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bullfrog99
January 7, 2001, 10:59 PM
other than slugs, fleshettes, and bolo rounds, does anyone have another propriatary way of getting an effective shotshell payoad out past 50 yards with a short tubed scattergun?

Dave McC
January 8, 2001, 08:28 AM
Nope. Shotguns are close range weapons. Since you mentioned short tubes,I'm assuming you're talking about defense, not hunting or games here.

Some gun/load/choke combos are better than others for getting the payload out there, BUT NONE can hold it together that far out. Here, it's a rifle mission...

Intel6
January 8, 2001, 10:15 AM
I regularly shoot steel gongs out to 150m with my 11-87 Police with MMC ghostrings. The 150m steel that I usually shoot at is about 15" across and I don't have any problems hitting it on a regular basis. I know at that distance it is better to use my M4 carbine but it is nice to know I could hit out that far with my SG if I needed to.

bullfrog99
January 9, 2001, 09:00 AM
intel, what kind of load? bird shot? buck i'm basically looking for a woods defense gun, and figured in michigan woods, 65 yards is all i'de need and figure it would be a waste of effort to sport an asault rifle with a 300 yard effective range when 65 is tops. plus i love shotguns.

Paochow
January 9, 2001, 09:09 AM
I heard that a Patternmaster choke from Cabellas can tighten up your pattern to get the results that you seek. The price is pretty steep ($80), so I haven't purchased one yet, but I know last year several members of this forum had. The only thing to keep in mind is that buckshot pellets aren't as aerodynamic as bullets, and will lose quite a bit of power at longer ranges.

Intel6
January 9, 2001, 10:59 AM
Sorry I didn't specify it was slugs. I was just assuming we were talking about slugs when you start talking shooting past 50 yds.

That 11-87P is also Vang Comped and throws a nice tight pattern but anything past 30-35 yds I would just do a slug select and shoot the slug.

It would seem to me for your purpose, carrying buck in an improved choked SG and then carrying some slugs would be the way to go.

Glamdring
January 9, 2001, 11:46 AM
Or you could carry a shotgun rifle combo or a drilling.

Why not just use slugs?

bullfrog99
January 9, 2001, 10:09 PM
basically i'm looking for hit probability. slugs are dandy critters, but in 65 yards of trees, odds are it will hit a twig somewhere, and all i did was send up a nice noisy flare telling the other guy "Hey i'm over here!" With heavier lead birdshot or buckshot, i'de at least have a chance of getting one or two pellets in a part of the body that would give the other guy pause to reconcider.

Fatcat
January 10, 2001, 12:57 AM
Previous experience with a hot .44 mag out of a carbine hitting a tiny twig, and deflecting enough to hit an elk in the antler instead of the ribcage makes me leery of anything hitting a twig or branch, even a slug, and remaining accurate afterwards.

Though a slug would be your best choice at that range, regardless.

Jhp147
January 10, 2001, 06:07 AM
I have no formal testing on this, but I bet Vang Comp would be the best bet for hitting something other than air at 65 yards. Anybody really actually patterned buck out that far with one, or even 50? Man, you must hang out in some dangerous woods....

Al Thompson
January 10, 2001, 07:48 AM
The range that I use has stations from the shooting line for 25/50/75/100 yds in line. At 110 tards, there is a 10 ft tall berm. When I've checked buckshot at 25 or 50, it's not hard to see what's happening at 110.

Given that your thinking of a combat situation, two thoughts come to mind.

IIRC, most buckshot loads are unacceptable at 50 yards and based on observation and memory, covered about a 6 ft X 6ft impact area at 100. The sole exception I tested was a Scattergun Tech 870 with the modified choke tube and WW #1 plated shot - 2 3/4, 16 pellets. I would get 4 to 10 pellets on an E type target at a measured 50 yards. The key is testing throughly. BTW, there was no consistancy to the number of hits (one shot 4 hits, next 10, etc., etc.).

The other thought is based on observation during buckshot only hunts for deer. I have observed the double/triple tap technique used successfully at extended range. Mostly by slob hunters using an auto. I don't like it for game as it's sloppy, but for two legged varmits.....

Other questions you need to answer for yourself are - if the target will be that fleeting, wouldn't disengagement be a better option? How do you practice target ID if the terrain is that thick with vegatation? I have not tested this, but just how effective is a .32 caliber round ball going to be in excess of 50 yards?

Food for thought.

Giz

Jerry Stordahl
January 10, 2001, 07:04 PM
Bullfrog: I don't know what size animal you are dealing with but I use a Mossberg Turkey 500 with 20 inch barrel, modified choke. I have nailed fox at 65 yards with WW Double XX Magnums, the 2.75" load with #4 shot. I've seen jack rabbits knocked over at beyond that distance with the same load. They are buffered copperplated shot, and they are great for longer than normal ranges.

schlickenmeyer
January 11, 2001, 06:00 PM
Ok, look, I've been shooting a man sized/shaped steel target at 100 yards for years. Slugs, 00 Buck, 000 Buck are all effective at this range. Slugs only drop a few inches, and if you have no practice you will still hit it a good portion of the time. Try it, you'll never think of the shotgun as a 20 yard weapon again. FYI, I use a Mossberg 500 with a 18" barrel, no choke.

[Testing edit feature]

[Edited by schlickenmeyer on 01-13-2001 at 11:31 AM]

Dave McC
January 11, 2001, 08:19 PM
I can kick a 24" gong around with slugs at 110 yds,and so can most folks, but what's the point?

As for using buck at that range, are you saying that EVERY pellet is on target at that range?

Pellets that miss the target in an AS scenario can end up tragically elsewhere.

Last time I tested some stuff for the state, I used an PC choked 870, issue 00 and the B-27( I think) target. Out of 10 rounds shot at 25 yards, NONE had all 9 pellets in the silohuette.