What slugs perform best in YOUR gun?

[27hand]

I searched around for various threads about slugs and hunting with shotguns.

The county I live in (Western Pa) banned the use of rifles a bit better than 20 years ago.

I started the first shotgun only season with my trusty Savage model 30 rabbit gun. I bought a few different types of slugs and after shooting a few slugs of each type, figured 50 yds was my max range. I was looking around my loading bench and saw some dusty old boxes of slugs and was surprised at how many different types I had kept these last 20+ years.

Those of you who do use a shotgun for deer. What type of slugs have you used in either a smoothbore or rifled tube? How long did it take to settle on a certain type? What type and accuracy can you get with them?

Here is what I started with:
The Remingtons were the best out of my rabbit gun although I can't remember what size group I had initially. Along with these 3 boxes, I found a lone Remington 20 ga. that had a hollow point. Since I only had 1 left, I have to figure they shot the best. I harvested a 6 point at about 30/35 yds that first shotgun season.

The next year, all pumped from being successful with the 20 ga., I bought an Ithaca Deerslayer in 12 ga. with a 20" rifled tube. Not sure if a scope would hold up, I put a cheap Simmons 3X9 on it figuring if it crapped out, I wouldn't be out too much. It's still on there.
Here are some of the different types of 12 Ga slugs I tried.





I started out trying to use regular rifled slugs using the Federal Hi Shok's in both 2 3/4" & 3". These were all over the place at 100yds and the 3" hurt me. . I had also tried the Rottweil Brenneke's with just about the same result.

Not sure how I came across the Ballistic Research Industry sabots but using them cut my groups way down to around 4" at 100. BRI was bought out by Winchester and you can see they still used the BRI label on their box. A few years later, the only reference to BRI was a line item on the back of the box.

A buddy of mine was using Remington Copper Solids. I bought a few boxes and the 100 yd group got smaller by about half. So I was shooting 2 to 2 1/2" groups and smaller at 100. The cost of these went up considerably so I bought a few boxes of Lightfields which grouped very close to the Solids.

I have posted this target quite a few times. The Lightfields actually grouped tighter than the solids. Due to cost, I only shoot 2 sight in shots to verify zero.



I heard some guys shoot slugs out to almost 200 yds but have yet to see any type of target that this is a viable range. My SG hits a bit high at 100. I would be comfortable going to about 125.

Thought's? Target pics?

 

[matrem]

I have two "dedicated" shotgun barrels for two different 870s. One is a 70s era 20" smoothbore with rifled sights that typically resides on a 70s Wingmaster, the other is a 20" rifled cantilever that does its work on a Special Purpose.

The best accuracy I've been able to get from the smoothbore is with (discontinued) Activ 2 3/4 slugs. Those were usually about 3-4" 3 shot groups at 75 yards if I did my part. Killed several deer with those at ranges between 15 and 70 yds, and they are great deer neutralizers.
My rifled bbl likes 3" Copper solids fairly well and those have been used to kill 3 or 4 deer. No complaints with accuracy, but not really that much better than Activs in the smoothbore.

My particular rifled bbl seems to like 2 3/4 Core Lokt Ultras a bit better than Copper Solids and has printed 3 shots into 2" or so at 75 yards on a few occasions. Those have been responsible for two deer with good results.

My first hand experience with slug gun accuracy testing is not very extensive, but that's I've found. On the other hand, my brother does extensive slug gun and ammo testing, and he's now using a Savage 220 and I can't keep up with the current most accurate slug flavor he's using these days.

 

[PonyKiller]

my mossberg 500 wears a 24" rifled barrel a 2.5 power scope, and it shoots hornady sabot slugs the best, out of what i've tried, and federal fusion sabot second. I've tried those two, and remington accutips, and lightfield hybreds, all 2 3/4". i'm usually good for about 3/4" at fifty from a sitting position leaning on a post or tree, and usually can hold it inside 2.5-3" from the same position at 100" pretty good in my opinion. never really shoot that one from a bench if i can at all help it. when i get back out to resight it, and re-familiarise in a few weeks i'll post up some pics.

 

[1911 guy]

I'm a fan of Mossberg and have a couple of them. The slug gun likes Winchester 2 3/4" lugs. By happy coincidence, they also happen to be some of the least expensive. Had a Winchester shotgun a few years ago that liked the spendy stuff.

 

[LuvMyGuns]

Winchester rifled slugs from walmart tend to be very accurate at 50 yards out of my Stoeger and my Mossberg and my Smith and Wesson 10/20. I do much better with them then the Remington sluggers and the Fiochi I have tried.

 

[ScrapMetalSlug]

Hornaday SST 2 3/4 in 300 grn sabots out of a 24in rifled barrel on a mossberg 500. Drop deer cold, extremely accurate, but unfortunately not cheap at a little over $2 a shot.

 

[d2wing]

I've had good luck with the silver box Winchester Sabots. The slug charts show up to 125 yards for a reason. I have not seen 100% kills zone accuracy past 100 yards with any combo. But at the expense and recoil and wild variety poi between different slugs and barrels I doubt many guys find much better results.
Anything is possible on the Internet and campaign speeches.

 

[JEB]

my preference is for the federal power-shok sabots. after much frustration last summer trying to get consistent accuracy out of my rifled barrel and conventional slugs, i finally broke down and tried some sabots. the federals were the cheapest sabots on the shelf at my LGS so i tried them first. shot two boxes of them and saw no reason to waste the money to try anything else as i was suddenly getting 1.5" 100 yard groups. dropped a few deer with them last year and they worked just like a slug should. quick kills and full penetration on every shot.

the best performance i have ever seen out of a slug was the Brenneke Green Lightning. used those the year before last and they hit like a hammer! the damage was just devistating! took a broadside shot at about 70 yards and there was a fan-shaped spray of blood where the deer was standing. it only ran about 15 yards, but it POURED blood every inch of the way.

 

[Patocazador]

I don't have a 20 ga. that will shoots slugs well at all. My Remington 870s in 12 ga. fire Winchester regular Forster-style slugs well out to 60 yards with IC chokes. My Hastings rifled tube with a scope fires the same slug accurately out to 85 yds. I tried 3 different sabot slugs and none did any better than the cheap regular ones so I save $$ and shoot the cheapies.

 

[PonyKiller]

took it down to the range and checked the zero. It was just were i left it, 1.5" high at 50ys, and 2.25" high at 100, giving it a theoretical zero between 140-150yds.

was kneeling behind a bench with my elbows on it, much like i do with a fallen tree, i did 1.5" at 50yds, and about 2.75" 100 yds.

I use the 2.5x20 scope that came with the package from dick's. The center of the crosshairs comepletely covers that 2" orange circle at a hundred. i was aiming at the top edge of it so i could see it.

Oddly enough when we were at the range, every time i fired, i'd smack myself in the nose with my right thumb, about twenty minutes ago, that i still had the low cheek rest on.

 

[336A]

The last time I used my shotgun & rifled barrel was 10 years ago. I was using Winchester Platinum Tip slugs, my gun seemed to like them well enough. I haven't used that barrel since due to the overall cost of sabot ammunition. I just recently started using my 12GA and slugs for deer again. I love the way a slug hammers deer, I've never had deer react in the same manner after being hit with a rifle unless it was a CNS shot. However this time I'm using standard rifled slugs, I chose Brenneke K.O. slugs.

These slugs seem to be the most consistent slugs from gun to gun that I've seen. A friend of mine picked some up at Dick's about 10 years ago when he couldn't find his favored Federal slug. That is the first time I've ever seen them and they were only about $2.99 IIRC. The termnal performance that I've seen with these slugs has been awesome. When using these slugs it has always been one and done with complete penetration. So that is what I'm using.

 

[dusty14u]

Hornaday SST 2 3/4 in 300 grn sabots out of a 24in rifled barrel on a mossberg 500. Drop deer cold, extremely accurate, but unfortunately not cheap at a little over $2 a shot.

This is my combo also. Great deer getter for years in Virginia. I moved to North Carolina this year and can now use centerfire rifle so I am not sure how often I will pull the slug gun out. We do have a good black bear population here and the slug gun would be a choice for them.

 

[red rick]

Remington AccuTip 20 ga. 2 3/4" 260 gr. group best in my Savage 220.

 

[Legionnaire]

My Mossberg 500 (rifled barrel with cantilevered scope mount, Leupold M8 4X) shot the original Remington copper solids very well--about 2.5" at 100 yards. When Remington changed the construction of the slugs, I believe due to complaints about the slug petals breaking off, they no longer shot well in my gun--6" or thereabouts.

Now I'm shooting 2-3/4 Federals with Barnes Expander copper solids. They don't shoot as well as the original Remingtons, but close ... about 3". That's good enough for me.

 

[T.R.]

Hornady SST slugs for my rifled slug barrel. When I do my part, it will produce 2.5 inch groups at 100 yards. But recoil is vicious!

TR