Hunting Moose with shotgun (slugs)

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I posted another thread about a specific type of shotgun that I am interested in buying, but I have another question. I am thinking about selling my Tikka 30/06 rifle because its never been used, and therefore I'm thinking about getting one, good accurate slug gun for hunting deer in shotgun only area's but also to hunt deer in rifle areas, and possibly to hunt moose also.

Does anyone here hunt moose with a shotgun and slugs, and does a shotgun slug have enough oomph to take down a moose with one shot, if its placed in the right spot of course ? The new SPS superslug gun I'm looking at, is supposed to be as accurate as a rifle out to 200 yards. IF a shotgun was accurate out to 200 yards...and I mean IF, would a 12 gauge slug still have enough energy to ethically take a moose out to 200 yards, IF it hit the vitals of a moose ? Of course shot placement is key, and it sounds really far away to be able to shoot a target with a slug at 200 yards, but I just wanted to know IF a accurate slug gun in the hands of the right person could hit a target at 200 yards, that a slug would be able to do the job, just like a .308 or 30/06 rifle (example).

I realize that 200 yards away for shooting a moose is very uncommon, and that the average shooting should'nt even attempt shooting at that range, but I just wanted to know if a 12 gauge slug, thats spinning out of a rifled barrel has enough power to drop a moose cleanly at that distance, if the shooter hit its target ?
 
Standard shotgun slugs crater real fast, but the energy stays till it hits the ground. Sabot slugs are many times more accurate and have a better trajectory, however can be lighter with less energy than your average shotgun slug. Both slugs will have more than adequate energy and will do a very good job dropping a moose if you can hit it.

Having that said, If you can hit the moose, it will fall over. If you need to shoot at 200 yards, its cuz you spooked it. I've shot a moose at 75 paces with a standard smooth bore barrel with iron sights using a 1 oz slug, It never took another step.


One more general comment since this is a general question, If you use a rifled barrel shotgun to shoot Sabot slugs, you cannot use birdshot in this barrel to shoot chicken and partridge as well. A rifled barrel is not an all purpose barrel, but it will shoot more accurate to a longer distance.
 
Ya, I know that when you have a rifled barrel, its only good for shooting sabots and thats it. I have a specific shotgun for all of my birdshot. I also don't plan on taking regular 200 yard shots at a moose. I just wanted to know that if I had to take that once in a lifetime shot at a long distance, that the slug would be able to kill the moose in one shot, if it hit the vitals. I'm just still chewing over the idea of trading in my rifle thats been a safe queen and buying a 870 SPS superslug gun, because I would be able to use it for the controlled hunt in Southern Ontario, but I wanted to know that if I did take it moose hunting, that it would be okay for taking a moose with that once in a lifetime shot. If I took the gun moose hunting, I would re sight it in for taking a longer shot.
 
I would suggest that maybe you should trade the 3006 for a .270w or wsm and that way your rifle would be legal to hunt anywhere in Ontario and be more than adequate for any big game the province has to offer. You don't need to tie up a whole bunch of money to get an accurate slug gun for controlled hunts. If you don't mind a single, the H&R USH goes for around $330 new and shoots as good as anything short of a tarhunt or A-bolt. They are a bit strange looking and handling but shoot quite well.
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Scamaniac said:
I would suggest that maybe you should trade the 3006 for a .270w or wsm and that way your rifle would be legal to hunt anywhere in Ontario and be more than adequate for any big game the province has to offer. You don't need to tie up a whole bunch of money to get an accurate slug gun for controlled hunts. If you don't mind a single, the H&R USH goes for around $330 new and shoots as good as anything short of a tarhunt or A-bolt. They are a bit strange looking and handling but shoot quite well.
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There are no rifles allowed where we have control hunts.
 
If there was any chance for a moose hunt in my future, I would not rely on a shotgun for the task. The rifle is a far better choice and a moose hunt has a lot of variables that a rifle will handle a lot better.

I'd find a way to keep the 30/06 and buy a shotgun for slugs.


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I was going to make a derogatory comment about anyone wanting to sell their '06 in favor of big game hunting with a 12 ga, then I noticed you live in southern Ontario where they have that silly caliber restriction. You could swap the '06 for a .270 to beat the caliber restriction, and the .270 is a reliable moose killer.

If you are bound and determined to use your shotgun for moose, I think you have two viable options. Use a shotgun with a rifled bore, I'd try and find a Savage 210 F 12 ga bolt gun, and shoot sabot slugs which tend to be more accurate, at least in mild temperatures, and stretch the range a bit, or if you are using a smooth bore get some Brennekes. You'll soon know all about stalking.
 
If you get a rifled barrel, use a sabot slug with a fairly light bullet, you should be plenty good out to 200 yds. Here is some info I found:

The 12 gauge Core-Lokt Ultra sabot bullet is a .50 caliber, 385 grain HP semi-spitzer. The catalog MV is 1900 fps and the 100 yard velocity is 1648 fps. The ME is given as 3086 ft. lbs. and the remaining energy at 100 yards is 2325 ft. lbs. The trajectory of that load looks like this: +1.8" at 50 yards, +2.4" at 100 yards, and +/- 0" at 150 yards.​
 
Well I shoot Winchester Partition Gold's Sabot slugs out of my BPS with a rifled barrel. And I only use the 2 3/4" size. I've knocked down deer out to ~165yds so far (gps gave that distance). Winchester say's these slugs if sighted in for 100yds, they drop 4.2" at 150 and 7.8 at 175, which would put them around a +/-12-13" drop at 200. If your using the 3" slugs, they don't drop as fast.
As for shooting moose with them. I've known guys to carry slugs to shoot moose, and that was years ago and they were using rifled slugs. Not as fast, or accurate. but I don't recall ever hearing if anyone actually shot at a moose with them. I'd only use the sabots at a reasonable distance, if I had a good broad side shot.
 
sherlockbonez said:
There are no rifles allowed where we have control hunts.
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No sh!+ Sherlock! Sorry but I couldn't resist that one;). I didn't suggest the op use a rifle in a controlled hunt. I just stated that he might get more use from a .270 than a 3006 since it is legal to hunt with in southern Ontario. The .270 will cut a yote in 2 and be great for deer and moose north of the French.
A shotgun slug will definitely take a moose, but I hate to hear of a fellow gun lover having to limit themselves to either a shotgun or a rifle. I am just pointing out to the op that it might be affordable to have both since there are reasonably priced slug guns available. More guns = more fun!:D
 
Scamaniac said:
No sh!+ Sherlock! Sorry but I couldn't resist that one;). I didn't suggest the op use a rifle in a controlled hunt. I just stated that he might get more use from a .270 than a 3006 since it is legal to hunt with in southern Ontario. The .270 will cut a yote in 2 and be great for deer and moose north of the French.
A shotgun slug will definitely take a moose, but I hate to hear of a fellow gun lover having to limit themselves to either a shotgun or a rifle. I am just pointing out to the op that it might be affordable to have both since there are reasonably priced slug guns available. More guns = more fun!:D
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Actually WMU 76A can use rifle in the controlled hunt. It is the only controlled hunt WMU that allows it. The calibre restriction is on small game, so if your in 76A you can use the same as you would in Northern On.
 
blueflash said:
I realize that 200 yards away for shooting a moose is very uncommon, and that the average shooting should'nt even attempt shooting at that range, but I just wanted to know if a 12 gauge slug, thats spinning out of a rifled barrel has enough power to drop a moose cleanly at that distance, if the shooter hit its target ?
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I don't think it is that uncommon to shoot a moose at these distances.

Not that I have ever had a tag, but I have been presented several shots at moose while out in the quad trails in Thunder Bay, and even the Parry Sound area, where the moose was on the edge of the opposite side of a marsh/swamp. These shots would be 150 - 200m and possibly further.

This is the issue for me. If you were presented such a shot and couldn't take it, you would be pretty pissed.

I wouldn't hesitate to get rid of the 30-06. For the kind of hunting you are most likely gonna do here in SO it is not the best option. A .243, a 25-06, or .270 will allow you to hunt coyotes and deer, but for Moose and Blackbear the .270 is the clear winner.

If you want to only have 1 gun the shotgun will do it, but really you need at least the 2. A slug gun, and a rifle, and .270 seems a good choice.
 
I failed to mention that I actually have another rifle also, that I use for deer in a rifle zone. Its a cz-858 non restricted....similar to hunting with a ruger mini-30, it shoots 7.62x39. I already have a regular smooth bore shotgun that I use for waterfowl and the controlled deer hunt, down here in southern ontario, with rifled slugs.....you can't hunt deer here with a 270 or 243 period....shotgun only. I actually use my cz-858 up north for deer (rifle zone) for pushing the bush because its a nice light accurate rifle, and I have a 5 round mag so it does'nt look so scary. I plan on using my tikka 30/06 rifle if I was to sit in a treestand, and can see 200+ yards in the open, or for moose....which I have'nt done neither since I have bought it.....this is why I have been considering a rem 870 sps superslug gun because I know it will get used here in southern ontario for shotgun only zones, deer hunting, plus if I took it up north for rifle zoned deer hunts, and moose, it could be used.......however, I do realize that no slug gun, no matter how super it is, is still not as good as a 30/06 for big game, so I will probably just keep it, and buy a extra slug gun also.....heck, I already have 9 guns, so whats one more. As long as its the same colour of another gun, my wife won't even notice its new.

I was only thinking about trading in my new unused tikka ss 30/06 because the slug gun I was looking at is around $700, but I think I will just keep the tikka and buy a more economical slug gun. I don't mind using a mossberg or regular 870 express rifled barrel.

I would just buy a rifled barrel for my workhorse waterfowl shotgun, but they are about the same price as buying a economical slug gun....

I'm really not a complicated guy, I just really overthink things I guess...lol
 
Ater testing 5 or 6 cantilever fully rifled factory slug barrels, I've come to the conclusion that your 200yrd. shot may be more than the available accuracy can provide. Mostly 4-6" groups at 100 yds. I have 1 custom Hastings fully rifled cantilever barrel for an 1100 Remingtion auto that is capable of 1-2" groups at 100 yds.
As a tool maker by trade, I took measurements of the barrel I.D. and found the Hastings to have the tightest bore and groove diameter of the lot. Seems Sabot slugs need to be squeezed hard to impart enough spin on the bullet to stabalize it. I think the looser bore diameters allow the bullet to slip in the sabot during firing. I have a box of Hornady SST shotgun slugs that have 300 grain pointed rifle bullets in them. They show a muzzle velocity of 2000 fps and a down range drop of -6.2" sighted +2.7 at 100 yds. I haven't tried them yet out of the Hastings but like you, I'm looking for 200 yds. plus capabilities for controlled hunt deer. They would have plenty for moose if there accurate.
Good luck in your quest.
 
Ater testing 5 or 6 cantilever fully rifled factory slug barrels, I've come to the conclusion that your 200yrd. shot may be more than the available accuracy can provide. Mostly 4-6" groups at 100 yds. I have 1 custom Hastings fully rifled cantilever barrel for an 1100 Remingtion auto that is capable of 1-2" groups at 100 yds.
As a tool maker by trade, I took measurements of the barrel I.D. and found the Hastings to have the tightest bore and groove diameter of the lot. Seems Sabot slugs need to be squeezed hard to impart enough spin on the bullet to stabalize it. I think the looser bore diameters allow the bullet to slip in the sabot during firing. I have a box of Hornady SST shotgun slugs that have 300 grain pointed rifle bullets in them. They show a muzzle velocity of 2000 fps and a down range drop of -6.2" sighted +2.7 at 100 yds. I haven't tried them yet out of the Hastings but like you, I'm looking for 200 yds. plus capabilities for controlled hunt deer. They would have plenty for moose if there accurate.
Good luck in your quest.
 
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Hussar_ca said:
Actually WMU 76A can use rifle in the controlled hunt. It is the only controlled hunt WMU that allows it. The calibre restriction is on small game, so if your in 76A you can use the same as you would in Northern On.
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I believe some municipalities have caliber restrictions above and beyond the provincial regs. I may be wrong though, as I don't hunt those areas.
 
Scamaniac said:
No sh!+ Sherlock! Sorry but I couldn't resist that one;). I didn't suggest the op use a rifle in a controlled hunt. I just stated that he might get more use from a .270 than a 3006 since it is legal to hunt with in southern Ontario. The .270 will cut a yote in 2 and be great for deer and moose north of the French.
A shotgun slug will definitely take a moose, but I hate to hear of a fellow gun lover having to limit themselves to either a shotgun or a rifle. I am just pointing out to the op that it might be affordable to have both since there are reasonably priced slug guns available. More guns = more fun!:D
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Hussar_ca said:
Actually WMU 76A can use rifle in the controlled hunt. It is the only controlled hunt WMU that allows it. The calibre restriction is on small game, so if your in 76A you can use the same as you would in Northern On.
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This is where I deer hunt......WMU 76A
 
Not sure how much moose hunting you've taken part in but I have no idea why anyone would choose to do so with a shotgun. Keep the rifle for moose and get a new shotgun to solve the other problem.
 
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