New To Slug Guns Need Some Input

[Dan O]

I had a duty Remington 870 with a 20 inch slug barrel that had rifle sights. With 2 3/4 1 oz slugs it shot consistently at 100 yards. I never shot it beyond that distance, but I think it would be good to 150 with the sights that were on it. Recoil was noticeable with the slugs.

 

[Bullshot]

Find a new spot. The path of 12ga slug gun hunter is littered with broken dreams, missed shots, and wasted time and money. I hunted with slug guns for over 30 years out of legal necessity. I have since sold all my rifled barrels, my Savage 220 even, and all my slugs. No more! Archery, muzzleloader, and out of state rifle is plenty.

 

[Rack Daniels]

I am trying not to get too specific with where it is but it has to be a shotgun/bow/crossbow. MT does not lump straight walls in. Some areas also allow traditional handguns (straight wall handgun rounds). For my purpose it has to be a shotgun.

You’re not in my neck of the woods are you?! Sounds like we might be hunting the same spot….. lol seriously though…

 

[Candiru]

There are a lot of slugs guns sitting in safes that could probably be picked up pretty cheap in states that recently modified their laws and allowed use of rifles, or straight-wall rifles.

 

[Steiny77]

There are a lot of slugs guns sitting in safes that could probably be picked up pretty cheap in states that recently modified their laws and allowed use of rifles, or straight-wall rifles.

Yea, I have several

 

[Rack Daniels]

I tried the hornady sabots and they sucked ass. Also, if you buy a new mossburg, throw the scope/rings it comes with in the garbage can. I put a cheap vortex on it and bought some different sabots to see what it liked best. The Winchester copper impact shoot amazingly well out of my 500! Link displays different round…. 58 cal 1 ounce sabot slugs.

Copper Impact | Winchester Ammunition

winchester.com

 

[Misguided]

Used to hunt deer with a 1100 with Hastings rifled slug barrel. Found that tightening the barrel nut extreme tight was necessary for accuracy. I used channel locks with a rag on the nut to get a couple extra clicks.

 

[Moserkr]

I only shoot slugs a few times a year on a small private piece to get a backyard buck that fills the freezer. Living in CA, finding rifled slugs in copper is hard to impossible, but I found sabot slugs. I shoot em through a benelli super black eagle with a carlson rifled slug choke. That choke puts just enough spin on the hornady copper slugs to make them accurate. Longest shot has been 75 yards so far with just a bead sight. The copper doesnt expand well though imo at shotgun speeds and tends to just blow a small hole through them. Its enough to kill though.

So keep that in mind for your current smooth bore gun - carlson rifled choke tube. Cheaper and easier than a new barrel or gun, will get the job done.

 

[Hams42]

I only shoot slugs a few times a year on a small private piece to get a backyard buck that fills the freezer. Living in CA, finding rifled slugs in copper is hard to impossible, but I found sabot slugs. I shoot em through a benelli super black eagle with a carlson rifled slug choke. That choke puts just enough spin on the hornady copper slugs to make them accurate. Longest shot has been 75 yards so far with just a bead sight. The copper doesnt expand well though imo at shotgun speeds and tends to just blow a small hole through them. Its enough to kill though.

So keep that in mind for your current smooth bore gun - carlson rifled choke tube. Cheaper and easier than a new barrel or gun, will get the job done.

Shoot I may just do that. For as often as I will use it $90 is cheaper. and I can still mount a scope to the receiver.

 

[Moserkr]

Shoot I may just do that. For as often as I will use it $90 is cheaper. and I can still mount a scope to the receiver.

Yup not a bad price and works well enough. Great part is the choke swaps back to whatever you want on the fly making the one gun a capable multi tool. I put on a carlson full waterfowl choke for turkey last saturday for the opener and the same gun took a nice tom. Big fan of their chokes. If you go with the slug choke, buy 3-5 different slug brands if you can and find the one that shoots best.

 

[Steiny77]

Used to hunt deer with a 1100 with Hastings rifled slug barrel. Found that tightening the barrel nut extreme tight was necessary for accuracy. I used channel locks with a rag on the nut to get a couple extra clicks.

Pre cantilever barrels and bolt action slug guns everyone around here used pump shotguns with slug barrels and we drilled and tapped the receiver to accept a scope base. The weak link was the fact that the barrel and receiver are two different pieces. We drilled, tapped and "pinned" the barrels to the receiver as well as tightening the heck out of the barrel nut. Shot a lot of deer at 100 yards or more with this setup.

 

[Laelkhunter]

For the most part, sabot slugs should be shot out of a rifled barrel. Some chokes are available that are rifled and they help a little with accuracy. They actually have rifling in them so the sabot makes contact and starts spinning as it travels through the choke. If your barrel has removable chokes, buy one that's rifled and install it if you plan to use sabot slugs..

 

[Dave N]

For the most part, sabot slugs should be shot out of a rifled barrel.

This.

 

[buckbull]

You guys have had better luck on getting accuracy out of shotguns. Ive shot all kinds of slug guns and was never happy with the results. Winchester model 12s, rem 870, mossturds, etc. Broke down and bought a browning a-bolt 12ga slug gun and it cured alot of frustration.

 

[Hams42]

Yup not a bad price and works well enough. Great part is the choke swaps back to whatever you want on the fly making the one gun a capable multi tool. I put on a carlson full waterfowl choke for turkey last saturday for the opener and the same gun took a nice tom. Big fan of their chokes. If you go with the slug choke, buy 3-5 different slug brands if you can and find the one that shoots best.

I think i have the same waterfowl choke in that gun currently.

 

[Bullshot]

You guys have had better luck on getting accuracy out of shotguns. Ive shot all kinds of slug guns and was never happy with the results. Winchester model 12s, rem 870, mossturds, etc. Broke down and bought a browning a-bolt 12ga slug gun and it cured alot of frustration.

No kidding. My first deer was at 100 yards out of a spanish 20 ga double with a foster slug and a bead sight. False advertising.

Multiple hastings barrels and remington barrels later, rifled choke tubes, receiver mounts, cantilever mounts, 12 ga 870, 20 ga 870... finally a decent Savage. Fosters, then way back when with BRI sabots, Winchester, Rem Copper Solid, Federal Premiers , Hornady SST and other brands of slugs. Killed plenty of deer but had some truly screwed up happenings as well. Spent a ton of money at the range. Just finally fed up. No more and never again. My freezer overflows with venison, I don't need the aggravation of slug guns in my life.

 

[Schutzhund]

Average slug guns are 100yd guns...further if you have some of the aforementioned setups. 12 ga slug drops about 4" between 100 yds and 125.

I had a Ithaca Deerslayer that was crazy accurate at 150 yds with Win. XP3 Slugs but they discontinued them. Also had a 3" high zero at 100 yds. Shot high at 50yds

 

[RealMuddyboots]

IMO, grab that Hastings if cantilever barrel. They shoot exceptionally well with 870's. Shoot real well with full bore slugs. Their twist is prob 1:34 which is not the best for sabots. Find Lightfields? Grab them. They will shoot crazy good out of Hasting barrel.

I have a Hasting on 870 that is tricked out. Timney trigger back when they were around. I have reloaded slugs for last 20+ years and they are honest 2" 100yds. Unfortunately the slug I reload was from Rich Knoster SlusRUs out of PA. He passed away few years ago, somebody bought the business, moved it to TX but seems not going to happen. Shame. My son and I have killed a ton of deer with them. A 1 1/4oz at 1550 is a freight train. I have only about 25 left. But only need one to verify each year and use maybe 1/yr since straight wall. Load is Cheddite hull 2 3/4" high wall brass with Alliant Pro Reach. Being Sasquatch size recoil NBD.

 

[Rack Daniels]

I had an Ithaca Deerslayer that was crazy accurate at 150 yds with Win. XP3 Slugs but they discontinued them. Also had a 3" high zero at 100 yds. Shot high at 50yds

100% agree to all the same with my Mossburg 500-generic break-in process on the rifled barrel, using those copper impact slugs I mentioned. The little note I wrote on the stock says exactly what you said above. I was very impressed when shooting off a table with bags…