Buckshot is commonly used for hunting larger game due to its larger and heavier pellets, which have a greater impact and stopping power compared to smaller shot types such as birdshot or target loads. When hunting animals like deer or wild hogs, the use of buckshot ensures that the shot can effectively penetrate the animal's body and deliver the necessary force to humanely harvest it.
Birdshot, while effective for smaller game birds, does not have the mass or size to efficiently take down larger animals. Rifled slugs, on the other hand, are designed for greater accuracy and are used in shotgun hunting for larger game but are fundamentally different from buckshot in that they deliver a single projectile rather than multiple pellets. Target loads are intended for shooting sports and practice, making them unsuitable for hunting purposes. Therefore, buckshot stands out as the appropriate choice for effectively hunting larger game.