Shooting buckshot from a rifle

[mtnmike]

Can This be done? If a fella (me) takes a 32" bbl down to 20"(I did) in order to have himself a trekking gun,can you shoot shot from a rifle? Can you expect to achieve any accuracy out to 20-30 yards? With the patched ball I have no doubts,just curious as to buckshot.

  As usual any and all comments positive  or negative are welcomed. You folks know a hell-of-alot more than I.

[Baldy]

You can shoot shot from a rifle.  That is, it makes it out of the barrel.  But I always got a large donut shape pattern with the size depending on the twist rate.  No where near good enough for humanely harvesting game of any kind.   I have heard that you can get by if the twist is really slow, like 1-72 or more.  Never had a rifle with that slow a twist so don't have any personal experience. Pacific Rifle company once told me that you could shoot shot out of their rifles (1-104" twist).
http://pacificriflecompany.blogspot.com/

[mtnmike]

Thanks Baldy,,That's what I feared

[Red Badger]

AS yo have already done the deed of cutting the barrel down I would suggest the next step would be to try some shot and see what results you get... at the range you were looking at you might get a decent shot pattern - no way to know until you try it on paper....

[mtnmike]

I was thinking of that very thing Red Badger,can't hurt to try might wind up like Mississippi in El-Dorado and hit everything except what I was aiming at

[Red Badger]

Just remember to let us get behind you - don't want any of us to end up like "John T. Chance" and have to have some shot removed from our backsides.... 

[mtnmike]

Well,I did make it out to try Roundball & patch,no problems there never shoot past 50 yards anyhow but with the shot past 15 yards it's a fright,,so Next question? Anyone ever been squirreling or rabbit hunting with a .50 caliber? Can you reduce the charge and succeed  or does it still tear them up  to much?

[Baldy]

I have shot squirrels with my 50 using only 20 grains of powder and then making head shots.  Head was mostly gone.  A body shot on a squirrel or rabbit would do a lot of destruction.  reduce your loads way down and try it to see what happens.  Try on paper first so you know where your POI will be compared to how your rifle is sighted in.

[spooked]

I wondered about loppin' off a .36..   Having the small round ball for small game..then double balling(git yer mind out of the gutter)it for larger close range game..

[flintboomer]

I used to squirrel hunt with a .44 rifle with shot, but it was a 10 yd deal, anything farther was pure luck or a waste of time.
Rabbits with a .50? head shots were no problem squirrels should be the same but it will destroy the head and light loads are recommended.

[hotfxr]

Head shots on squirrels and rabbits? I'm not sure I could do that even if the barrel was taped to their heads. You guys are going to force me to use up a lot of powder and balls practicing.