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Question for Slug Shooters

5K views 15 replies 12 participants last post by  Merlyn 
#1 ·
I see a bunch of threads on slug shooting. Here in Mississippi we can throw hand grenades at deer if we have one and slugs are not used that much. I have played with a 1187 with a Rem rifled screw in and sabot slugs and was REALLY surprised at how well they shoot. This is a scoped gun and off a rest with Fed sabot slugs it will shoot 4" at 100 yds. Absolutely blew me away. All the slugs I have ever shot were through smooth bores and a foot at 50 was pretty good. Can you guys that live in shotgun only states used saboted slugs? Looks to me like it would be the only choice if legal and if you have never tried it, I think you would be impressed. Again my gun is nothing special, 1187 with a Rem screw in slug choke and a low powered scope. Just wondered.
 
#5 ·
I live in WNY and it is slugs only. For years I shot an 1187 with a fully rifled barrel and Lightfield sabot slugs.


Last year before the season started, some of us were sitting around talking about the price of sabots. Then I got to thinking about the distances I typically shot deer from.


In the past I could not remember one deer that was shot past 80 yrds. So I brought out the old Wingmaster with the smooth 21.5" barrel and went to work.


Years ago when I used this gun for slugs exclusively, I shot Rem sluggers through it. It wasn't worth a darn. Shot terrible.



So I bought Feds., Wins, and Brenneke. All were just the reg old rifled slugs. The 2 or 3.00 a box variety.


Ended up that the Brenneke slugs shoot absolutely unbelievale out of this old 870.At 75 yds off of a bench, and with rifle sights. I was touching holes!



Took 2 nice does and a buck last year. All died expediciously. In fact, those Brenneke's do one hell of a job on a whitetail. I'm talking MAJOR blood loss.


So that's my story. Now with that said, if I were to put together a dedicated tree stand slug gun, say an A bolt, fully rifled, with a scope, then I would go back to sabots for that particular gun.


Best of luck, any questions, feel free to ask.
 
#6 ·
Sabot slugs are legal in all of New York State. This year I will be using my own homemade sabot.I use a pure lead 525 gr. sabot, win. waa114f wad, 33.6 Gr. of herco powder, win. 209 primer, and a federal gold medal case. Wad is seated with110 lbs of pressure. A 10 shot string ave.vel. is 1352 fps. 50 yd group measures 1.5 in. 100 yd group is 3 in. Im using a benelli m1 super 90 with an eR Shaw barrel open sights. Simalar results with 1187 and Hastings barrel. Other than the fun Ive had developing this load, is the cost is only 1.75. box of 5.
 
#9 ·
Blizzard. If we go out and shoot a smooth bore field barrel, add a red dot scope and Brenneke slugs we can get good groups up to 100 yards. This set-up is less costly with a little less recoil.

For a little more precision shooting, the Lightfield sabots with a rifled barrel and scope will provide great groups at and beyond 100 yards. This set-up is a little more costly and a little more recoil but a little more refined results. We get a less drop with shots over 100 yards with this setup. Roger
 
#10 ·
I lived for ten years in SW Michigan where only shotguns, muzzleloaders, and archery were legal for deer. At first I had a 20 gauge Beretta Silver Snipe O/U that I used for birds, and killed one doe with it using a Brenneke slug. The slug worked well, but about anything should at 15 yards or so. I later traded the Beretta for an 870 TB trap model, and later bought a Remington slug barrel for it. With Brenneke slugs and the iron sights it would shoot well enough to hit a squirrel at 50 yards. I don't recall ever having shot a deer with it, but would not have any qualms about using it again if I were restricted to short-range weapons. The barrel still sits in my safe and the slugs are in a cabinet in my loading room. It's been nearly 30 years since I last shot them. My recollection is that the recoil is pretty stout, much more so than a trap load, but that they were very accurate through that barrel.

Where I hunt now in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming my rifles are much more appropriate for big game. I can recall taking about three Mulie bucks at 15-40 yards, but a whole lot more at 150 yards on up. I sight in at 3" high at 100 yards, and need not worry about drop until past 350 yards. You can't do that with any slug I know of.
 
#11 ·
Cripes, I'm getting sub-3" groups at 100 yards with my Remington 1187 21" barrel with a mod choke using 2-3/4" Remington Sluggers.<br>
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Sluggers are suprisingly accurate * IF * you give them some choke. Shot from a cylinder or IC bore, they don't group as well. They're perfectly safe in a mod or even full choke.<br>
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I have carried my 1187 in heavy cover for deer hunting, but I have not shot a deer with it yet. I did nail this coyote running full out sideways to me at 20 yards. Put two slugs in him (you can see the holes) while he was on the run. The first slug put him, but the 1187 is so fast to shoot and is so managable with the Rem R3 recoil pad (Limbsaver) for followup shots. (The deer in the pic is my son's. We believe this coyote was tailing the deer. I drove the deer out to my son, and when he shot the deer this coyote came running back towards me.) My shotgun is an 1187 fully camo'd turkey gun with a 21" barrel and rifle sights. I've installed Trijicon tritium night sights because it's primary purpose is coyote hunting at night (legal here on property you own or are the agent of the landowner). For coyotes I use #4 buck and a super full turkey choke.<br>
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#12 ·
Illinois. Slugs, rifled, sabot, etc are legal from smoothbore or rifled barrels. There is a minimum size for the slug diameter and 10 ga is the largest and 20 ga the smallest legal. I have two main guns, an 870 with a Hastings rifled "paradox" barrel and red dot sight which shoots well with the old Brennekes, the Hornady SST, AND my own loaded Lyman sabot slugs. An 11-87 also performs well. Had a rifle sighted slug barrel (smooth with a rifled choke tube) on it last year. 2 1/2" at fifty yards with SSTs. I came across another barrel, identical but with cantilever mounts, otherwise same. It has a 3-9X and is sighted in with the SSTs. I use the Lyman slugs (sabot design) in new AA cases, Universal clays powder and 12S3 wads, for practice but am about to go to them full time as they shoot so well. (I hate to practice with shells that cost $3 each when I can shoot ten of my own for $3.)
 
#14 ·
Monte McGee H&H are definitely top notch but I would not feel comfortable suggesting a price or value, too many models, age and conditions. And the dollar fluctuation makes a difference and I,m not up to date. I would suggest that if you can get your hands on it, take it to George Barry in Indianola (Jimmy Slater's) and ask him. I am sure you know George and if you do you also know he is a great guy and very knowledgeable.
All this said, if it is a good tight gun, it will last a lifetime.
 
#15 ·
My 1100 with smooth bore deer barrels will shoot really well with winchester or federal foster type slugs. The remington slugs are of much smaller diameter and require some more choke to center them in the bore, The fully rifled barrels shine with the sabots. I shot against them in the Iowa games and did ok, but a fellow trapshooter using an 1100 with smooth bore deer barrel and winchester foster slugs beat everyone including the scoped, rifled saboted guns. I am not saying his gun grooped any better, but it did well enough to beat the others. the targets were steel plates about the size of a sheet of paper off hand at three different ranges. the last one being 88 meters. He hit all 4 at that range and ended up like 9 for 10.
 
#16 ·
I have used a 1100 in 20 ga with a Hastings rifeled bbl with Fed "punkin' balls" and get a 3" group at 75yds. Every deer I have shot has been real dead (RD) right there (RT). It is a 64 or so calibre and a 400+ grain bullit -- put it in the "boilerworks -- you can do the math......merlyn......
 
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