Deer Hunting Shotgun Questions.

S

Slackbunny

Member
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Location
Fredericton New Brunswick
I'm a bit of a rookie hunter, and I don't own any firearms other than a .22. I am looking for a deer hunting firearm and was told that a shotgun might be the way to go for deer hunting in my area. I have several questions that I hope you guys might be able to answer for me. Keep in mind that I am on a limited budget, so I'll be sticking to a fairly basic setup for a while.

Questions:
1) What kind of ranges should I expect to achieve with slugs? Buckshot?

2) Are there special sights for shotguns? Would a low powered rifle scope work well?

3) What kind of prices am I looking at for slugs and buckshot compared to common rifle ammunition?

4) Are shotguns an effective firearm for deerhunting compared to rifles?

5) What would you guys recommend for a starting setup?

6) Can I use birdshot, buckshot, and slugs all in the same shotgun?

7) Will birdshot damage a rifled slug gun barrel?
 
Last edited:
1) 100y is usually the max for my shotgun set-up for slugs. Buckshot, I'd try to keep it under 75, infact 50 is probably max in that same shot gun.... (bear in mind that it has no choke, it's a smooth bore)

2)There are several 1x red dot reticules out there that would work well for a shotty, I put a 4x scope on my deer shotty, just cause it's what I had. If your shot gun has a milled reciever (to accept rings) or is drilled & tapped it is ment for some kind of sight or optics.

3) When I have a choice..... I alwyas choose a rifle. Longer range, tighter groups (which equals better hit ratio)

4) Yes Shot guns can be effective at shorter ranges, but over 100y Rifles have it all over Shottys.

5) a .243

6) Yes you can. Bear in mind again that different shotgun barrels/ chokes do different things. There is a reason they are available in different combinations. For instance I have one shotty set up for deer (smoothe bore), one for geese and ducks (steel shot) and another for Phesant and other upland birds (lead shot). Ideally I should have yet another for skeet shooting. Usually I just put in another choke tube to allow for different hunting.

Hope this helps a bit....... People on this site could write a book on what shottys are and are not good for...... Versatile? yes, but can you get one for every kind of hunting and target shooting..... IMHO no.

Cheers!
 
With a dedicated slug gun like a Savage 210F bolt-action, you can pretty much only shoot slugs through them. What I like about the 210F for people restricted to shotguns is that it's a 20 gauge, so less recoil, but since it's a fixed, fully rifled barrel, it's fairly accurate. Get some 3" sabot loads like the Federal shells with Barnes Tipped Expanders and it should do a fine job, I'd say a max of 200 yards but should be able to do 150 pretty realistically with a low power riflescope on it.

Otherwise, I'd go for a Remington 870 or Mossberg 535 or 835 pump, you can get packages with both rifled and smoothbore barrels with chokes for a variety of hunting, plus accessories like nuts for either.

A slug with drop a deer quite well as long as you can shoot the gun accurately. I'd generally stay away from buckshot for deer hunting, but if you buy a combo package you will have barrels to shoot both bird/buck and slugs.
 
unless hes hunting in a shotgun only WMU, i dont really see the wisdom in putting together a shotgun specifically for shooting sabot slugs - they are easily outperformed by just about any rifle in an appropriate chambering.
 
870 super Mag

Get your self a rem 870 super Mag combo and you can hunt almost any game. Get the rifled slug barrel with sights. I paid about 460.00 plus tax chokes are cheap for the choke barrel. I love mine, I can hunt birds too moose. all 870 parts are inter changable and there is alot of used stuff. Depending on where you are hunting and what you are hunting most of your shots will be less than 100 yards. For me a scope is a waste of time and the gun is very accurate if you take the time too learn how to shoot it and practice at your range before the seasion!
 
#6. Yes all can be shot out of the same gun effectively (smoothbore). IIRC there's a thread on this site somewhere that someone patterned shot out of a rifled barrel & found the hits to be on the outer edges with next to nothing in the center (rifling spun the shot out like a fan).
#7. Lead shot won't hurt a rifled barrel but steel might although maybe not as it's contained in the shot cup/wad.

Ammo--rifled barrel=sabot slugs, smoothbore=rifled slugs
Don't know the price of sabots but I think rifled slugs run about $6 or so for 5 rounds.

Good hunting!
 
I'll start by saying I don't care for buckshot on game bigger then coyotes.
Here in New Brunswick there isn't any real advantage to owning a shotgun with a slug barrel. Any shotgun firing slugs needs the same distance as a rifle. You could get your hands on a good condition used rifle and scope for around what a shotgun and slug barrel will set you back, I'd recomend a .308 or .270 after that save up a couple more pay checks and buy yourself a pump 12 or 20 guage shotgun.

Having reread your post I belive you'd be best suited to a used marlin or winchester in .30-30 for now.
 
With the price of sabots now, I would stick with a smoothbore slug barrel and shoot Brennekes or foster style slugs. MUCH cheaper.
 
JamesM said:
I'll start by saying I don't care for buckshot on game bigger then coyotes.
Here in New Brunswick there isn't any real advantage to owning a shotgun with a slug barrel. Any shotgun firing slugs needs the same distance as a rifle. You could get your hands on a good condition used rifle and scope for around what a shotgun and slug barrel will set you back, I'd recomend a .308 or .270 after that save up a couple more pay checks and buy yourself a pump 12 or 20 guage shotgun.

Having reread your post I belive you'd be best suited to a used marlin or winchester in .30-30 for now.
Click to expand...

I don’t know about NB but in certain areas of QC and ONT. you can only use Black powder or shotgun
 
Slackbunny said:
I'm a bit of a rookie hunter, and I don't own any firearms other than a .22. I am looking for a deer hunting firearm and was told that a shotgun might be the way to go for deer hunting in my area. I have several questions that I hope you guys might be able to answer for me. Keep in mind that I am on a limited budget, so I'll be sticking to a fairly basic setup for a while.
Click to expand...

A shotgun will certainly take deer easily, however the ammo is expensive, recoils hard, and the variety of ammo in and around the Fredericton area is very limited.

A fully rifled barrel is preferable and with practice and sabots should be deadly to 100 yards.

A Remington 870 combo 12 ga (28" smoothbore barrel and 22-24" fully rifled barrel) would be my choice if I were thinking shotgun.

FWIW bird shot does not perform well from a rifled barrel.

If you are serious and want to hunt deer, I would suggest one of the "budget" priced rifles offered by many manufacturers such as the Stevens 200 in .243, .308, 7mm-08, .270 or .30-06. Top it with a decent scope (Nikon Burris, or Leupold) and get lots of with it.

Don't turn up your nose to a Winchester or Marlin lever in .30-30, a Lee-Enfield in .303 British, or any Mauser in 7 X 57 (7mm Mauser) or 6.5 X 55.

I's stay away from the magnums due to the recoil and ammo cost/availibility and they don't kill deer any deader than a well placed shot from any of the above mentioned rifle/shotguns.
 
I just had a full successful hunting season with my 20G shotgun. One black bear, one deer and one grouse. I know, not much but not dry either. I'd recommend 20G for a deer, it is such a sweet deer slayer. Easy on a shoulder and slugs are flying fast at 1600 fps.

At the begining of a season I had oldie 20G shotty with shot out choke and beads for sights. Yes it is a shotgun only area I was planning on hunting and this is what I did to it:
1. barrrel chopped and also shimmed to sit tight, it is now a smoothbore and has no choke.
2. drilled and tapped receiver and installed red dot
3. fit folder butt stock and sling

You wouldn't recognise that same shotgun now for it has become handy, accurate, light to carry and lightly kicking gun. I used it to carry with two slugs and a #6 birdshot as a last round for a quick grouse shot.

Performance and accuracy of slugs through smoothbore are ok, I was getting paper plate-sized groups at 100 yards. Both bear and deer happened to be within 40 yards, bear got it right between the eyes and deer through one shoulder and out of the other with both lungs and heart taken along with it. I'd say there is plenty of penetration with excellent wound channel from 20G slug.

Ammo cost - you only notice it during your initial set up and sighting series, because you are going to need at least a dosen slugs, I used up like 20 slugs to get used to the gun. In a season I only fired five shots - three slugs and two bird shots, lets just say ammo expense was negligible.
 
Slackbunny said:
I'm a bit of a rookie hunter, and I don't own any firearms other than a .22. I am looking for a deer hunting firearm and was told that a shotgun might be the way to go for deer hunting in my area. I have several questions that I hope you guys might be able to answer for me. Keep in mind that I am on a limited budget, so I'll be sticking to a fairly basic setup for a while.

Questions:
1) What kind of ranges should I expect to achieve with slugs? Buckshot?

2) Are there special sights for shotguns? Would a low powered rifle scope work well?

3) What kind of prices am I looking at for slugs and buckshot compared to common rifle ammunition?

4) Are shotguns an effective firearm for deerhunting compared to rifles?

5) What would you guys recommend for a starting setup?

6) Can I use birdshot, buckshot, and slugs all in the same shotgun?

7) Will birdshot damage a rifled slug gun barrel?
Click to expand...

Actually a rifle is a lot better all-round deer hunting tool than a shotgun. If you have choice - go with a rifle.

1. 100yds/50yds
2. yes/yes - but do you need a scope for less than a 100yds?
3. about the same as rifle ammo
4. rifle is better all-round - buckshot sucks unless you are really close
5. i recommend a rifle
6. yes, in a smoothbore or 2 bbl combo
7. no damage but it won't pattern worth crap and will be almost useless for bird hunting
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom