Who hunts deer w/ a 12ga & rifled/slug barrel?

[isnipe]

that sucksyou guys should move to texas we can hunt with rifles

[JackSparrow]

Uncle Ben: I use Winchester SuperX 2 3/4" rifled slugs through my Winchester SX3. They're usually $2.50 a box (of 5). During peak hunting season, they tend to be up to $3.00 a box.

[TimT]

Like others, my reason for using slugs is due to laws. Most shots are close enough for slugs anyways.

That being said, this season I would have filled my tag if I would have had a rifle. I saw lots of deer that were just out of my comfort range for slugs, but I would have felt fine taking the shot if I had a rifle.

[rem870hunter]

NJ allows shotguns,and m/l rifles for deer hunting.

shotguns smooth or rifled bore with buckshot,slugs or sabotted slug (20ga to 10 ga)
m/l rifles single barrel, single shot with round ball,sabot or conical bullet .45 cal min size.

for firearm season here i've been using the m/l more than the shotgun. yes i have 3 shots with the shotgun. but our 6 day gun week is the only time i'll use the shotgun. mostly driving during that time keeps the deer on alert and moving alot. and the m/l season has more than 3 days in december.

depending on the terrain and cover when using the shotgun i'll either use the 20" smoothbore w/sights barrel carrying buckshot and slugs or the 28" vr carrying buckshot only. i like the longer range i have with the m/l,i have'nt had the money to buy another 870 and have a rifled barrel pinned to the receiver or to buy a bolt action type with a fully rifle barrel.

[Master Blaster]

Delaware is the same Shotguns, and MLs, with a one week long handgun over ..40 caliber season.

The reason for the rule is high population density. A 1500 FPS projectile from a shotgun travels half the distance a rifle round travels before it hits the ground.

[Legionnaire]

I use a scoped Mossberg 500 with rifled barrel where required by law; otherwise, I'd opt for a rifle.

[Dave McC]

When they started opening up shotgun areas in MD in the 70s, I had a choice.

I could drive to Garret County and use a rifle on sparse numbers of deer, bucks only.

Or, I could use a shotgun less than ten miles from home and see much greater numbers of deer and have a chance on doe permits.

The choice was obvious. And it paid off.

At this point in 50 years or so of hunting, I've taken.....

Someplace more than 25 deer, best guess, with shotguns.

Maybe 15 with MLs.

And counting a desert Mule deer in Ca once, maybe 5 or so with a rifle.

My success rate went up after starting to bowhunt. Having the limited range, needing great scent discipline and movement, etc, really hiked up the skills so that, at least in the areas where I hunt, a shotgun suffices.

Learning to dope out wind, drop, etc for long range deer sniping is an art in itself. But learning how to take them very close is major fun and a rush like you can't believe.

To paraphrase a friend, the shotgun doesn't limit the shooter, the shooter limits the shotgun...

[wnycollector]

My first deer was taken almost 30 years ago with an H&R single shot w/ bead sight loaded with a foster type slug. The shotgun has changed for me but not much else Every deer I have shot has been 50 yards or less...and for that a shotgun loaded with slugs works fine.

I will say that I do enjoy hunting at a buddies place in one of NY's shotgun, muzzleloader, handgun AND RIFLE counties (cattaraugus). I get to use some of my old mil surplus rifles to hunt!

[Beentown71]

Remington 870. I hunt in OH and I use two types of barrels and slugs. For drive hunting I use a smooth barrel with open sights shooting Remington Sluggers. If I am stand hunting then it is a cantilevered, rifled barrel with Hornady SST's or Brenekke KO's. Since we all love pics Here is an old pic:



Regards,

Beentown

[rshanneck2002]

petzikilla, what slugs do you shoot thru your 11-87, i agree with you about your setup, i use the same setup here in SW MI. I have kinda wondered because the twist rate on these barrells(at least mine) is 1 in 34 i believe witch indicates using the slower sabots. I am thinking about experimiting with some of the newer faster sabots but everything i read says i need a faster twist to really handle them in a 11-87. I have shot lightfields for the last 7 yrs thru mine and liked them alot, but lately it seems they arnt coming from the factory as accurate as they once were,going to experiment this coming spring with others.

[Brian Pfleuger]

petzikilla, what slugs do you shoot thru your 11-87, i agree with you about your setup, i use the same setup here in SW MI. I have kinda wondered because the twist rate on these barrells(at least mine) is 1 in 34 i believe witch indicates using the slower sabots. I am thinking about experimiting with some of the newer faster sabots but everything i read says i need a faster twist to really handle them in a 11-87. I have shot lightfields for the last 7 yrs thru mine and liked them alot, but lately it seems they arnt coming from the factory as accurate as they once were,going to experiment this coming spring with others.

In my gun I've tried Remington Core-Lokt Ultras, Remingtin Accutips and Winchester XP3s.

The accuracy of the XP3s was HORRID, like 14 inches at 100 yards, the Core-Lokts was fine to about 75 yards, but were like 8 or 10 inches at 100 and the Accutips are OK out to at least 100, right about 3 inches, but not 150, where they were at least 10 inches low and right.

[kennybs plbg]

Federal makes an excellent sabot slug also, my 1300 loves them. Don't be affraid to experiment with different brands, you'd be surprised with the results.

kenny b

[Morgoroth]

I have a Mossberg 20g pump I intend to hunt deer with, because the ranges are all going to be close anyway.

I do want to use slugs some though so I have two questions.
The first is, what kind of slugs do you guys recommend?

The second is what kind of scope would you suggest?
I have the ribbed barrel that is a 28inch smooth bore that came with the gun, so I am not sure if I can even put a scope on it.
But, assuming I could, what would you guys suggest?

[Brian Pfleuger]

I do want to use slugs some though so I have two questions.
The first is, what kind of slugs do you guys recommend?

The second is what kind of scope would you suggest?
I have the ribbed barrel that is a 28inch smooth bore that came with the gun, so I am not sure if I can even put a scope on it.
But, assuming I could, what would you guys suggest?

In smooth-bore guns, I always had good luck with Winchester Super-X. My dad's gun, on the other hand, preferred Federals. Try a couple brands and see what that gun likes.

For a scope, I really like the Bushnell Banner Dusk&Dawn with the Circle-X reticle. It's really great for deer hunting.

I'm pretty sure that there is some kind of scope mount that you can put on that gun. It would be more unusual for there not to be one available.

[lefteye]

Hey Beentown; looks like an 870 SP w/2 barrels and that $4.99 price is OLD. But to address the OP, 12 ga. sabot "bullets" in rifled slug barrels, e.g., Rem. 870, with cantilever scope mounts and proper scopes, e.g., Leupold Shtogun 1 X 4 Variable, can provide a 150 yard shotgun for deer. BUT, you must try different brands of sabot slugs to find the best for your gun. AND, if your shotgun is a pump action rather than an auto you will probably prefer 2 3/4 inch shells. Three inch slugs are real KICKERS in pump shotguns.

[Morgoroth]

I tried out some 3inch slugs in my 20g and they kicked a lot more than I expected, and A LOT more than the bird-shot I shot before it.

Is there a downside to lots of recoil besides having a sore arm?
Does accuracy suffer?

[wpage]

I hunt with my 1st shot a slug load and 2nd and 3rd a 000 buckshot for potential miss. Effective in dense area hunting in my area...

[NightSleeper]

We have a lot of shotgun only country here in WI. Can't hunt with a rifle in most of the southern part of the state.

I'd say accuracy is closer to 200yrds if you have a rifled barrel and scope. I just got my first buck last November with my Remington 11-87 by the way!

Technically a slug barrel is just a barrel of a certain length (18 inches maybe?) Most of us up here use rifled barrels.

[Brian Pfleuger]

Originally Posted by Night Sleeper

Technically a slug barrel is just a barrel of a certain length (18 inches maybe?) Most of us up here use rifled barrels.

What makes you say that? I've seen slug barrels from 18 or so all the way to at least 24 inches, maybe more. I think the only difference is typically the sights. Slug barrels generally have "rifle" sights or no sight system at all, while bird barrels generally have a rib and bead, or at least a bead.

Current model 11-87 deer guns have 21" barrels, Browning Silver deer guns come in at least 22 and 24" barrels.

[gustav129]

I see alot of people say "It's the law", but not go into depth why it's the law.

Originally Posted by Doyle

Why use a slug instead of a rifle ? Only because the law says you have to. Any other reason just doesn't make sense. Some people try to justify it by saying "it's a perfect brush gun because it busts through brush". Hogwash. If you can see the deer clearly enough to shoot, then a rifle will get the job done there as well as in open places the shotgun could never compete. If you can't see the deer clearly enough to shoot, then DON"T SHOOT. It MIGHT have some validity in areas where you can legally use a rifle but are so close to populated neighborhoods that you are concerned about bullet travel in the event of a miss. Even in that case, a muzzleloader would give you superior accuracy and range without any extra bullet travel danger.

This is exactly the reason why. I grew up in ND and MN, hunting pheasants, ducks and geese primarily. I still go back to hunt with my family every year, where I hunt, it's all prarie.

If I were to miss a deer with my Winchester M70 7mmWSM (which I use here in Idaho), I may injure an old lady sitting in her rocking chair knitting and watching Dr Phil, a mile and a half away in her farmhouse. This was the exact referance that my firearms instructor in ND gave to our class. Now when you already have shotguns to hunt birds, which most people who hunt do in MN, ND, and SD, the economical option is to shoot slugs, instead of purchacing a new muzzleloader rifle.

If I miss a deer here in Idaho, then my bullet only travels 600 yds across a valley into the next valley. And if you see orange past the target, you shouldn't be firing

[Steve_in_SEMich]

Uncle Ben - Where rifles are legal to use, most hunters would use a rifle. Unless the hunting area is thick with brambles/shrubs/small trees, then a shotgun slug, either rifled or saboted, will be a better "brush-buster". I respectivefully disagree with Doyle - a 300-535 grain projectile traveling 1000-1500 feet per second slower than a 75-180 grain rifle bullet will deflect less and not be torn apart by the small obstacles (not unsafely blocking your view). I hunt in Michigan and New York - both have shotgun areas. In my Browning Gold Hunter, the cantilever scope base on the barrel is very sturdy and I have great accuracy with Federal Premium + Barnes bullets, Remington Copper-Solids, and the 1 1/4 ounce Lightfields. As others have said - recoil is significant. I gave up shooting slugs with my Winchester Pump shotgun. Since switching to the semi-auto, shooting 20-30 slugs for testing and training is comfortable.

If the range is less than 150 yards, you'll be happy using shotgun slugs on deer.

[Brian Pfleuger]

Unless the hunting area is thick with brambles/shrubs/small trees, then a shotgun slug, either rifled or saboted, will be a better "brush-buster". I respectivefully disagree with Doyle - a 300-535 grain projectile traveling 1000-1500 feet per second slower than a 75-180 grain rifle bullet will deflect less and not be torn apart by the small obstacles (not unsafely blocking your view).

The idea that slugs are "brush-busters" has been conclusively disproved many times over. They may well deflect "less" than a rifle round over a short distance, but they most certainly do deflect and they deflect to an extent that makes predicting the direction and amount, even over short distances, impossible.

[tolesy]

Slug gun/muzzleloader only here in Indiana. With the correct combination of barrel, gun, and slug one can accurately shot 150-200 yards.

As far as the 'brush buster' theory, just as with any projectile, the closer the target is to the brush the better. The slugs that I am shooting (lightfields) are much softer than rifle ammo therefore the effects of deflections are magnified with any significant 'brush' in the bullets path.

[markj]

Where rifles are legal to use, most hunters would use a rifle.

Not really, most deer I have shot was no farther than 50 yards out. Good ground blind or driven most of my shots have been that close. I do have a weatherby 30-06 too but prefer the shotgun, hunt birds take a slug or two along and bag a deer same day. I have done just that in the past.

[NightSleeper]

Not really, most deer I have shot was no farther than 50 yards out. Good ground blind or driven most of my shots have been that close.

Yeah, generally the same applies up here. If you want to get to the deer, you gotta' go and find them. Thick brush, marshes, kettles and kames, woods. With the exception of 1 deer all mine were taken at 50yrds or less.