I've got a hog hunting competition coming up and really messed up on my short range arsenal. All my guns now have too much magnification for the brush. I sold my 30-30 without even thinking and I have yet to replace it. My question is has anyone had good luck using a good ole 12ga buck shot or slug for closer range? I mean point blank to 30 yards? I have a few 12ga shotguns but no slug guns. Just looking for people that have done it and their opinion. I'm 99% sure a slug would be more than enough but just wondering if some people have used this method. Thanks

I would say it will be good enough. I've killed hogs just using turkey loads.

Any of the "bucks" at those ranges have worked just fine for me. I use the high brass stuff; it's a bit punishing for the shooter, but it is deadly effective!

Buckshot around dogs is foolish.

Both slug shots at 25 & 30 yards were accurately delivered to the dome.
1st by the pig pipe was from an elevated stand.
2nd was at ground level.
Both were dead before hitting the ground.
Cheap 2.75" stuff from Wally-World.
Yep, it gets er' done.

Ok so think that's what I'll do! I never said anything bout using it around dogs? When we run dogs we don't carry guns.

A shotgun comes in real handy when you have the opportunity to drop a bunch of piglets too. Those little suckers can be hard to hit once they start to scatter! Try a cylinder choke and alternate slugs and buckshot. I've used sabot slugs from a rifled barrel many times, but 00 buck works great at halitosis range like your talking about. Most of the hogs I shoot are way inside of that anyway.

keep us updated

rickt300, I didn't see any reference to hunting with or around dogs. What are you referring to?

My mistake thinking "hog hunting competition" meant using dogs. I have used cheap slugs out of a Remington slug gun in 20 gauge a few times with good effect.

OK, I thought I had missed a reference to hunting hogs with dogs!

No dogs this time. They are having a hog dog catagory but we are doing the gun catagory. If anyone is looking for a hog competition the hunting game out of Decatur is putting it on. Usually pays out pretty good. This one is 24hr hunt. I'm going to go buy a few different kinda of buck shot and look at other options just wanted to see if it's been used and liked by others before I did.

I use the cheap Rio Royal buck. I shoot a cyl bore Remington 870 riot gun and have dropped them at 23 yards and have successfully killed them with a 35 yard shot where she ran about 30 more yards. I keep a shotgun in the bow blind for tracking swine after the shot. Good luck and pile the pork.

If you use buckshot you need to pattern the gun. Some guns shoot great patterns with it and some don't. Pattern it at 30 yards. The best buckshot gun I ever had was a bolt action JC Higgins 12 ga. that my Dad gave me. Killed 15 deer with it back in the 70's in Louisiana.

I like #4buck for close range its dirty

I have tested the heck out of the RIO buck both 20 and 12 gauge, Out of four shotguns and 2 more choke tubes the best I could do was 4 pellets on a paper plate at 25 yards! The Remington buckshot with the filler is way better in all of these guns.

As others have said ..... pattern it first . I was in a shotgun only lease a few years back and did a lot of patterning to find the right load . I was shocked when I shot 12 ga. 00 at 30 yds. It was terrible. I tried different shotguns and chokes . I tried #1 buck next . Not much better. I ended up using 3 " # 4 with a full choke. I realize there are more pellets in a # 4 shell but it patterned a whole lot better. Never did shoot a deer with it but shot 4 hogs . Kilt um grave yard dead at 20 -25 yards . Good luck !!!