What tactical use is the shotgun slug?

When something within 100 yds of you absolutely, positively, no questions asked has to die, I'd wager your best chances of making that happen are with a COM hit with a Brenneke KO Slug. If that fails, repeat, if that fails, then you've stepped through the looking glass and are now rightly screwed.
 
I was a Sheriff Deputy at one time in a small county in Missouri. It was hight of Deer season and I had to work the afternoon shift. Just as we got to get ready for the afternoon patrol we had a drifter in town that just robbed the local back. The local PD were chasing the guy around town, he was armed and shot 2 people in the bank. The town only had 13,000 people in it and not very large. After a 20 minute cruise around town shooting at the us he stopped in the town square for a show down. He put 3 hand guns on top of his car and started shooting at anybody in site. He hit two cops before an off duty deputy with a 12 gauge with 3 slugs got a clear shot at him. The first shot was a single shot, COM. As we started to the car he stood back up and raised his 44 mag at the deputy. He dropped 3 more in from the semi auto shotgun. The guy had a vest. it only stopped the first slug, the other 3 found their mark. So yest it has a tactical purpose.
 
I will say from a ballistic standpoint the slug is a sledgehammer! Poke one trhu a an old freezer at 50 yards. In and out it goes... Body armor may stop penetration but them thousands of per square inch of impact will knock the wind out of anyone! At home defense range the spread of shot will be measured in inches not feet! Why waste all that energy? My first shot will be 7 1/2 shot but after that one 00 and the rest slugs...Com or head shot is a sure way to free me up to call 911!
Brent
 
Well, they shoot big holes in stuff. I guess in some tactical sense, if you have some special tactical need to tactically shoot a big hole in something, then tactically speaking a 12 gauge slug could be called upon to deliver the goods, tactically that is.
 
Wake yer asses up... in a home room stituation the spread of a shot shell is going to begin at 10 yards,,, under 10 yards it is just a big entry wound. Whqat the lead does inside the body means little after this. Yes the BG is severly wounded but mortally incapacitated is severly different! the wound CHANNEL of a 20 or 12 gauge slug is the kicker. Hydra dynamic destruction is not even comparable to a bullet wound... we are talking about a belly (sub diapraghm) thru and thru that impacts severe damage on lungs, heart, liver and kidneys... The intention is to stop a threat and a slug will do that right now...
Brent
 
Oh I do love the slug. They are wonderful for shooting bad guys in cars. I've shot a few cars (intact ones, not the collanders found on back country roads) and slugs that went in seldom came out. Slugs also cope with windshields much better in my experience than any handgun, mid power rifle (5.56 etc) or even the sniper's oh so bitchin 308 match ammo. I've never seen a standard slug penetrate even Level II armor but the back face deformation was severe enough to make severe blunt trauma effects very likely.

Now as far as precision is concerned, I consider precision a very relative term. Sub MOA at 100 yds over open sights, not likely, but 10 out of 10 on a human sillhouette at 100 yds, you bet. That's precise enough for me considering the tool.

I'm pretty good with a gauge and on the range at my best I can clip just the hostage taker target at up to 20 ft. But that's only 1 or 2 pellets on target and 7 or 8 more that I'm still responsible for that missed the target completely.

I'll not give up my 5.56 social occassions carbine without much fuss but if the zombies come and I have to choose only one weapon, I guess I'll just have to suck up the recoil and go with the slug launching gauge.
 
A shotgun slug is great for entertainment purposes
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Yes I loved seeing them deer die :) then we ate em.

...if you think "precision shooting" can be done with slugs you need more range time
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My winchester 1300 wuth a rifled barrel and the proper sabots is a bulls eye hitter at 100 yards. We use them for hunting deer, same as a 30-30 as far as accuracy. Want to come out to me range and see for yourself?
 
If we could pick our gunfights we would always have the perfect weapon in hand for each situation. The shotgun is an effective close range weapon no argument there. It is when the distance opens up beyond 30 yds that the slug takes a great advantage over buckshot.
Had the LAPD officers been issued slugs the North Hollywood bank robbery would have ended much faster. Body armor aside these vermin of society could not stand up to the punch of a one oz slug.
 
too many movies ?

Apparently you"ve never lined up cinder blocks for execution.

And as far as accurate, I"ve watched my grandfather jump shoot running deer in in the head with 2 3/4" slugs no/scope 16 gauge. If you shoot enough its just like a long bow, distance, leading, I think he would of rather had his old pump than an A.R.
 
I use a cruiser grip so I can't use slugs

(I ain't shooting a slug from stomach level)
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And that's why I use a full stock. A shotgun still has to be aimed. PGs perform poorly, unless you really know what you are doing...
 
pistol grip

Some kid came into my local range with a pistol grip 12ga, showing off for his girlfriend. Against advice of other shooters, he tried to take an aimed shot, and proceeded to smack himself in the mouth with his shotgun.

Between that incident, and the yahoo who shot a load of birdshot and had a bunch of ricochets off the backstop, the range owner now has a "No shotguns" policy.

Of course, if he knows you, that can be waived. But the new general rule is still no shotties.
 
well...

I understand why lots of people don't like cruiser grips, because a lot of lame-os use them. But don't blame the grip, blame the lame-o.

Fact is I've been firing shotguns for 20 years and can break trap all day with a standard stock. I have the strength and technique to control a cruiser grip, which I shoot from just below sternum level, right hand close to the body.

You're right, it's not as accurate as a shoulder stock, and when I shoot slugs I put the shoulder stock on. However, for my purposes it's easier to conceal in my home and maneuver with a shortie than a full-stock shotgun.

Even a skinny girl with bad technique can handle a cruiser grip:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=_YNm4_4nHHQ
 
Besides large game hunting, what would be the tactical use?
My opinion is the slug has to much penetration. How could it be used by the police or a homeowner? It would penetrate right through the target and bound to hit someone or something else.
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LE who are familiar with Foster type (soft lead) LE Tactical HP slugs (such as Fed. Tac), have told me that they don't tend to over penetrate human targets.

A Federal LE Officer, and later Fed. firearms instructor told me he prefered slugs because he'd rather be responsible for one projectile as opposed nine 9 00 buck--for safety and liability reasons, as well as precision. His team within the agency felt the same way--they used slugs.

Now, Brennekes (hard lead) or Sabots are a different matter where penetration is concerned and might be the best choice where a large critter that could eat you for breakfast is concerned.

Fosters from Blackbear on down. Brennekes or Sabots for Blackbear on up, including large Porcine type critters.

I don't think the deadly effectiveness of a .72 cal. slug that expands to well over an inch is in dispute. Or even the effectiveness of a hard slug that doesn't expand at all, for that matter.
 
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First of all, there is no personal body armor that will defeat a 12 gauge slug.

Imagine something punching through your stomach and breaking your spinal column, without ripping your shirt, and you'll get the idea. As in, massive internal trauma resulting in death.

BUT - a shotgun slug will defeat bullet resistant glass, which could be a plus.

BTW - what the hell does 'tactical' even mean any more? Nothing.
 
First of all, there is no personal body armor that will defeat a 12 gauge slug.

Imagine something punching through your stomach and breaking your spinal column, without ripping your shirt, and you'll get the idea. As in, massive internal trauma resulting in death.
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:confused::confused::confused::confused:

Never heard this one before
 
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