12ga Slugs for Deer

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loogin28

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Hi all, I have shot many slugs through my various shotguns for years,but have never hunted deer with them. Ran out of slugs and bought some Score 2 3/4" Slug 28. Couldn't find my normal ammo that I use. I have an opportunity to hunt on my in laws farm and because of the close shots that I'm hoping present itself I am going to use my Rem 870 with bead sight. I will get out for a quick sight in hopefully soon, and sight in at 50 yards. Has anyone used these slugs before?
 
I have shot a lot of deer with slugs and an 870 as you describe...... one of my hunting areas is shotgun only.....

At 50 yards you will have no problem whatosever, even with just a bead sight..... I have stretched sabit slugs out to 150 with a rifled barrel and fosters out to 100..... both with either red dots or scopes mind you.....
 
The old guy in my group still uses his old wingmaster with only a fiber optic bead on the front. Kills deer every year mostly likes the 1 1/4 Oz slugs.

I'm thinking of going back to my turkey barrel on my 1300 with a fiber bead up front as our shots never seem to be over 50 yards and I'm sick of paying $3+ a shot. Severely limits your ability to practise due to the price.
 
I have tried several in my smooth bore rifle sighted Remington 1100 12 bore. Each gun barrel combo is different but my 1100 liked Remington 1 oz. sluggers the best. (4" group at 50 yards) The rest went in this order 2nd best to worst, Brenekke, Federal, Challenger and the worst Winchester. I think 50 yards is a good sight in distance with smooth bores and slugs. With the open sights on my 1100 I can keep MOA deer to about 75 yards. I think a red dot or low power scope would help shoot further but realistically 100 yards is a long shot with a smooth bore and foster slugs.

Darryl
 
Both the Score brand and S&B slugs work well enough and are pretty cheap compared to to Winchester or Remington offerings but I've always found the Challenger slugs to be VERY accurate in all the smooth bores I've tried them in. I've been using a fully rifled small frame 870 in 20ga for the last two years now and will never hunt deer with a 12ga again :)
 
I use Federal Premium Tru-Ball Rifled HP slugs or Remington Sluggers out of my 1934 Remington Model 31. The barrel has a 2-3/4" chamber, is 26" long and choked SKEET. I can easily shoot touching groups at 50 yards with a bead sight with both brands, but the Federal slugs formed the tighter group so I bought more of them. I think all advise on this will be rather anecdotal so my suggestion is to do what I did and buy a box of each and see what shoots best.
 
Rem 870 Shotgun, Smooth Bore Barrel, Remington Sluggers work fine, dropped many deer
Rem 870 Shotgun, Rifled Barrel, Lightfield Hybred EXP, 1.25oz, 546 gr, devastating & accurate
 
Canadian_Zuk said:
Both the Score brand and S&B slugs work well enough and are pretty cheap compared to to Winchester or Remington offerings but I've always found the Challenger slugs to be VERY accurate in all the smooth bores I've tried them in. I've been using a fully rifled small frame 870 in 20ga for the last two years now and will never hunt deer with a 12ga again :)
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I'm with you...mostly all of our deer camp now uses 20 gauges...i'm using the same as yours with Winchester slugs
 
Canadian_Zuk said:
Both the Score brand and S&B slugs work well enough and are pretty cheap compared to to Winchester or Remington offerings but I've always found the Challenger slugs to be VERY accurate in all the smooth bores I've tried them in. I've been using a fully rifled small frame 870 in 20ga for the last two years now and will never hunt deer with a 12ga again :)
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loogin28 said:
Canadian_Zuk is that because of weight & recoil?
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No, it's purely for the better ballistics. The .45cal projectiles in the 20Ga sabots fly alot faster, farther and flatter than a 12ga (smooth bore or rifled). My comfort zone has increased by 100 yards with the 20 over the smooth bore 12.
 
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Last week I killed a 7 pt. buck with my Rem. 870 , with Hastings rifled barrel & Tasco pro point scope .
I use Win. 1 oz Foster slugs , as the expensive sabats do no better .
I shoot a 4" group @ 100 yds. & a 2" group @ 50 yds ,,,,,,,,,,, & only 2" higher @ 50 yds. .
I have shot deer with this combo for 26 yrs. where rifles are not allowed.
I have target shot out to 200 yds. ( Big targets @ 200) .
@ 150 yds. they drop 1 1/2 ft.
@ 200 yds they drop 3 ft.
So not practical or ethical past 100 yds. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Frank
 
Frank McFarquhar said:
Last week I killed a 7 pt. buck with my Rem. 870 , with Hastings rifled barrel & Tasco pro point scope .
I use Win. 1 oz Foster slugs , as the expensive sabats do no better .
I shoot a 4" group @ 100 yds. & a 2" group @ 50 yds ,,,,,,,,,,, & only 2" higher @ 50 yds. .
I have shot deer with this combo for 26 yrs. where rifles are not allowed.
I have target shot out to 200 yds. ( Big targets @ 200) .
@ 150 yds. they drop 1 1/2 ft.
@ 200 yds they drop 3 ft.
So not practical or ethical past 100 yds. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Frank
Click to expand...

Those sound like 12ga smooth bore balistics Frank. Everything you've said is exactly why I choose to hunt deer with a 20ga rifled barrel. With a 150 yard zero you get about 8" of drop at 200 yards and are only 2.5" high at 50. 20 is fast and flat, 12ga smooth is like lobbing rocks lol

 
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