I know I must ultimately pattern my shotgun but, in general, what choke do you guys recommend for 00 buckshot and does it matter if you are shooting 3 1/2” shells as far as choke goes?

For a tight pettern with any size shot, I woudl imagine full choke is the best with buckshot.
Cal

My gun patterns OO buck best with IC
Full seemed to blow the pattern with a lot of flyers

Choke will distort the larger size shot , and open the pattern up. Cylinder bore has given me the best results with 0 or 00 Buck.

On buckshot, full chokes tend to distort the pattern. I have had the best luck with modified and improved cylinder.

Guess I should start with IC and then try skeet. I had heard that full tended to distort patterns in larger shot sizes.

As most of the guys stated, the best choke for buckshot is usually no tighter than modified.

Just a thought, since I'm guessing you'll be deer hunting with that stuff. Think about trying Hevishot buckshot. It is made from an alloy that is denser than lead and should give superior performance.

best performance i've had was with modified choke and winchester 3" 00 buck. from what i have seen there is a wide range of performance between different manufacturers. remington, federal and winchester.

I have shot and seen shot 1000s of rounds of 00 buck I use my extra full turkey choke when hunting coyotes with it.

I would start with a modified and pattern it then work up to tighter chokes.

Cly just sucks not much use past 25. I seen thousands of cly and IC patterns of 00 shot at 25 yards and further as a law enforcement instructor.

I have dump coyotes past 40 yards. My favorite is Remington 3 inch 00 I can normally place some pellets on a coyote size target at 50 yards.

Don't believe the old wisdom of open chokes only with the new wads buffering tighter chokes can do wonders.

If one is using the harder non lead loads one needs to shoot a more open choke for sure.

Take your shotgun out and shoot it on paper it is the only way to know for sure.

On the law enforcement note, I have seen entire torso targets without a single hole in them at 10 and 15 yards so; if your thinking of clearing a house of folks with murdeous intent, or coyotes, feel free to use buckshot and shoot often...
Might be worth noting that I put an entire SWAT squad on a large NE city on station 8 international skeet field and they took turns shooting until they all gave up without ever breaking a bird. 9 shot loads. They declared it "impossible" and were not very kind to the instructor, me, so I went to my car, got a trap 1100 with 30" full choke proceeded to break 4,5 In a row then walked halfway to the house in a straight line and broke 4,5 more in a row. This all after working hard with them on station 1 where they simply would not listen to instruction. They loaded up and went back to their fantasy land where they were competent shotgun shooters. I was young and didn't suffer fools well at the time.
If your hunting deer; have mercy and use a slug.

Some bring up some interesting points.

I have forgotten the specifics. I am getting old. Some years ago, I did some tests with a variety of buckshot rounds at different ranges. I did this by shooting a bunch of wild hogs. About 40 if I recall correctly. Up close, less than 15 yards, it didn't make much difference. It was a big hole. Absolutely devastating. The difference was noted at longer ranges.

To summarize what I learned by doing this:

1- For hunting deer or hogs, stay away from the lead pellets. They SUCK at any appreciable range. They tend to flatten out and have reduced penetration.

2- Good results were obtained by getting the copper plated pellets. Penetration was far better. The addition of the plastic filler between the pellets seemed to do a lot for the pattern and penetration. I shot a boar over 300 pounds at 33 yards with a single shot. Dead on the spot.

3- I obtained better results with the 3.5 inch. My guess is that this was due to more pellets.

4- While I shot most of the hogs with 00 buck, I also had excellent results with 1 buck.

Now, I largely use it when going after wounded game in thick cover. I use 3.5 inch copper plated 00 in those circumstances using a modified choke in my Benelli SBE 2.

quote:

On the law enforcement note, I have seen entire torso targets without a single hole in them at 10 and 15 yards so; .

That is not the shotgun or the loads fault.

I always like instructing new recruits better then the old timers. At least the recruits had to listen.

Most of them did learn something.

One still has to aim with a shotgun.

Shooting flying targets the aiming is fast and instinctive a lot of the time.

At close in where the patterns are very tight rifle like aiming is required.

My experience runs counter to most others that have replied.
Gun = Benelli SBE 3.5” chamber
Shells = Winchester 3.5”, 18 pellet, buffered, 00 Buck
P.S. Federal 3.5”, Cu plated and buffered, 00 Buck were approximately 15% tighter.
Briley straight riffled XX Full = 15 pellets in 18ӯ at 25 yards. (Too tight)
Briley X Full = 14 pellets in 24ӯ at 25 yards, 10 pellets at 30 yards. (Just right)
Benelli Full = 8 pellets in 24ӯ at 25 yards. (Too open for us)

This testing was done with two (2) people shooting two (2) similar 28” barreled SBE’s, average of five (5) shells constituted one (1) data point done three (3) times for average. Between the two (2) of us we have killed over 50 whitetail in the last 15 +/- years, using this combination.
There have been some self-imposed rules to follow using this combination:
1) Never make a first shot at over 30 yards.
2) If you believe you made a good hit, you fire until the deer is down.

Doug

jdollar: It is counter intuitive but tight chokes and buckshot are not generally compatible. 00 buck is not as fluid like bird shot transiting through the choke. 00 buck and full choke may result in blown patterns. Are you going to use slugs as well as buckshot in this shotgun? If so you may have to compromise on choke. In my experience Federal buckshot with Flight Control wads has consistently provided me with the best patterns.

Yes PDog, that was the premise I tried to convey. Buckshot does not correct the lack of ability to point a shotgun.
Regards!

quote:

.Briley straight riffled XX Full = 15 pellets in 18ӯ at 25 yards. (Too tight

May I ask why you considered this to tight.

quote:

In my experience Federal buckshot with Flight Control wads has consistently provided me with the best patterns.

That can be awesome stuff for tight patterns

Open chockes normally shoot buckshot best and Ive patterned quite a few shotguns with 0, 00. triple 0 and no. 1 shot, that I used on foxes and bobcats calling at night. Some of the ammo is specific for buck and is collard and I would bet dollars to donuts that works as the color an stuffing keep shot from damage..I always thought N.1 buck was the best for coyote, fox, and Bobcats and probably for deer in the really thick stuff, but that's just a guess.

The only shot I use is 4 or 5 for turkey, 4 buck for coyote and HDBB for coyote/fox loads.

That being said, there are 95 pages of posts on shotgun patterning at Predatormasters from which you may find some useful info. Good luck.

Jerry,
Might try these guys, not many know more about this subject. www.briley.com

Just for the record, I will be shooting Winchester 3 1/2” copperplated buffered loads @1200’fps. When I walk my dog in the morning around the farm, I sometimes spook deer up close and personal. Any shooting would be too quick for a scoped rifle( and usually too thick cover). I want to be prepared. When I was a kid growing up in South GA in the late 50’s and early 60’s, shotguns were the only guns used on deer drives with dogs( the most common way to deer hunt at the time).

quote:

Any shooting would be too quick for a scoped rifle( and usually too thick cover).

While a shotgun might be the best choice. with a properly set up rifle and lower power scope.

One can kill deer very fast at very close range I done it many times. Buck shot for deer here is illegal.

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
Just for the record, I will be shooting Winchester 3 1/2” copperplated buffered loads @1200’fps. When I walk my dog in the morning around the farm, I sometimes spook deer up close and personal. Any shooting would be too quick for a scoped rifle( and usually too thick cover). I want to be prepared. When I was a kid growing up in South GA in the late 50’s and early 60’s, shotguns were the only guns used on deer drives with dogs( the most common way to deer hunt at the time).

That same shell worked very well for me. It is the one I whacked the big boar with at 33 yards.

My ranch in CA had a big problem with wild hogs rooting up things around the house and barn. I used buckshot to sort them out at night but the shots were usually at less than 20 yards. It worked fine but I never patterned it at longer ranges. Now I will see what happens beyond 25 yards.

quote:

Now I will see what happens beyond 25 yards.

Please keep use informed

Personally I would use my Win. mod. 94 30-30 with a receiver peep and the disc removed, but at real close range I would point and shoot without using the sights, same as a shotgun..Some folks think all you have to do with a shotgun is point and shoot, not so, up close the pattern is the size of a golf ball, thus my choice of the Winchester, plus IMO the rifle kills better contrary to popular belief.

Ray,

Would certainly agree with your preference for a rifle, but there are lots of places, mainly in eastern and southern states where you don't get the choice of using a rifle. Buckshot or slugs will be required, and I don't recall ever being in a place that allowed a choice between those two - it'll be one or the other depending on applicable regulations.

Good hunting,

quote:

Originally posted by Emory:
Ray,

Would certainly agree with your preference for a rifle, but there are lots of places, mainly in eastern and southern states where you don't get the choice of using a rifle. Buckshot or slugs will be required, and I don't recall ever being in a place that allowed a choice between those two - it'll be one or the other depending on applicable regulations.

Good hunting,

The above is absolutely true! However, the fact is because it is the law doesn't necessarily make it a good idea.

IMO, which also is not a mandate that anyone here agree. That opinion is if one is to use a shotgun for hunting deer or wild hogs my advice is to use Brenneke slugs that pattern well in a modified choke. I have several shotguns that pattern those slugs very well and kill like lightning strikes out to to 40 yds in most of my guns, and in one very well at 100 yds.

However where legal the little mod 94 the Ray speaks of is best for the brush country!

.............Just an opinion that may or may not suit everyone, but is mine!
....................................................................

Most of my reference books state IC or straight cylinder.

No personal experience.

BH63

One of the deer I shot this year with my 870 was with 2 3/4" 000 buck Remington load.

Full choke 30 yards running. It was just like shooting a clay pigeon. A little lead and the deer fell at the shot. The deer is the one in the picture in my Montana 2017 thread.

There was a hit to the back and 2 or three to the neck. All of them exited. I used my metal detector to look for pellets.

Dr Dollar,

About 20 years ago when I was living in Eastern North Carolina, I had a choke tube designed specifically for buckshot. I can't find any of the info on that manufacturer but they seem to be exactly like these guys:

https://www.kicks-ind.com/category/buckkicker.html

I remember the copy being the same....'every pellet in a 20 inch circle at 40 yards' Killed a ton of deer.

Hevi-Shot makes a load they market as Dead Coyote. The stuff is simply awesome! Cylinder or Skeet choke produce the best patterns. It is available in T, #4buck, 0, and 00. In 10ga it is only available in #4 and 00. I like #4 for pigs, Sandhill cranes, and geese. I wish they would make T available for 10ga.....

quote:

Originally posted by drewhenrytnt:
Hevi-Shot makes a load they market as Dead Coyote. The stuff is simply awesome! Cylinder or Skeet choke produce the best patterns. It is available in T, #4buck, 0, and 00. In 10ga it is only available in #4 and 00. I like #4 for pigs, Sandhill cranes, and geese. I wish they would make T available for 10ga.....

Bingo! Best stuff out there.

I tried a Comp-n-choke and a Kick's buck kicker in my stoeger m3000. Neither shot the winchester copper plated very well. The Kick's did much better with federal premium copper plated 00. It put 15 pellets in 20 inch circle at 40 yards. The second choice was the Remington 00 buck.

quote:

It put 15 pellets in 20 inch circle at 40 yards

15 pellets of buck at 40 yards in a 20 inch circle is very good.

Tight chokes are only good on very hard shot as the deform the shot, giving you flyers and a long shot string in which only part of the shot gets on the bird.

I am with the guys above who voted for open chokes. I suggest that you start with the most open choke. you have. The best will probably end up being a cylinder choke.

Go to bubbarountree outdoors on you tube and watch what size chokes he shoots buckshot in.

quote:

Originally posted by JP_6.5:
I tried a Comp-n-choke and a Kick's buck kicker in my stoeger m3000. Neither shot the winchester copper plated very well. The Kick's did much better with federal premium copper plated 00. It put 15 pellets in 20 inch circle at 40 yards. The second choice was the Remington 00 buck.

Ordered a buck kicker today. Will post patterning results after I check it out

Patterned the Buck Kicker today with 3 1/2” 00 buck. Consistently put 11-12 pellets in a 20” circle at 42 yards.It is a full chock constriction and they make a “lite” full and an extra full. The full version is what the factory reccomended for 3 1/2” inch 00 buck. For sure anything out to 45- 47 yards is going to be clobbered. Factory also recommends copper plated shot. The vented designed definitely reduced muzzle jump and felt recoil at the expense of increased muzzle blast.