One for the "Nay Sayers"

[Snarlingiron]

I have taken some heat here when I have talked about long range slug shooting. It has ranged from good natured ribbing to some strong inferences that I was outright lying.

Here is a link to a video featuring Hickock45 placing slugs on a more or less man sized target at 230 yards.

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2011/01/25/long-range-200-yard-slug/

With a little practice and some technique it certainly can be done.

I reiterate my claim that a shotgun is not solely a close range weapon. It isn't a rifle, but it clearly isn't worthless at 200 yards either.

 

[Rshooter]

Good video.

 

[chrome_austex]

Very cool. Its the Indian, not the arrow.

Shooting slugs at long range is pretty fun, but the farthest I've tried is 100y. We routinely hit C-zone targets at ~75y from offhand at the local 3gun matches (and me with just a front bead). 230y is entirely believable.

 

[Sky]

Growing up hunting as a kid with friends I have seen shots that I would never talk about because they are so low percentage that most would say they were impossible.....

hahahah I saw a shot with a cheap bow once that nailed a buzzard circling that was at least 200 agl; it was a bare bow snap shot...impossible for anyone but Robin Hood but it happened. Many call impossible because they have never seen or can not repeat the shot themselves. Although most have a problem repeating the impossible or there would be more hole in ones in Golf.

I saw that video a while back and plan on trying some 200 yard shots with the 12 gage 1919 and Saiga 410 but have not been to the range with a shotgun for a while with the proper ammo for the shot.

 

[zhyla]

How much velocity do slugs retain at that range?

 

[Snarlingiron]

I ran it through the ballistic calculator here:

http://www.biggameinfo.com/index.aspx?page=/balcalc.ascx

With a muzzle velocity of 1600 fps, and a bullet weight of 437.5 grains (one ounce), it would be traveling at 1265 fps at 225 yards and would have 1625 ft./lbs of energy.

It would still do significant damage.

 

[ricebasher302]

How come you could hear the report of the shotgun before the slug contacted the target when watching the footage from the target-side camera? According to the velocities, the slugs should have arrived first...?

 

[chrome_austex]

At 1400fps, I put a 437gr slug at 884 f/s and 763ft/lbs of energy at 225y, dropping below the speed of sound at ~70y, and there are indications that my estimated BC of 0.109 is even a little high.

So it makes sense that you would hear the shot before the slug hits at 225y.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/shotgun_slugs.htm talks more about slug performance.

 

[Youngster]

I ran it through the ballistic calculator here:

http://www.biggameinfo.com/index.asp...=/balcalc.ascx

With a muzzle velocity of 1600 fps, and a bullet weight of 437.5 grains (one ounce), it would be traveling at 1265 fps at 225 yards and would have 1625 ft./lbs of energy.

It would still do significant damage.

Foster slugs have a terrible ballistic cooefficient and will start out at more like 1450 fps for a regular 2 3/4 load in a riot length gun, I believe they would be doing under 750 fps by the time they hit 225 yards.

 

[Youngster]

IIRC, 12 gauge Fosters have a Bc of something like .07, and that doesn't account for all the unaerodynamic features slug has.

 

[Snarlingiron]

You are right. With the BC of .07, the remaining velocity at 225 yards is 772 fps and energy is 578 ft./lbs. Remington Slugger, 2 3/4", SP12SRS, shows a muzzle velocity of 1680 fps.

 

[Youngster]

And it's if you can get them started that fast, I've chonoed a bunch of standard velocity slugs and none went faster than 1450 fps from my 18.5" 870, to get an actual 1600 fps or more you'd need at least a 26" barrel I'm guessing.

 

[VA27]

Remaining energy isn't going to make much difference. An ounce of lead nearly 3/4 of an inch in diameter, going 700fps or so, is going to go right through your catcher's mitt.

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

I tried this, I wasn't having much luck for some reason. I was using a 1100 with a 21" barrel, CB, and rifle sights.

 

[22lr]

I dont have any videos or anything, but ive dropped deer at 150 yards with a single 12ga slug. You wont get MOA accuracy, but id have no problem taking a 200 yard shot.

I am a firm believe in the following breakdown. Accuracy is 70% shooter, 20% gun, 10% ammo. You might be able to compensate in one area or another, but ive seen first hand what a good shooter can do with a "crappy" gun.

Edit: point being, never doubt what a good shooter can do with a weapon.

 

[foghornl]

A slug at 200+Yds is not going to be ".30-06 Match Rifle" accurate, but yeah...minute of bad guy @200 IS doable.


As someone else said "Tis the Indian, not the arrow"

 

[RX-178]

I've never shot a shotgun out to those distances before, but I know with Brenneke Black Magic slugs, I can get consistent headshots on an IPSC brown man target at 50yds.

That's more than I can do with most handguns!

 

[MachIVshooter]

Slugs are just fun

 

[Youngster]

I can get good results out to 150 yards, I don't know about further than that as I've never tried but that's more than good enough for my purposes regardless.

Anyways I wonder if the wad attached Brenneke and Gualandi type slugs are maybe a bit more potent and/or accurate at range?

 

[c1ogden]

...

 

[MCgunner]

Meh, I'm keeping my rifles.

 

[El Mariachi]

Oh crap, Snarls, I didn't know this was you---I just got done watching some of your 8mm Mauser vids and what not.

WFD, Sir.....

 

[Oxide]

I think the nay sayers are actually more "not shotgun fanboys". I mean, I own that very gun, the Benelli M4, and, although I haven't done it, I could very well have a lot of fun throwing slugs way out there, but I will not say that that gun is at its best at that range.

Many are fanboys, the saiga crowd especially, and assume it is the best gun for everything in some sort of mad quest for self gratification. It is not, whether or not it be a Saiga, Benelli, or Remington. There is no best gun for everything.

However, that is not to say that a slug gun can not be very effective at that range. I would not choose to be downrange at 200 yards from any firearm, pistol, shotgun, rifle, or musket. I have taken deer with a shotgun, and turkey with a centerfire, though I usually reverse that, so there is a variety of uses for everything.

 

[Rollis R. Karvellis]

A rifled choke would make that baby sing.

 

[zhyla]

Meh, I'm keeping my rifles.

Well, the fact that you lose half the velocity at 200 yards makes me question whether it's a useful round at that distance. At that point it's got similar energy to a hot .45 ACP round up close. Still worth something, but it doesn't retain the enormous amount of power that made you pick up the 12ga in the first place.

Nothing wrong with picking up a rifle for distance.