12/20 gauge vs.45-70/other slow+heavy calibers

[Oleg Volk]

Looking at the ballistics/prices/projectile choices, I wonder why 12 and 20 gauge slugs (copper solids or plain lead) not used more often to hunt large game. Seems to me they'd have sufficient impact and accuracy at shot ranges (up to 50m) and have the advantage of relatively inexpensive guns (many people already own them) and handling meant for following moving targets. Ammo gets expensive (30 cents for cheapest slugs but $1.50+ for more expensive varieties) but the same is true for less common large calibers.

What is is about shotguns that makes them less desirable than rifles (esp. since rifled barrels are available) for hunting big game up close?

 

[James K]

For most legal purposes, a shotgun is defined as a smooth bore. Guns with built in rifling, even though firing a shot shell, are rifles and may not be legal to hunt with or even own in some areas/countries.

Of course rifling in a shotgun makes it about useless as a shotgun, since the rifling makes a joke of a pattern.

Another consideration, especially in something as large as 12 gauge, is that the effect of wind resistance on such a large projectile will severely limit the range.

Jim

 

[MountainGun44]

I agree, Oleg. For the price of a barrel you can have a nice big-bore blaster.

I have a Reminton 1100 12 Gauge shotgun. I purchased a 24" Hastings rifled slug barrel with rifle sights for the gun. It looks and shoots like a dream. Firing 3" magnum slugs it kicks like a mule- despite the fact that the action and weight of the gun absorb a lot of the recoil. At any range under 100 yards it will hit anything a 45-70 will hit.

3 semi-auto shots. It will knock a 300 pound hog down like few things I have seen.

I have not been able to get my hands on any of the new Winchester Partition Gold slugs yet. They fire a saboted .50 cal Nosler Partition 365 grain bullet at 1900 fps. Supposedly extends range to 150 yards.

As far as a rifled barrel making a shotgun not a shotgun- I have never heard of such a thing in the US. I could be wrong, though.

Slugs have the ballistic coefficient of a brick (the new Partition Gold's are a different story) but nobody ever said a .444 or a 45-70 was a long range, wind cheater.