44mag vs 20ga. rifled slug

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slitrik

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Got a question. Which do you guys think is better out to about 125 yards - a 44mag or a 20ga. rifled slug. I am thinking of getting a 44mag. My scoped 20ga. pump gets about 7 in. groups at 100 yards with a solid rest. At 50 yards I can keep them in a palm sized group off of a monopod. Also how is the recoil of a 44mag compared to a 20ga.. I only want to know about 44mag vs. 20ga. rifled slugs not saboted rounds. Any answers would be appreciated. Thanks!
 
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The .44 is far better beyond 50yds. Recoil is lighter in a .44 carbine, than a 20ga slug, assuming the gun weight is similar. Any of the .44 mag lever guns out there will shoot under 3" at 100yds in my experience.
 
44 mag -vs- Foster type slugs...the 44 mag wins.

44 mag -vs- the Federal Barnes Tipped Expanding load...the 20 ga wins

A lot depends on the ammo you use.
 
I have tried sabot slugs in my rifled barrel, but only got about 6 inch groups. They are also a little too expensive for me. Also the recoil was more than I could handle. Another question: does anyone have any experience with the 44mag hornady leverevolution?
 
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slitrik I love the ole 44 mag but if your shotgun is a smoothbore, buy a rifled barrel for it. It ca group at or better than 3" with a sabot loads or even the rem. buck hammer. And with some of those rounds be every bit a diedly or more so than the 44 mag.. If your shotgun has a rifled bore then by all means try some different loads even a different shooter. Most of the ammo for rifled 20ga can get well out side 150 yards easily. And depending where you live many states have a shotgun season too.
 
As said above, 20 gauge with a Foster slug is a short ranged affair (50 yards or so); .44 Magnum from a rifle has it all over such at longer ranges. .44 Magnum might make a smaller hole, but the increase in accuracy can allow for much closer hits to the heart.

With a .44 Magnum rifle, you'll find that any box of ammo you pick up will shoot pretty well out to 150 yards or so (there's always exceptions though), and a box of 25 rounds of Winchester Super-X doesn't cost that much (240 grain hollow soft point, which will work well on deer and other thin skinned stuff). That's the best "cheap" load I've found.

For recoil, a .44 Magnum rifle will have about half the amount of a 20 gauge slug in a similar weight gun IIRC (it's probably less than half). It's light.

I stopped using 12 gauge Foster slugs for hunting medium/large game and switched to a .44 Magnum rifle, as whilst my hunting shots are still short ranged affairs in the realm of firearm hunting, many shots are out of 12 gauge Foster slug + bead sight ranges which I have to pass up. .44 Magnum seems to kill just as well with kill zone hits, and you can extend the range twice as far.
 
Wake up old style smooth bore slug shooters.
A 20ga 260gr sabot will travel faster than 1900 fps and still be over 1600 fps at 100yards . Sight your scope a couple inches high at 100 yards and still be died on zero at 150. And have over 2000lb of energy at the muzzle. . A 20ga rifled barrel is cheaper than any rifle to buy too. One of my hunting bubbies has a t/c encore with a 20ga rifled barrel that is an amassing at longer ranges. And he shoots the lowly rem buck hammers in it. Way better at 125 yards than any smooth bore at 50.
 
I don't care what the balistics are... Personally, all things considered, i'd grap the 44 mag. and run! I just like the better accuracy and less recoil of the rifle, as it will easily kill a rib shot deer at 150 yards!

DM
 
I hunt deer here in central Iowa. When driving around I prefer a 1100 20/ skeet barrel using slugs with the ave range -50 yds. Tree stands and stalking I use a .44mag 240g swc in a ruger Redhawk 7.5"/2x scope and Redhawk 5.5" back up. These shots are usually under 100 yds. Beyond that range I just watch them move. High power is not legal here except for coyotes and varmints in the animal kingdom anyway.
Jim
 
If you can use a C/F rifle in your area then get something better than a handgun caliber in a rifle or carbine. Even the lowly 30/30 is better than a 44 mag. Look up the balistics if you dont believe me. If you have to use a shotgun with slugs that 20 guage will sure punch a nice hole thru them. Used to be I would load a slug that broke into 3 pieces inside the deer what a mess it made. Never saw one go anywhere. Frank
 
.30-30 will have about another 50 yards on the .44 Magnum due to a better BC, but as far as power goes, .44 Magnum is more powerful from a rifle. Bigger hole and greater penetration, even with non-expanding bullets. .30-30 gives up penetration as it expands to the size of a .44 [that hasn't expanded].
 
Way better at 125 yards than any smooth bore at 50
Click to expand...

I've seen people put touching rounds at 50 with a smooth bore. It's a matter of what the rifle likes best. I've seen 2-3" groups at 100 with a smooth bore (that was a 12 ga though). It's the shooter, not whether the bore is rifled or not and having ammo the shotgun likes. The guy that was doing 2-3" was using a bead too... that's just insane to me.

Watched a swat guy using a shotgun with slugs to take out the middle two fingers of a "man with a gun" type target at 100y consitently when I was younger. I think he was using irons. I know it was 100y as it was at a range that I frequently shot at... The cops and the Illinois Valley Rifle League shared it. It was the first time I saw an M16 fired as well. Might have been an AR, couldn't tell if it had the happy switch.. it was being fired semi auto. When I asked about the rifle, he said it was just an over powered .22 (I was using a .22lr, so it was probably his way to give me some way of comparison). I'm not saying it ain't true... but he gets my understatement of the year award.
 
scythefwd I grew up hunting with buckshot and know all about finding the right load for a barrel to get patterns that group well at ranges that most say can't be done. And not all will do that. I gave a old shot gun to one of my daughters and my new same model will not group anything like the old one. So I believe you have a buddy that shoots 2-3' groups with a bead site that is in the rifled barrel sabot ability. BUT you then also know that no matter how good he is in no way that means that is a sharp way to take a deer at 100 yards. To much room for variables with no site. A rifled barrel with a scope just gives more range and control over a round and the average joe can shot those 2-3" groups with it and have the ability to kill out to 200+yards.

sanone The only factory loads that can match velocitys of a 20ga sabot at 1800fps and up are Buffalo Bore loads or some hot handloads. I know, I do chrony my loads and have checked to see what BB and DT will do out of a 22" barrel. So I guess thats what you shoot in your 44 mag rifle. The run of the mill winny, fed, rem all fall well short. And at your 75 yards Even the 1oz slugs at 1500fps are just the hardest hitting rounds. Thats 480gr , i think. you don't see many 44mag over 320 gr or so. And most rifles don't have the twist to shot them well. With a just a couple barrels a shot gun can do many things well for a one gun guy. Now if you own a 44mag by all means enjoy hunting with it. Mines take'n a couple deer . Now if you hunt in so many of our state that don't allow rifles then get to know your shot gun well. And black powder and archery.
 
1800fps doesn't make the slug 200yd capable. You can easily exceed that with 240gr .44 loads without exceeding standard pressures. Which still makes it no more than a 150yd gun. So there is ZERO out there that will give the slug longer reach than the .44Mag. Hell, I get 1550fps out of a .38-40 1873 at standard pressures. Any levergun in existence will stabilize bullets up to 300gr and shoot them well and you don't need any more than that for deer and hogs. Standard weight bullets will do just fine for most, shoot more accurately and flatter than any shotgun slug.
 
Split the difference and get a 45-70. All the range of the .44 mag but more mass. If you hand load, there is plenty of versatility to set the cartridge up with nearly as little or as much recoil as you wish.
 
Really?

Velocity/Energy

.44 Rem Mag - Muzzle:1230/806 100yrds: 1035/571
.30-30 - Muzzle: 2200/1827 300yrds:1894/1354
.20ga Slug (3/4oz Rifled Slug) - Muzzle: 1600/1865 100yrd: 1068/831
 
CraigC SABOT not slug ,big differnce. Sabot do work well out to the longer range than slugs and factory 44mag ammo except for handloads maybe or BB. Not talk'n about what your 38-40 or anything other than 44mag in a comparison. We are not comparing your 38-40 to anything, that would be a new tread. craigc remember this is about 44 mag rifles and 20ga , got it. Not all lever guns in general.

Now if range is held to 75 yards then yes a slug is a good hard hitter at around 1500fps and 1oz weight. Again not compairing to anything but the 44mag.
 
SN13 just one sabot round. hornadys 250gr tfx sabot in 20ga. Muzzle 1800fps and 1798 ft lb, 100yards 1470fps and 1200 ft lb 200, yards 1212fps and 815ft lb. They use to be 260gr sst with no ftx on the label
 
Really?

Velocity/Energy

.44 Rem Mag - Muzzle:1230/806 100yrds: 1035/571
.30-30 - Muzzle: 2200/1827 300yrds:1894/1354
.20ga Slug (3/4oz Rifled Slug) - Muzzle: 1600/1865 100yrd: 1068/831
Click to expand...
Firstly, that's handgun velocity. Add at least 400fps for rifle length barrels.

Secondly, energy is so meaningless in a discussion like this it doesn't even bear mentioning. It is too velocity dependent and energy ain't what kills critters. It is the worst possible figure to use when comparing big bores. A 250gr .44 or .45 cast bullet will penetrate end to end on any deer that walks and kill it graveyard dead but delivers a dismal 450ft-lbs of energy. By the logic of energy worshippers, it should just bounce off.

Thirdly, it does not take bullet construction into consideration at all. Slugs have a terrible sectional density (your 3/4oz is comparable to a 185gr .45 jacketed pistol bullet) and can't be counted upon for much penetration.

No sir. Slugs work within their limitations, use them where you have to but there is no way to prove that they are "better" than a proper rifle. Even one chambered in a pistol cartridge.


CraigC SABOT not slug ,big differnce. Sabot do work well out to the longer range than slugs and factory 44mag ammo except for handloads maybe or BB. Not talk'n about what your 38-40 or anything other than 44mag in a comparison. We are not comparing your 38-40 to anything, that would be a new tread. craigc remember this is about 44 mag rifles and 20ga , got it. Not all lever guns in general.
Click to expand...
Yeah and most your good sabot rounds use, wait for it.....pistol bullets! So why not utilize a proper platform for launching them?

I made the point about the .38-40, which you obviously missed, because even at half the pressure of the .44Mag, it produces some impressive velocities for what is essentially a pistol cartridge. The .44 is capable of much more, easily equalling the velocity of your precious sabots without beating the shooter to death.

Uh, got it? :rolleyes:
 
The best .44mag load I can find is Hornady's Lever-Revolution 225gr.

20" barreled Rifle: 1870/1747 (Velocity/Energy) - 100yrd (1416/1002)

But this is a HOT .44mag loaded for Rifles, not Pistols. So, let's use this as our benchmark.

20ga Hornady SST Sabot Slug - 1800/1798 (MV/ME) (1470/1200 @100)

So how exactly is the 225gr Lever-Revolution mild recoil compared to a 250gr SST Slug?

At this level they are very close. I'd still prefer the 20ga if I had only one gun.

And you can kill the same deer dead easier with a .223. Shot Placement trumps caliber.
 
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