Shotgun slug choice for whitetail deer
- Thread starter cordex
- Start date
- Status
benelli12
Member
tom, i have the same gun, but just to be safe I bought an improved cylinder choke tube, and it shoots slugs fine with no damage. I also have a Winchester 1200 with a modified choke, and I have shot dozens of slugs through it with no problems.
You cannot (accurately) fire sabots out of this bbl, and it would be best to get a cylinder choke (wide open) for the rifled slugs. Also check your local game laws, some states require adjustable sights on a slug gun. Best of Luck.
nygunguy
Member
Don't Use The Sabots They're Too Expensive
Don't Use the sabots in a smoothbore. In fact - I did a whole bunch of testing this Summer and I'm now wondering why I spent so much money on a fully rifled barrel and sabot slugs.
Box of 5 Federal Premium Sabots = $11.00
"" "" TruBall or PowerShok = $3.25
My 12 ga. Winchester 1300 smoothbore shoots a good 3-shot 6" group at 100 yards with the Federal Tru-Ball slugs (PB127RS). The PowerShok slugs shoot just about the same. I'm pretty sure I can shoot a better group with practice.
Go here to get a ballistics chart and comparison for Federal Slugs.
Don't Use the sabots in a smoothbore. In fact - I did a whole bunch of testing this Summer and I'm now wondering why I spent so much money on a fully rifled barrel and sabot slugs.
Box of 5 Federal Premium Sabots = $11.00
"" "" TruBall or PowerShok = $3.25
My 12 ga. Winchester 1300 smoothbore shoots a good 3-shot 6" group at 100 yards with the Federal Tru-Ball slugs (PB127RS). The PowerShok slugs shoot just about the same. I'm pretty sure I can shoot a better group with practice.
Go here to get a ballistics chart and comparison for Federal Slugs.
Attachments
mohican
Member
Based on my experience/my guns
NEF Tracker II 12 guage rifled barrel - 3" Activ slugs (No longer made, but I've stocked up on them)
Mossberg 9200 autoloader, 24" rifled slug barrel (no longer made, found it in a now out of business hole in the wall gun shop, the buttstock has the nicest wood I've ever seen on a Mossberg) - Best load - 2-3/4 Winchester Partition Supremes, also shoots 3" Brenneke Gold well, but even with rear sight at lowest position shoots 3" high at 100 yards. Also does well with my roll your own lyman mold sabot loads using standard wad as the sabot. My wife likes to use it with the Brenneke 2-3/4 KO slugs (and they're cheap, too)
Mossberg 695 bolt action 12 guage rifled barrel - I used the Lightfield EXPs in 3" until Winchester introduced the 12 guage partition in 3". The Winchester 2-3/4 partition loads stunk. The first Hornady loads stunk. All editions of Rem copper solids stunk. It also shoots the Brenneke gold 3" and Brenneke 2-3/4 KO well. The KO slug is $1.99 for a box of 5, so I can practice with it. It also shoots the hand loaded lyman sabot loads well, but only for about 5-10 shots and then the wads used for a sabot really gum up the rifling.
NEF Tracker II 12 guage rifled barrel - 3" Activ slugs (No longer made, but I've stocked up on them)
Mossberg 9200 autoloader, 24" rifled slug barrel (no longer made, found it in a now out of business hole in the wall gun shop, the buttstock has the nicest wood I've ever seen on a Mossberg) - Best load - 2-3/4 Winchester Partition Supremes, also shoots 3" Brenneke Gold well, but even with rear sight at lowest position shoots 3" high at 100 yards. Also does well with my roll your own lyman mold sabot loads using standard wad as the sabot. My wife likes to use it with the Brenneke 2-3/4 KO slugs (and they're cheap, too)
Mossberg 695 bolt action 12 guage rifled barrel - I used the Lightfield EXPs in 3" until Winchester introduced the 12 guage partition in 3". The Winchester 2-3/4 partition loads stunk. The first Hornady loads stunk. All editions of Rem copper solids stunk. It also shoots the Brenneke gold 3" and Brenneke 2-3/4 KO well. The KO slug is $1.99 for a box of 5, so I can practice with it. It also shoots the hand loaded lyman sabot loads well, but only for about 5-10 shots and then the wads used for a sabot really gum up the rifling.
starsandstriper
Member
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2006
- Messages
- 73
remington sluggers
i sighted in my 1100 20 gauge with
remington sluggers (smoothbore double bead sights) as a backup gun to the mossberg 500 12 gauge that i borrowed from a friend. i had my father come with me one day and let him use the 12 gauge and i used the 20 gauge that grouped a modest 7 inch group at 50 yards and 6 inches to the right
i was all worried that i would have to get the deer close to make a clean shot. well lucky me, i had a small doe run up from behind my stand, and i yelled at it to stop at about 12 yards. the thing stopped dead and i hit it in the vitals. it sure didnt go far. although it was an extremely close shot, i was still amazed at the size of the whole it made, i not only found a blood trail(of about 5 yards), but i found the remains of the stomach coming out of the whole. i was shocked at what the little 20 gauge slug did to the poor thing.
i sighted in my 1100 20 gauge with
remington sluggers (smoothbore double bead sights) as a backup gun to the mossberg 500 12 gauge that i borrowed from a friend. i had my father come with me one day and let him use the 12 gauge and i used the 20 gauge that grouped a modest 7 inch group at 50 yards and 6 inches to the right i was all worried that i would have to get the deer close to make a clean shot. well lucky me, i had a small doe run up from behind my stand, and i yelled at it to stop at about 12 yards. the thing stopped dead and i hit it in the vitals. it sure didnt go far. although it was an extremely close shot, i was still amazed at the size of the whole it made, i not only found a blood trail(of about 5 yards), but i found the remains of the stomach coming out of the whole. i was shocked at what the little 20 gauge slug did to the poor thing.danurve
Member
Yuper's - they fly out of my smoothbore very well and knock 'em down.
Unfortunatly they seem to have also flown off the shelves as well. On my last box.
Orr89rocz
Member
kind of a old thread but i wanted to add my input
my 870 special purpose with 23inch cantillever mount heavy contour barrel shoots Winchester supreme Platinum tips. 400 grains at 1700fps, but i never chrono'd it.
i shot one deer so far and it was thru the top of the heart at like 30-35 yards. deer went about 10-15 yards and slid down the snowy hill another 5-10. lol complete pass thru but i was expecting that.
groups seem to be around if not just under 2 inches at 100 yards thru my 3x9 bushnell scope. this gun is accurate and those loads provide great velocity/energy and penetration
however last year they were 11 bucks a box or so. now they are around 15-16, not sure why the sudden increase in price. these top end sabot slugs are gettin expensive for 5 shells. I'm not forced to use a shotgun, i just like it alot. but at this rate, i might go back to using a rifle...either my 6mm, my 6.5mm, or my 35 whelen.
my 870 special purpose with 23inch cantillever mount heavy contour barrel shoots Winchester supreme Platinum tips. 400 grains at 1700fps, but i never chrono'd it.
i shot one deer so far and it was thru the top of the heart at like 30-35 yards. deer went about 10-15 yards and slid down the snowy hill another 5-10. lol complete pass thru but i was expecting that.
groups seem to be around if not just under 2 inches at 100 yards thru my 3x9 bushnell scope. this gun is accurate and those loads provide great velocity/energy and penetration
however last year they were 11 bucks a box or so. now they are around 15-16, not sure why the sudden increase in price. these top end sabot slugs are gettin expensive for 5 shells. I'm not forced to use a shotgun, i just like it alot. but at this rate, i might go back to using a rifle...either my 6mm, my 6.5mm, or my 35 whelen.
Careful!
Chainsaw:
I got it straight from H&R (makers of the NEF guns) that we cannot drill and tap shotgun receivers. Called this year cause I wanted to get my brother a scope mount for his 12 ga slug gun. They said the barrels are too thin and that only silver-soldered mounts are OK.
As far as trying different brands go, I found out the hard way (three shots at bow range and the deer walked away bemusedly) that Federal Expanders group a full foot lower at 50 yards than do Winchesters out of my gun. The old style Winchester lead sabot in 2 3/4 (looks like a hex head recess in the nose of the projectile) works best in my rifled 870. One warning though: I shot a doe Friday directly under my tree stand. She hit the ground like a ton of lead, but didn't die until I cut her throat about a half hour later. The soft lead slugs grenade when encountering bone at near muzzle velocity, and don't penetrate as you'd expect. It never got past her spine.
Chainsaw:
I got it straight from H&R (makers of the NEF guns) that we cannot drill and tap shotgun receivers. Called this year cause I wanted to get my brother a scope mount for his 12 ga slug gun. They said the barrels are too thin and that only silver-soldered mounts are OK.
As far as trying different brands go, I found out the hard way (three shots at bow range and the deer walked away bemusedly) that Federal Expanders group a full foot lower at 50 yards than do Winchesters out of my gun. The old style Winchester lead sabot in 2 3/4 (looks like a hex head recess in the nose of the projectile) works best in my rifled 870. One warning though: I shot a doe Friday directly under my tree stand. She hit the ground like a ton of lead, but didn't die until I cut her throat about a half hour later. The soft lead slugs grenade when encountering bone at near muzzle velocity, and don't penetrate as you'd expect. It never got past her spine.
MNgoldenbear
Member
Check here:
American Slug Shooting Association
People there seemed to be high on Hastings slugs for rifled barrels. I had great luck with Remington and Winchester cheap Foster slugs with a 20" IC bbl on my 870, then decided to get fancy and get a rifled bbl and try sabots. Many dollars later, I'm thinking of going back to the cheapies.:banghead:
American Slug Shooting Association
People there seemed to be high on Hastings slugs for rifled barrels. I had great luck with Remington and Winchester cheap Foster slugs with a 20" IC bbl on my 870, then decided to get fancy and get a rifled bbl and try sabots. Many dollars later, I'm thinking of going back to the cheapies.:banghead:
deerslayer79
Member
smoothie mossberg loves federal truballs,1.5 inches @ 75yds.My 12 gauge ultra slug hunter will shoot lightfields like a laser,can touch holes @ 125 yds.
My Mossberg 500 put its first two shots- 3" Magnum Remington slugs- into touching holes at 25 yards from offhand. (Byron Q on the trigger.)
I do think good sights play an important part. My 500 wears a nice big ghost ring atop my cylinder bore barrel.
John
I do think good sights play an important part. My 500 wears a nice big ghost ring atop my cylinder bore barrel.
John
BushyGuy
Member
i have a Remington 870 Express i am going deer hunting tmw for the first time this year. last year i went hunting with my Winchester model 70 in .243 WSSM i sold it for a Bushmaster so i have to hunt with my shotgun this year, i bought 2 boxes of Remington Sluggers rifled slugs - i was told by the manufacturer to only use Remington slugs for the 870 they said they work the best with that gun with modified choke.
Kernel
Member
My son took this nice buck last year with a 2-¾” 20 ga Remington Buckhammer. The rig is a 20 ga Rem 870 “Youth” Express shotgun, 21” ribbed smooth bore barrel, Cation extended rifled choke, B-Square scope base and 2.5x scope, Brownells leather cheek pad to raise the comb (in the photo you can see the cardboard and duct tape underneath it, to raise it even a bit more), and a Uncle Mike 1-1/4” nylon sling & studs
This rig would not shoot discarding sabots, like the Rem Copper Solids, worth a darn. Keyholed terribly, 20” groups at 50 yds. Switched to the non-discarding sabot Buckhammers and groups tightened up to about 3” at 100 yds.
The Buckhammers hit like a freight train, make a full 20 gauge hole, decent ballistics out to 125 yds, and the accuracy is excellent. Price is about $7 per box of five. Twice the price of simple rifled slugs, but half the price of the more fancy sabot slugs.
We’ll be using the same when we go this year.
I started with the Remington Foster type, in smoothbore single shot Savage .12 ga.
Then Mossberg 500 .12 with Federal 3" Sabots, rifled slug barrel....they were solid sabots
that cut like hot butter through deer an they ran for ever...they were 9.00 a box back
around 1988...went with 2 3/4" Brenekke's Foster type an really liked them..then later
tried the Winchester Super X Foster type, got great accuracy at 100 yds. And they seem
to have the power of the Brenekke's...last buck I hit at 40 yds. dropped him dead on the spot. An those Winchesters were 10 yrs. old.....guess they were still good.
Then Mossberg 500 .12 with Federal 3" Sabots, rifled slug barrel....they were solid sabots
that cut like hot butter through deer an they ran for ever...they were 9.00 a box back
around 1988...went with 2 3/4" Brenekke's Foster type an really liked them..then later
tried the Winchester Super X Foster type, got great accuracy at 100 yds. And they seem
to have the power of the Brenekke's...last buck I hit at 40 yds. dropped him dead on the spot. An those Winchesters were 10 yrs. old.....guess they were still good.
I use what the local gun store stocks the most of, and luckily, they work well in my gun.
Winchester Super-X (2-3/4"); 1 ounce Foster at 1600 feet per second.
They're really good for soft and squishy things (seriously, they expand to like twice their size, and considering they start off at 18.5mm...).
I've been meaning to try their 3" version, but all it seems to add is another 150 feet per second, which doesn't seem enough to bother with if the 2-3/4" ones work well.
Winchester Super-X (2-3/4"); 1 ounce Foster at 1600 feet per second.
They're really good for soft and squishy things (seriously, they expand to like twice their size, and considering they start off at 18.5mm...).
I've been meaning to try their 3" version, but all it seems to add is another 150 feet per second, which doesn't seem enough to bother with if the 2-3/4" ones work well.
Last edited:
Mike U.
Member
Necrothreadia, zombie-thread, undead thread, dawn of the deadthread.
Why not just start a new thread instead? 'Nuff said?
Why not just start a new thread instead? 'Nuff said?
Tim the student
Member
Holy old thread Batman!
Anyways, I have also heard good things about the Buckhammers Kernel. Your son got a nice deer with them.
Anyways, I have also heard good things about the Buckhammers Kernel. Your son got a nice deer with them.
Offfhand
Member.
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2009
- Messages
- 2,442
Expansion is not the big issue with slugs, but accuracy is. About a year or so ago Outdoor Life magazine had a big article about slug accuracy by Jim Carmichael. He tested just about every slug on the market and gave a frank and honest report on them. It's the best and most inclusive investigation of slug accuracy I've ever seen, definately worth looking up.
Tim the student
Member
I read that, and it is good reading.
However, IMO you still need to figure out what is most accurate in your own gun.
Legionnaire
Contributing Member
Oldie, but goodie. Took a nice 8-point this year with same gun I posted about "earlier" (... uh, seven YEARS ago ...), shooting 1 oz. Federal Barnes Expanders. Never did re-try the Remington solids!
- Status
