Whitetail... Sabot slug or Brenneke?

[Inebriated]

Just wondering which people like best. I've been into shooting slugs lately, and contemplated a rifled barrel, but on-paper, Brenneke KO's look fantastic, and they group well out of my gun too. Anyone have any experience actually hitting deer with Brenneke's as well as sabot slugs? I don't like Foster slugs much, so I am not really considering them, but still, post your experience with those as well. I'm planning on using a blind, so I won't be getting a ton of range. If I find a place where range is a factor, I'll stick with the '06. I assume both will work fine, but still, I haven't shot anything living with slugs, so... I really don't know.

Thanks!

 

[627PCFan]

Brenekkes are great. Ive practiced to 50, tested to 75 and no probs with Minute of deer. Sabot slugs will get you more range but your going to run through some cash testing different brands IF you can get your hands on them.

 

[dprice3844444]

try them all

 

[Patocazador]

Double post removed.

 

[336A]

Here are my results.

1993: Mossberg Trophy Slugster barrel and Winchester 12GA BRI HI-Impact 3" slug. Shot my first deer a big doe at 45 yards, she dropped in her tracks like somone flipped a switch. The slug went through both shoulders causing massive internal damage. I still have 3 of those slugs left over

2002: Same 12GA barrel but this time Winchester Platinum Tip sabots. Distance was 70 yards from the kneeling position. At the shot the spike horn dropped so fast that I didn't see it due to the gun recoiling. For what ever reason the slug didn't pass through and this was a broad side shot, was unable to recover the slug, again massive internal damage.

2012: decided to go back to the shotgun due to thick terrain that I was hunting in SW Georgia. Used new to me at the time 20" field barrel with IC choke installed and Brenneke K.O. Slugs. Shot a small Button buck as he was facing me between the shoulder blades at 50 yards. The slug hit exactly to the beads, upon impact the deer did a back flip and died. Slug not recovered but didn't exit. Internal damage same as above.

This year I shot a nice 6pt at about 30 yards using the same 20" field barrel but with Winchester Super X 12GA foster slugs. Hit him in the neck instant dirt nap, not sure where the slug went but probably was still in the neck as the deer was quartering slightly towards me. Second deer was a doe at about 45 yards with a Remington 20GA Slugger slug. The slug hit her through the right shoulder. at the shot she covered maybe 20 yards before expiring. The slug didn't pass through but I was unable to find it upon field dressing. Internal damage was well.... massive yet again.

The most important thing with slugs is let your gun tell you what it likes. Deer die quickly when hit by a properly placed shotgun slug. It doesn't matter if it's a sabot, brenneke, or standard foster slug, or whether it's a 12GA or 20GA deer just wilt after being hit with a slug. Just to be different I think next year I'll knock the dust off the rifled barrel and use it again with some BRI slugs. Not because they work better but because I hate to see perfectly good money collect dust in the corner.

 

[Patocazador]

You seem to have already found what your gun likes with the Brennekes.

I tried 4 or 5 different sabot slugs in my rifled barrel and wound up using 2 3/4" Foster slugs because they were more accurate.

I killed my first deer at 90 yards with a Foster slug in my 870 with an IC choke. All of them kill deer.



Good hunting.

 

[336A]

Patocazador, have you tried any Winchester BRI sabot slugs? Only reason I ask is they seem to be the most consistent when it comes to shooting accurately.

 

[Patocazador]

Patocazador, have you tried any Winchester BRI sabot slugs? Only reason I ask is they seem to be the most consistent when it comes to shooting accurately.

If you look closely at the photo above, you can see that the foster slug hit this small deer's neck where I was aiming. The shot was between 60 and 70 yards.

Here is the exit of that slug.



I pay $15 for a box of 15 Winchester slugs. Why should I pay more for some that maybe will be as accurate?

Every barrel is different. They all have a load that shoots better than the rest. BRIs may be just as accurate but why bother?

 

[rcmodel]

Anyone have any experience actually hitting deer with Brenneke's as well as sabot slugs?

If you actually hit the deer where you should with either one??

It will make no difference.

The deer will be dead, and you will have a field dressing job on your hands.

rc

 

[Inebriated]

336A: Fantastic information, that's exactly what I wanted to hear! Sounds like I can spend the money I was going to use on a rifled barrel on a bulk order of KO's!

Patocazador: Good info, and thanks for the pic! I might revisit Foster slugs in the future.

RC: Best job there is

 

[d2wing]

Depends, I switched from a Mossberg 500 rifled barrel to a 1187 and tested different slugs, with Winchester sabot slugs accuracy really was amazing. Depends on range but the right combo can gain from 50 yard accuracy to up to pushing 100 yards.

 

[T.R.]

There are a couple interesting youtube videos about cut shells you may find helpful.

TR

 

[eclarsen]

I have a smooth bore Remington Model 58. It likes Winchester foster-type slugs. Waaay cheaper than the saboted kind designed to be shot from rifled barrels.

I've tried a bunch of foster slugs from Federal, Winchester, and Remington. The 1600 fps shells from Winchester shoot tighter groups in my aging semiauto than the others.

 

[mbopp]

Eons ago, before rifled barrels were the rage (or legal), I cut 2" off the 28" barrel on my Ithaca 37 to remove the choke. Testing with various Foster slugs showed a preference for Federals. I still have some of those 30 year old slugs left.
A few years back I had the receiver D&T'd for a scope mount (currently a tube red dot.) It shoots 5" 3-shot groups at 75 yards off a bench. Minute of deer.
BTW - the 20" Deerslayer barrel didn't shoot worth a damn so I sold it.

 

[LeonCarr]

Under 100 yards - The Brenneke

Over 100 yards - Sabot Slug from a fully rifled barrel.

Those are general recommendations, depending on your barrel the Brenneke might be more accurate past 100 yards, ya never know until you test your setup.

I do not recommend cut shells under any circumstances. It is a good way to make an obstruction in the barrel and then when a live round is fired behind it...

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[gspn]

I have only one experience with shooting a deer with a slug. It was the first deer I ever killed...an old spike buck. I was sitting on the ground on a small mound in the middle of a huge cornfield. Toward dark the buck came out and slowly worked his way toward me. Ultimately he ended up about 7 yards in front of me...at eye level. I already had my gun up...I was really excited and had it shouldered long before he got this close.

I eased the Remington 870 off safe and from 7 yards I shot him with a 12 gauge slug. It looked like God punched that deer straight down into the mud. I've never seen an animal fall that fast. I think his ghost was still standing there for a good three seconds before it knew what was up.

Good luck with the slugs...like RC said...you do your part...they'll do theirs.

 

[Wolfgang james]

Out of a smooth bore gun the fostor or K.O.s will be best. They have rifling to stabilize flight where a sabot gets its spin from the rifling in the barrel. A $3 sabot out of a smooth bore shooting minute of barn is pretty well useless. Every deer ive hit with a slug there was no tracking but not to many animals in North America would take an artillery round and keep on trucking.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Out of a smooth bore gun the fostor or K.O.s will be best. They have rifling to stabilize flight where a sabot gets its spin from the rifling in the barrel.

Actually, I thought the same thing, but the grooves in the slug are not to give the slug a spin. The Brenneke slug has the wad attached and the wad acts like the fins on a dart or the tail on a kite to keep the slug stable.

I use Brenneke as I went out to the range and tried Federal, Winchester, Remington, and Brenneke slugs, and the only one that gave me a good group at 50 yards from a smooth, 12 gauge, slug barrel with iron sights, was the Brenneke. I didn't use a sabot as I have a smooth barrel.

Also, dead is dead, and there is no requirement to use a 3" magnum when the 2¾" shell will do just fine, and not mess up your shoulder. I use a 1 oz. slug. It's a .72 hole going in, and a 438 grain projectile.

LD