Slug gun choices

[HNTNBUX]

I'm going to start deer hunting in a shotgun zone this year. What autoloading shotgun would you recomend or is it worth getting one of the new bolt action slug guns. I have no experience in what kind of accuracy to expect from these guns, and don't want to just be slinging lead. I have a Beneli M-1 but was advised the slug barrel would cost as much as a Remington 1100. At that cost I would rather have another gun. Suggestions....

[icehousebob]

I own an Ithaca Deerslayer II that up to 100 yards will do as well as any centerfire. It uses 3" Sabot slugs that will kick you into next week but I've shot one hole three shot groups at 100 yards and I'm not that great a shot so it has to be the gun. I shot a few types of slugs and found that Federal slugs work best in mine, but each gun is an individual when it comes to ammo. I have a 1.5 to 4 power scope on top. Make sure you get a scope that can stand the recoil. I've shot the crosshairs out of two of them over the years. Do your homework before deer season. Good luck.

[Rost]

I shoot a Remington 870, rifled slug barrel, cantelever scope mount with a straight 2x scope. If you want an auto, look at an 11-87 with the same barrel.

I also looked into putting a slug barrel on my Benelli. At the time, they did not offer a fully rifled barrel nor a cantelever scope mount.

[Guest]

I have used a 1100 with a hastings rifled slug barrell and scope,very good set-up.

[lawdog]

I have a Rem 870 with a rifled barrel and cantilever scope and another with a smooth bore open sight barrel and both are great guns. Bought 870 youth model 20 and added the smooth bore slugger for that one too and the little guy sure likes it. If you aren't stuck on the auto, that's surely a great combination. If you want the auto that rifled barrel and cantilever system they have for the 11-87 is the same basically and its just a good setup. I topped mine with Nikon Prostaff 2-7 scope and here is how it works...

I shot a buck this year at 73 yards on the range finder and I heard that Remington Copper Solid Sabot just absolutely thump that chest cavity. The heart was 2/3 gone when I gutted him about 40 yards later... That's 2 3/4" by the way, the shoot much more accurately I've found.

[Stratosman]

My gun of choice is the 1187 with the Remington rifled slug barrel, 3" Federal Sabot's, nice grouping at 100 yards at will flat out bury most deer with one well placed shot. I have shot open sights for the last 10 years but I think I might put a red dot on it for this fall. Anyone have any opinions on red dots?

I have heard great things about the Tar-Hunt custom slug guns, bolt action and accurate as all heck, a bit pricey thought, maybe some day I will look into one of those a bit closer.

[bigbucks]

I use the smooth bore 870 with open sights. It's in a pie plate or coffee can lid at 100 yards, which is plenty good for me. I shoot 2 3/4 el cheapo Federals & Winchesters, both shoot well, Remington slugs shoot terrible out of my gun, other 870's I know of they shoot great.

[Jackpine Rob]

I shoot an 1100 with a Hastings cantilever scope mount barrel topped with a Burris 1.75 - 5. Out to 125 its going to put them in the boiler room every time, and the recoil is more than manageable. I'm shooting Federal Premium sabots, and get 2" groups at 100 yds. Guess if I got a trigger job I could tighten that up a bit, but why bother? Mr. Buck doesn't know the difference...

[CodyDawg]

One of the common themes in this thread is the Hastings barrel with a cantilever mount and a Scope. In my case, it is a Burris scope and it all is mounted on a Beretta 390, which, knock on wood.....knock on wood again....is sitting at just over 9,000 rounds without a jam. I do clean it once, maybe twice a year though. I would pick the shotgun that you like and fits you the best that Hastings makes a barrel for and away you go. As for slugs, I use the Federal Barnes Expanders and love'em. Shoot right around that 2" group at 100 yards, 4-5" at 150, plus, they have the energy at 150 to get the job done.

[TV BOY]

I use a benelli nova which came with a rifled barrel with adj sights and was tapped for a scope. Very accurate! it seems to like fed. barnes expanders the best.

[riverrat56]

Before you go out and drop the money on a rifled barrel, shoot a couple differnt brands of the cheapo slugs through your regular barrel, my 1100 shoots in a paper plate at 75 yards and all i have for a sight is a front bead. Realisticly most of the areas hunted down here dont offer a shot past 100 yards so if you are comfortable shooting at 75 then you can wait a little and probally get a 75 yard shot. I've shot 4 deer with my gun and ive hunted 4 years, all have been with in 20 yards except this year was just over 60 on a dead run. Every deer has dropped stone dead in its tracks also.

RR56

[lawdog]

Riverrat, not trying to start anything, but I really don't agree with that theory for just a couple reasons. Shooting paper plate accurate on the range while sighting in your gun is just not accurate enough in my opinion. That is the best case most accurate shooting you'll do.

Now, take that paper plate and turn it into a deer. Add your adreneline and take away whatever rest you are shooting from. Also, take away the element of unlimited time to prepare for the shot. Maybe add in some weather issues and now what has that paperplate accuracy turned into??? If your best case most accurate scenario is paper plate sized, your realistic hunting scenario won't possibly be as good and greatly increases your chances of missing or worse yet wounding an animal. If we can afford everything else it takes to be out there, we should spend the extra dollars to be as accurate as we possibly can. We owe it to the resource in my opinion.

[Norsky]

I bought the rem. 870 with the black synthetic stock and the rifled barrel. I put a 1x4 scope (bushnell) on it and absolutely love it. Three shots and three dead deer last season (party hunting). I get a 4" grouping at 100 yards with the Federal Barnes expanders. I like the 3/4 oz , 2 3/4", they have the highest velocity, flatest trajection. The autoloaders are nice, but I prefer the plain old reliability of a pump, especially if it's below zero. If the deer is dumb enough stand around after the first shot, you'll have enough time to pump and shoot again. You really should be able to kill them on the first shot anyway, or wait until you can.

[riverrat56]

lawdog, for the record, i cant afford anything else, also i dont take shots at deer unless they are close, the one that i shot on the run was already wounded by another member of our party, i sight in my shot gun from my stand while standing up shooting so that i get an accurate feel and used to my deer stand, also i wear all my hunting clothes and do not use a rest, most of my shots while hunting i can lean against the tree with the gun. I wont take a marginal shot or a shot that i do not feel confident in, last year a passed up a big buck and a nice doe on opening morning because they were at about 50 yards and through some light brush with just holes to shoot through. I didnt think i could make a clean kill at that range so i let them walk, i ended up shooting a small buck the next day at 20 yards, i dont regret my desicion because i dont want to risk wasting a true trophy because i am greedy, let someone else have there chance at a big buck. just seeing him was a thrill enough to me.

I was only trying to convey the point that you dont need a specialized slug gun to kill a deer, many many people i know hunt with a smooth bore shot gun and as long as you take a shot with in your range it is perfectly ethical to the deer because you can make a clean kill. Also at the range 3 of my deer have been shot i can over lap 3 slugs while standing up shooting off hand so i think that is good enough for the deer.

Believe me if i didnt think i was being fair to the animals i would quit hunting, i have had to help one to many people search for a deer that was marginally hit, i dont want to be the person that looses a deer or wounds one and it has to live with a limp its whole life. I only take shots that i know will put the deer down and i dont try to make the long shot so i can go tell everyone about the amazing shot i made. If i could afford a rifled barrel or a specialized slug gun I would get one but being a poor highschool student on a limited budget it just doesnt fit into the plans right now.

[HNTNBUX]

Thanks for all the information. I am just trying to get the best accuracy I can within reason. I have shot my Benelli with slugs and it starts climbing high and left at about 50 yards, not to mention it kicks like a mule. I am used to using a Browning A-BoltII 7mm Rem Mag with a Nikon 4-12, no question as to the accuracy with that rifle. I hunted one day last year during the Minnesota gun season and had to pass up a shot at a good buck because I didn't feel comfortable with a 75 yard shot. I just want to avoid that situation if I can. A cantileaver scope mount, scope and sabots sounds like the winning combination. Now to go look at the 1100, 11-87 and the Ithaca.

[bigbucks]

lawdog,

I don't necessarily agree with what you said about the range results being the best scenario, at least not always, generally that's probably true. I've noticed some hunters, self included, may not do that well on the range, but will consistently do well shooting at game. Whether it's a sublte involuntary lack of concentration in mock situations, versus the real thing or whatever. I don't know why. I agree that a person can't assume they'll be like that, but I've known a lot of people who were consistenly better than I when it came to practice shooting, but they often botched the "real thing" where I'd make the shot. I'm not trying to look good or anything like that, I'm just saying that isn't always the case.

[lawdog]

I sure wasn't trying to rip riverrat at all, and it sounds like you understand your guns limitations and that's great. I also don't disagree bigbucks that there are guys who are much worse (and I suppose much better) under differing circumstances.

My point is simply that if a pie plate is the best accuracy you can get, at "x" yardage, whether on the range or in your stand or whereever you think you shoot best, than that is too far for you to shoot in my mind to be acceptably accurate. At twenty yards, yes a barrel/bead shotgun is accurate enough... At 60 or 70 yards? No way. You should be able to find a rifle sighted smooth bore slug barrel for many shotguns for less than $100. HARDLY a large investment compared to most things we buy to hunt with.

[uffdapete]

As much as I wanted to just have one all purpose shotgun I ran into the same problem. So I shopped until I found a used Mossberg pump for $100 and found a rifled barrel with a cantilever scope mount at a gun show for $125. This set up is extremely accurate and dependable.

Another option is to find an older, cheaper shotgun with a ribbed barrel and cylinder or improved cylinder bore and install aftermarket rifle sights on the rib. I bought an old JC Higgins pump with a riot barrel for $60 and sights for $20-25 and that shoots well out to 70 yds. This gun gets used if there's moisture in the air.

Prior to this I had an 1100 with a smoothbore slug barrel. I had problems with accuracy and sent the barrel to the factory. They returned the barrel a month later with a target at which they had test fired at 40 yds. The target had a 5 shot group that spanned 10" and they enclosed a memo saying the "barrel tested within factory specs".

I traded the gun within a month and was left with a real sour taste for Remington factory specs.

[midwesthunter]

I used a smoothbore for deer hunting three falls and had enough with that. Then I went out and purchased a Browning 12 gauge A-bolt in synthetic. This gun is amazing. I can shoot 2" groups at 125 yards shooting remington copper solids. This is the perfect gun for anyone hunting in a shotgun only zone, especially if you have an open area that may require a longer shot. The only downside to this gun is Browning stopped making them because they could not compete with the cheaper bolt action shotguns. Just my 2 cents.