Best shotgun for deer
- Thread starter tmntdude84
- Start date
From a personal standpoint, I really like the 20 ga. as opposed to the 12. I find it lighter, a little less recoil (which is a factor at my age and my old bones) and with good sabots and rifled slug barrel, I'm good out to 100 yds. Hit a deer with that in the vitals (heart/lung) and it goes down. I'm a fan of the Remington, but any good quality shotgun will do the job.
I have an 870 combo that came with 2 barrels. One is a smoothbore with open sights and the other is a long vented waterfowl barrel with removable chokes. I bought a 3rd rifled slug barrel for shooting sabot slugs. You can change out a barrel on an 870 in less than sixty seconds.
As others have said , the Rem. 870 with a rifled barrel is your best bet . That is exactly what I have used for over 20 yrs. with good success.
I have a red dot scope & can bench REGULAR FOSTER slugs within a 4" group @ 100 yds.
NOTE : Now the best slug gun is the Savage Bolt Action in 20 ga. , just costs a little more .
What type of hunting are you planning to do? If your shots will typically be 50 yards or less in the woods I would stick with a smooth bore barrel and foster style slugs. They’ll kill deer just as effectively at a quarter of the cost of sabots. If your hunting style will involve longer shots in the open then a rifled barrel and sabots would be the way to go.
maple_leaf_eh
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Which one is best? The one you can fire well.
The hunter must be able to make a consistent vital area killing shot at all distances desired. So hitting a paper plate is more important than the name roll marked on the receiver. The deer doesn't know what you are shooting at him.
The hunter must be able to make a consistent vital area killing shot at all distances desired. So hitting a paper plate is more important than the name roll marked on the receiver. The deer doesn't know what you are shooting at him.
madtrapper143
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Steep Rock Lake NWO
Anything 12, 16 or 20 gauge that will put 3 Foster style slugs into 8" at 50 yards or so. This has worked for years.
Darryl
Darryl
The Savage line in 12 or 20 is the clear winner. Shoots as well as any centre fire and will be more accurate than enough in case a longer shot is needed. Recoil on the 12's can be a bit brisk, so hopefully you are not recoil shy.
My 535 ats with a rifled slug barrel is very accurate. It pump is your style i reccommend a mossberg.
Bolt gun choice would be a savage 212 or 220. I prefer 12ga my self. My ideal shotgun for deer would be a sxs with one rifled bore and one smooth bore but thats just me. As with all shotguns fit is a major component
Bolt gun choice would be a savage 212 or 220. I prefer 12ga my self. My ideal shotgun for deer would be a sxs with one rifled bore and one smooth bore but thats just me. As with all shotguns fit is a major component
JACKSMYDOG
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Haldimand County, Ontario
I do not hunt, but have put a tonne of 20G slugs down range. IME experience I found no discernible accuracy difference between rifled slugs in smooth bore, and sabots in a rifled bore. We only tested to 50 yds, but with our results, I expect 100 yds to be similar. Just my experience bench testing. YMMV
^^ same. In regards to a smooth bore barrel using rifled slugs...vs...a rifled barrel with sabots... there is little...if any difference in accuracy out to 100 yards. I own a Winchester 1300 with a dialed-in scope. I've put-in alot of range time using both barrel and slugs options, while trying to answer all these same questions. The only thing that surprises me is the extremely good accuracy of both. I've also become comfortable with my set up to the point I wouldn't hesitate to push 200 yards. This is only because I know my gun, and have exact confidence in where I will hit. Use whichever you have, and practice with it.
Out at 200 yards, there is a slight advantage using very expensive sabots. It's not likely I would ever make a 200 yard shot where I deer hunt. As a matter of fact, I cant think of any scenario in my area where I'd be shooting that far.
Out at 200 yards, there is a slight advantage using very expensive sabots. It's not likely I would ever make a 200 yard shot where I deer hunt. As a matter of fact, I cant think of any scenario in my area where I'd be shooting that far.
Been sabot hunting since 2001. With a good cantilever setup or bolt setup your looking at 1 MOA average where with the fosters your not getting much better than 4. If your hunting under 100 yards both do the trick. Keep in mind shots beyond this your sabot is the answer. Also, base don my experience, you get far more trauma with the sabots than the fosters. Especially when you start reaching out there.
Re:20 gauges. I am not a fan, and this is based on being part of a shotgun camp for the last 18 season. They are great if you hit the vitals. If you make a mediocre shot my observation has been poor penetration (not passing through shoulder bone on the entry side) on a few scenarios. If you are hunting with dogs, or pushing bush and your shooting at running deer, I also don't advise the 20 either as the chance of a poor shot are higher.
