buckshot today is reserved for self-defense, and I like the smaller sized pellets for that. I never could get 000 to pattern to suit me, but did no reloading in those days. Working a farm for a living left precious little time for me to fiddle with testing "specialty loads" for deer.

Thanks for the detailed reply, Stan. It would seem a tighter choke patterns better, in your experience.