Did a touch of bench work at AGC last Monday Morn. It was time to check the zero on my ML, and some recent posts here about using slugs in bead sighted shotguns had me realizing I didn't have much current info. So,Frankenstein and a handful of slugs went with me.
Frankenstein, my overpublicized parts 870, has had very few slugs through it. After all, I've two much better slug guns in the two "Serious" 870s with their peeps and mods. But, I tried a pair of three shot groups just to see what could be done with my old eyes, a bead, and some slugs NOT selected by extensive testing at the bench. Distance was 50 yards.Choke was a Skeet tube.
So,after shooting my ML,I turned to Frankenstein, dropped in a KO Brenneke, rested my elbows on the bench and squeezed it off. Taking my time but not cooling the bbl completely between shots, I shot two more KOs, then after a short break, 3 Winchester 1 oz Forster style HP slugs.Both give very good results on deer, IME, but there's no ineffective 12 gauge slugs.
I used the rested elbows position instead of a more rigid bench style because I wanted to mimic field conditions. I take most of my deer these days from a ground blind,shooting seated.
The KOS are the most accurate in my slug shooters. Not in Frank, they grouped inside 6 inches, tho the first shot was low. The other two rounds were inside 3".
The Winchesters came in at around 3 1/4". These are edge to edge measurements. And two were almost overlapped. With more work and testing, doubtless a slug could be found to reduce those groups further.
While all shots hit to the left, they would have stayed on a deer shoulder at that range and taken out the vitals for a quick and humane death.
IMO, beads can be used for slugging at up to 50 yards, IF the shooter practices first and uses a slug of known POI.
HTH....
Frankenstein, my overpublicized parts 870, has had very few slugs through it. After all, I've two much better slug guns in the two "Serious" 870s with their peeps and mods. But, I tried a pair of three shot groups just to see what could be done with my old eyes, a bead, and some slugs NOT selected by extensive testing at the bench. Distance was 50 yards.Choke was a Skeet tube.
So,after shooting my ML,I turned to Frankenstein, dropped in a KO Brenneke, rested my elbows on the bench and squeezed it off. Taking my time but not cooling the bbl completely between shots, I shot two more KOs, then after a short break, 3 Winchester 1 oz Forster style HP slugs.Both give very good results on deer, IME, but there's no ineffective 12 gauge slugs.
I used the rested elbows position instead of a more rigid bench style because I wanted to mimic field conditions. I take most of my deer these days from a ground blind,shooting seated.
The KOS are the most accurate in my slug shooters. Not in Frank, they grouped inside 6 inches, tho the first shot was low. The other two rounds were inside 3".
The Winchesters came in at around 3 1/4". These are edge to edge measurements. And two were almost overlapped. With more work and testing, doubtless a slug could be found to reduce those groups further.
While all shots hit to the left, they would have stayed on a deer shoulder at that range and taken out the vitals for a quick and humane death.
IMO, beads can be used for slugging at up to 50 yards, IF the shooter practices first and uses a slug of known POI.
HTH....
(Ain't much to hunt in Utah with slugs).