I have shot one deer with a 12ga. I was using Federal 1.25 ounce slugs with a Aimpoint scope on my Mossberg 500, 28" barrel mod. choke. That deer went about thiry yards and dropped dead. There was a spray of blood and fur about 2x3 feet where it was hit and a trail of blood right up to the deer. Not drops but a steady line. That deer had a hole the size of a quarter going in and one slightly bigger then a baseball coming out. It took out three ribs and the entire shoulder. If you want short range knock down power you can not beat a 12ga slug. Just make sure you don't have a quartering shot or you will do what I did. The deer was about 40 yards away when shot also.