White Tails with 12 gauge slugs

[AdamSean]

I have a couple of different lands I am able to hunt on and each has it's regs and limitations. On my buddies private land we hunted all during bow season and were successful there. When gun season started, I took a nice big doe with the .270 Win.

I am also hunting on public land nearby and they have some limitations. I am limited to hunting deer with a bow, crossbow, muzzle loader, or shotgun with slugs. I took a doe out there with my bow early season, but it was hard. It is very thick bottomland swamps and hardwoods. I have been looking for something a bit easier and more versatile.

Walmart was having 20% on guns today so I picked me up a Remington 870 Express Super Magnum 12 gauge. First and foremost I was wanting a new shotgun for turkey season in the spring. But I figured I could also take it in the woods for some deer hunting with slugs. I found some slugs that looked like a good choice, but I am wanting to know if anyone has any experience with them that could tell me what they though. I am using the Kent 10 Point Precision Slugs. That and I am open to some other loads that everyone has been successful with.

[upstate81]

Being that i have only used kent waterfowl loads i cant comment on their reliability or accuracy tendencies. However, i have had great luck with the hornady sst. Most people i know that use shotguns for deer hunting have switched to this round. Being it is stupidly accurate and some of the cheaper sabot style slugs. (11.99 around here) makes it a fine choice. I have only used 2 3/4 ever while deer hunting with a shotgun. Just plain works!

[SARuger]

I slug hunt with a Rem 870 Express mag 20ga with a rifled barrel so I use Sabots. I have found that the Hornady SST 2 3/4 and the Fed Fusion 3" are both very accurate

[amd6547]

If you are shooting a smoothbore, try Federal Truball. They seem to shoot very well out of my shotguns.

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

I do own a 870 with a slug barrel that uses a rifled Rem choke tube. Shot allot of different slugs out of mine in search of a simple (ball) slug that gave best accuracy. I wasn't interested in those fancy high end copper shells or sabots. Just plain Jane (ball) slugs is all I tested.

I found only one manufactures slug that grouped well out of my shotgun at 50 yards that really pleased this old man. Federal 12 ga. Power-Shok (1-oz) _2-3/4. Having 1600 fps at the muzzle its got plenty of down range speed & energy. And very respectable accuracy to get the job done on any N/American big game animal. This Power-Shok 1oz slug is the only slug I bother to load into my 870s magazine when confronting bold MN black bear in my cabins backyard.

[AdamSean]

I should have stated that I am currently using a smooth bore with a IC choke. I will be getting the rifled barrel for the next season, but I am sticking to the smooth bore for now. Limited on funds. I have seen the Federal Tru Ball in my local store so I may try those too. And hey, what kind of drop are you getting at 50 yards? How high should I be holding? I am using a good old fashioned fiber optic sight.

[Snyper]

Any slug that HITS a deer will work just fine.

It's simply a matter of testing different loads to see which is most accurate in YOUR gun

The biggest drawback to a plain barrel is the lack of sights.

I'd try to find a slug barrel ASAP

[crowbeaner]

I've shot far more deer with my beloved A5 and Federal 2 3/4" F127 slugs than any other gun. If I hunted near upstate81, I used my 742. I used to hunt the southern zone for meat, and upstate for horns. All you have to do is hit them correctly, and they lay down within 100 yards; sometimes DRT. I never could justify the $400 for a rifled 12 gauge barrel! When Wally world has 15 slugs for $7, I get a couple boxes. I can, however, state that the newer F127 slug loads are NOT as accurate as the old ones in the red and white box that were loaded with the cardboard wad; at least in MY gun. I laid my shotty on the sandbags when I was younger and tougher, and shot 5 shots at 75 yards. You could take a straight edge and lay it along both sides of the group. The holes were perfectly in a line 3 inches tall. YMMV.

[AdamSean]

Snyper, I am not too concerned with long range accuracy. I am hunting in Alabama swampland where my longest shot is 40-50 yards. Its real thick. In fact the first deer I killed was at 10 feet with a bow. She ran right at me and turned right in front of me, giving me a perfect shot. I am only switching to the shotgun because it will be easier to get lined up faster while stalk hunting and sneaking up on them in their bedding grounds.

[upstate81]

In that case get ya a few boxes of brenneke KO or if you cant find those the winchester fosters or federals shoot good. Never had good luck with remington sluggers at all.

[upstate81]

Crowbeaner, where abouts did you hunt?

[rob-c]

for smooth bore the federal truballs are great why not try them and if they shoot great out of your gun at 50 I would not buy a rifled barrel.in my 870 with rifled barrel I have used the Remington copper solids and accu tips shot great groups with them . shot the sst's and my gun did not like them and I read that the Remington barrels do not have enough twist to stabilize the sst's.

[crowbeaner]

Upstate, I'm originally from St. Lawrence county and hunted the family farm and the big woods towards Tupper Lake. My relatives live on a mountainside near Keeseville and Willsboro. I've hunted Happy Valley and parts north of there around Adams. When I hunted the southern zone I was all over the place. If I won the lottery, I'd BUY Cuyler Hill and most of Chenango county. I've seen monster bucks in Highland Forest, Morgan Hill and vicinity while bowhunting. Ithaca deer have fed my kids for years. I LOVE the state land off the hiking trail on Michigan Hill rd. I've listened to the beagles from the club many times. Where are you from? CB.

[AdamSean]

The Kent 10 Points are a Brenneke type slug so I am optimistic they will work good. I will go see how they do tomorrow.I think I will try to get me another doe tomorrow with the bow, then head to the range to try some slugs.

[upstate81]

Crowbeaner, im originally from the wayne county area and have hunted all over up and down lake Ontario. My family is in the apple business and i hunt mostly farm land consisting of apples, beans and corn, producing some gigantic bucks! I am familiar with the Ithaca area because i lived 20 min from there for 2 years. My buddy has a hunting camp in Dryden and he takes atleast a pope and young buck every year outta those big woods. The st. Lawrence area is beautiful i take a week in the 1000 islands every summer. Ny is really underrated and gets a bad rap because of controversial gun laws, which i think most people can agree, basically suck!

[Deerhunter]

If you have the rifled slug barrel for it the best option I found after shooting a bunch of slugs was the Hornady SSTs. I have a Remington 870 as well.

I would suggest buying a box of a couple different slugs and shooting them. See which ones your guns like, but I would start with the SSTs.

[Snyper]

Snyper, I am not too concerned with long range accuracy. I am hunting in Alabama swampland where my longest shot is 40-50 yards.

That can be "long range" when you have no sights at all
You still have to hit an 8" circle, or shoot through openings in the brush

[AdamSean]

Well, I put 2 rounds right on top of each other at 50 yards today dead on. I like these slugs and look forward to see how well they perform on a deer.

[Snyper]

look forward to see how well they perform on a deer.

All slugs perform well on deer.
It's a big hunk of lead that will make a big hole all the way through

[AdamSean]

No worries then ;-)

[lefteye]

I hunt deer in Iowa during the shotgun season with a Remington 870 SP with a rifled barrel, a scope mount and a Leupold 1 X 4 shotgun scope. I use Remington Sabot solid copper slugs. My last two bucks were taken at over 100 yards. They get my vote.