Major Dave (retired)
New member
Went to the range yesterday, with high hopes that Federal Truball slugs would make my Rem 870 a 100 yard deer slayer.
Bought the 20 (?) inch smooth bore slug barrel for it in the 1970's, mounted a Bushnell Magnum Phantom 1.3X pistol scope on the barrel, but never got good accuracy with any brand of Foster slugs. Brenneke slugs were never much better.
As the years went by, the concept of sabot encased slugs evolved, but they require a rifled barrel, or at least a rifled choke tube, for good results. I never wanted to spend the money to buy into those alternatives.
So, I have been stuck with a 1970's solution to a 21st century problem. Until yesterday, when I dusted off the old smooth bore slug barrel and loaded her up with Federal Truball.
First three rounds at 50 yards resulted in 3 holes stacked vertically, almost touching each other, 5 inches left of center.
After windage adjustment on the scope, the next 3 rounds were incredibly uniform in windage (centered), and 3 inches high, in a 3 inch vertical stack.
With that, I went to the 100 yard range, wondering how much drop to expect.
Another 3 rounds, again a very tight windage pattern, but an 8 inch vertical stack - one 4 inches high, one 4 inches low, and one within an inch (vertically) of the bullseye. The windage of all 3 rounds was within 1/2 inch of center!
Looks like "minute of deer" to me!
I'm no longer envious of folks with rifled barrels, shooting sabot slugs.
Thank you, Federal, for inventing the Truball slug.
P.S. I intend to hunt deer at Fort Hood, TX, with my 870.
Bought the 20 (?) inch smooth bore slug barrel for it in the 1970's, mounted a Bushnell Magnum Phantom 1.3X pistol scope on the barrel, but never got good accuracy with any brand of Foster slugs. Brenneke slugs were never much better.
As the years went by, the concept of sabot encased slugs evolved, but they require a rifled barrel, or at least a rifled choke tube, for good results. I never wanted to spend the money to buy into those alternatives.
So, I have been stuck with a 1970's solution to a 21st century problem. Until yesterday, when I dusted off the old smooth bore slug barrel and loaded her up with Federal Truball.
First three rounds at 50 yards resulted in 3 holes stacked vertically, almost touching each other, 5 inches left of center.
After windage adjustment on the scope, the next 3 rounds were incredibly uniform in windage (centered), and 3 inches high, in a 3 inch vertical stack.
With that, I went to the 100 yard range, wondering how much drop to expect.
Another 3 rounds, again a very tight windage pattern, but an 8 inch vertical stack - one 4 inches high, one 4 inches low, and one within an inch (vertically) of the bullseye. The windage of all 3 rounds was within 1/2 inch of center!
Looks like "minute of deer" to me!
I'm no longer envious of folks with rifled barrels, shooting sabot slugs.
Thank you, Federal, for inventing the Truball slug.
P.S. I intend to hunt deer at Fort Hood, TX, with my 870.