Deer Hunting with an O/U shotgun?

[IrvJr]

Hi All,

I have a Browning Cynergy field shotgun (26" barrels, 12 ga). It's an over/under equipped with a front bead and a mid bead on the top rib. I have used it mostly for small game, bird, and clay hunting, but would like to use it for deer this year.

In some of the towns that I play to hunt in, I am limited to using a shotgun or a handgun (or blackpowder - but I don't think I want to invest in blackpowder gear just yet). I would like to try and use my existing shotgun to harvest my deer.

I bought some Remington 12ga Sluggers and Winchester SuperX slugs. At 25 yards, my accuracy was pretty good. I could keep all of my shots within a 4 to 6" circle, and when I initially sighted in the gun, I had 3 or four shots touching. However, the point of aim has to be fairly low for this gun. It shot high, so I aimed for about 6 or 8" below the target at 25 yards.

At 50 yards, i had a hard time. I'm not sure if it's due to poor accuracy, or because the point of impact is so high. I think I have to hold it over a foot or more to hit the target consistently.

The gun has an adhesive foam cheek pad to bring the comb up a little. When I shoulder the gun, I get a nice figure "8" with the top bead sitting on the mid bead. This is good for shotgunning/wing shooting, but seems to hit high with the slugs.

Anyone here use an O/U for medium game hunting with slugs? Any tips on using an O/U with slugs? Am I being too optimistic to try and shoot at 50 yards with this combo?

I would like to avoid having to buy a slug gun. Also, some towns require the use of slugs (buckshot is prohibited in these towns) so I am more or less limited to the slugs if I use a shotgun.

Thanks in advance.

[Maromero]

Sounds complicated to me. Two things pop up to mind. Use the right tool for the job at hand. If you have to use your O/U see how 000 patterns on the gun.

[Brian Pfleuger]

Sounds like you're doing what you need to do. Namely, shoot the dang thing and see where it hits. It will kill a deer just as dead as any other shotgun. In the words of Dirty Harry "A man's got to know his limitations." Sounds like you do, now go kill a deer.

[Doyle]

The problem is that, based on your early results, your shotgun is going to give you acceptable groups out to less than 50 yds. That really does limit your deer hunting. You can pick up an iron-sighted muzzleloader for about $100 used and spend $40 or so more for supplies and have a shooter that is good out to more than 100 yds.

[buymore]

how is it choked? If tubes, try Cyl or Imp cyl in both bbls and see how it shoots. If fixed, you're stuck with what you have. Also as always find some other slugs and try them. Not all slugs are created equal in all guns! Winchester abd federal make good cheap slugs also and they amy pattern completely different in you gun! Good luck

[IrvJr]

Thanks Fellas.

I tried cylinder, improved cylinder, and also improved skeet (a Briley tube). The cylinder and improved cylinder seemed to be the most accurate, with not much difference between the two.

I think the accuracy is actually OK, but the point of impact is high and I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with using such a low point of aim with the gun.

Thanks again for the replies. I'm debating whether to use my O/U or get a dedicated slug gun.

EDITED - After some more testing, I've noticed that at 50 yards, the Improved Cylinder choke seems to be more accurate/consistent than the Cylinder choke. The barrel that had the cylinder choke did not group as tightly.

[buymore]

TruGlo makes a fiber optic sight that mounts on a vent rib. they make one that is adjustable too I believe. That may help?

[IrvJr]

Thanks Buymore - I might try that. I called my local shop and they have a set of those TruGlo clamp on sights that are supposed to be able to clamp on to the rib of the gun to provide a cleaner sight picture.

[darkgael]

Just this afternoon, I was testing slugs in an old Savage 430 O/U (12 ga.)
At 25 yards, if held the gun so that I could see the bead but none of the barrel, the bottom barrel shot right to POA at 25 yards, a couple were in the same hole. The top barrel shot anywhere from 12" higher to three inches higher. Lateral dispersion was less than two inches with all ammo. I tested Remington Sluggers, Rottweil Brenneke slugs. Brenneke Black Magic slugs, and Brenneke K.O. Sabot slugs. The Brenneke types sabot or no were much tighter than the Remington on the second shot.
In my gun - cyl bore both barrels - the Brenneke Black Magics were the most consistent. I did not yet test at 50 yards.
All were 2 3/4" hulls.
All shot to POA with the bottom barrel.
I was impressed. 50 yards tomorrow.
Pete

[IrvJr]

darkgael - thanks for your post. it gives me hope!

I think i might have to change my sight picture and have the mid bead in line with the front bead (instead of below it) and see if this helps. It's kind of hard to hold this sight picture because the way the gun fits, but I'll give it a try.

[buymore]

go to TruGlo's website, I think they sell a clamp on that is an adjustable sight. I think they intended them for turkey guns, but what the heck! They will work for slugs too. You may have to order them, but they may be more what you are looking for.

meanwhile, I may try some slugs in my O/U field gun to? I have several slug guns, but just for the heck of it! Only thing I worry a little about is the recoil!!!! I'm used to using my 1100 for slugs. When I use my Encore slug barrel the recoil pinches a bit......maybe more than a pinch!

[IrvJr]

buymore - my Browning O/U gun is fairly light (one of the reasons why I like it). It kicks like a mule with the slugs! I wear a PAST recoil pad over my shoulder when sighting it in and the recoil is very manageable, but it hurts without it!

[darkgael]

The Savage had a slip on recoil pad that I use to increase LOP. At 25 yards, I felt that it was close enough to stay off the bench and just shoot standing up. After all, I'm not shooting this kind of gun for group. At 50....we'll see.
Pete

[IrvJr]

darkgael - you are a genius extraordinaire! i had an old LimbSaver slip on recoil pad lying around and i slipped it over the butt of my O/U shotgun to increase the length of pull. now the gun seems to point better for me when i want to use it in slug mode. the mid and front beads more easily line up and i can see the mid bead (it blocks the front bead) but not the top of the rib/barrel, like you described.

i am going to go slug shopping tomorrow (i only have two slugs left) and try a variety of rifled slugs to see if i can get some combos that have a more natural point of aim at 25 and 50 yards.

the gun would probably fit even better for slug shooting if i peeled off the adhesive foam raised comb, but i think i'll leave it because that raised comb feels more natural when i wingshoot.

[darkgael]

I shot a variety of slugs yesterday afternoon using the Savage 430 at 50 yards. There was not as much dispersion compared to 25 yards as I had expected.
Unfortunately, I did not have any 2 3/4" Brenneke Black Magic slugs. When I looked on the shelf, the remaining boxes were all three inch. The old Savage won't take them.
I tried Remington Sluggers and my own slug reloads - mostly using BPI's AQ shotshell slug. I was pleased with the results. Again, I shot the rounds from the standing position and was able to keep the shots on a SR31 target. All shot from the bottom barrel went pretty much to POA - I pulled a couple. There was a "sweet spot" about eight inches high and two to the left that attracted most of the shots. That probably says a lot more about the gun fit and my eye position than it does the loads. The fact that half of the rounds fired went to the same poa and the other half were not terribly far away is reason to pursue this further.
Very promising was the BPI AQ slug over 30 grains of Unique. The last two shots, top and bottom, were only two or three inches apart, in that sweet spot that I mentioned.

Alas, I may have to bench shoot the thing.

Pete

[hogdogs]

I found that the majority of the times I missed at any critter, I was shooting high. By my own fault, I was over compensating for range. Once I learned to keep my POA above the muzzle completely (out to 35 yards with birdshot and 50-60 with slugs) my hit/miss ratio improved incredibly.

And yes, the mid bead means nothing to me aside from maybe, in the store, checking to see I am shouldering the gun square. After that... It can go... IMHO...
Brent

[IrvJr]

Thanks for your posts fellas!

darkgael - thanks also for the update on your 50 yard range session. i'm glad your savage o/u shoots well at 50 yards.

i had an opportunity to go to the range this AM. I had a few Remington Sluggers (12 ga, 2-3/4", 1oz slug) and also some Federal TruBall slugs (reduced recoil, 12 ga 2-3/4", 1oz slug, about 1300 FPS from the muzzle).

This time my shotgun was equipped with a Limbsaver slip on recoil pad. The recoil pad increases the length of pull enough so that it is easier for me to line up the front sight properly. Without the slip on pad, the gun points at a slight upwards angle, and I think that's why my shots were hitting high the other day.

Today's range session was much better than my previous two sessions. At 25 yards, I am now comfortable shooting the gun and I was able to hit what I was aiming at very consistently. I got some nice tight groups, especially when I used the Remington Sluggers and my top barrel, which was equipped with an improved cylinder choke.

At 50 yards, I was able to keep my shots on the paper. At first, I was using my lower barrel, which was equipped with a cylinder choke. The groups were not that good, but at least they were on the paper. When I switched to using the upper barrel, which has the IC choke, the accuracy was much better, and I could keep my shots within a 4" or smaller circle pretty consistently.

With the slip on recoil pad, the point of impact is much closer to my point of aim, and I don't have to aim so low, like I did without the slip on pad.

My best results seem to be with the Remington Sluggers and the IC choke. I guess I should have believed in the instructions on the Remington Sluggers package. It says that the best results are achieved with an IC choke - I didn't originally think it would make that much of a difference, but it did!

I am going to practice a lot more so I will feel more confident in using this gun for deer season (it starts in 10 days!).

[darkgael]

Irv: next time that you are out, switch the choke tube from the top to the bottom barrel and see if that improves the grouping. If it does, then it is a simple matter to buy another IC choke and have both barrels shooting well.
Pete