keep it under 30 yards and either size buckshot will drop whitetail.

Yep, thanks for the correction. I mean you shouldn't use shot because it is rather unethical. I mean, if you shoot a deer with a slug (a single projectile) you will be more likely to make a good shot and not tear up any other parts of the deer. If you shoot it with shot, you will be sending lots of projectiles all over in the deers body and probably not as accurately. The pellets will go throughout the deer and cause more damage to the guts and not only the heart. Not to mention you may spoil some great meat.

So what I am saying is one well-placed shot is much better than a dozen not-so-well-placed shots. Either one wil kill the deer, but the slug is much more humane and practical. I hope that helps.

i have to agree you need to use slugs especially if you think there is any chance you will be shooting more than 20 to 25 yards. But if you absolutely want to use shot i recommend No 1 but i highly unadvise it and good hunting

Buckshot is okay for anti-personnel use in combat where you don't care much whether you kill or wound the enemy. But for sporting purposes, the likelihood of wounding big game is too high to be considered humane, IMHO. And the higher the number on the buckshot, the closer it is to birdshot, which is about the last thing you would consider appropriate for deer hunting.

It's called BUCKshot it was designed for deer 1 or 00 works.

Slugs and only slugs, I've seen to many deer wounded by buckshot!

In my parts plenty of deer hunters hunt on the ground, stalking their whitetails, usually still hunting around deer bedding areas in heavy coniferous swamps.Some hunters still use buckshot hunting this way because shots are very close and in thick cover.I usually stick with a .30/30 when hunting this way, in case a longer shot is needed.I believe buckshot has earned such a bad reputation due to hunters over pushing the rounds limits.It is a short range round and when used within its 30 yard max limit is a very effective round.Its the same principal as seeing deer with arrow wounds because an irresponsible or inexperienced bow hunter took a 50 yard shot at a deer when he normally shoots at 30 yards max during practice.

may want to check your regualtions here. some states do not allow deer hunting with 00 buck despite it's name. at any rate, you will be more successful with a rifled slug and are very unlikely to have a wounded deer and more likely to have a dead deer.

Hey, why'd you guys hit hjohn with the - ? I thought his comment was funny, even though I only partly agree. lol

Use slugs... not buckshot unless you are within 20 yards... even then why?