Slug Accuracy - Brands to try In Smooth Bore Shotgun? (Brenneke?)

[LoneStarWings]

Hi,

I have a Mossberg 930 SPX which is a smooth bore shotgun with ghost ring sights. I recently tried grouping 2 different brands of slugs and was surprised at the difference.

The first I type tried were Federal Tru-ball rifled hollow point 1oz maximum slugs. I found I could get a 6" group at 50 yards with these, over 5 shots.

I eventually ran out of tru-ball, so I switched to remington "slugger" 1 oz rifled slugs. These are by far the most common slugs at sporting good stores around here. To my surprise, the groups almost doubled, the best I could get with these was about a 10" 5 shot group.

Given these variances, I started to wonder how much better it could get. Are brenneke slugs worth trying (specifically, the Brenneke KO line)? They make a 2" 50-yard group claim on their site. Are there any other suggestions for trial-and-error on slug ammo?

 

[VA27]

Every shotgun barrel is a law unto itself. You'll have to try ALL available slugs to find out which group best in your gun. Generally, (but not always) the reduced recoil loads will group better than the hot stuff.

I've shot a lot of Brenneke slugs in a lot of different guns, and the worst groups were pretty good.

 

[LoneStarWings]

Hopefully, this is a good start


Any other must-haves? The sluggers are really the only thing around here, so I've gotta source everything online.

 

[nathan]

My Remington 870 with rifled sights IC grouped 4 inch at 50 yds with Winchester slugs . The Brenneke slugs were a little wider . But both are more than enough to put a man down at that distance. I would use any without hesitation in a SD scenario.

 

[Dave McCracken]

What's the mission?

Deer hunting?

Defense?

Bear Insurance?

All of the above?

Each shotgun barrel is law unto itself when it comes to slugs. Take two identical shotguns with consecutive numbers, one may like one slug while the other spits them across three Zip Codes.

A few years back I tried the KO Brenekkes, the one oz non sabot load in 2 3/4" length.

For the first time ever in a long history of slug shooting, both my 870 slug shooters agreed on a slug they both "Liked".

Prior, one preferred Winchester Classic rifled slugs and the other something else.

However, your shotgun may spit KOs over the landscape, you never can know until you try.

BTW, both of my 870s will keep them under 5" ETE at 100 yards from the bench, the better under 4.25".

I suggest, as usual, you get a mess of 5 packs and head for the range. Fire some 3 shot groups until you have a couple good candidates, then 5 shot groups until you have a winner. Buy lots of that.

In a smoothbore, use rifled slugs and Brenekkes( A style developed by Otto Brenekke in the 30s as well as a brand).

HTH....

 

[LoneStarWings]

The purpose is for training defensive/tactical courses and sight-in accuracy. At most of these courses they seem to want you to get a zero with slugs and also take some "situational" shots with slugs. I really don't have much use for slugs outside of that, but accuracy is probably priority one for these situations. Once I find a good slug to shoot with, i'll probably keep a few on the side-saddle of my fighting/3-gun type 930 SPX.....I've got spots for 13 shells with both the side saddle and butt cuff, so a 3 or 4 slugs on there with the buckshot would probably be a good idea.

 

[61chalk]

Outdoor Life did a test on this years ago..on smooth bore slug barrel the Remington 1oz. Foster type slugs had the smallest dia. an were the least accurate....the Winchester 1oz. Foster type had the largest dia. (making more contact with the barrel, less slop) an had the greatest accuracy....the test was on a Mossberg 500.

 

[steveracer]

I'll echo what they all said.
I had a shotgun that loved, just LOVED Sellier and Bellot 2.75" 1oz slugs. Printed them into clover leafs at 75 yards. Didn't make sense, it was so good.
Load federal into it? 14" groups at same distance.

 

[wnycollector]

My maverick 88 is most accurate with Brenneke 's 2 3/4" and 3" black magic slugs followed closely behind by fiocchi 1oz low recoil and the federal 1 oz low recoil slugs. The brenneke 3" black magic will shoot a clover leaf at 50 yards on a good day. If I needed protection from an animal with teeth and claws, my shottie would be loaded some 3" black magics!

 

[Rshooter]

As proof that every shotgun is different...my 870 with a 20" barrel and rifle sights puts Remington sluggers in a two inch group, five shots, at 50 yards offhand.

 

[WiseAker]

Rem 870 Express smooth bore 18.5"

Just started testing my Rem 870 Express smooth bore with 18.5" barrel. Shooting the Federal True Ball 1600 fps 1oz slugs gave me a five shot 4" group as the first one sighting in a 4x scope at 50yds kind of offhand. Used a small tree branch to steady it. I love my 870.

I imagine that this slug choice would be very effective on a deer at that range.

 

[LoneStarWings]

.....and we have a winner!



Today I tried out 6 different brands at 50 yards:

Remington 7/8 oz high velocity
Brenneke KO
Brenneke HD Tactical
Federal Tru-Ball Low Recoil
Winchester Lite Low Recoil
Sellier & Bellot "special slug 28"

The Brenneke KO slugs were BY FAR the most accurate in my 930 SPX. As you can see in the picture above, they gave me a 3.6", 6.8 MOA 5 shot group at 50 yards. Nothing spectacular, but good enough for my purposes.


The next closest were the Remington 7/8ths oz high velocity with an 8" group, in the next picture below.

Everything else had trouble staying on paper at all with my 12"x12" targets. Windage and Elevation were all over the map with the other brands. Just crazy wild. I didn't even bother saving the other 3 targets as they were off the paper with more than 1 shot. I'm not the best shooter in the world, but I know I'm not this bad! I can shoot 2 MOA with iron sights at 300 yards with a .308, so I'd like to think I'm not the problem with these inaccurate brands.

So barring one of the few brands left I have to try really jumping out, it looks like I have my answer! Brenneke KO's for me!

The Remington Hi-Velocities; The flash from this was Insane! I could feel grit hitting my face every time I fired these, and it stung a bit. There also appeared to be an 18" flame coming from the end of the barrel with each shot.....I don't know what these would be real useful for.


The Brenneke HD Tactical Low Recoil Slugs; Like all the low recoil ones it felt like shooting a .22lr, and I'm only exaggerating a little bit. Luckily all but the Winchester Lites cycles my action OK.

 

[Mr. T]

Brenneke's will shoot very, very accurate out of a smooth bore Browning A-5 with very repeatable results. I personally also prefer the Federal Classic rifled slug instead of the Tru-ball...which I've had terrible results with. If you are shooting at range I would suggest one of the more traditional type slugs.

 

[nicksterdemus]

"The Remington Hi-Velocities; The flash from this was Insane! I could feel grit hitting my face every time I fired these, and it stung a bit. There also appeared to be an 18" flame coming from the end of the barrel with each shot.....I don't know what these would be real useful for."


You wouldn't by chance be shootin' from an 18.5" brl would ya?

The Remy hi-vel 12ga comes in 2 3/4 & 3". Is the load for both 7/8oz?

I figure as much coz the difference in MV is only 75'ps.

I have a 18.5" brl that's a flame-thrower w/3" shells.

Why does Remy offer a 2 3/4 & 3 for the 12, but only a 2 3/4 for the 20?

http://www.remington.com/products/ammunition/shotshells/slugs/slugger-high-velocity-slugs.aspx

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

Might aswell ask but whats the best slugs for a Saiga 20?

 

[LoneStarWings]

You wouldn't by chance be shootin' from an 18.5" brl would ya?

Yeah, I was shooting them out of an 18" barrel (mossberg 930spx). It definitely a lot of flame and recoil from the hi-vel slugs.

As far as the Saigas, I would try the Brenekke KO slugs first. Like I said, they are by far the most accurate in my mossberg and they supposedly have good penetration too, and that's what I'd be looking for in a slug's terminal performance. I don't know if they make them in 20 gauge though.

 

[foghornl]

every shotgun barrel/choke/ammo combination is a law unto itself.

(translation...buy as many diffrent brands as you can find, and try them out)

My Maverick 88 likes the PMC brand the best, followed very closely by the Brenneke "KO" type. Rem "Sluggers" are less usefull than ahhhhhh certain female parts on a male hog in MY shotgun. Meanwhile, a Shooting Budd also has a Mav 88 with the same 18-1/2" cylinder-bore barrel, and his will almost drop the 'Sluggers' on top of each other @50 Yds, while tossing Brenneke's all over the county, and yet good with the PMC's my gun likes....

Finding the best slug for YOUR gun is as much a 'try 'em ALL out' as selecting the best ammo for your .22 rimfire rifle/pistol/revolver.

 

[chas08]

Are brenneke slugs worth trying (specifically, the Brenneke KO line)

They were for me. But as stated, every barrel is different. My 870 with a 18.5" cyl. bore barrel and a fixed 2x scope on a B-Square reciever mount would print 3-4 inch groups at 50-75 yds and put them all on a 9inch paper plate at a 100 yds. It was good enough to take a deer in Illinois a few years back.

 

[Antihero]

Hmm, the only thing about using Brenneke vs Foster for self defence is brennekes do not expand at all while foster's will. I know you are basically training with these but if you want to use the same load for self defence its something to think about.

My Hawk 982 loves MG Armoured slugs, which are a hard cast pointed slug surrounded by a copper sabot like contraption followed by the KO's.

 

[Narwhal]

I don't really look for expansion as a priority in slugs. .78" is already plenty big, and I would use the 00 on my saddle for ballistic performance on soft targets. If I switched to slugs it would be for deeper penetration, going against a harder target, or a longer range shot that requires greater accuracy. In those situations accuracy and depth of penetration would be paramount.

 

[Antihero]

don't really look for expansion as a priority in slugs. .78" is already plenty big

True, but i was more thinking about over penetration as Brennekes go thru, well a lot before stopping and Fosters less so.

Personally i use my 12 gauge for bear defence in the woods so over penetration isnt really a problem for me.