20 Gauge for Deer?

[Crazy Coot]

I'm seriously considering buying an H&R Ultra Slug Hunter for deer hunting, but I can't decide on the caliber. I've heard great reviews about the accuracy of the 20 gauge over the 12 gauge. The only thing I'm worried about is the knock-down power outside of 100 yards. Does anyone think a 20 gauge is not enough gun outside of 100 yards or should I stick with a 12 gauge?

 

[Packman]

I think you're being a tad optimistic hoping for anything much over 100 yards out of the 20 OR the 12 gauge.

But that's just me. Others more knowledgeable will be along quickly. I'm sure Dave McCracken and Steve will have good advice about it. I know lots of people like the 20. I don't have much dealings with it.

 

[mio]

hmmm have to throw in my 2 cents. the accuracy thing, i have a winchester 12ga pump with a smooth barrel that has rifle sights on it (by that i mean rear notch adjustable for elevation along with regular front rather than bead.)
i also have 2 ss 20ga and i can tell you for sure that my 12ga is much much more accurate with rotwiel slugs than the 20ga are with any slug ive tried.
i cant tell you about knock down power over that distance since ive nover shot a deer with a 20ga and only insede of 50yrs with the 12ga.
there is a new 3 1/2" 20 ga slug on the market i believe they use either a nef or h&r to rework for it but i dont know much about it other than an article i skimmed through in guns magazine.

 

[mnrivrat]

I set the limit for shotgun slugs at 100 yds, but I do realize that with rifled barrels and sabot slugs that can be extended some.

I use the 20ga. ,or probably should say used, as I likely am done hunting now. I had no problem with the 20ga. and the took deer to 100yds. With slugs however of any gauge I think a bone/spine or head shot is much more effective. I seen a lot of holes poked clean through the critters with little immediate effect.

I have seen even small deer take 2 or 3 rounds out of a 12ga. with slugs and not slow down for a long way. Placement is more critical than 20 vs 12 in my opinion and experience.

I know some wouldn't shoot anything but the 12ga on anything bigger than a jelly bean, but I have found the 20ga to never let me down.

 

[Dave McCracken]

The only 20 gauge slug I have extensive experience with is the Rottweil Brenekke. Performance was similar to the 12 gauge slug. Excellent in all respects.

These were fired from smoothbores.

IMO, the power is sufficient but accuracy may be lacking. I'm no fan of long distance slug shooting anyway.

 

[Okiecruffler]

I took many deer with a Mossberg 20ga bolt action and old timey slugs in my youth, but never tried a shot over 100yrds. That old mossy had a notch at one end and a bead at the other, not really much of a sniper weapon. I will say this. I couldn't tell the difference in performance between deer I hit with the 20 and deer I hit with the 12, but my shoulder sure felt the difference.

 

[goon]

I've been playing around with a stock NEF 20 gauge lately trying to get some slugs to hit close to where the bead says they should.
To make a long story short, we're talking about 3/4 ounce or so of lead doing 1500 FPS or better.
If my math is right, that's about a 330 grain bullet. I can't see it not having enough power to stop a deer or black bear.
As for accuracy, I have only been working at 25 yards. I'm still "adjusting" things so going farther would serve no purpose to me yet.
Still, out of a stock NEF youth model 20 gauge with a modified choke and a plain bead sight my groups actually look like groups. I have had some cloverleafs with some of the slugs I've tried.
The results are similar with my 12 gauge Mossberg and cheap Remington Sluggers. The only difference is that with my unchoked Mossberg's 18" barrel and plain bead, slugs hit about 5" high at 25 yards and about dead on at 50. Again, I can get groups. I would be willing to try a shot at a deer with it at 50 yards but I'd limit myself to about 70 yards max with it. Even that would be pushing it. The plain bead just limits my confidence for hunting. But for defensive use, I'd bet that 100 yards is pretty realistic.

IMO, the 20 gauge will be adequate if you respect the limitations of slugs, which are going to be about 100 yards max for hunting. One advantage of the 20 gauge is that the lesser recoil will allow you to shoot more before your body tells you it's time to go home, so you should probably be able to become a better marksman.

 

[FEG]

Never shot a 20 ga. slug in my life. However, it did occur to me that the ammunition options have to be more limited. right? Things like that worry me now that ammo is getting higher all of the time.

Does anyone sell a mold for 20 ga. slugs?

 

[Dirty Bob]

Yes, there are 20ga. slug moulds available.

For example, at MidwayUSA:

Lyman "giant airgun pellet" slug:
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=236595

Lyman Foster slug:
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=491639

Lyman .570 roundball:
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=814818

I just received a Lee .575 roundball mould and am awaiting the Lyman manual for data to use with it. I look on it as a fun project, but if I get good results, I might salt away a few hundred rounds of 20ga. "just in case."

All my best,
Dirty Bob

 

[redneck2]

There is a WORLD of difference between a rifled barrel with the right sabots vs. Foster types out of a smooth bore. I sight my rifled barrel 12 gauge 870 at 125 yards. Shoots about tennis ball sized groups off a good rest. I killed a coyote at 140 yards with it a few years ago.

I have a friend that has 5 deer in the Indiana record book. All were taken with an 1100 20 gauge. One was over 100 yards. It was his land, in an area that he knows very well. He practices at that range and knows what the gun will do.

There's a thread running in "Hunting" right now about a guy that went on a buffalo hunt with a (IIRC) .45-110 BP rifle. Hard cast bullet had complete penetration on a 1,000# animal. Why wouldn't a 20 gauge slugs that's moving 500 fps faster go thru a 150# deer?

Not every gun is accurate with every slug. Maybe even more than rifles, you've got to practice to see what a given gun/load combination will do. Also, IMO you need a GOOD scope that takes advantage of the range and potential accuracy. You can't just pick up a smooth bore, some cheapie slugs at Wal-Mart, and shoot well at 100 yards with bead sights.