Max effective range of slugs?

A

Allen_Raiford

New member
You yahoos convinced me to keep my shotgun. Thanks.
I have not found a rifle range that will allow me to shoot it.
I have ghost ring rifle sights mounted on its 18" cylinder barrel.
What accuracy can I expect (with slugs) at say 100 metres?
What is the max effective range (with slugs) against humanoid shaped objects?

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"Pathfinders Light the Way!"
 
According to the little chart on the top of my Remington Rifled Slug box,the drop at 25 yards is .49", at 50 yards 2.19", at 75 yards, 5.47" and at 100 yards 10.68 ". Here in Ohio, a shotgun w/slugs is the only long arm you can use on deer(aside from black powder). This pretty much jibes with what my deer hunting friends say about the max range of shots they will take. Most of them won't take a shot beyond 50 yards. The brand of slug and the design is going to make a world of difference.
 
I'm lucky to get 6" groups at 50 yards. But I don't know if that is the gun, or if it is me flinching -- shooting slugs from a bench hurts a whole lot more than shooting off-hand.

But as Rae points out, the ballistics are such that you really don't want to take a shot much past 75 yards or so.

M1911
 
At the range I shoot at they have stell gongs hanging out at different distances. When I first got my MMC ghostrings on my 11-87 Police I decided to try some slugs at longer distances. Out at 150 yds there was a 15" across round piece of steel and I found that once I got on it I could hit that puece of steel very regularly. I did miss but they were very close misses. I would not bohter putting them on paper becasue I know they are not accurate but I know I coud hit a person at 150 yds no problem.

Get a bunch of slugs and shoot them and you will get more comfortable shooting them at longer distances. I cast my own slugs and load them myself so I shoot quite a few slugs.

NJW in AZ
 
I zero my 870 slug guns at 50 yards because few shots on deer exceed that where I hunt. Last range day, 3 shot groups ran around 2 inches in a fairtomiddlin' accurate 870 I've built and set up with peep and so on. That translates to 4 inches at 100 yards, from a rest and under tightly controlled conditions that are near optimum for accuracy.Easily double that for field conditions and adrenaline rush.

For tactical/defensive use, 100 yards is a good maximum range for slugs. And, that's after finding the right slug for your shotgun.

You could take two identical shotguns, with consecutive serial numbers, set them up and test slugs, and find one slug isn't the best performer in both.

Allen, fully loaded that 870 of yours probably goes close to 9 lbs.That means you, with proper technique, can get some decent results bench testing. Buy a messa those little 5 packs of various brands, bench test until one shows a great advantage, then buy lots of that,preferably from the same lot number.

As to effectivenessm within the confines of this discussion, there's no ineffective slugs. All work well when inserted correctly.

Hope this helps.....
 
Once tried shooting at a gong at 200 yards with an 870. Can't remember the number of hits, but I was suprised at the accuracy. Gong was about 24 inches across (circle).

Giz
 
Funny you should ask. Just got back from the range. Sighting in my ghost rings on my Scattergun Tech 870. Border Patrol Model. Though in USPSA three gun matches, I expect most my slug shots to be at 25-50 yards. More due to confines of course. But effective max defensive range is closer to 100-125 yards. Knowing your gun, sights and ammo. So I agree with Erick, not saying 150 is not possible. I just wouldn't waste a shot past 100+/- some.
 
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