My goal this deer season is to do two things. Take a deer with an AR and take a deer with buckshot.

My pattern standard for buckshot is pretty high...whatever range all pellets fall inside a 9.5 inch paper plate is my maximum range. period. Several factory loads (#1, 00, 000) with the appropriate choke will do this out to 35-40 yards. Federal Flitecontrol 00 or the big stuff like Dixie Slugs Tri-Ball or Hevi-Shot Hog Wild will do this to 45-50 yards depending on the shotgun, and sometimes farther with the Tri-Ball or Hog Wild depending on the choke used.

The most important thing is to pattern test YOUR shotgun/choke/load combination. Do not assume that you can take any shotgun with any buckshot or any choke, shoot a deer at way past ethical buckshot distance, and it will die instantly and erupt like a volcano.

Know exactly what YOUR shotgun/choke/load combination will do.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr