Deer challenge this year... coach gun :)

unstableryan

unstableryan

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You know how every time you buy a new hunting gun you want to break it in by getting a deer with it? Last year it was my 243, but this year I just bought 25 boxes of slugs for a 20 gauge coach gun that I just got and love. I'm going to shoot about half of them learning how to hit a paper plate as far away as possible and I'm going to seriously hunt with it in September. Since most of my deer are under 75 yards I think I can do it. Has anyone else ever shot a deer with a short double barrel?

I have several scoped hunting rifles, but I would treat this like bow hunting. I've been moving more into open sighted lever guns with cast boolits lately. I like a challenge.
 
I would definitely hone my skills razor sharp before I attempted such a feat, but I don't see why not? What kind of velocity loss are you looking at out of a super short barrel vs a long one? That would be the only reservation I would have, though I have no idea what the loss would be, or if it would be realistically relevant.
 
unstableryan said:
I think they are 20" barrels. They are 5/8 oz ( 270 ish grains) at 1580 fps. Even if I lose a couple hundred there is still decent energy at under 100 yards.
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Oh, that's fine then :)

I was thinking of a super shorty like the Dominions Arms Outlaw with 12" barrels. Should be juuust fine with 20" barrels.
 
Test it . I've had 4 coach guns and only the one i presently own would put two slugs on the same target at 50 yards and that's a 12 inch by 12 inch target . I think only by luck does one come out of the factory with barrels well regulated .
 
I turn down many shots, even when I have my scoped hunting rifle. I've just been trying to get closer and closer and have more patience while hunting as I get older. This is probably the 25th year I've had my hunting licence with at least 30 deer now. I've wanted to get into bow hunting but I've found casting my own Bullets for an open sighted lever gun to be a nice intermediate challenge. It just struck me a while back that I've never used a shotgun. Tons of hunters are limited to shotguns.
 
I think the problem is going to be accuracy. The two barrels won't be regulated to group together with slugs, and might not shoot within a foot of each other even at close range. Then the lack of a backsight complicates thing too. The English used to make high grade SxS's specially regulated to shoot slugs, usually called paradox, explores, ball & shot guns, etc. They shot quite well with the load they were regulated for, but they were very expensive, the equivalent of double rifles.
 
I hunted with an over/under a few times and got a nice doe with a slug at 10 yards. I was comfortable shooting slugs out to 75 yards. Sure both barrels did not put both slugs into the same spot, that's when you have to remember where each barrel will print. I never found it to be an issue. I always used my top barrel first and the bottom was the 2nd shot if needed.
 
patrickosuave said:
I take it that you would not support handgun hunting?
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I have no problem with any kind of hunting.... it's not up to me to determine what is and is not ethical for other hunters....

That being said, 75 yards is a long poke for smooth bored short barrelled double shotgun with likely poorly regulated barrels and a brass bead for a sight....
 
Superbrad said:
I have no problem with any kind of hunting.... it's not up to me to determine what is and is not ethical for other hunters....

That being said, 75 yards is a long poke for smooth bored short barrelled double shotgun with likely poorly regulated barrels and a brass bead for a sight....
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20" is not a really a "short barrel" and provides ample sighting plane and ballistics for 75 yard. The bead sighting system is the limiting factor, imo. That said, it is possible to become proficient with bead sights with practise. A smoothbore at 75 yards being used by an experienced hunter is ethical if he has practised and demonstrated to himself that he can shoot reliably at that distance.
 
jethunter said:
20" is not a really a "short barrel" and provides ample sighting plane and ballistics for 75 yard. The bead sighting system is the limiting factor, imo. That said, it is possible to become proficient with bead sights with practise. A smoothbore at 75 yards being used by an experienced hunter is ethical if he has practised and demonstrated to himself that he can shoot reliably at that distance.
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Fair enough...... we get a lot of these threads in here, and oddly enough, I never see the results of the OP's practice and how they have become "proficient enough"...... if Op comes back and posts 10 consecutive hits on an 8" pie plate at 75 yards, then he certainly has my thumbs up...... but until then it's a bunch of "I think" and "what if".... in fact he doesn't yet even know that the gun can do that, let alone himself at this point....
 
OP, don't listen to the naysayers. Just practice with your gun to see how it shoots and if the POI is too far off between barrels just stick with using one and learn where it shoots. Practice, practice and practice some more. There are many examples of hunting tools being used by hunters when there are more accurate and modern tools available.

Why use smooth bores with slugs when there are rifled barrels and sabots available which double your effective range?
Why use a long bow when you can use a modern compound?
Why use iron sites when a modern optic typically increases range and accuracy?
Why use a flintlock when you can use a new muzzle loader which quadruples your effective range?

Because you can.
 
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