.31 caliber balls for buckshot load?

[Sidney Smith]

I have a .32 caliber squirrel gun. I have a Lee .311 dia mold. I also have a 20 gauge smoothbore flintlock. Was wondering if I could use these same .311 diamter balls in a buckshot charge? I looked at a listing and .311 diamter falls right in between a # 1, and a #0 buckshot. Looks like ten balls would make an ounce. Would this make a decent buckshot load for deer?

 

[ADK Bigfoot]

While I don't think buckshot is the best solution for deer hunting, those balls will fit the bill nicely.
My only experience with buckshot for deer was when I lived in NJ (sorry) and my friend Zeke shot a deer with 00 buck. Dead deer, but a long search in the dark to find a nearly dead deer. I prefer full caliber balls or slugs. Just my opinion. A .62 round ball is DEFINITIVE.

ADK Bigfoot

 

[Sidney Smith]

I was just looking for an alternative to try using the smoothbore. Im not too keen on using a single ball out of a smoothie, when Ive got two .54 caliber rifles which I can use. I rarely get shots on deer past about 35 yards, with most being less than that. Last years deer was shot at ten yards. Buckshot would definitely work where I hunt.

 

[Zonie]

It might be a good idea to check with the Game & Fish department before venturing off into the woods to hunt deer.
I don't think buckshot is allowed in Arizona.

Also remember, if you shoot a buck & ball load, the velocity of all of the balls will be considerably less than it would be if only a single large ball was being used.
That reduced velocity will greatly reduce the penetration of the buckshot.

While buck & ball worked against other men in wartime, remember, these loads were meant to "kill or injure" soldiers. Men have a very thin skin on them but deer have a much tougher hide (comparatively speaking).
I can't speak for others but I wouldn't use a buck & ball load while I was hunting deer.

 

[SDSmlf]

I have a .32 caliber squirrel gun. I have a Lee .311 dia mold. I also have a 20 gauge smoothbore flintlock. Was wondering if I could use these same .311 diamter balls in a buckshot charge? I looked at a listing and .311 diamter falls right in between a # 1, and a #0 buckshot. Looks like ten balls would make an ounce. Would this make a decent buckshot load for deer?

If legal, effectiveness is up to you to figure out. I know when I was a youngster, the old man had us shoot at a couple of sheets of 3/4” plywood spaced about 1-1/2” apart (thickness of 2x4 framing). If whatever we were ‘testing’ at a specific distance didn’t blow through the first sheet and severely damaged or penetrate the second sheet, it was not acceptable for deer hunting. Simple test, but clear cut. Could replicate today, but at the current price of plywood......

Specifically to your question, I shoot 1-1/2 buckshot (.310” diameter) out of my 32s. Use some lighter loads, 12-15, or maybe 20 grains if I feel adventurous, of 3F. All exceed the velocity I would expect out of a 20 gauge smoothbore load, say 1000-1200 FPS. At 100 yards, the 1-1/2 buckshot loads out of my 32s bounce off of plywood. Haven’t tested closer distances. Would still would NOT consider 1-1/2 buckshot loads out of a smoothbore sufficient or humane for hunting deer, at least in my opinion, unless maybe hunting in a phone booth (remember those). If you must, unless you come up with a test that establishes you have sufficient energy for deer size game with your 1-1/2 buckshot load, get some 00 or 000 buck, the standards for hunting deer size game, develop a load you are confident in, and keep your max distance to 30-35 yards. Personally, I would work up a single roundball load, patched of with a wad. But that’s just me.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Just keep the range real short.
Try fifteen of the suckers at 20 yards.

 

[Sidney Smith]

Im not saying Im going to use the .311 balls for a buckshot load. Was just considering it. Again, I have two rifles in .54 caliber that I use for deer and have killed several deer with them, so I have no need or desire to use a single ball out of the smoothbore.

Buckshot is legal where I hunt. I may just buy a mold that throws say .35 caliber balls and use that to get larger balls which would be more effective.

 

[Henry Miles]

.35cal is approx 00 buckshot size and is effective with a good pattern out to 40yds for deer-sized game. It will reach a little further with modern magnum loads and guns, but not much. The pellets slow down and spread out quickly.

 

[Darto]

Buck and ball is weird as there is two sizes of ball. Anyway soon a demonstration video is coming... this was 3 days ago...

 

[Musketeer]

I don't think buckshot is allowed in Arizona.

Buckshot is only legal here for things like coyotes and bobcats. Anything larger (deer, elk, mountain lion, bear, etc.) requires slugs if using a shotgun. Even javelina (due to their incredible durability despite their small size) require slugs under AZ law.

To the op, no reason you couldn't use those balls for buckshot loads (a lead ball is a lead ball), though I can't comment on their effectiveness on deer.