How to cheat on silly shotgun hunting laws

[sonofodin]

As we all know, at least if your from Ohio, its required now to hunt the elusive wood goat with a shotgun. The problem with this is that smooth bores don't add enough stability or any twist to make a slug accurate and have that umph of a rifle. It punches a hole through but does not damage tissue enough on the way. Rifled slug barrels are more ideal, but costly. If you buy one with a cantilever rail than you still have to buy rings and a scope, if you don't have the luxury of already having one. Enter my Deer Rifle . Meet my Mossberg 695. Bolt Action 12 Gauge, 3" Chamber. 22 inch Barrel, Fully Rifled and Ported. 2 Round Detachable magazine equaling the state limit of three shells, 1 in the chamber and 2 in the mag. Bushnell 1.75 - 4 power scope with parallax adjustment.

It'll take 2 3/4 inch too, but why skimp

Trigger pull is HORRIBLE. . Once it does finally go off its like getting kicked by an elephant.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Those laws aren't silly. For the most part, they make habitat available for hunting that could not be used if rifles were the only tool due to range issues.

You may find an old thread about The Ugliest Shotgun In Howard County interesting....i

 

[sonofodin]

I don't quit understand what your saying about them making land available. Could you elaborate? I was also referring to the fact that they did it here because they seem to think that it's safer than hunting with a rifle...

 

[TrapperReady]

Dave -

What I find goofy in WI is that we've got large portions of the state which are shotgun/muzzleloader/pistol areas for deer hunting. However, for critters like coyote, it's still fine to use a rifle... and there is no maximum caliber.

Two or three years ago, I was analyzing some of the DNR-published hunting accident data, and it was clear that rifle-bullets traveling long distances really weren't a statistically large problem. The most prevalent wounds were from shotguns at close range (under 100 yards with the majority under 50 yards). Since deer hunters were well-represented, I'd be willing to bet that a lot of these injuries were from deer drives gone awry.

 

[Taurus44]

I've slug hunted in Indiana and Ohio for the last 20 years. I have an H&R Ultra Slug Hunter (heavy barrel, single shot) with a 24" rifled barrel and the same scope as you. That thing will put three slug holes touching at 100 yards with 2.75" Lightfield sabots... It would figure that every deer I've killed in the last 7-8 years has been under 50 yards, though.

This year I'm hunting with Remington Sluggers in a smoothbore, 14" Mossberg 590 with an EOTech!

As for rifles for varmints/predators but not deer... There are a LOT more people in the woods during deer season than at any other time of the year, in any other hunting season. More people means denser populations and closer proximity (considering a greater number of people in the same land area), closer proximity means more accidents with long range rifles.

 

[sonofodin]

Aha! I like the scope on this shotgun. Haven't hunted with Lightfields yet.

 

[Taurus44]

If you want to get the most out of your slug gun, try the new Hornady SST slugs. They are supposed to be deadly accurate out to 150 yards or so. I've been meaning to try them in my gun, I just haven't had the time.

There is also no good reason to use 3" slugs for deer hunting in the midwest. Most deer are taken at 50 yards or less, so unless you just like the pain, I'd say try out some 2.75" sabots from different manufacturers. I've actually found them to be more accurate for me than the 3" monsters.

 

[sonofodin]

I figured I'd stick with the 3" and not have to re-zero my scope...

 

[yhtomit]

I like the look of bolt-action shotguns ... do they make larger capacity magazines for that one? (Not for deer season, I understand, but for target shooting ...)

But I still don't understand what you mean by calling it "cheating" -- Still a shotgun, right?

timothy

 

[cmb3366]

Here in southern NY we were slug only up until 2 years ago. Everybody, including many hunters were claiming there would be 'blood in the streets' that first year rifles were allowed. Guess what?

Nothing Bad Happened

Accident rates did not go up at all. Now, two years later, all those opponents are strangely silent, and most are buying rifles.

On another note, up until the switch I too had a Mossberg 695, it liked Wincheser Platinum Tips, had a really bad trigger, kicked like a mule, and did a bad job of keeping deer anchored. I prefer my .243.

 

[sonofodin]

Tim - Its a shotgun with carbine rifle accuracy. More accuracy than a smooth bore, thats how its cheating. As far as larger mags, IDK. I have no need at this point in time for more than three shots. I heard that in another country this particular shotgun is used as a close ranger SNIPER RIFLE . Not kidding. I think it was Israel. Not that I like Israel whatsoever.

 

[tegemu]

With a subject line about cheating on laws, I'm surprised the Mods didn't delete this thread.

 

[Okiecruffler]

I used to hunt alot of public land that was shotgun only, some of it surrounded by housing additions. I used a smoothbore in lowly 20ga with lowly 2 3/4" slugs. Had some really crude fixed sights on it, shot about 4 inches low at 50 yrds but shot pretty decent groups. Put alot of venison in the freezer with that one.

 

[ArmedBear]

Trapper, et al.-

We don't have rules like that here.

But where you do, are you allowed to use a pistol-caliber carbine?

Seems to me that a .44 levergun has ballistics that aren't much different from sabot slugs, or saboted muzzleloader rounds.

 

[sonofodin]

Armed Bear, as far as I know we are restricted to an actual shotgun and slugs. You can hunt with a pistol, .357 and up as long as its straight walled. No carbines because that would be a rifle .

 

[ArmedBear]

That's what I've never "gotten" about these laws.

Want to limit ballistics? Okay. It's a PITA for those with a .270 in the closet, but if there's really a justification for it, maybe it's necessary. I don't think so, but let's just say there's rhyme or reason to it.

But why specifically a muzzleloader or a shotgun? Is a semiauto rapidly spitting 3 385 grain sabot slugs from a rifled barrel at 1900 fps somehow safer than a .45-70 lever action or single shot, shooting factory rounds with a 300 grain bullet at 1810 or a 405 grain bullet at 1330 fps?

What about a .44 Magnum lever gun, shooting a 275 grain bullet at 1580 fps?

How does that pose a greater threat to safety than the "shotgun" in question?

Ballistics I used:
http://www.remington.com/products/ammunition/shotshell/slugs/core-Lokt_ultra_bonded_sabot.asp
http://www.remington.com/products/a...ve_ballistics_results.aspx?data=R4570L*R4570G
http://www.remington.com/products/a...e_ballistics_results.aspx?data=R44MG3*RH44MGA

 

[TrapperReady]

AB - As far as I know, pistol-caliber carbines would be a NO-GO, but a TC Contender in .300 Win Mag would be fine. And, as I said earlier, it's only for deer hunting. If you're in a non-rifle area, but are hunting coyotes, then it's all good. I don't know how other states work things.

I view them like so many other "feel good" gun laws around the country. For me, it doesn't make much difference, since even when I hunt in rifle zones, the cover makes it so that I'm unlikely to see a shot beyond 75 yards.

Our DNR has some truly goofy stuff. For example, up until (IIRC) last year, the DNR regulation which prohibited folks from having uncased guns on their ATVs and pickups also applied to things like EZ-GO carts on a sporting clays course. To stay within the letter of the law, you had to completely case your shotgun between stations if you rented a gas or electric cart at a range. And don't even get me started on the fines you can get if you set an unloaded shotgun on the tailgate of your pickup while you're watering the dog while bird hunting.

 

[ArmedBear]

Unloaded?

Here that's only true if there's a round in the chamber.

How do you (legally) put the gun in the car?

 

[sonofodin]

Empty. Completely. Action open if possible in a case. If no case is present, in plain sight with the action open or the bolt out.

 

[TrapperReady]

How do you (legally) put the gun in the car?

Completely unload it. Put it in a case and fully zip it. If you don't completely close the zipper (or other fastener), then it doesn't count. If you lean the uncased shotgun against the vehicle, it's still an infraction.

It's one reason I like to grouse hunt with a beater Model 12. I just empty the chamber and lay it on the ground or lean it on a nearby tree.

There are some other gems, but that's one of the more iritatating ones.

 

[richardschennberg]

Buy or trade to a Remington 870 Express Combo. The 2nd barrel is rifled for slugs and has sights.