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Post by DEERTRACKS on Oct 31, 2006 8:14:20 GMT -5
It looks like I am going to get the opportunity to deer hunt in Virginia next month while visiting my daughter & son-in-low. The area we will be hunting is a "Buckshot Only Zone".
I would like some input on using buckshot. I am curious about the "true" effective range, penetration, brush busting ability, & knockdown power. I assume blood trails are better with buckshot.
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Post by chicobrownbear on Oct 31, 2006 8:20:45 GMT -5
I don't have any experience other than shooting range stuff. It seems to be a fairly close range affair.
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Post by Decatur on Oct 31, 2006 8:44:28 GMT -5
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Post by DEERTRACKS on Oct 31, 2006 11:10:59 GMT -5
Thanks D. Some good info.
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Post by Hoosier Hunter on Oct 31, 2006 12:03:22 GMT -5
I was told not to shoot it thru a rifled barrel. Is there any truth to this?
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Post by Decatur on Oct 31, 2006 13:24:16 GMT -5
Anytime! ;d
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Post by Old Ironsights on Oct 31, 2006 13:34:01 GMT -5
I was told not to shoot it thru a rifled barrel. Is there any truth to this? You won't hit a battleship at 25 ft if you shoot shot through a rifled barrel. |
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Post by Hawkeye on Oct 31, 2006 14:12:06 GMT -5
I saw a write up about shooting buckshot thru a rifled barrel,said it chops up the buckshot making the shot fly very erratic. From my experience hunting with buckshot ,not that great ,sometimes deer with multiple shot in them run off. Sorry to rain on your parade ,but unless you are within short range,say 40 yards. Again it is a hit and miss deal.
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Post by Old Ironsights on Oct 31, 2006 15:00:45 GMT -5
Yeah. It's essentially trying to kill a deer with 10 .32 ACP rounds...  |
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Post by jkd on Oct 31, 2006 17:12:35 GMT -5
Have never hunted with it (except on a dog that had gotten into our sheep when I was a kid), but would suggest picking up some 0 and 00 and setting up a target using unfolded newspaper sheets (I use a pallet as a target backstop so I can staple anything of any size on it) just like you'd do a pattern test on birdshot, and do test shots from 20, 30 and 40 yards, and that'll tell you what an effective killing range is for your gun... full choke might get it out to 40+ but I would test that theory on paper for sure...
On the rifled barrel thing, the problem is that the hull will grab the rifling and spin up just like a sabot, and the centrifugal force will spread the buckshot in a huge radius within a few yards of the muzzle...
BTW - where in Virginia? my old stomping grounds were at Ft. AP Hill and on the Blue Ridge around Harrisonburg...
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Post by solohunter on Oct 31, 2006 17:26:03 GMT -5
I would go with the "Howitzer" type buck shot /gun...where was that thread..
Solohunter
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Post by paul3 on Oct 31, 2006 17:41:57 GMT -5
I,ve hunted blacktails in Oragon with buckshot. It was jump shooting, like hunting big rabbits. Almost everyone used 12ga. Mod. choke, 00Buck, no shots over 35 yards. IT can mess up alot of meat. GOOD LUCK!.
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Post by danf on Oct 31, 2006 19:27:20 GMT -5
DT- there was an article in either the current isse of F&S or Outdoor Life about Buckshot. I want to say Carmichael did it in OL. Might want to pick up a copy.
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Post by cambygsp on Nov 1, 2006 6:47:13 GMT -5
What the heck is up with a "buckshot only zone"  ?? |
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Post by DEERTRACKS on Nov 1, 2006 7:10:51 GMT -5
Have never hunted with it (except on a dog that had gotten into our sheep when I was a kid), but would suggest picking up some 0 and 00 and setting up a target using unfolded newspaper sheets (I use a pallet as a target backstop so I can staple anything of any size on it) just like you'd do a pattern test on birdshot, and do test shots from 20, 30 and 40 yards, and that'll tell you what an effective killing range is for your gun... full choke might get it out to 40+ but I would test that theory on paper for sure... On the rifled barrel thing, the problem is that the hull will grab the rifling and spin up just like a sabot, and the centrifugal force will spread the buckshot in a huge radius within a few yards of the muzzle... BTW - where in Virginia? my old stomping grounds were at Ft. AP Hill and on the Blue Ridge around Harrisonburg... This will be our first trip out to the area. The daughter & son-in-law live in Newport News next to the military base, so I assume the hunting area is somewhere close. I have not received all of the hunt info yet, so I do not know which county we will be hunting in. The son-in-law is taking care of all of the arrangements. |
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Post by DEERTRACKS on Nov 1, 2006 7:13:41 GMT -5
What the heck is up with a "buckshot only zone" ?? From what I have been told, it has to do with human high population density issues in some zones? |
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Post by DEERTRACKS on Nov 1, 2006 7:14:51 GMT -5
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Post by jkd on Nov 1, 2006 11:34:00 GMT -5
Camby:
Virginia deals with the issue of weapons type on a county-by-county basis, and has a map (or at least did when I lived there '81-'94) with color codes for each county (similar to our bonus antlerless map) showing what type of weapons can be used. Some counties are open to all firearms (high power rifles, shotgun, muzzy, archery), while others are limited to shotgun/archery or archery-only. Those with shotgun limits list whether they are open to slugs or buckshot, and the milltary bases, like Ft. AP Hill, set their own rules separate from the rest of that surrounding county.
It sounds complicated, but it really isn't, and I wish Indiana would go to something like it so we could use rifles in rural counties, at least on private ground.
BTW - VA has a general big game tag for deer (or did back then) with a buck tag and two doe tags on it... you bought one big game tag and it was good all season long regardless of what weapon you used to fill it...
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Post by jkd on Nov 1, 2006 11:50:40 GMT -5
Deertracks: Here's their site info if you want to read up on regs before you head out... www.dgif.virginia.gov/www.dgif.virginia.gov/hunting/www.dgif.virginia.gov/hunting/regulations/It does look like they went to separate tags by weapon like us... DOH!!!! I liked the old system better... does look like they're hip deep in deer east of the Blue Ridge... check out these bag limits... --------------------------------------- East of the Blue Ridge (except on National Forest lands in Amherst, Bedford, and Nelson counties) The bag limit for deer shall be two a day, six a license year. Of the six deer limit, no more than three may be antlered deer and at least three must be antlerless deer. West of the Blue Ridge and on National Forest lands in Amherst, Bedford, and Nelson counties The bag limit for deer shall be one a day and five a license year. Of the five deer limit, no more than two may be antlered deer and at least three must be antlerless deer. * Only one antlered deer may be taken during the early muzzleloading season per muzzleloader hunter. * If a hunter kills two antlered deer in Shenandoah County, at least one of the antlered deer must have at least 4 antler points, 1 inch or longer, on one side. --------------------------------------- Here's the map with the season dates (different zones have different season lengths/dates) and firearms restrictions... www.dgif.virginia.gov/hunting/regulations/deer.asp#firearmsShould be a great hunt - there are some wild and wooly spots down in the Newport/Virginia Beach area around the rivers and swamp areas... good luck, and let us know how things go... I miss hunting around Massanutten Mountain area near Harrisonburg...  |
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Post by Decatur on Nov 1, 2006 12:08:14 GMT -5
Three bucks a season! Wow!
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