May 15, 2014, 09:25 PM | #1 |
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Join Date: October 28, 2011
Posts: 559
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20 gauge rifled slug
I just picked up a nice Ithaca m37 featherlight 20 gauge deerslayer today. This thing shoots sweet. My question is if hunting deer with a slug is a 100 yards to far of a shot to make a kill with it? It has a 24 inch smooth bore barrel.
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May 15, 2014, 09:34 PM | #2 |
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Join Date: September 19, 2008
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I've been dropping whitetails since 1985 (when I bought it) with my 20ga Ithaca Model 37 Deluxe, w/o a problem. I've only had to shoot @ 100yds three times over those years, but think it the limit for Foster Slugs. I would only be confidant at 100yds, or a bit more, with a Sabot slug in a rifled barrel, with optics. Remember that the Ithaca deerslayer barrels were underbored/undersize, to get optimim accuracy with Foster-type slugs, and IME other 20ga smoothbores are much less accurate. . Last edited by PetahW; May 17, 2014 at 03:42 PM. |
May 16, 2014, 12:58 AM | #3 |
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Join Date: November 24, 2006
Location: N.E. Oh.
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Being in Ohio, which is (was), a s.g. State for deer I have shot tons of slugs.
A good smoothie with sights & slugs that work for the gun I have shot 100 yard groups of 3 inches on average. There are tips & tricks to make the smoothie shoot well. Most of the 50 odd deer I've taken with a slug have been well under 100 but my longest was a "slobber shot" that hit a runing button buck at 175 paces in the head. It was pure luck & a shot I should never have taken. I used the 12 bore almost exclusively but your 20 will do just fine out to 100 when you find the load it likes and practice, practice, practice. |
May 18, 2014, 12:09 PM | #5 |
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Join Date: January 19, 2007
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20 gauge Model 37 Deerslayers are really nice. A friend of mine back in college had one and it was a very nice all-around hunting rig.
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May 18, 2014, 12:49 PM | #6 |
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Join Date: November 24, 2006
Location: N.E. Oh.
Posts: 527
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I have been using Brennek K.O. in the 12 bore for years, still have over 100 rnds of the stuff.
Accurate in a smoothie and kills deer quick. |
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