Shotgun for Elk

[Wyoming270]

Ive always hunted elk with 300 win mag or 270 win. Of course ive never had an issue killing any animal with these calibers. Ive noticed a lot of attention lately to the brenneke slugs, and claims they are excellent for killing moose. Id like to hear from people who have actual experience shooting elk or moose with shotgun slugs.

 

[Elktrack]

Ive always hunted elk with 300 win mag or 270 win. Of course ive never had an issue killing any animal with these calibers. Ive noticed a lot of attention lately to the brenneke slugs, and claims they are excellent for killing moose. Id like to hear from people who have actual experience shooting elk or moose with shotgun slugs.

You’re going the wrong direction. Don’t you know it’s not cool to shoot any projectile over 115 gr. this year.
How you gonna dial up and whack one waaaay out there with a slug? Haha

Seriously though, I think it would be way cool to get one with a shotgun slug.

 

[Wyoming270]

You’re going the wrong direction. Don’t you know it’s not cool to shoot any projectile over 115 gr. this year.
How you gonna dial up and whack one waaaay out there with a slug? Haha

Seriously though, I think it would be way cool to get one with a shotgun slug.

I typically hunt with 200 grain bullets in 300 win mag.

I spend a lot of time shotgunning birds of all kinds. i like the versatility to throw in buckshot and clobber deer whilst turkey or rabbit hunting. For thick areas around creeks i could see where having a big bore with iron sights could be a fast way to get a shot on an elk at close ranges. Its why i pick slugs over a scoped rifle for bears.

 

[Bhoesl]

I have a friend who shoots a cow elk almost every year with a shotgun in a weapon-restricted area. I can ask him what slugs he uses. I know it’s a 12ga with a rifled barrel and a scope.

 

[IDiot]

I knew a guy that elk hunted with a 20 guage slug gun. I saw him drop a calf elk at 60ish yards.

 

[Rack Daniels]

The only dudes I know killing elk with slugs, are targeting elk with slug guns. Not just slapping a hollow tip slug in a smooth bore bird gun…

That said- I’d imagine it’d work amazing with practice and then confidence. I shot a whitetail doe with a slug out of a smooth bore and her legs flipped out from under her like I hit her with a pickup truck…

 

[rookieforever33]

I live in a state that until recently would only allow slug guns in deer season. With a properly set up slug gun you have about a 100 yard range. Old smooth bore with pumpkin balls are about 50 yards. Essentially loud archery hunting. Tgey would work fine on an elk, if you wanted to limit yourself. The impact is impressive on the animal, the recoil makes it almost impossible to watch.

 

[buckbull]

A sabot slug on a bolt action platform like the savage or browning would work the best for range. My dad could hit deer with an old winchester model 12 with just a bead at 80 yards. Not sure how he managed that.

 

[Nick87]

A sabot slug on a bolt action platform like the savage or browning would work the best for range. My dad could hit deer with an old winchester model 12 with just a bead at 80 yards. Not sure how he managed that.

Smoothbore and a bead is all I had to start with. Was less than accurate.

 

[Wyoming270]

A sabot slug on a bolt action platform like the savage or browning would work the best for range. My dad could hit deer with an old winchester model 12 with just a bead at 80 yards. Not sure how he managed that.

Carefully sighting down a rib, I can put three winchester rifled slugs into one large hole at 50 yards from a sand bag. Because the aiming phsyics of how shotgun ribs are designed to change the aim point according to bird flight path, they do hit 5" higher than my point of aim at this distance.

 

[Nick87]

Carefully sighting down a rib, I can put three winchester rifled slugs into one large hole at 50 yards from a sand bag. Because the aiming phsyics of how shotgun ribs are designed to change the aim point according to bird flight path, they do hit 5" higher than my point of aim at this distance.

Smooth barrel and rifled slugs?

 

[NR_Hunter]

I cannot speak to the efficacy of shotguns slugs on moose or elk, but I can say with great confidence they are absolutely lethal on wt deer. They kinda suck to shoot and aren't usually in the best platform for accuracy, but inside 100 yards a 0.73 caliber projectile can really do some damage.

 

[Wyoming270]

I cannot speak to the efficacy of shotguns slugs on moose or elk, but I can say with great confidence they are absolutely lethal on wt deer. They kinda suck to shoot and aren't usually in the best platform for accuracy, but inside 100 yards a 0.73 caliber projectile can really do some damage.

Yeah, we all know they are over kill on deer. I want to hear about performance on elk.

 

[MTLabrador]

I’ve shot and seen shot a bunch of large animals with slugs, including elk. I’ve always thought it was really underwhelming performance compared to any rifle. If you weren’t required to shoot them in a weapons restricted area I don’t know why you would want to.

 

[R.K.]

I grew up in Illinois. Hunted deer with slugs until I was well into my 20s. As did everyone else.

A smooth bore with a bead is MAYBE a 50 yard gun due to sight accuracy. Brenneke are excellent. You’ll need to figure out if the vent rib has built-in rise or not, as that changes impact point. Improved choke or bore cylinder only. Rifled slugs only- the “rifling” is so it can swage through the choke, not to spin the slug.

Smooth bore in a slug barrel extends the range farther, to whatever range you can accurately shoot. Usually 100 yards. Rifled slugs only.

Rifled barrel with a sabot slug gets you to 150. I used Cor-lokt and copper solid slugs. Killed a bunch of whitetail to 120 yards hunting the woods.

Bolt action platform of the above can get you 200 yards on deer. Uncle enjoyed his until shoulder surgery.

I would say that you’re better off with a 20 gauge, and limiting shots to 150 yards in a scoped gun with a rifled barrel and sabots.

Slug guns are great for moose because thick brush and close shots mean you need to punch through brush to get to the moose and then put a big hole in them, but there isn’t a chance for a lot of bullet drop. Heavy projectiles have a lot of momentum work for that.

For elk? Usually they aren’t in the thick stuff like that, so I’m not sure it’s the best option.