Slugs for Deer Season This Year

N

Nathan

New member
I'm looking for a cheap slug which out of my Mossy 930 12ga with a 24" rifled barrel will put 5 into 6" at 100 yards. Last year, I used Hastings slugs and the cheap Winchester's with pretty good success.

I'm thinking or getting these to try out. Federal Power-Shok Ammunition 12 Gauge 2-3/4" 1 oz Hollow Point Rifled Slug.

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Have you tried these out or have something else for $1.25 or less per shot you would recommend?
 
My old man has used remington buckhammers for years with lots of success. They're pretty cheap from what I remember being only like 4 bucks or something like that for a box of 5.

Also if your barrel is rifled why are you shooting rifled slugs? I always was told accuracy was trash if you did so?
 
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Defining Performance

Nate,
You need to define performance under your hunting conditons. On the one hand, you list 6" at 100yds. On the other, you indicate want to kill a deer at the ranges you will encounter. In actually use, I'm going to say that most or all of you shots will be under 100yds. .... ;)

Refering to my Mid-West ranges, I have used these slugs with very good performance. The farthest deer I have taken, was at about 80yds and most have been in the 60 or less. These slugs are really dropping at the ranges you are indicating. .... :(
I don't think I've ever seen a smoothbore gun that put 5 shots in 6" at 100 yards.
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Can't say I have either but have never had the urge to try. I range in at 50yds. with very good performance. ... ;)

Be Safe !!!
 
Federal TruBall Slugs have proven quite accurate in my Remington 870 Express (edged out only slightly in accuracy by Brenekke Black Magic Magnums) and most retailers in my area have them for $5-6 per box.
 
I use that very same load in an 870. Groups stay within a paper plate at 100 yards. Your gun might do better, or worse. Only way to find out is to buy a box.
 
Not cheap but Remington copper sabot slugs (there are several versions) are extremely accurate out of a rifled barrel with a scope. Copper solids will group at 3 to 5 inches at 100 yards. I've taken deer at well over 100 yards with my 870 SP, rifled barrel, Leupold scope, and Rem. copper solid slugs. (I would, of course, prefer a rifle - a firearm limited to poachers in Iowa.) :(
 
Basically, I need to be minute of deer out to about 100-125 yds.

I expect to see most at 50 yds or less, but in a fence row, there are 100 yd shots. I really can't see shooting over 150yds ever, so I limit myself to cheap slugs and a red dot sight....similarly cheap, but effective!
 
I suggest figuring your costs for shotgun deer hunting: gas, licenses, food, time off work, clothing, shotgun, ammo, etc. With a rifled slug barrel shotgun and scope, I expect to shoot many more slugs at paper targets than at deer. Relatively speaking the cost of slugs fired at target and deer are a very small part of the cost of hunting deer with a rifled barrel shotgun with a scope - a firearm that isn't normally used for any other than hunting. Full lead Foster type slugs are fine for short range shots but are not very accurate at 100+ yards. Such slugs will, of course, kill a a deer at more than 100 yards if the slug hits the vitals, and the deer will drop and die very quickly.
 
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Thanks. Just to be clear, I'm not looking for shoot your eye out accuracy, just something minut of deer up to 100 yds. Sorry about the number 150 in a post, I was kind of thinking...if I estimated the range wrong. In reality, I think I know 100 yds +/- 10 yds.
 
I have a far amount of experience with slugs and deer hunting. It really depends on what your gun likes. I have a 20 gauge Mossberg 500 smooth bore that shoots cheapo Rem rifled slugs all in the black at 50 yards. I went to Fed Truball and it was all over the place. Same thing with my Rifled slug barrel 500 12 gauge, couple of well known and expensive sabots it didn't care for. The problem with rifled barrels and finding the right slug is cost. I have an NEF smooth bore that shoots Winchester 1oz rifled slugs just like a rifle at 50 yards. Even with my rifled slug barrel and the right slug I wouldn't feel comfortable past eighty yards, but that's just me.
 
The cheap slugs...

cost about $5 per box of 5, and are usually of the "Foster" design. Supposedly they don't shoot small groups in a rifled slug barrel, like yours.

The slugs that are designed to shoot well in a rifled slug barrel are usually of the Sabot design. They run about $25 a box.

Then there are the "solid copper" design. Basically the shotgun version of the Barnes "X" bullet, with a soft plastic tip which "sets back" upon impact and causes the 4 copper petals to "open" (expand). Shoots well (small groups) in rifled slug barrels, but way up there in price, too.

So, what do you want - low cost, or better downrange ballistics and better terminal performance? Can't get both with the same ammo.

Your choice.

I'm just saying.:rolleyes:
 
You might look at Brenneke K.O. slugs if you want to stay thrifty (they cost the same as most foster slugs) but are more accurate for some people.

If you're willing to spend a little more (like $8 per box of 5), you might try Brenneke's Green Lightning slugs. These are still rifled slugs, but they are supposed to offer good range and accuracy from smooth bores, and better accuracy from rifled barrels.

Wal-Mart probably won't carry the Brenneke brand, but farm/fleet stores and outdoors/sports stores often do.
 
Before anyone wants to get smart, yes I know comparing ice to animals aren't exactly the same. But, I recently did some testing with Federal 1 1/4 oz 3 inch Magnum rifled hollow points and Remington 1 oz Magnum 3 inch jacketed sabot hollow points. The Federals penetrated the frozen water jugs about 2-3 inches and fragmented. The Remingtons blew the ice in pieces more or less and continued traveling. I was going to try a shotgun this year with the Remingtons, changed my mind after that. There wont be a deer left, can only imagine what those do to an animal.
 
To Piggy back on Klawman's question... My rifled barrel 20 gauge has stamped on it...use sabot-slugs only. I take that as a pretty serious warning from the factory.

On the other hand My Saiga smoothbore 12 will do 4 inch groups at 50 yards with old-style slugs (1 oz) although I hope I don't need a 'group' for the smaller Whitetail we are seeing here in Indiana this year. Having a ten round mag full of slugs can do a job on a small critter if they **** me off !:cool:
 
How about an answer to meatgrinder42's question?

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Also if your barrel is rifled why are you shooting rifled slugs? I always was told accuracy was trash if you did so?
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Cost vs accuracy. $15 for a box of 5 vs $15 for a box of 15. I was getting 5 Winchesters fosters into about 6in at 100 yards.
 
Regarding rifled slugs from rifled barrels, I've never heard that it is unsafe. Brenneke claims that their rifled slugs can be shot in smooth or rifled barrels, but that shooting them through rifled barrels actually improves accuracy a little. I've never heard or seen that rifled barrels hurt accuracy of rifled slugs.

The biggest issue may be that swaged lead slugs traveling down a rifled barrel with no plastic sleeve (like sabot's have) could foul up the barrel quickly. Maybe it that got really bad, accuracy would start to suffer.
 
I've never been a fan of telling others what slugs to use. I test many slugs in different guns with differing results. I choose the best performer during pre-season for that particular gun and make a written note about which brand to use when it comes time for hunting. I buy a box or more of 6 or 8 or 10 different and fire them in 2 or 3 or 4 guns for comparison. I save the targets to see how close or how far off some may be. In one case, I settled on one brand for best accuracy out at far distance. In a different case, at closer range, that gun is sighted in so I may use any one of 4 brands and be well with in the vital area, but no particular single brand was selected as best. They were all "good enough". The simple matter is to just try some and see for yourself how they compare on a target.
 
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