Need advice on shotgun for deer

[smoking gun]

A horse & buggy is "effective" as getting you from point A to point B too. A handsaw is "effective" at cutting down trees, but I prefer a chainsaw.  People can choose to accept reality and adapt, or not.  It's a free country.

 

Again, there's a reason why buckshot sales for deer hunting decline every year, and the alternatives have gained that sales share.  That's just the reality of what's happening.

where have the sales declined??? people catching on to the new wave on the slug market is because that's all they're allowed to use according to regs and most of all because of television they all wanna ping deer at 200yds running full speed while guys drive them.I seriously doubt buckshot will be outdated or collecting dust on the shelf anytime soon Benedict.there's alot more guys and gun clubs throughout the northeast Mid-Atlantic and down south who use it believe me

[BenedictGomez]

Benedict.there's alot more guys and gun clubs throughout the northeast Mid-Atlantic and down south who use it believe me

 

I understand that "a lot" of guys still use it, but their numbers are declining as it's an antiquated ammunition choice.   Yes, you're right some places have banned its' use, which certainly doesn't help sales, but it's use is declining even regardless of those bans.     The only place it still holds some merit is on close-range shots taken on running deer, but that's an irresponsible shot to take in the first place IMO.  To each his/her own.

[smoking gun]

BENEDICT every gun club that drive deer down south and in South jersey BY THE BUS LOADS buy buckshot by the case

it's not outdated or going anywhere put the aluminum foil hat away.there isn't a decline in ammo THERE'S A DECLINE IN GUN HUNTERS DURING 6DAY

[outdoorslife]

When one person thinks of deer and gun hunting...they think slug gun...

 

When another person thinks of deer and gun hunting...they think buck shot...

 

When I, and many of the hunters I know think of deer and gun hunting...we ask ourselves...where are we hunting this evening? Are we driving or stand hunting? Etc...

 

There is no cure all...

 

LET THE SITUATION DICTATE YOUR CHOICE. Have a reason to use one over the other, not a predetermined mind.

 

Ive used buck shot, slugs and broadhead tipped arrows successfully like many others on here. To be honest, if you took the three most recent kills with each choice, guess which total the least distance for blood trailing needed? Know your weapon of choice. Mistakes can and do happen to the best and most dialed in hunters sometimes...its hunting. Do your part and your weapon of choice will follow.

[Axiom]

"there's a reason why buckshot sales for deer hunting decline every year, and the alternatives have gained that sales share.  That's just the reality of what's happening."

 

Indeed there IS a reason.. There's a reason for everything.. But the "reason'' aint always what you may think it is.. Buck shot, if it is losing popularity, and I don't know for a fact it is, But even IF it is it probably has more to do with the, shall we say,  Glitter of new products rather than how well it performs when used for its intended purpose.. In addition to all the pom poming and hoopla surrounding something new on the market whos investors are desperately trying to find buyers, i'd say a shift in hunting technics also plays a roll.. Its much easier for the lazy office slob to walk down the edge of an open bean field, climb a tree and shoot deer at 150 yards then it is to get down and dirty a mile in and bag one from 30...  Now I know REAL hunting is fast becoming a thing of the past but, That in of its self is no reason for me or any other REAL hunter to change with the times..

 

Buck shot all the way Baby

[smoking gun]

it's sorta like comparing xbow compounds aND recurves it's a matter of personal preference and all 3 are highly effective if used properly.no other hunting tool has advanced so far in tech more then the bow or xbow but make no mistake a recurve still has its place in the woods

[BenedictGomez]

 Its much easier for the lazy office slob to walk down the edge of an open bean field, climb a tree and shoot deer at 150 yards then it is to get down and dirty a mile in and bag one from 30... 

 

Yes, clearly that's the reason for the massive popularity of rifled shotgun ammunition and the decline in buckshot.  It's all about hunter laziness!    You heard it here first folks!

 

It has nothing to do with the supremely better accuracy of stabilized spinning sabots over round "spray" buckshot.

 

It has nothing to do with the ~ 600% increase in effective range you can harvest whitetail with sabots over buckshot

 

It has nothing to do with the greater kinetic energy and penetration of sabots over buckshot.

 

It has nothing to do with the fact that you ruin FAR less edible meat with sabots than buckshot

 

It has nothing to do with the fact that slugs cripple and wound FAR fewer deer than buckshot.

 

It has nothing to do with ....... and you can go on and on with practical reasons why sabots are a better hunting munition.

 

Again, to each his own, but if you're using buckshot in 2016, it's probably because you don't really know much about ammunition, and a lot of "hunters" are not also "shooters", so many do fall into this category.  

 

I'm admittedly more of a firearms enthusiast who also happens to hunt, but to argue that buckshot is "better" than rifled hunting sabots, is truly an "Old man yells at cloud" opinion.  Sometimes modern technology really is better, and they've come a long way in the past 10 years.  It might not be politically correct to say, but if you're still using buckshot on whitetail, you're probably >= 50 years old, and not someone who shoots outside of hunting season.

 

 

Edited December 13, 2016 by BenedictGomez

[DeplorableDan]

"there's a reason why buckshot sales for deer hunting decline every year, and the alternatives have gained that sales share.  That's just the reality of what's happening."

 

Indeed there IS a reason.. There's a reason for everything.. But the "reason'' aint always what you may think it is.. Buck shot, if it is losing popularity, and I don't know for a fact it is, But even IF it is it probably has more to do with the, shall we say,  Glitter of new products rather than how well it performs when used for its intended purpose.. In addition to all the pom poming and hoopla surrounding something new on the market whos investors are desperately trying to find buyers, i'd say a shift in hunting technics also plays a roll.. Its much easier for the lazy office slob to walk down the edge of an open bean field, climb a tree and shoot deer at 150 yards then it is to get down and dirty a mile in and bag one from 30...  Now I know REAL hunting is fast becoming a thing of the past but, That in of its self is no reason for me or any other REAL hunter to change with the times..

 

Buck shot all the way Baby

I don't know what makes using buckshot "real" hunting as opposed to using slugs. If you ask the majority of hunters here,they have probably wounded most deer with buckshot. when I was young I went on a morning hunt with my uncle on the edge of the field. A trophy 10 Puerner walked out within 40 yards and I watched as my uncle placed a shot right at is vitals with 00 buck. The deer dropped, spewing blood from multiple holes. As we walked up on him, he suddenly got up and pranced off into the horizon. To this day we still don't believe what we saw, and vowed never to use buckshot again. Why anyone would want to risk wounding an animal with an antiquated ammunition is beyond me, but that's your prerogative. Buckshot is definitely inferior to sabot slugs,which are far more accurate, powerful, and deadly. It's our obligation to put the animal down in the quickest and most humane way possible, and buckshot is not the answer. By all means if you want to use buckshot for the "nostalgia" of the old days, "when men were men", it's your right...but your essentially bringing a knife to a gun fight.

[Axiom]

"Yes, clearly that's the reason for the massive popularity of rifled shotgun ammunition and the decline in buckshot.  It's all about hunter laziness!    You heard it here first folks!"

 

  You forgot to mention the shift in hunting technics

 

It has nothing to do with the supremely better accuracy of stabilized spinning sabots over round "spray" buckshot.

 

 Buck shot is plenty accurate at 50 yards or less.. Some guys swear they can knock'um down at 80 or more but I've never tried it out that far sooo....

 

It has nothing to do with the ~ 600% increase in effective range you can harvest whitetail with sabots over buckshot

 

 Well I never suggested buck shot was good out to 150 or so yards..

 

It has nothing to do with the greater kinetic energy and penetration of sabots over buckshot.

 

  My guess is most hunters have NO idea what kinetic energy really is..

 

It has nothing to do with the fact that you ruin FAR less edible meat with sabots than buckshot

 

  That's assuming you were able to get your scope sights on him, focus,  aim and fire before he bolted.. And the difference in damaged meat is FAR less than u suggest..

 

It has nothing to do with the fact that slugs cripple and wound FAR fewer deer than buckshot.

 

  Whats the source of that "Fact"?.. I'd like to read it

 

It has nothing to do with ....... and you can go on and on with practical reasons why sabots are a better hunting munition.

 

 And you can go on and on as to why buck shot is better below 50-60 yards..

 

"Again, to each his own, but if you're using buckshot in 2016, it's probably because you don't really know much about ammunition,"

 

.. No, it's because some people are reluctant to fix what aint broken..

 

and a lot of "hunters" are not also "shooters", so many do fall into this category.  

 

  We are talking hunters here, not targeteers

 

"I'm admittedly more of a firearms enthusiast "

 

 So basically you're saying you just sit in the office and read hunting magazines in between nose picking sessions and dream about hunting with all the so called latest and greatest stuff on the market... In the army we had guys who always looked sharp in the morning formation.. Spit shined shoes, freshly pressed uniforms, shiny brass.. Us REAL soldiers always called them PX soldiers .. They looked good, sharp, squared away as they say.. But I wouldnt dare share a fox hole with any of them

 

"who also happens to hunt,"

 

 Prolly do more reading than hunting ..but anyway....

 

"but to argue that buckshot is "better" than rifled hunting sabots, is truly an "Old man yells at cloud" opinion.  Sometimes modern technology really is better,"

 

What is "better" is way to relative to the situation at hand to be used as a general statement.. Ur not going to hear me suggest buck shot is better out to 150.. But U are suggesting sabots are better below 60, spike..

 

" It might not be politically correct to say, but if you're still using buckshot on whitetail, you're probably >= 50 years old, and not someone who shoots outside of hunting season."..

 

 Older = wiser.. Just say'n

 

[LittleM]

I use both slugs and buckshot, depending on the situation.  I hunted with 20 guys this past Friday.  Every one of them were using buckshot.  Most of them are very successful bow, muzzleloader, and shotgun deer hunters.  Nothing amateur about it.  Another idiot argument spilled over from NJH.................

[smoking gun]

When you put good glass on a shotgun with a rifled barrel shooting modern sabots, you're effectively shooting a rifle masquerading as a shotgun.  There's nothing "ridiculous" about making your firearm as accurate and deadly as humanly possible.

 

not even remotely close you bring your best shooting scoped in shotgun I'll bring one of my rifles 06 or 300 win mag to the range we will set a wager on that.how many guys can firmly say oh that deer is 180 I can peg him with my 220 savage Cuz they say so when they don't know the exact range and shooting at a range with a rest is totally different then shooting at game.NEVER SAY A SHOTGUN SLUG IS ANYWHERE IDENTICAL TO A GOOD RIFLE NOT EVEN CLOSE BUD

[smoking gun]

I have a slug barrel with iron sights for my 1100 I use with a rifled slug i guess I need a good 3x9 on that as well..NOT

[BenedictGomez]

I don't know what makes using buckshot "real" hunting as opposed to using slugs. If you ask the majority of hunters here,they have probably wounded most deer with buckshot. when I was young I went on a morning hunt with my uncle on the edge of the field. A trophy 10 Puerner walked out within 40 yards and I watched as my uncle placed a shot right at is vitals with 00 buck. The deer dropped, spewing blood from multiple holes. As we walked up on him, he suddenly got up and pranced off into the horizon. To this day we still don't believe what we saw, and vowed never to use buckshot again. Why anyone would want to risk wounding an animal with an antiquated ammunition is beyond me, but that's your prerogative. Buckshot is definitely inferior to sabot slugs,which are far more accurate, powerful, and deadly. It's our obligation to put the animal down in the quickest and most humane way possible, and buckshot is not the answer. By all means if you want to use buckshot for the "nostalgia" of the old days, "when men were men", it's your right...but your essentially bringing a knife to a gun fight.

 

 

Well said.

 

The only current application for buckshot is in home defense and military shotguns.

[BenedictGomez]

Axiom, on 12 Dec 2016 - 11:42 AM, said:

 

U are suggesting sabots are better below 60, spike..

 

 

 

 

Split these ranges in half.  

 

1) From 30 to 60, yes, sabots are clearly better, and I dont even see how someone can make the informed opinion otherwise at ranges of 40 to 60. Over 50 with buckshot is irresponsible behaviour.

 

2) Inside 30 they are both going to kill deer.  But there's absolutely no point "limiting" yourself to close distances with buckshot when you can use sabots and greatly expand your range, as well as not ruining a hell of a lot more meat.    So this case gets back to the handsaw versus chainsaw story.

 

Edited December 13, 2016 by BenedictGomez

[BenedictGomez]

NEVER SAY A SHOTGUN SLUG IS ANYWHERE IDENTICAL TO A GOOD RIFLE NOT EVEN CLOSE BUD

 

Masquerading - (verb) - present participle: To pretend to be something that one is not.