Which buckshot for boars ?

I will comment in the capacity of someone who has hunted with buckshot for over 20 years, and taken maybe 20-25 whitetail and mule deer with the stuff.

*disclaimer: I haven't hunted hogs, but I hear they can be tough to anchor, and thick skinned*

I would NOT hunt hogs with buckshot if I had any choice. Individual "00" pellets would be considered "squirrel rifle" ammo if fired from a muzzle loader due to their low individual energy and poor tissue disruption. They do little more damage than a .22lr. The key to clean buckshot kills is to be close enough to put 4 or more pellets into the heart/lung/shoulder of a deer. This gives a max range of 25-30 yards for the 9 pellet "traditional" load, up to a maximum of 40 yards for the 18 pellet 3.5" stuff...IF IF IF the deer offers you a broadside shot. Not all pellets will fully penetrate even an adult north country doe, let alone a buck.

Now deer aren't considered "tough", nor are they thought to present any special penetration problems. Pigs are reportedly tougher and made of tougher to penetrate hide, muscle, and bone. I suspect they might not make it through to the far lung of a big hog, especially from quartering angles or longer ranges.

I do not think buckshot is a good choice here, and if I had to use it I would prefer to keep the range to about 20 yards, with "000" (.36cal/9mm) of at all possible.
 
Also, "open" chokes such as cylinder or improved cylinder tend to pattern buckshot better than full or modified. Just the opposite of what a guy would think. Usually, but not always. The pattern board is your friend.
 
Also, "open" chokes such as cylinder or improved cylinder tend to pattern buckshot better than full or modified. Just the opposite of what a guy would think.
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Not so surprising when one realizes that chokes are intended to produce tighter patterns with hardened lead shot, not soft swaged buckshot. Tight chokes with soft buckshot produces flat spots on the buckshot, despite plastic wads, granulated plastic fillers, and coatings (all help somewhat), on buckshot...it is just the nature of the beast.
 
Best way to know if buck shot is appropriate for the quarry. The old rule of shooting Buck Shot still applies with cyl choke. At 30 yard distant range expect a 30 inch pellet spread. 40 yard distant range a 40 inch pellet spread.
A adult Pig is not a thin skinned animal to which this shot-shell was intended for. Hence the name "Buck Shot." Not >Pig Shot.
I would suggest if intentions are to use 0-0 shot-shell for wild pig? Reduce your shooting range by 1/3 and also use 3" 12 ga. 0-0 shot-shells due to there additional (3) pellet amount.
 
Also, "open" chokes such as cylinder or improved cylinder tend to pattern buckshot better than full or modified. Just the opposite of what a guy would think. Usually, but not always. The pattern board is your friend.
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"Not always" for sure. Years ago the old Police Marksman tested buckshot. They had cylinder, improved cylinder, screw choke, and Polychoke 12 ga 870 barrels.
There was a lot of variation from brand to brand and type to type, but the best loads patterned the closest from Improved Modified. Not a common constriction in anything but a trap gun but easy with interchangeable or adjustable choke.
 
The old rule of shooting Buck Shot still applies with cyl choke. At 30 yard distant range expect a 30 inch pellet spread. 40 yard distant range a 40 inch pellet spread.
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As long as you're not using flight control wads
 
Is there a factory load with Flight Control wads? I own enough buckshot from years past to be somewhat oblivious to new developments.
 
I advise against shooting buckshot at hogs because of their toughness. I bought a rifled barrel for my Mossberg and have had very good luck with it at typical woods distances. Accuracy is superb shooting sabot ammo by Hornady.

Jack

 
christian812:

Looks like you have learned a thing or two since beginning this thread, but I will respond to your original question and then move to slugs and optics.

Buckshot for Hogs
Never killed one with buckshot, but there are some more or less better buckshot options.

All my shotguns do well with either Federal Flitecontrol wad 00 buck or Remington green box 000 buck, both 2 3/4". Those that like the one don;t like the other. And by "like" I mean make smaller patterns at range. I see a tendency for completely open chokes to do better with Fed FC and for those with IC chokes to do better with 000 buck.

My suggestion is buy a few brands--being sure to include Fed Fliitecontrol and 000 options--and pattern them in your gun. 40 yards is a long ways for buckshot.

Slugs
Same deal here, you'll need to try them out in your gun. The best Foster style slugs I have found for most my guns are the Federal Truball slugs, 2 3/4". The best Brenneke slug depends on the gun, but Brennekes generally shoot better than Fosters in my guns and should be better penetrators and lead foul the bbl less. 50 yard boiler room or brain shots (given proper shooting rest) are do-able with Brenneke slugs from most my shotguns.

Optics
Those are good looking iron sights, but I would suggest an optic as the primary sight. Preferably a red dot or a low power Leupold. That will aid in low-light situations.
 
Is there a factory load with Flight Control wads?
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Yes sir, Federal has several and they are a real game changer my cylinder bore riot guns go from 25-30" patterns at 25 yards to 5-6" groups at 25 yards
 
In addition to the Federal Flite Control load Mavracer mentioned, Hornady's Critical Defense eight pellet 00 12 gauge load uses a Flite control style wad.
 
Mavracer, that sounds like an honest 40 yard performer. I'll have to buy and pattern some of this stuff. It would have filled a tag with a nice buck 2 years ago, one I had to let walk due to the limitations of my ammo at that distance.
 
On a side note, I've long toyed with the idea of a monster muzzle loaded shotgun, capable of firing an 18 pellet charge of .451 round ball. This Flite-Control stuff makes it somewhat (more) obsolete, but I'll get around to it one of these days anyway.
 
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