shotgun slug range

Slug will do harm out to 200 yards, the effective range depends on your shooting skill. I am comfortable at 100 yards for a zero and 120 for my maximum effective range. What are you using for sights? One of my guns is scoped and the other has rifle sights. With the bead only guns I feel stretched past 35-40 yards.
 
If memory serves the 590a1 has a cylinder bore smooth non rifled barrell. With smooth barells 75 yards is about the farthest i would shoot. Remember a lot of slugs out now are for rifled barrells and they won't shoot worth a darn in a smooth bore
 
If memory serves the 590a1 has a cylinder bore smooth non rifled barrell. With smooth barells 75 yards is about the farthest i would shoot. Remember a lot of slugs out now are for rifled barrells and they won't shoot worth a darn in a smooth bore
Click to expand...
We are talking about Brenneke/Foster type slugs. They are all designed for smoothbore, the sabot slugs and plumbata slugs are designed for the rifled bore guns.

However like everything there is a wide area of crossover. My Brenneke slugs will shoot fine in a rifled barrel with ho degradation of accuracy but no advantage either, disadvantage is I have leading to clean out. The sabot slugs will shoot fine in my smoothbore as long as they are not full choke but they aren't quite as accurate and are to blamed expensive.

However the Op's question wasn't about ammo choice but distance and effective distance depends on his shooting skills and his sighting system. The 18 1/2" barrel is no hindrance to his effective range going by my Mossberg 9200 shooting results using Remington and Hornady slugs. It has rifle sights and a full choke and is easy 6" at 100 yards when I do my job. 10" if I get a little sloppy and that is good enough for a deer at that range. My 24" scoped Winchester 1200 is 4" at 100 yards. I can't do any better than that with my 30-30 or 32 Win Spcl rifles.
 
What is the point of telling the guy what the effective range is of a choked gun, with certain sights, and a longer barrel which of course depends on skill.

I think Old Grump knows what he says when he says what to expect from a bead only gun. Perhaps a bit less with the 18.5" barrel.
 
Mine is the thinner 20" (not an A1) barrel 9-shot model 590.

These were not my final adjustments on the sights they were shooting a little right (I was switching brands). I have found with a smoothbore, the slug makes a big defference. I had some slugs of a different brand shoot fine at 50yards but the wad would seperate at 100 yards and they would produce flyers of about 24 inches.

I am really satisfied with the Fiocchi slugs, they are easy on the shoulder and accurate enough.

I put 3-shots touching, 50yards (Fiocchi) with a Mossberg 500 18-1/2" security bbl and bead sight a few days ago.
 
Last edited:
For a smoothbore barrel and using..

the forster slug [large hollow-based piece of lead] the max yardage is 85, IF you have a good scope and have been practicing for a bit, not the sunday before opening day.

If using the brenneke then you're good for 100 give the above.

A rifled barrel will increase that to a good 150, but again nee to be practcing.
 
thanks for all the input right now I only have a front bead sight but am looking at XS ghost ring when I get the money. So @ 100yds what can I look for as far as penatration, would is say kill a boar or may black bear?
 
Figure an average 600 ft/lbs for a 20 gauge and 950 ft/lbs for a 12 gauge slug, I'm not being specific because there are a lot variables that affect the results. Kill a deer. certainly but I wouldn't take a hundred yard shot against bear or hog at that range, 60yards would be about optimum and if you are that close your chances of hits go up.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top