Do you normally hunt with buckshot? We have been strictly shotgun slugs. I have a Remington 1100 20 ga. Couple years ago, they opened our county/area to rifle. I now have a Tikka 243. Love it.
This is the crap I normally hunt in. A 50-60 yard shot is a long shot here, unless you're on a pipeline. These deer won't stand in an opening makes them nervous in this thicket.
That buck I shot yesterday was what we consider open woods where you can get a fifty yard shot.
This is a pattern of double aught at 50 yards, no two shotguns pattern the same so you have to find what size buckshot yours like.
Growing up shotgun had to put 3/4 of the pellets in a 9" plate at fifty yards. We deer hunted almost exclusively with dogs until it was outlawed. That separated the men from boys on who could shoot.
Paper companies lobbying got it outlawed. It was only practiced in 10 counties of East Texas inhabited by hillbillies.
They couldn't get the city hunter to pay lease with us running through the woods.
That's actually how the handle Caustic and Acid come about.
We were making a drive and I was the flanker. Seen a guy come out of a box stand ( first I ever seen) he was giving the driver heck. I topped the hill and he went to running.
Now I am confused so I ask what that was about, partner said it was a Baptist preacher that had leased the land from Houston. During their heated exchange my partner told the preacher I was going to be coming over that hill and his little brother Caustic would kill him. This is how I was dressed, late 70's I am 30 ish bet that preacher thought he was in deliverance.