[ShotgunPro]

If I were to go Deer blasting with my new shotgun (Mossberg 500, discussed here) tomorrow, what would you guys suggest for ammo / choke and what would my effective range be most likely?

I know those are really open ended questions but i basically want to confirm what i've read:

- 00 Buckshot - (any suggestions on brand or anything else?)
- Full Choke

^^ The full choke part eludes me though because some say the full choke can actually make your spread/range worse if you have soft pellets.. Think the guys at academy will let me touch their pellets before i purchase? *snicker*

-Flashy

 

[ShotgunPro]

I'm assuming the gun has a removable choke and a smooth bore. If so, this is what I'd use.

Federal Premium - Slug Details

Less holes in the deer and decent accuracy to 100 yds.

Here's some more info for you.

http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot46.htm

 

[ShotgunPro]

By all means, use slugs and improved cylinder choke tube. Make sure you zero in by target shooting before going afield.

 

[ShotgunPro]

I agree with the 2 comments above.

00 Buck is for self defense. When you use it on deer you will ruin half the meat due to 9 holes and blood clots. Go to 1 slug and aim for either a chest (heart-lung) shot or neck shot. You'll be glad you did. 100 to 150 yards is max for a slug shot. You will normally pass on a 150 yd shot so keep it short. If you need longer range then go to a rifle. Buckshot ends at 50 yards. IMO

 

[ShotgunPro]

Sounds great. Thanks for all the info as always. Omw to academy sports now.
Wish me luck in the morning!

 

[ShotgunPro]

Good luck. Make sure to post pics if you bag anything.

 

[ShotgunPro]

Weeell.. I saw 3 does but didn't shoot any of them... My buddy said that a buck might be following them so I got greedy and waited. Especially since i saw them 5 minutes after a got there..

Sadly, i never saw anything else lol...

Next time though... them does better watch out!

Thanks again for the info.
-Flashy

 

[ShotgunPro]

I agree with the 2 comments above.

00 Buck is for self defense. When you use it on deer you will ruin half the meat due to 9 holes and blood clots. Go to 1 slug and aim for either a chest (heart-lung) shot or neck shot. You'll be glad you did. 100 to 150 yards is max for a slug shot. You will normally pass on a 150 yd shot so keep it short. If you need longer range then go to a rifle. Buckshot ends at 50 yards. IMO

100-150 for a slug...with a smoothbore and no rifle sites? Way too far.

With just a smoothbore and bead I would limit shots to well within 100 yards. More like 50. There really is no accuracy to those especially without sites. Shoot at a target first to see...

Thanks for the follow up on the hunt.

 

[ShotgunPro]

By all means, use slugs and improved cylinder choke tube. Make sure you zero in by target shooting before going afield.

XD is right on here, I would keep any shots to a maximum of 50-75 yards also, anything farther and although knockdown power does not become a factor, accuracy definitely does without a rifled slug barrel.

 

[ShotgunPro]

By all means, use slugs and improved cylinder choke tube. Make sure you zero in by target shooting before going afield.

+1...solid advice

 

[ShotgunPro]

XD is right on here, I would keep any shots to a maximum of 50-75 yards also, anything farther and although knockdown power does not become a factor, accuracy definitely does without a rifled slug barrel.

Yes, my feelings exactly. I shoot deer with an 870 rifled barrel and a scope...shooting sabots. I can make clean kills at 100+ yards no problem. But i would not even think about it with a bead and smooth bore. If your going to get serious about hunting with a shotgun watch for a rifled barrel, with a cantaliever scope mount.

 

[ddown]

I've never needed to Blast if you do your part the deer will die quickly longest run I've had was 20 yards 2 inches low broke leg took out heart. 2 inches higher DRT and they drop smoothbore rifled slug.

 

[RKB]

This post is ten years old.

 

[Jack Ryan]

I'd suggest you stay home until you can shoot a few on a range before going after a live, moving trophy animal.

Use Winchester sabot slugs in a rifled slug barrel that has been sighted in.

Use Winchester rifled slugs in a smooth bore slug barrel with iron rifle type sights THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN SIGHTED IN.

How ever far you can hit a soft ball with every single shot, that is how far you can shoot at living game animals unless you have already wounded it. Then keep shooting until it quits moving.

 

[The Happy Kaboomer]

Over the years I've killed 100's of deer with shotguns and buckshot while dog hunting. Of late I used #1's with an extra full turkey choke. Pattern all sizes. See what your gun likes best. A good patterning gun will easily kill a deer at 50 yards with buckshot.

 

[4575wcf]

Congrats on taking your smoothie afield. I had mine out three or four times this year, could not find a single antlered muley, or either sex whitetail to shoot. Had several muley does dead to rights, but no go on those. I draw the line at about 60 yards with rifled slugs and a bead sight, buck shot I don't use but I would never go more than about 20 yards. If ever I get a good legal shot and connect I will be on cloud nine for a week. This post is ten years old after all. Good thing my shotgun isn't time sensitive and my slugs don't expire.

 

[R_che]

870 with 00 buckshot

SG Pro is right on...without a scope..50-60 yards is pushing it for 870 12ga slugs...the slug is efficient at 100+ yards but the accuracy without a scope is not very dependable! Maybe in the movies...but not in real life.
While I do not hunt deer, on my N TX property I do use my 1971 model 870 w/32" bead sight barrel with 00 buckshot; and have taken multiple feral hogs at 60+ yards...I like the odds of 9 pellets versus one slug any day. Particularly when they run.
The shot pattern from my 870 (full choke) can put all 9 pellets on a poster board at 60 yards. Now I do not care about tearing up the meat...as was also correctly posted...but I only use a grinder for making sausage.

 

[R_che]

This guy was running in the trees at ~65 yards...dropped him right down
he was hit with 5 of 9 pellets - kill was one in the neck
00 buckshot is hard to find right now but absolutely my favorite load for feral hogs in a daytime hunt

 

[The Happy Kaboomer]

I agree with the 2 comments above.

00 Buck is for self defense. When you use it on deer you will ruin half the meat due to 9 holes and blood clots. Go to 1 slug and aim for either a chest (heart-lung) shot or neck shot. You'll be glad you did. 100 to 150 yards is max for a slug shot. You will normally pass on a 150 yd shot so keep it short. If you need longer range then go to a rifle. Buckshot ends at 50 yards. IMO

Apparently you have never shot a deer with buckshot. Or cleaned a deer shot with buckshot. What you say about blood clots and ruining meat is not so. Never has been. Been there-done that to several 100 deer.

 

[RKB]

OK, guys - there is NO Shotgun Pro poster. that was a name created to put on all posts years ago when the software here was changed, so...no reason to reply to a non-existent person on a TEN year old thread!