What range do 12ga 3 1/2 ultra mag shells have?

I just pruchased a new benelli supernova that can chamber 3 1/2 shells. I would like to know how far can these shells be shot to kill a deer.. Im tlaking aobut the buck shot too. regular 2/34 or 3 inch buckshot are good up to about 60 yards So i am curious is 3 1/2s can work a little further. Also Which brand 3 1/2 buckshot is best?

What range do 12ga 3 1/2 ultra mag shells have?
Depends on the choke but i wouldn't feel too confident past 50 yards. Slugs are preferable for range. If you manage to hit the deer with only a few pellets it won't drop and you will be stalking it for days.
Reply:Save the 3 1/2" shells (with appropriate shot sizes, of course) for turkey and geese, you don't need anything bigger than a 2 3/4" Foster-type slug to effectively kill deer. I wish the industry would get together and come up with a new name for buckshot, like "burglar-shot" because that, not deer, is its real purpose.



IMO the 3 1/2" 12 ga. is not worth the recoil, the 10ga. handles the same load weight much more efficiently. The technology probably exists to perfect a "short" 10-ga that would out-do the 3" 12ga. without such a clumsy gun as most 10ga's still are, this would be a better idea, methinks.
Reply:2 3/4 or 3 inch buckshot to 60 yards??? This is pure fantasy! 2 3/4 inch buckshot is only good for 25 yards tops!..... 3 Inch is good for maybe another 5 yards.... If you want to hit a deer at 60 to 100 yards you have to use a slug, no ifs, no ands, no buts..... Whoever told you that you could take a deer at that distance with buckshot was misinformed...... Sure you can try and surely some pellets will hit the deer but most will fly right on by.... The deer may not be injured enough to fall -- he might just take off injured to be never seen again.... Use slugs....
Reply:It's still a 60 yard range, but what's nice about the 3 1/2 is that you shoot 18 pellets .00 buck instead of the 15 pellets in the 3 inch. So your range is still pretty much the same, but you're looking at more pellets, meaning better chance at getting the buck.



If I was going to buy a .12 gauge shotgun for deer season I'd get either an 835 Mossberg or 935--for an automatic--Mossberg. Very accurate guns with buckshot; these guns are back-bored. They also seem to hold a better pattern with buckshot than most others....great gun for the money with deer. Just a thought.



Also, what the former posted comment said is NOT true. Only ONE pellet can successfully take a deer down on contact if it's in the right place. Saw it happen last deer season, a buddy of mine shot a buck and only one pellet actually hit the deer and it went through the heart; he may have gone 15 feet.



If you want a slug gun you need to have a rifled barrel too, not a smooth barrel. This makes it have a lot better accuracy.
Reply:Check your local state game regs. Most states wont let you use buck shot on deer. Only slugs.

Slugs are good for up to 100 yards if you are a good shot.

If you use buck shot you'll be walking for days tracking the deer you hit.