Slug Hunting

[dispatch55126]

I finally talked my brother into going deer hunting this fall but I had to agree to let him choose which shotgun. The two I have are both smoothbore, a Mossberg Model 485B 20 ga and a Savage Model 720 12 ga. I've always used rifles in the past so my question is what type/brand of slug due you prefer out of your smoothbore and why (power, accuracy, ect). I going to the range on Saturday to try some Federal Truball but wanted to pick up some differant types for comparison.

By the way, he took the 12 ga. so I get the bolt action 20 ga.

 

[Jeff F]

For a smooth bore you want to use rifled slugs not the sabot slugs. If your smooth bore takes screw in choke tubes and you can get a rifled choke tube for it go that route with rifled and sabot slugs you won't be disappointed. Try a bunch of different slugs to see what is most accurate out of your shotgun then go back and buy a bunch of that brand.

 

[Dave McCracken]

No slug is ineffective. Test various slugs until you find what yours likes.

 

[BigRedBowtie]

The guys I hunt with who use smoothbores like the brenneke slugs. They're cheap, effective, and they have found them to be quite consistent.

Like Dave says, buy a box of a few different kinds and find which one your gun likes best.

In other news, my rifled barrel for my 835 really likes lightfield hybred EXP slugs. It consistently shoots into less than 4" at 100 yards.

 

[S&Wfan]

Smoothbores are finicky about which load shoots best so you really have to invest a few bucks and experiment.

I got lucky with the Federal "Classic" rifled slug . . . my 12ga. '69 Ithaca slug gun loves it, and rewards me with nice 3-shot cloverleafs, at 100 yards even! It is a match almost made in heaven, plus it shoots right to zero at 100 too.

Not so with other loads I've tried. Hopefully you'll get great results too with your shotguns.

T.

 

[DeerHuntr]

We recently changed from slug to rifle in our zone here in MN but I slug hunted deer for years with allot of success. The guys I hunted with that had smooth bores seemed to like brenneke(sp?) and Federal Classic's allot but you are limited to 100yds or less IMO. If you want a bit more range look into getting a rifled barrel and shoot sabot's. My slug thrower is a Browning A bolt 12 ga with a leopold vxI 3-9 X 50 and a fully rifled barrel, I shot Federal Premium 2.75"/ .75 ounce Barnes Expanders. With this set up I have taken a couple of deer at a hair over 200yds and they were dead where they stood. The Barnes expanders are simply devastating to both the deer and your pocket book, they go for about $14 for 5rds. My shotgun collects allot of dust these days.

 

[dispatch55126]

Well, I went to the range today and fired Federal Tru Ball, Remington HP and Remington High Velocity. All told I fired 30 slugs and it beat the crap out of my shoulder. It feel pathetic since it was only a 20 ga but in my defense it was a bolt action and no recoil pad. Anyways, at 50 yds I couldn't get a grouping less than 6"-8". Afterwards, the barrel was so badly leaded it took me almost an hour scrubbing with a brush to clean it out. Anyone find anything that does a better job at dissolving lead deposits than Hoppes #9?

 

[Dave McCracken]

Slugs will do that. When benching, I use a wearable pad on my shoulder, PAST and Bob Allen make good ones.

Re leading,try power tools. I use a wooden dowel split at the end. Some 4/0 steel wool goes in the split, then a rubber band for a clamp on the end. The other end goes in a variable speed drill. A little Hoppe's and a couple hundred revs will do wonders.

 

[dispatch55126]

I know its a smoothbore, but will that do any damage?

 

[TehK1w1]

You don't need a shotgun for slug hunting, just turn over some rocks or logs and you can pick them right up

 

[Dave McCracken]

No damage yet, Dispatch, in maybe 10 years.

 

[jcord]

brenneke slugs. All I will use in a smooth bore.