Buckshot Distance

[kapman]

Does anyone hunt with buckshot? I'm thinking about using my 12ga and buckshot for predator hunting but not sure what distance I can shoot and be accurate. Let me know if you have experience with buckshot.

[BBBGP]

IMO you get 35/40 yards with it.

[AntlerCollector]

I’ve shot and killed big hogs out to 40 yards with my 12 gauge many times

[CTR0022]

With a reflex sight and proper choking inside 50-60 yards is ideal. Anything much further is pushing it.

[HNT ETX]

Best thing to do is get a board and some different loads of buckshot and see how you gun shoots it and how far it will hold a good pattern. Shotgun will not like all loads the same.

[Hills of Texas]

Varmint hunting you might be better served with #4’s

[Mitchell8]

50 is my max for pigs. Yotes i would let em eat lead from anything under 100 if that’s the only shot you have

[GarGuy]

I had a processing plant near the DCNF for years. The amount of buckshot I recovered from deer with old injuries was astounding. I have killed many deer with UT but never again.

[HNT ETX]

I had a processing plant near the DCNF for years. The amount of buckshot I recovered from deer with old injuries was astounding. I have killed many deer with UT but never again.

I did not comment on that cause he said he was predator hunting, but you are right, buckshot not for deer hunting in my opinion. If you are going to use a shotgun for deer, use slugs.

[Preacher Man]

Years ago I shot a large sow in the shoulder with 00 buck at 38 yards. After she got done laughing at me I went and bought slugs and aim for the head and neck.

[Hogmauler]

The pattern spreads one inch per yard. The term “buckshot “ is very deceiving. Opening day last year I rattled in a buck. He was trying to get down wind and I was already there, waiting on him with. Had the bright idea to hunt with a 12 gauge that day.
He came to the fence and squatted to jump when I shot. He dropped like a lead pipe then tried to get up and I shot him again. He was down. I walked off 35 steps. One pellet hit him in the spine and dropped him. The second shot hit him behind the shoulder and bled about 3” off his antler.
Use slugs. A .410 slug is a hot little round as well.

[PYBUCK]

The pattern spreads one inch per yard.

Depending on the choke. With a 30" barrel and full choke it won't be 40" pattern at 40 yards. More like 25" I have killed a ton of varmints with #4 buck

[Hogmauler]

Modified.

[tdwinklr]

'OO' buck shot, 12 ga. My Dad killed several with it and I've killed one with it.
Never ran very far either. Some folks think you can just spray the deer with it but you need to intentionally shoot for the shoulder/neck area. The one I killed had a couple in the neck, a few in the shoulder, and a couple through the lungs. Shot at about 30-35 yds. Sounds pretty lethal to me. I know some areas don't allow it here.

[32drawlength]

I think 40-60 yards is max
I dropped a 100# hog opening dove weekend with 00 buckshot at about 40 yards with Mod choke, it had about 3-5 pellets hit her