When to use slugs....

Super-Dave

New member
I was wondering under what conditions are you better off using a shotgun with slugs vs a rifle.

Not looking at hunting laws, just practical situations. Are there certain game that is better taken with slugs vs rifle rounds or is there certain situations where a slug is better?
 
Where urban development may be in close proximity to the hunting area would be the only major reason I can think of.

A big lead slug moving fairly slow hits the ground fairly quickly as opposed to high speed rifle rounds.

It may also be a better choice for hunting hogs in real thick stuff.
 
A slug is better when it's required by law.

There is no evidence that I've ever seen that slugs are in any way safer. In fact, my experience suggests that just the opposite is true.

Slugs do not penetrate brush without deflecting. They require excess range compensation and are inherently less accurate at any distance than a rifle at the same distance.

There is no advantage to using deer slugs unless there is a law that must be followed. Period.

Anything a slug can do, there is a rifle that can do it better.
 
Would a heavier and slower moving slug stand a better chance of bucking its way through heavy brush compared to a lighter and faster moving rifle bullet?
 
A couple things.....

First, a full bore 12 gauge slug moving under 1600 FPS MAY deflect slightly less on light twigs or shadows than a rifle projectile moving twice as fast, but it will deflect and the 6X or so times greater frontal area means it will hit more stuff.

Much as I like my slug shooters, were the law changed I'd tote a rifle.
 
8 or 9 years ago, there was an article in one of the gun rags. Can't remember which or exactly when. The article was on "brush guns" and they did some testing setting up a target with some tree limbs and whatnot a few feet in front of it. They tested some of the most popular "brush" calibers including 12 ga. slugs, .30-30, .35 Remington, etc. Along with some higher velocity rounds. What they found was counter intuitive and contrary to what many of us have heard about 12 ga slugs punching through brush without deflecting. IIRC, they were one of the worst performers, when the top of the list was the .300 Win Mag. Their conclusion was that you need significant velocity along with a heavy for caliber bullet to better avoid deflecting off limbs and such.

Go figure..........
 
Would a heavier and slower moving slug stand a better chance of bucking its way through heavy brush compared to a lighter and faster moving rifle bullet?

No. That old wive's tale has been debunked many times over but it doesn't seem to ever die.
 
I think this gets a little complicated.
I have a full rifled barrel. I shoot Hornady SST saboted slugs out of it.
This basically gives me a .50 cal bullet similar (visually identical) to what I launch out of my muzzleloader(rifle) at an advertised ?1390FPS?. I use a TC thunderhawk muzzle loader which I have always thought shot very well for a muzzle loader which outperforms it on accuracy(I bought used). I have friends with cheaper muzzle loaders(still get the job done and they bought them new) that aren't any more accurate than my shotgun setup.
I don't know the difference in muzzle velocity or twist rate, but I am willing to bet it is very similar.
I have only deer hunted two years, always get jittery when I see a deer, rarely see them etc. so I can't really say I have ever taken advantage of the range I get. I just gave up on scoped shotgun hunting mid season this year.

Foster slugs or similar have much more limited range and all the ballistics tests i have heard or seen show they ricochet like crazy. Think of throwing a rock at a tree v. shooting it I guess. Rock could go any direction the bullet pretty much continues somewhere down range.
Fired at chest height to a chest height target at 400 yds how long does it take for a 30-06 to hit the ground?
 
I have hunted for 13 years with a 12 bolt action slug gun with a fully rifled barrel and sabot slugs 3" lightfields. This gun will shoot as well out to 150 yards as my buddies remington 700 .270 win will. I have seen deer shot out to 200 with a slug gun the shooter was my brother the deer dropped right where it was standing. Recoil isn't that bad from a 3" slug out of my gun or my brothers 870 12 ga. Savage makes a couple of bolt action slug guns a 12 ga and a 20 ga check these out.

jbaham
 
If I'm tracking a deer I usually take a shotgun with a slug in the pipe followed by buckshot. My thinking is that if the deer isn't hit right it may jump up right in front of me and I would like to smack him w/a slug but I have the buck to throw at it if the slug misses.
 
That idea isn't very good as the second shot will be a going away shot where you need extra penetration which buckshot won't give !!
I've had rounds from 44 mag, 45-70 ,6.5x55 deflect !! I use a scope here in NY to find an opening in the brush rather than trying to 'bust through' brush Any bullet can be deflected !!!
 
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