Anyone using a shotgun for deer hunting?

I am hunting on my in laws place until I find a lease this year. I originally thought about bow hunting. I own a bow but haven't touched it in years. I'm not sure I would be ready to hunt deer this year with it. I am setting up a stand 25 yards from my feeder to try to knock down some hogs with my bow. Would this be too close to try to shoot a deer with a 12ga? I would buy a scope for my 870express. Should I use OO buck vs slug?

I forgot to add, their place is 15ac and they have neighbors in about every directions!

If you're only gonna shoot 25 yards or so you don't need a scope and either slug or buck shot will work just fine.

On our lease 5 or 6 kids have killed their first deer with a 410 w/buck shot at about 30 to 35 yards.

You should have no problem at that range. I have killed many deer with a 12ga 00 buck out to 35-40 yards. If you can shoot half way straight you shouldn't need a scope. I prefer buck shot over a slug, but that is just a personal preference. With that small of acreage buck shot probably wouldn't travel as far. Good luck and have fun.

K thanks!

Which Rem Choke would I use for 00 buck vs slug?

you made need an open choke or a smooth bore. be carefull with shooting buckshot out of restrictive chokes. you dont need a scope with your estimated distance.good luck man.

Using 00 buckshot or a rifled slug, either a modified or open choke is what you need in a smoothbore barrel. If using a rifled slug barrel, I suggest using sabot slugs. If you are planning on 50 yard or less shots, there is no need to go with a scope. If you want to go up to 150 yard shots, get a rifled slug barrel with a scope and use sabot slugs. I have a cantilever rifled slug barrel for my M-870 with a Bushnell Elite 3200 3-9 x 40 scope that I shoot Winchester Supreme Elite XP3 12 ga. 3 inch 300 grain sabot slugs. This with a 100 yard zero, it hits 1/2 inch high @ 50 yards and 3 1/2 inches low @ 150 yards. These slugs usually will expand to about .90 caliber. Again, if you are planning on 50 yard or less shooting, there is no need to go to all this extra expense.

If you want to go all out, the best price for a cantilever rifled slug barrel is Cabela's (www.cabelas.com) and probably the best or one of the best priced places for scopes and rings is Natchez Shooters Supply (www.natchezss.com). I recently speced out mine for a Minnesota deer hunt this coming season that I have been invited on. They can only use shotguns in that part of the state where I am going.

At 25yds your basically already set up to go all you need is to decide what you want to use, buckshot or a slug. If your not hunting for horns to mount a head/neck shot with buckshot works great with an open choke. If your leaning towards using slugs invest in a rifled slug barrel with iron sights and sight it in for 100yds and then shoot it at 25,50 & 75yds so you know where its hitting at those distances. I prefer not to use a scope where I hunt due to the brush and in case I have to go track a deer down in the brush the iron sights work better if you jump it and it runs you get a better sight on it than with a scope.

Cool. I will practice with 00 Buck since I do not have a rifled barrel. I have a modified choke tube. I am not sure if I can shoot without a choke tube. My other option is imp. cylinder or full. I will keep the feeder within 30 yards or so.

Thanks for the help! I may just have deer chili this year!

If your shots are going to be 50 yards or less, I would shoot the 00 buck into a cardboard target to see how it patterns.

In my opinion your better off shooting a rifled slug in that smooth bore. They can be deadly out to 75 yards even using the bead sight with some practice.

I will shoot around with both slug and 00buck and see what works best with which chokes.

I'm hunting in Wilson County and the landowner will only allow shotgun or bow because of nearby farm houses.

I shoot a 20 gauge single shot with a rifled barrel and Remington Buckhammers and they are deadly at 100 yards and I ear hole hogs with it and don't even think about it being a shotgun.

I've also got a 12 gauge Mossburg pump with a smooth bore, that shoots rifled slugs into about 3" at 50 yards using cheap Remington sluggers, and that is good enough to shoot with confidence.

Buckshot is banned in some areas (WMA's) because of the potential to wound, and unless you know your shotgun, and how it patterns at different ranges, I wouldn't use it.

I wont be hunting far from ya in Karnes County. Unless I find a reasonable lease before hand at the last minute.

I will try both my shotguns with slugs. I have an older 1100 with imp. cylinder as well as the 870 with rem choke system. Both smooth bore. I worry also about injuring an animal and chasing across property lines looking for it.

Thanks again!

Another good reason to use a slug! You hit them with that slug and they aren't going far, believe me!

Right on. That's what I will do then. I am heading down Sunday to move my blind and fill the feeder and knock down a few dove (i hope).

I would probably use a slug, but for what it's worth, I've shot a few hogs about 125lbs between 25-35 yds and dropped em' like a bad habbit. whatever you choose, good luck

Thanks kilt, looks like the slug around 30 yards will be my best bet. Can't wait to set it all up and practice the shot this weekend! I smell chili already!

FORGET the buckshot! Ive killed dozens of bucks and at least a hundred and a half deer and almost everyone of them w a 20 guage singleshot w bead sights. Too many times ive helped my neighbors and uncle track deer they "dropped" with buckshot that got up and ran off (even a couple of head shots).most of them were found but not all. Think about it, eight to fifteen 1/4 to 3/8 "bbs" or a single 3/4 ounce sabot capable of knocking down a "large" game animal. Your call just sayin.

I really had a bad experience with Buckshot on deer. Shot a doe on the run, I was on a last minute invite using a borrowed scatter gun and being younger in that early 20s Teflon coated days didn't know r do better then..hit her in back quarter she got up and I had reloaded as it was single shot 12ga. Shot her from 30yds behind front shoulder she got back up I got within 15 yds and hit here in the shoulder she stayed down. to this day I do not use buck shot.
Mind you a handful years prior to that I killed my first deer ever with 20ga #3 Buck. It was an antlered deer that had broke both his antlers off at the forks. He had one pellet through his heart. and he was laid up against a a huge oak tree. His neck was broken too.I was supervised then, it was all in Pineywood thicket of East Texas.

Talking with my Yankee Friends and such they all say a slug is the way to go..a slug in the shoulder and they dont get up again usually.
Nowadays I user Rifles,Handguns, Muzzleloaders and Arrows. I never had the experience I had that terrible day with that doe and the 00 buck! Im hunt a lot of APH again now so either a muzzleloader or Slug will be my pick for any general season hunt on such property as the usually only permit if not limited to archery only.

Hey neighbor,

Let us know how the deer hunting is down that way this year. Good luck.