I have land I hunt my deer on with my rifle, but Im thinking of taking my girlfriends little brother out deer hunting this year behind their house. Theres a pretty good stretch of woods behind the house, but not enough for a rifle so we'd have to use a shotgun (neither one of us bow hunt). What does everyone suggest as far as a load is concerned?

If it has a rifled barrel I would try Remington Copper solids or Hornady SSTs, and if it isn't rifled then I would use Lightfield rifled slugs. But to be honest I would grab a few different types of slugs and try them out, you'll most likely find one that the gun loves and others not so much..

If it has a rifled barrel I would try Remington Copper solids or Hornady SSTs, and if it isn't rifled then I would use Lightfield rifled slugs. But to be honest I would grab a few different types of slugs and try them out, you'll most likely find one that the gun loves and others not so much..

X2

It can get expensive to try out the sabots that the gun likes. My experience the copper solids great all deer have been DRT, federal Barnes expander same results, hornady sst worst one of them all I have never had tk track a deer slug hunting till I switched tk the sst entrance and exit always the same size showing no expansion. This year I'm trying Winchester supreme elites the dual bonded ones.

I'm curious though is the land your hunting shotgun only or is it just so thick a rifle would be useless? I hunt shotgun only areas during gun season no rifles allowed thats why I shoot sabots I have shots that could go 300+ not with a shot gun but I'm comfortable taking one at 200 my farthest to date is 187yds with a coper solid flopped her right in her tracks. If its to thick I'd go with a light field or just cheap sluggers or winchesters. Sabots don't fare much better then a rifle in the thick

Its sorta thick, also kinda built up. Id only be able to shoot in one direction due to houses, etc.

We use 00 Buck.  Of course, they're running too.

Yeah if legal buck shot is an option. We can't use buck shot for deer in NY. You could always still use the rifle if your comfortable with it just have clear shooting lane and knock out them shoulders so they don't go far if its a small piece of land.

I always loaded buck shot, slug, & buck shot

Turns out I wont be using a shotgun afterall. I shot my bow for the first time today and loved it.. Ill be bow hunting!!

We may get into bow hunting next. I have a 14pt buck that looks to be about 275lbs.And a black bear that's between 350/400lbs just eat all my pears, apples and peaches. I can hunt my land with bow.

Even my smooth bore 12ga barrels are accurate with the rifled brenneke whistling slugs. I shot the copper slugs for the rifled barrels and found out there accurate in the smooth bores too.

We may get into bow hunting next. I have a 14pt buck that looks to be about 275lbs.And a black bear that's between 350/400lbs just eat all my pears, apples and peaches. I can hunt my land with bow.

Even my smooth bore 12ga barrels are accurate with the rifled brenneke whistling slugs. I shot the copper slugs for the rifled barrels and found out there accurate in the smooth bores too.

275 is a monster of a deer let alone a 14pt