Blackbearhunter , There is a very good reason you management people will not allow buckshot on the management areas. The state where I live dosen't allow buckshot for hunting of big game (whitetail is considered BIG GAME here) at all, because they have found over the years too many wounded, and lossed deer, and accidental shootings of other hunters when buckshot is used.

I have, however shot a lot of very large Hogs with shotgun slugs, and they are more than JUST ADDIQUATE, they are deadly on the big Russians around here! This is to say as long as you keep your range at 100 yd or closer. Of course you double shotgun will most likely not be accurate out that far, and may not regulate the slugs at all. My favorite firearm for Russians, in deep woods is a little H. Berella cape gun. It is a combination gun, with a 16 ga left barrel, and a 8X57JR right barrel, It is a hammer sidelock gun that will print a 16 ga Brenneke Slug right beside a hole made by the 196 gr bullet from the 8x57JR at 100 yds every time.

Shotguns, even very expencive ones , are not regulated at all, compared to a double rifle. The shotgun has only to place one 36" pattern over the other 36" pattern out at it's extreme range. The center of each of these patterns may be as far as 10" apart on a pattern target at 35 yds. Slugs will most likely not do as well as 10" at 35 yds, because one barrel is tighter than the other, on top of being not regulated at all. I agree with the above addvice to get yourself some Brenneke slugs, and try them on a paper at 35 yds, but make the paper large with only a 1" solid dot in the center,and a 15" circle around that dot, for an aiming point. If the shots hit within 15" of each other, Ill be surprised! What you might do is find the barrel that prints the best five shot group with the slugs, and load only that barrel with slugs, use the other barrel for shot, only! Then set up a pair of rifle sights for the slug barrel, with a fold down back sight. This will allow you to use the front bead for the shot barrel. Now find out how far your slug barrel will keep all shots inside a 15" circle,or tighter the closer you get, and shoot no farther than the 15" circle distance on game animals.

Contrary to popular belief, the PARADOX, rifle was not a shotgun modified to shoot bullets, but a rifle modified to shoot shot! By this I mean the barrels were regulated for bullets, and were made for two reasons. #1 the long smooth bore lowered pressures with the very heavy black powder loads most were made to shoot, and #2 so the settlers in the Southern Cape, and India's jungles had to only have one rifle for everything. The Cape gun was made for the same reason.