Slug Gun; Tips, Experiences, Pics...

[Blacktail_Slayer]

I just recieved a mossberg 535 slug gun as a birthday gift from my whole family. It is the sythetic stock, matte blue, rifle sights model.
It is drilled and tapped for scope mount. I plan on sighting in the rifle sights then putting a scope on, that way if the scope has issues or I drop it or something stupid, I have the rifle sights to fall back on. I would of chose the cantilever barrel myself for a scope but this will work perfect. And to get such an awesome gift from my family in these times, money like it is, I am not gonna complain one tiny bit
What scopes would you suggest? I will be operating on my tax return money for this, unless its more then I am figuring then I will have around $200 max to put toward just the scope. Personal experiences, tips for a scope?.........
Also, whats everyones experiences with the terminal performance of sabot slugs? I plan on trying several different rounds for which works best in my gun but I would like to lean toward one that I know has good killing performance. If its between a clover leaf group or 3 inch group and the 3 inch group is a slug that has a much better reputation, then I will go with the 3 inch group. My shots on deer will be between 20 and 200 yards. Most will probably be under 100 but I would like the oppurtunity to take that 150 or 200 yard shot given the proper practice. I am in western Washington, blacktails on log roads closed to vehicles and such. We have a small farm just far enough up that we get elk down on our property. It is legal here for a 12 or larger gauge slug only. I have taken a 750 lbs cow at 80 yards with my dads model 500 slug gun. Im not here to debate the ethics of elk with a shotgun, just giving an idea of what kind of performance I might need out of a slug. ALL my shots at elk will be under 100 yards. I am patient for the right shot too. This is an either sex area and with the problems they cause on fences, most mine will be spikes or cows. Dont get mature bulls on the property but once every few years. So to break it down, I hope to find a slug that is tough enough for sub-100yard elk, but not so strong that it just punches straight through a blacktail without expanding. My dad bought me a box of each of the two slugs that the guy at the shop said are the most popular in the area. The one he said is hard to keep in stock and is most popular here is Hornady SST 2 3/4 300grain. Then second is Fusion 3 inch, 7/8 oz. But I will be buying a few others at least, to hopefully find the bread and butter for my gun.
After I get the scope mounted I will be tweaking the gun to fit me, maybe adding a cheek riser if its more comfortable, such things like that. Any tips or experiences with fixing up a slug gun would be appreciated. Id like to see some too, so feel free to post pics.
Oh, and the reason I am bound to using the slug gun is because we are in a firearm restriction area, no centerfire or rimfire rifles.
Thank you.
HOOAH!

[Doyle]

Go with a relatively low-powered scope (or even a red-dot). At slug gun ranges you really don't need any magnification - just a better aiming system than iron can give you.

I'm not a fan of the cantilevered mounts. I've never seen them give consistent accuracy. By consistent, I mean that you sight it in one day. Let the gun bounce around in a case going hunting, and then find that the mount has moved or bent just enough to cause your sight-in to be off.

Slug guns tend to recoil pretty hard so don't cheap out on the scope. A cheap scope just won't handle the recoil. Lots of people use scopes made for muzzleloaders on their slug guns (i.e. longer eye relief, good recoil resistence, low power, and shorter parallax setting).

[Rembrandt]

The advantage to a cantilever mount is the ability to swap barrels without re-sighting in the optics. Have a number of slug guns, by far the most accurate are rifled barrels with scope mounted on the receiver. Not much need for anything over 4X.....red dots are ideal since most slug guns are used at less than 150 yards.

[sonnylee77]

What do you mean when you all are saying slug gun, rimfire, and all that other lingo? Don't all guns shoot slugs? Also, doesn't all rounds get fired from the rim of the shell? I'm so totally lost. I've done some shooting and understand the difference in rifles, shotguns, rifled barrels, smooth barrels, chokes. What the heck is a cantilevered scope? I guess I'm just a dumb-ass.

[Deerhunter]

I have a millet Red dot on my shotgun. I have the mount that slides over and bolts on where the pin holes to hold the trigger group in are.

I have it sighted in and it is great. I have been using it on my shotgun since 2005 and it has held up great.

As mentioned shoot a bunch of different slugs to find out what is best for your gun. If you have a rifled barrel try the Hornady SSTs. I really like them and you can reach out and touch a deer with them.

[zippy13]

sonnylee77,
In this context, a slug gun is a shotgun dedicated to shooting slugs as opposed to shot. Or, a shotgun with a barrel designed for slugs. In Rembrandt's pic, the gun on top has a cantilevered scope mount. And, yes, you don't need a dedicated slug gun to shoot slugs.

[TrumpetShooter]

I really like a low-powered scope for slug gun hunting in Indiana. Most deer shots here are taken under 60 yards. I've had one 80 yard shot, but that was a fluke. I use a 2.5X Simmons. Coupled with see-through rings, I have been able to achive about a three-inch point-blank range 75 of yards.

I have used this combination on a 20 gauge Mossberg 500 with a sideplate mount, a 12 gauge Mossberg 500 with factory-drilled picatinny/Weaver mounting holes, and a 50 Ca. in-line muzzleloader.

For the shotguns I especially like my Simmons because it has a 3-6" eye relief. Other companies make scopes like this one too. It is designed as an actual shotgun scope, which means it is parallax-free at 50 yards instead of the more common setting of 100 yards. I like extra high see-through rings. Lower quick-release rings work fine too, but the see-through rings make it possible to sight under the scope, using the open sights (or bead) for those really close, unexpected shots, and save the scope for shots over 20 yards.

[TrumpetShooter]

I really like a low-powered scope for slug gun hunting in Indiana. Most deer shots here are taken under 60 yards. I've had one 80 yard shot, but that was a fluke. I use a 2.5X Simmons. Coupled with see-through rings, I have been able to achive a about a three-inch point-blank range 75 of yards.

I have used this combination on a 20 gauge Mossberg 500 with a sideplate mount, a 12 gauge Mossberg 500 with factory-drilled piccatinny rail Weaver mounting holes, and a 50 Ca. in-line muzzleloader.

For the shotguns I especially like my Simmons because it has a 3-6" eye relief. Other companies make scopes like this one too. It is designed as a actual shotgun scope, which means it is parallax-free at 50 yards instead of the more common setting of 100 yards. I like extra high see-through rings. Lower quick-release rings work fine too, but the see-through rings make it possible to sight under the scope, using the open sights (or bead) for those really close, unexpected shots, and save the scope for shots over 20 yards.

[Glen-Bob]

Blacktail Slayer, I have used dedicated slug guns to hunt in IL for 20+ years. I have a 870 with a 20" c'lever BBL topped with a 2x7 Nikon that I use it for short range woods hunting (two deer at 45ft this year). For the times when I want to hunt the Bean Fields where longer shots are possible I use a M'berg 500 with 24" Hastings BBL topped with a 3x9 Nikon (not that one needs that much power just something I already had). When I say it is accurate using 2 3/4 Hornady SST's keep in mind we are talking slug gun accuracy. At 140yrd it is easy to keep them in a palm size area freehand. Being honest with you, I have never had to attempt a shot that far in the field. I only take about a 30" pace and my longest was 142, at which I took a Buck and the Doe that came out with him both fell in their tracks almost on top of each other. In the past the guys in my hunting group all used either Federal or Breneke's. I stepped up to the SST's about three years ago I am pleased with the accuracy however, if you do not get a clean kill shot I have had trouble with them poking straight through with little transfer of energy. When the season is only three days long and you are hunting to put meat on the table sometimes you wind up having to take a less than desirable shot. The Federals seem to mushroom some regardless of where they hit. I never shot a deer with them that did not fall in its tracks. I have had to track a blood trail with the SST's. Hope this helps some, I know these are just my opinions based on my experience shotgun deer hunting.