Slug Hunting Questions
Question:
A couple of things I consider worth mentioning: Rifled slugs (or Foster type slugs) work best with a smooth bore, and saboted slugs are intended to be used in a rifled barrel. Some guys are incredibly lucky with no additional sights on their shotgun, but that is all it is. Luck! With all the add-on sights available today, at usually reasonable cost, there is no excuse for using a slug gun without *something* to give you an idea where your slugs are going to go. And, don’t forget to sight it in. You owe the deer that much, at least. Good luck, — Jim Wahl Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/ To leave the Hunting listserv list, send a message with SIGNOFF HUNTING
Response:
: >I use a salt shaker for hunting slugs. Table salt is actually a better load : >than coarse rock salt – patterns better. : Personally, I like a salt grinder. Load it with rock salt and then grind : powder over your target. You have the added bonus of having rock salt : if you come up against a REALLY BIG slug. When will people learn? Salt placement is EVERYTHING! I like to carry, and can’t be bothered toting around a heavy salt shaker, or magnum grinder, so I use the personal-size, paper salt-packets. Snap the top third of the packet sharply backwards, and you’ve got multiple chambers of deadly slug-medicine at the ready…. Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/ To leave the Hunting listserv list, send a message with SIGNOFF HUNTING
Response:
> >I have recently begun hunting deer with my shot gun and have a few >questions.The gun is a Remington 870 express magnum with a modified >choke.
I too hunt with a shotgun. I have a Mossberg model 500 trophy slug combo (what a name!). It came with a 28 inch smoothbore and a 24 inch rifled bore with cantilevered scope mount. I love it! I shoot winchester 3 inch sabot slugs. It is quite accurate out to 50 yards and it does well at 100 yards as long as you get a feel for the rapid drop of the slug after 60-70 yards. But for the deer’s sake keep it under sixty yards to insure a clean kill. One quirk is that you really have to get used to the pull of a shotgun trigger when firing through a scope. It’s not like the hair trigger on some rifles, a rushed squeeze can put you off the mark by several inches! Good luck Will — Will a/o Julia Newton,Fine Woodworker and Fine Goldsmith,Respectively Change the domain to "coastalnet" to send us email "Some folks like water, other folks like wine. I myself prefer a healthy dose of strychnine."–Skullbuckle Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/ To leave the Hunting listserv list, send a message with SIGNOFF HUNTING
Response:
>I use a salt shaker for hunting slugs. Table salt is actually a better load >than coarse rock salt – patterns better.
Personally, I like a salt grinder. Load it with rock salt and then grind it to powder over your target. You have the added bonus of having rock salt on hand if you come up against a REALLY BIG slug. JPO Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/ To leave the Hunting listserv list, send a message with SIGNOFF HUNTING
Response:
Re: Slug Hunting I use a salt shaker for hunting slugs. Table salt is actually a better load than coarse rock salt – patterns better. Garden variety slugs only require 1 oz shakes, but the giant Banana Slugs on the west coast need heavier loads. Some folks trap slugs by putting out bowls of beer over night – I feel that’s a waste of good beer. A Whittick Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/ To leave the Hunting listserv list, send a message with SIGNOFF HUNTING
Response:
> >I have recently begun hunting deer with my shot gun and have a few >questions.The gun is a Remington 870 express magnum with a modified >choke. > I hunted deer for my first two seasons with this gun, so hopefully I can > help.
I hunt with the Remington 870, essentially the same gun, non magnum. My question is, how well does the gun fit you, and are you good with it. If your an above average wing shot, you are proably set. >1.I am not happy with the grouping of slugs at even 40 yards.Is there a >good slug that will work in this gun?I have tried a few brands and sizes >but nothin seems to be great.Are rifled going to shoot better? > You have several options open to you here. You could try different slugs, > for instance. Mine always seemed to group better with the Winchester > 2 3/4" 1oz slugs.
I’ll second the Winchester slug recommendation, with Remingtons in second place. Federal slugs have not performed well for me, but might for you. >2.I am thinking of buying a slug barrel.What brand is the best value and >what kind of preformance should I expect?I would like to mount a scope >on it. > I don’t have experience with a slug barrel on my 870. From looking at > catalogs, I have seen products from Hastings and from Remington. Both > will run about $190 or so. If you plan on mounting a scope, get a > barrel with a cantelevered mount. This will mount the scope to the > barrel instead of the receiver. It gives the advantage of allowing > the barrel to be removed (for cleaning, obstruction removal, etc.) > without affecting the point of aim.
I have a smooth bore slug barrel in improved cylinder with rifle sights. It never leaves the gun cabinet. Why? I found that I spent too much time squinting at the sights. I could consistently put slugs into a pop twelve pack at 75 yards, but deer aren’t twelve pack boxes. I asked if you wing shoot with the 870. If you like the way it feels, and use it enough for wingshooting, then "aiming" with slugs should become instinctual. Mine tends to hit where I "point" it. If you are going to attempt to shoot running game, open sights or a scope might be a hinderance unless you practice alot. It all comes down to what type of hunting you will be doing. The best slug gun will not be a "bean field" rifle. Close, dense cover shots, maybe on moving game, I don’t think you’ll go wrong with your present set up. > Hope this helps > Eric
– Views expressed are my own. Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/ To leave the Hunting listserv list, send a message with SIGNOFF HUNTING
Response:
>I have recently begun hunting deer with my shot gun and have a few >questions.The gun is a Remington 870 express magnum with a modified >choke.
I hunted deer for my first two seasons with this gun, so hopefully I can help. >1.I am not happy with the grouping of slugs at even 40 yards.Is there a >good slug that will work in this gun?I have tried a few brands and sizes >but nothin seems to be great.Are rifled going to shoot better?
You have several options open to you here. You could try different slugs, for instance. Mine always seemed to group better with the Winchester 2 3/4" 1oz slugs. Another option (the one I choose for two years) is to add a rifled choke tube. I was able to group the Winchester slugs in about 3 inches at 50 yards this way. At 100 yards forget it. The other choice would be to get a fully rifled barrel. This should increase your reasonable range out to 100 yards. >2.I am thinking of buying a slug barrel.What brand is the best value and >what kind of preformance should I expect?I would like to mount a scope >on it.
I don’t have experience with a slug barrel on my 870. From looking at catalogs, I have seen products from Hastings and from Remington. Both will run about $190 or so. If you plan on mounting a scope, get a barrel with a cantelevered mount. This will mount the scope to the barrel instead of the receiver. It gives the advantage of allowing the barrel to be removed (for cleaning, obstruction removal, etc.) without affecting the point of aim. >3.I have killed one deer with a slug and it seems to do the job but I >have a friend who swears buckshot is the way to go.Which is more >effective?
I have never shot buckshot at a deer but slugs have a longer effective range (out to 100 yards vs about 30 yards) and they tend to go all the way through a deer thus leaving a good blood trail (depending on the hit of course). Hope this helps Eric — So Many Hobbies, So little time Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/ To leave the Hunting listserv list, send a message with SIGNOFF HUNTING
