Buckshot for Deer Hunting

[RMcL]

For those who depend on the multi-pellet strike of buckshot to bring home the venison, what is the minimum pattern standard you use to determine the maximum range you will fire on a deer with #1 Buckshot or 00 Buckshot? What criteria did you use to arrive at your minimum standard?

In other words what is the specific minimum number of #1B or #00B pellet strikes on a specific size target that you would use in pattern testing to determine the longest distance you would take a shot at a deer?

The minimum buckshot pattern that you know will give you the confidence to say, borrowing a line from the late Dave McCracken:

'I look at the deer and think,"This animal is dead if I choose to make it thus"....'


Note: This is a about buckshot not slugs.

 

[kraigwy]

The only way to tell, is take you load, pattern it at different ranges.

The "vital" area of a deer size animal is 10-11 inches.

Back up while shooting until you reach a point where your pattern opens up no more then lets say a foot. That would be your max range.

If you want to increase that range, get a tighter choke.

00 buckshot is .32 cal, traveling about 1400 fps. If you get 9 of those little suckers in the vital area they should work.

Millions of deer have been killed with buckshot in the SE part of this country over the years and I'm sure millions more will be harvested before its all done.

 

[RMcL]

kraigwy

If I understand correctly, you are saying the maximum range for 00B occurs at the distance a Shotgun/Load/Choke Tube combination will put 9 pellets, into a 12" circle.

That would be a 100% pattern with 9 pellet loads, 75% with a 12 pellet load, 60% with a 15 pellet load or 50% with 18 pellet 3.5" magnum loads.

What criteria did you use to establish this minimum pattern / maximum range standard? Why not 8 pellets or 6 pellets of 00B in 12 inches?

To what distances have your Gun/Load/Choke-tube combinations managed to meet this minimum pattern standard?

 

[kraigwy]

What criteria did you use to establish this minimum pattern / maximum range standard?

Assurance of a clean humane kill.

I make my buck shot out of .319 round balls that weigh 48 grs each, I load "9" into a 2 3/4 shotgun hull.

At 1400 FPS (10 ft from the muzzle) that's only about 208 ft lbs of energy per pellet.

I want all my pellets in the vital area if I was going to hunt with buckshot.

 

[Doyle]

, into a 12" circle

I'd tighten that down to a 10" circle. Hitting the perimeter is going to be the equivalent of hitting a marginally vital area.

 

[RMcL]

Doyle,

So you agree that 9 pellets of 00B (In factory loads these run .323") is the minimum number of pellets in the pattern core to establish maximum range?

If my calculations are right, that should be just under 1,000 ft. lbs. of energy at 40 yards - if the core pellet strike remains in the 10" center.

What about 8 pellet reduced velocity 00B loads?