Patterned a couple buckshot loads at 80 yards today. In order to get an idea of what patterns a typical gun might produce, we chose a 28" bbl Ithaca 37 with Full choke tube installed. A rough silhouette of a reindeer was used, with a 12" "kill zone" circle inscribed. This target was used to demonstrate the "assistance" that might be provided by pellets hitting the body of a broadside deer, though obviously, the goal is the placement of pellets in the kill zone area to insure quick kills.

Started at 30 meters, firing a load of Fiocchi 2 3/4 inch 9 pellet 00, a load that performed exceptionally well in a test of 11 different rounds I fired some years ago, this in spite of its roll crimp and unbuffered, unplated shot. 7 of the 9 pellets landed in the kz with one in the belly area. Here are the results:

This established the general patterning of the gun, and also the POI. POI shifted downwards as distance increased, so a higher POA was used at the greater ranges.

Next, shots were fired at 50 meters. Shot to shot consistency was poor. For example, one shot produced hits in the antlers, what would have been the skin on the top of the back {grazing} and one shot in the dewlap of the "reindeer". A shot of Winchester 3" 00 buck with 15 pellets resulted in 1 pellet striking the butt, 3 the abdomen, 1 neck, 1 leg, 1 antlers and none in the kz. Predictability of pellets landing in the kz was impossible, though normally some pellets hit the black silhouette somewhere.

Then we stepped out to 80 meters. One shot of Winchester 3" 00 buck with 15 pellets was fired and one pellet landed in the kz. No other pellet hit the reindeer, and only one hit the target board itself. Another shot was fired, also of 15 pellet 00 buck. No pellet in that charge hit the reindeer at all.

Finally, we decided it would be interesting to see what some sort of terminal testing might reveal. Two 1 gallon milk jugs full of water were set in-line on a stump and placed where they would cover the kz.

Here is the setup:

Firing commenced with Fiocchi 9 pellet 00. It took seven shots to get one pellet to strike the kz. That pellet penetrated both gallon jugs and the paper target board. After the 7 shots were fired, 8 total hits were recorded on the black reindeer. One pellet struck the fir stump and penetrated one inch. Long ago, the military established something of a standard indicating that a bullet that penetrates one inch of pine is deadly. Our pellet penetrated one inch of fir at 80 meters, and the other penetrated 2 jugs full of water. Having said that, what cannot be seen in this report is the complete lack of hydrostatic shock at impact in the jugs. Where normal deer rifles in the .308 or .30-06 range will blow a jug to bits, the 00 pellet merely punched a hole. I suspect the wound channel of such a pellet would demonstrate very little temporary or permanent cavitation.

Here are the results:

Past testing indicates that buckshot patterns significantly differently from gun to gun. Some guns throw a very tight and zeroed buckshot pattern. Others don't. And different loads will pattern differently in the same gun. Your results may vary from the results shown here. Based on my experience with testing several different guns, I'd say the results of today's shoot were average. Some guns might do somewhat better, others worse. Bottom line, though, is that every gun must be patterned before long shots are taken. As stated in my article of some years ago, I suspect that few guns will perform well at 50 yards and based on this test and other tests I've shot in the past, I doubt there is a 12 gauge gun made that will toss a load of buckshot into a deer's kill zone at 80 meters every time. I suppose I could be wrong, and will open up the possibility of chance, but I've shot enough of this stuff to be skeptical.

One thing I am not skeptical about is the propensity for buckshot loads to wound game and this test yet again confirms my opinion. With the number of pellets being tossed, the possibility of a peripheral hit is great, even if a quickly killing shot does not strike the animal.

As stated over and over again, if a guy plans on using buckshot, he should pattern his gun, sight it properly and keep his shots close. In my opinion the guy that shoots a deer at 25 meters with 00 buckshot has no excuses for not killing cleanly. The guy who shoots at a deer at 80 meters with 00 buckshot has no excuses for taking such a shot at all.