Slug hunting distance

kx592 · July 28, 2010, 07:50 AM

New to the hunting scene, got a 500 with slug barrel and bushel scope and found a slug that shoots well with it. Now what is the best distance to sight in at for deer? I figured 40 would be safe because i doubt ill see anything past 50 here in central/north NJ region. Any input is appreciated.

Doyle · July 28, 2010, 08:16 AM

Remember that a bullet crosses your line-of-sight twice during its path. Depending on the height of your sights (in relation to the bore), the speed of the projectile, etc, that first crossing occurs somewhere between 10 and 30 yds in front of the muzzle as the bullet rises in relation to line-of-sight. The 2nd crossing is what we refer to as the "sighted in" range as the bullet falls in relation to the line-of-sight. Sighting in at only 40 really doesn't do any good because the bullet will probably not have reached its apex by that point. Do a 75 to 100 yd sight in and you can aim at the middle of the target and be good to go from any range up to about 120yds.

rantingredneck · July 28, 2010, 08:39 AM

I second what Doyle said.

Are we talking about a smoothbore or rifled slug barrel?

If the barrel is rifled, it can shoot well past 100 yds if you can. If the barrel is smoothbore 100 or so is about the practical limit for reliably making quick and ethical kills on deer size game.

hardluk1 · July 28, 2010, 10:28 AM

kx592 This is a rifled barrel ???Better look at be'n prepared for a long shot as best as you can. You get only out to a 40 yard shot down and a nice deer goes by at 125 yards you could kill it with a good combo of barrel scope and slug. Don't just buy one type of slug and also expect it to shoot well. may ave to try differnt types and brands. Do try remington buck hammers at least, seems most all shoot them well but not flatest shooting they do work well. I have a 12ga mossy and will shoot out to 150yards but also have a range finder and info on the stock to check to.

Old Grump · July 28, 2010, 01:57 PM

Zero for 100 and hope for under 60. From 25 to 75 you won't be more than 2" above your point of aim.

This is what I get from both smoothbore and rifled barrels in 12 and 20 gauge. Your mileage may differ but not by much. You say you are looking forward to 50 yards being a long shot so this is good, aim for the heart/lung and you will be in there. Your hands shaking from excitement and your heart pounding from walking miles in the underbrush will have more affect on your marksmanship than your guns zero will.

Have fun and good luck.

James R. Burke · July 28, 2010, 07:28 PM

They make some nice slugs now so that should help a lot. I would go with the fifty for the site in by the way you describe it there. Also they are capable of a much longer shots than that, no doubt about it. I would than see what it would do at farther distance's. Like 75, 100, 125 or what ever you like. Do alot of practice no matter what distance your sighted in for. Makes yourself better, and know were it is. A slug will drop real fast on you. You may consider 100 yards on the sight in, and again try it at differnt distances more close. But practice just for myself is the key no matter what your using. It does make you a better marksman, and will build your confidence.

kx592 · July 29, 2010, 06:54 AM

I know it is capable of doing 100 (500 w. riffled barrel and sabots). Looks like ill have to go farther

Brian Pfleuger · July 29, 2010, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kx592

I know it is capable of doing 100 (500 w. riffled barrel and sabots). Looks like ill have to go farther

You know it's possible because you've shot it that far or because you've read that it's possible?

I have found the "long range" accuracy (beyond 75 yards) of sabot slugs to be dismal, sometimes worse.

In most guns, with most slugs, 100 yards is iffy. Some guns won't shoot some sabot slugs with acceptable accuracy beyond 75 yards and I've never seen a combination that good for more than 125.

Actually, I can shoot rifled slugs in a smooth bore gun with as much accuracy at 100 yards as I can almost any sabot slug in a rifled barrel. There's just a few inches trajectory difference.

I was all excited to use sabot slugs and couldn't wait to get a gun to shoot them. Why, I don't know, since long shots around here are often 60 yards, but I just dreamed of being able to make that 200 yard shot. Ain't happenin'

Oddly enough, my smooth bore 870 shot Hornady SST sabot slugs as well as any rifled barrel gun I've ever seen, at least for the first 75 yards. I never tried beyond that.

kx592 · July 29, 2010, 10:09 AM

Well I punch a big hole in a target at 40yards so i would assume it would be "do-able" accurate at close to 100. My main question is how often do slug hunters take a deer at 100+ yards, I guess its common sense to sight in around 75 so im within 2" drop/gain of center.

smith57 · July 29, 2010, 03:02 PM

Growing up and hunting in Delaware all my life deer hunting in the firearm season meant slug guns . My fiest real deer gun was a 12ga 500 with a rifled bbl. with a 4x leupold fixed power scope the gun was and still is a great deer gun out to 125yds and maybe a bit longer.
My wife and I both now shoot H&R slug guns her's in a 20 and mine in a 12 <though i think i like the 20 more> both guns are soild 150yd deer getters and shoot alot better then some tried and true centerfire deer rifles . so dont feel second class because you are useing a slug the ones today are really good and get better every year .
Lightfeilds are a safe bet in most slug guns i have found and I have had great luck with them on deer but there are many brands and types that are top shelf now.
I think if you sited your gun in for a 2" high at 50yds because slugs can drift with a little wind out at 100 and this seems to give a better account of the gun and slug and then shot 125, 100, 75 25 yds to see when it prints its a safe bet and makes siting in a little easyer.
I have taken deer a little past the 125yrd mark with my 500 and one at 165 yrds with my H&R on the edge of a clearcut both with a lightfeild slug and none going 10yrds after the shot so main thing is to try your gun at longer ranges to see how it does.
hope this helps you some .
good luck
Ken

Brian Pfleuger · July 29, 2010, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Well I punch a big hole in a target at 40yards so i would assume it would be "do-able" accurate at close to 100. My main question is how often do slug hunters take a deer at 100+ yards, I guess its common sense to sight in around 75 so im within 2" drop/gain of center.

Don't assume that. My 11-87 will shoot 2" edge to edge groups at 50 yards with Winchester sabot slugs and I can't keep them on a 14" piece of paper at 100 yards. No exaggeration. Literally can't consistently hit a 14" piece of paper at 100 with slugs that shoot under 2" at 50.

As far as typical range, I have killed several dozen deer with a slug gun and there have been 2 over 100 yards. One of them was with a smooth bore 870 and was PURE luck. The other was 110 yards with Remington Core-Lokt Ultras.

Besides those two, I have never shot a single other deer beyond 50 yards and the VAST majority, I mean 90%+, have been under 30 yards.

FrontSight · July 30, 2010, 09:51 AM

Why do you need a shotgun to hunt slugs? Just put a bowl of beer out at night in your garden and they will come & drown in it...

Gunplummer · July 31, 2010, 02:23 AM

I have to agree with a lot of points that were made here. Peetzakilla, I don't know, I built a rifled tube on a bolt action (20G) for someone and at 100 yards it really groups with the right ammo. You do have a point though about ammo. If you put 5 shots out at 100 yards with it, 4 will be in a 2 1/4 inch circle but one will be a flyer that could be off 8-10 inches. I don't think that the ammo that is loaded can keep up with the accuracy gained by the barrel.
Like you , I have an old single shot 12 that I put a small scope on and at 60 -70 yards is really accurate with old lead slugs. I may try sabots in it now that you mentioned it.

T. O'Heir · August 2, 2010, 12:06 AM

"...got a 500 with slug barrel..." Hi. Smooth bore or a rifled barrel? It matters. With a scoped shotgun and good ammo, you can expect roughly 3" groups at 100 yards with a smooth bore. You do have to try as many brands as you can to find the ammo your shotgun shoots best though. And you have to sight in just like any other firearm.
The type of slug matters too. Sabot slugs are for rifled barrels. Rifled slugs(rifling is on the slug) are for smooth bores.

clamman · August 2, 2010, 02:27 PM

I have the Mossberg 500 with the rifled barrel and red dot scope. 100 yards is VERY doable. I'd even attempt 150 if it was a standing still shot. I use Federal 2-3/4 sabots and the trajectory is quite flat considering it's a slug, But in reality it's a 50 cal. bullet after the sabots drop off.

July 28, 2010, 07:50 AM	#1
kx592 Senior Member Join Date: August 9, 2009 Posts: 645	Slug hunting distance New to the hunting scene, got a 500 with slug barrel and bushel scope and found a slug that shoots well with it. Now what is the best distance to sight in at for deer? I figured 40 would be safe because i doubt ill see anything past 50 here in central/north NJ region. Any input is appreciated.

July 28, 2010, 08:39 AM	#3
rantingredneck Senior Member Join Date: January 12, 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 4,728	I second what Doyle said. Are we talking about a smoothbore or rifled slug barrel? If the barrel is rifled, it can shoot well past 100 yds if you can. If the barrel is smoothbore 100 or so is about the practical limit for reliably making quick and ethical kills on deer size game. __________________ NRA Member NC Hunter's Education Instructor PCCA Member (What's PCCA you ask? <- Check the link)

July 28, 2010, 01:57 PM	#5
Old Grump Member in memoriam Join Date: April 9, 2009 Location: Blue River Wisconsin, in Posts: 3,144	Zero for 100 and hope for under 60. From 25 to 75 you won't be more than 2" above your point of aim. This is what I get from both smoothbore and rifled barrels in 12 and 20 gauge. Your mileage may differ but not by much. You say you are looking forward to 50 yards being a long shot so this is good, aim for the heart/lung and you will be in there. Your hands shaking from excitement and your heart pounding from walking miles in the underbrush will have more affect on your marksmanship than your guns zero will. Have fun and good luck. __________________ Good intentions will always be pleaded for any assumption of power. The Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern will, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters. --Daniel Webster--

July 29, 2010, 03:02 PM	#10
smith57 Junior Member Join Date: July 10, 2010 Location: Delaware Posts: 1	Growing up and hunting in Delaware all my life deer hunting in the firearm season meant slug guns . My fiest real deer gun was a 12ga 500 with a rifled bbl. with a 4x leupold fixed power scope the gun was and still is a great deer gun out to 125yds and maybe a bit longer. My wife and I both now shoot H&R slug guns her's in a 20 and mine in a 12 <though i think i like the 20 more> both guns are soild 150yd deer getters and shoot alot better then some tried and true centerfire deer rifles . so dont feel second class because you are useing a slug the ones today are really good and get better every year . Lightfeilds are a safe bet in most slug guns i have found and I have had great luck with them on deer but there are many brands and types that are top shelf now. I think if you sited your gun in for a 2" high at 50yds because slugs can drift with a little wind out at 100 and this seems to give a better account of the gun and slug and then shot 125, 100, 75 25 yds to see when it prints its a safe bet and makes siting in a little easyer. I have taken deer a little past the 125yrd mark with my 500 and one at 165 yrds with my H&R on the edge of a clearcut both with a lightfeild slug and none going 10yrds after the shot so main thing is to try your gun at longer ranges to see how it does. hope this helps you some . good luck Ken Last edited by smith57; July 29, 2010 at 03:10 PM.

July 30, 2010, 09:51 AM	#12
FrontSight Senior Member Join Date: September 9, 2005 Posts: 1,712	Why do you need a shotgun to hunt slugs? Just put a bowl of beer out at night in your garden and they will come & drown in it... __________________ To kill something as great as a duck just to smell the gunpowder is a crime against nature. - Alan Liere Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve. - George Bernard Shaw

July 28, 2010, 08:16 AM	#2
Doyle Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2007 Location: Rainbow City, Alabama Posts: 7,167	Remember that a bullet crosses your line-of-sight twice during its path. Depending on the height of your sights (in relation to the bore), the speed of the projectile, etc, that first crossing occurs somewhere between 10 and 30 yds in front of the muzzle as the bullet rises in relation to line-of-sight. The 2nd crossing is what we refer to as the "sighted in" range as the bullet falls in relation to the line-of-sight. Sighting in at only 40 really doesn't do any good because the bullet will probably not have reached its apex by that point. Do a 75 to 100 yd sight in and you can aim at the middle of the target and be good to go from any range up to about 120yds.

July 28, 2010, 10:28 AM	#4
hardluk1 Junior member Join Date: March 27, 2009 Posts: 600	kx592 This is a rifled barrel ???Better look at be'n prepared for a long shot as best as you can. You get only out to a 40 yard shot down and a nice deer goes by at 125 yards you could kill it with a good combo of barrel scope and slug. Don't just buy one type of slug and also expect it to shoot well. may ave to try differnt types and brands. Do try remington buck hammers at least, seems most all shoot them well but not flatest shooting they do work well. I have a 12ga mossy and will shoot out to 150yards but also have a range finder and info on the stock to check to.

July 28, 2010, 07:28 PM	#6
James R. Burke Senior Member Join Date: January 3, 2009 Location: U.P. of Mich/Quinnesec Posts: 1,897	They make some nice slugs now so that should help a lot. I would go with the fifty for the site in by the way you describe it there. Also they are capable of a much longer shots than that, no doubt about it. I would than see what it would do at farther distance's. Like 75, 100, 125 or what ever you like. Do alot of practice no matter what distance your sighted in for. Makes yourself better, and know were it is. A slug will drop real fast on you. You may consider 100 yards on the sight in, and again try it at differnt distances more close. But practice just for myself is the key no matter what your using. It does make you a better marksman, and will build your confidence.

July 29, 2010, 06:54 AM	#7
kx592 Senior Member Join Date: August 9, 2009 Posts: 645	I know it is capable of doing 100 (500 w. riffled barrel and sabots). Looks like ill have to go farther

July 29, 2010, 10:09 AM	#9
kx592 Senior Member Join Date: August 9, 2009 Posts: 645	Well I punch a big hole in a target at 40yards so i would assume it would be "do-able" accurate at close to 100. My main question is how often do slug hunters take a deer at 100+ yards, I guess its common sense to sight in around 75 so im within 2" drop/gain of center.

July 31, 2010, 02:23 AM	#13
Gunplummer Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2010 Location: South East Pa. Posts: 3,364	I have to agree with a lot of points that were made here. Peetzakilla, I don't know, I built a rifled tube on a bolt action (20G) for someone and at 100 yards it really groups with the right ammo. You do have a point though about ammo. If you put 5 shots out at 100 yards with it, 4 will be in a 2 1/4 inch circle but one will be a flyer that could be off 8-10 inches. I don't think that the ammo that is loaded can keep up with the accuracy gained by the barrel. Like you , I have an old single shot 12 that I put a small scope on and at 60 -70 yards is really accurate with old lead slugs. I may try sabots in it now that you mentioned it.

August 2, 2010, 12:06 AM	#14
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	"...got a 500 with slug barrel..." Hi. Smooth bore or a rifled barrel? It matters. With a scoped shotgun and good ammo, you can expect roughly 3" groups at 100 yards with a smooth bore. You do have to try as many brands as you can to find the ammo your shotgun shoots best though. And you have to sight in just like any other firearm. The type of slug matters too. Sabot slugs are for rifled barrels. Rifled slugs(rifling is on the slug) are for smooth bores. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

August 2, 2010, 02:27 PM	#15
clamman Junior Member Join Date: May 19, 2010 Posts: 12	I have the Mossberg 500 with the rifled barrel and red dot scope. 100 yards is VERY doable. I'd even attempt 150 if it was a standing still shot. I use Federal 2-3/4 sabots and the trajectory is quite flat considering it's a slug, But in reality it's a 50 cal. bullet after the sabots drop off.