#4 buck, 40 @ 40yards.

[nhmoose]

In NH having dog chasing deer is not a good thing has large fines when they are caught and not shot before hand. As I said different area's.

As for your ? mark missed it but hemlock swamps up here are thick wet and hard to see in same as any swamp I have been in but not as hot ,actually very cold.

Don't think I am dissing you the internet writing misses a lot. Sorry if you think I was.

 

[megasupermagnum]

If you aren't certain you are going to nail the animal where you want, you are absolutely correct in letting them pass.

If you want to use a rifle, then use a rifle. You will never hear me try and tell others what they have to use. It's a trade off. A rifle, in particular a muzzleloading rifle is accurate to a decent range, a good shot should be able to be effective to about 125 yards. The drawback is that now you have a weapon that makes it mighty tough to hit a moving animal. A muzzleloading shotgun with buckshot is only effective to 35-40 or so yards, a little more with tight chokes. Despite the range limitation, you can make the close in shots that a rifle cant.

You clearly are content to allow running deer to pass, in exchange for a rifle with it's extended range abilities. Or maybe you shoot a smooth bore that is accurate with a ball to 50-60 yards. It's only marginally farther than buckshot is effective, but more is more.

I'm not happy that I'm limited to what I can use. The farthest that I have ever taken a shot on a whitetail is 60 yards, and there is a good chance he would have kept coming in closer if I let him. I would gladly trade extended range, so that I can make these close in shots. 75% of the deer I am forced to pass on due to having a rifle, are absolutely killable by a shotgun. Still, I get it done every year, and as of yet, I've not had to miss a monster buck because of the limitation. Sometimes it sure would be nice to just use the best tool for the job, rather than use a hammer for everything.

 

[LME]

In NH having dog chasing deer is not a good thing has large fines when they are caught and not shot before hand. As I said different area's.

As for your ? mark missed it but hemlock swamps up here are thick wet and hard to see in same as any swamp I have been in but not as hot ,actually very cold.

Don't think I am dissing you the internet writing misses a lot. Sorry if you think I was.

No problem! Swamps are swamps and hunting in them isn't the same as hunting in an open field where you can see for miles.

 

[LME]

Amen as a southern man myself buckshot is great for close in clear shots.

Good heavy load of 00 or 000 kills them dead quick.

Although I personally don't care to hunt deer with a shotgun, I must say you are correct in your statement. I try to look at things with fair eyes and don't let my preferences get in the way. It isn't easy sometimes. LOL! One of the problems I have seen ,which bothers me, is a lot of people that use a shotgun really don't know what its capabilities actually are?You dont use a tack hammer to drive a 16 penny nail? You also don't use a sledge hammer. The one thing that I don't like is someone wounding an animal because they took a shot at a deer that was out of the range of a shotgun!
I read where this subject was not allowed ? They do make muzzle loaded shotguns?

 

[Hawken1980]

Although I personally don't care to hunt deer with a shotgun, I must say you are correct in your statement. I try to look at things with fair eyes and don't let my preferences get in the way. It isn't easy sometimes. LOL! One of the problems I have seen ,which bothers me, is a lot of people that use a shotgun really don't know what its capabilities actually are?You dont use a tack hammer to drive a 16 penny nail? You also don't use a sledge hammer. The one thing that I don't like is someone wounding an animal because they took a shot at a deer that was out of the range of a shotgun!
I read where this subject was not allowed ? They do make muzzle loaded shotguns?

Absolutely,

There are Fowler’s (single barrel good for birdshot up to single round balls.)
Double barrels of eagerly gage and ignition style.

A smooth note is on my list.

I think an advantage with a muzzloader would be the ability of fine tuning a load.

A full choke 12 gauge side by side with 00 should be good to go at 25 yards.

I will not get into it here nor would I do it. But a certain unmentionable load from a company that starts with an f can put 9 pellets inside of 18inches at 40 plus yards.

With the right load and the patience of a bow hunter a Muzzleloading shotgun can be very effective if the hunter is ethical.

 

[bigted]

Mega, so you recommend buck shot in order too off set poor marksmanship, I agree buck shot is a crippler on deer, sure sometimes one will get lucky and kill one with buck shot but I do believe that is not the norm. Buck shot is designed as one thing a man stopper and then at close range.

exactly correct here. IN RANGE is key whether you use a 458 Win Mag or a 22 LR. hunting is hunting and harvesting is harvesting. 32 cal muzzleloader to 10 gauge shotgun and EVERYTHING in between will work if the RANGE is rite.

never done it but I would kill a buck or nice fat doe with my 20 gauge {62 cal} smoothie loaded with number 4 shot or larger ... in a heartbeat ... IF THE RANGE WAS PERFECT!!!! now wha may be that perfect range? for me I would say the same range I would use any shotgun for self defense ... that is just accros the room distance ... say 7 yards or so maybe 10 yards. I would feel safe shooting a grizz at that range with my 12 double loaded with 2 o buckshot. 9 or 12 pellets and a handful of 2F powder would do for anything walking or crawling on the north American continent.

as with any hunting concerning our sport ... in range means IN RANGE. learn to hunt and stalk or be still and quiet so the yardage is what is needed for any kinda gathering of game with any type and cal gun. almost everything is possible if the correct means are met.

 

[R.J.Bruce]

I find threads like this one to be both amusing, and disheartening. Because, one thing that everyone here can take to the bank, is that human nature has not changed one bit since the first firearms were invented hundreds of years ago.

Even when virtually every single common man in the British colonies in North America was armed with a muzzleloading weapon of some sort, and both marksmanship & knowing the EXACT range of your particular gun was drilled into everyone's head as a means of survival; there were still people who by virtue of carelessness, stupidity, ignorance, venality, or evilness, shot & wounded animals well beyond the range & capabilities of their particular gun.

Most did so because they were selfish, and just didn't care. Didn't care to practice. Didn't care to be physically fit. Didn't care to understand what hunting is all about. Some because they were lousy hunters, and could not do any better no matter how hard they tried. Others because they were evil and liked shooting things and watching them suffer.

Whatever the reasons, man has been inflicting himself upon the rest of nature from time immemorial.

As far as buckshot goes, it's my last choice in ammunition for hunting anything, but others of my own kind. It has been a first choice of combat soldiers for close quarters work since the First World War.

Other posters are perfectly correct. Buckshot used within its limitations will kill any deer in North America deader than a door knob. How many buckshot hunters do you know that carry a rangefinder when they hunt? And, really use it to prevent wounding an animal? I've never met one. Which is not to say they're not out there.

 

[bud in pa]

If you would reread my first sentence you will see the punctuation mark is a question mark! Semitropical swamps are some what different than northern swamps due to not having the effect of hard winters to deal with.I wasn't upset but your post led me to believe you are?Where I am from hunting deer with dogs is legal. I wouldn't consider a person shooting another mans hunting dog a wise thing to do.

Shoot my dog or any dog in front of me and I might have to use my tag on something other than a deer!