Slug gun advice

[MetalMan2004]

In the end I know I’m going to have to buy some stuff and head to the range to test it out, but I’d like to hear from those who have slug gun experience before I start spending money.

I got drawn for a shotgun with slugs only hog hunt in Feb. I have a Bennelli Nova with a regular shotgun barrel. A rifled barrel for it is more expensive than buying a dedicated slug gun, so that’s out (unless I manage to find a used one).

After some reading I’ve narrowed it down to two solutions. For just under $200 I can get a rifled choke, rail and lower end red dot for the Nova.

The other option would be to keep an eye on classifieds for a cheap dedicated slug gun in the classifieds.

For those of you who have used them, are rifled chokes worth the money? Any suggestions?

[BigRed323]

I drew a slug hunt a couple of years ago and didn’t want to invest in anything since I wouldn’t use it otherwise. I took my 12 gauge semi auto dove gun, left my IC choke in there (since I can’t get it out), and bought the cheap Remington slugs at academy.

Ended up with an 8 point at 50 yards and a doe at 70 yards.

[Mjjust]

I drew a slug hunt a couple of years ago and didn’t want to invest in anything since I wouldn’t use it otherwise. I took my 12 gauge semi auto dove gun, left my IC choke in there (since I can’t get it out), and bought the cheap Remington slugs at academy.

Ended up with an 8 point at 50 yards and a doe at 70 yards.

This is what I’m thinking of doing. Did you add any sorta sights?

[BigRed323]

This is what I’m thinking of doing. Did you add any sorta sights?

Nope. Just the single bead on the gun

[kry226]

Buy the right slug gun and you may have a new favorite gun for all of your hunting as they make GREAT deer and hog guns. I cut my teeth hunting military installations and other public lands, most of which were slug or muzzleloader only.

After years hunting with an 870 w/ a fully rifled barrel and cantilever-mounted scope, my big lesson learned is that 12 ga is overkill and just beats you up. 20 ga is plenty. If I were to buy a slug gun today, it'd be the stainless Savage 220 and it's what I'd recommend for you.

You could probably find a used one somewhere at a decent price, but here's a new one (blued) at Bud's:

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/64356/Firearms/Shotguns/Savage-Stevens/Savage+220+SLUG+GUN+20GA+22

[Cajun Blake]

In the end I know I’m going to have to buy some stuff and head to the range to test it out, but I’d like to hear from those who have slug gun experience before I start spending money.

Any suggestions?

pm Leon as he has a ton of knowledge and real world experience

[Buckshot-73]

I have a rifled choke on my Winchester 1300, with a slughunter scope mounted.

It’s not as accurate as I would like, will hold a 3-5 in. Pattern at 75 yds. Took a lot of bruising and money to find the right shells.


I broke down and found a 12ga. Ultra slughunter, and now can hold 1-3in. Pattern. Out to 150 yds. This is with the same Cabelas pine ridge slug scope.

Unless you want a rifled barrel, just get some different ammo, and test to see what your gun likes.... do not shoot sabot slugs out of a smooth bore barrel.

[glen]

Just put slugs in and go figure out where your gun shoots and use it. You are overthinking this one.

[Buckshot-73]

Also, I get better performance with 2-3/4 inch shells than I do with 3in.

Bloodtrail has done several threads about his experience with slugs. Ton of info on there.

[Blank]

Yep, overthinking it. If you won't or can't spend the money on a good slug gun, then look on Gun Broker or in the local shops for a good used one. I think you will be surprised at some of the deals you can find. If this truly is a one time, or really infrequent hunt I would just buy the Rem Slugger or Win 1oz slug and sight it in at 50 yards to see where it shoots. They will run out there about 1400-1600 fps. Then go kill some hogs. It should group 4-6" at 100 yards.

That said, I love to hunt with my slug gun and have a dedicated Rem 870 with Hastings Paradox scoped rifled barrel. It will shoot the Hornady 300 gr SST sabot slugs at 2000 fps. into 1.5" groups at 100 yards all day, and is only 10" low at 200 yards. It is a deer killing machine!!!

[MetalMan2004]

Thanks for the good info everyone. Glen, you are probably right. I’ve read a decent amount but I haven’t been to the range to see the accuracy I’m starting at with the basic setup I have. I’ll do that, then decide if I need to add anything.

It’s good to hear some nice success stories as well.

[Texas Grown]

You can also get rifles sights that mount to your vent rib. I did that for my daughter's 20ga. It would shoot 1.5" groups off the bench with the modified choke. Sights were by Williams. And fully adjustable.

[Txtourist]

I'm in Minnesota, half our state is slug only for whitetail firearm (caveat being muzzzleloaders,hand guns even the.encores in rifle calibers and a few guys with AR pistols in the usual array of calibers).
I started out using rifled slugs in a Western field/ Mossberg 500 smoothbore I inherited. Under 75 yards it was deadly, past that became sloppy, and taught me to understand my own limits and judgement when it came to wounding tracking and some lost deer. Knock down and shock power is much lower as the velocity of a basic shotgun slug is often not much over 1000 fps.
I saved up a few bucks after college and my first home and bought a "doorbuster sale" 11-87 sportsman with a factory rifled barrel with a cantilever mount and a smooth bird barrel. It was a big improvement that moved my limit out to 150 yards. Long story short the Bushnell holosight shattered when shooting at a deer. I replaced a few shell latches and gave up on that gun when I lost trust in it.
Picked up another Remington with a Hastings cantilevered fully barrel. This was the "creme de la creme" around here for slug guns with claims of 250 yard kills with 3" Winchester sabots. After a few trips to the range with different brand slugs, I concluded my shoulder was going to get a hole in it before a whiteatails would and sold the gun when I couldn't keep groups under 8" at 100yds.
After a bunch of research I landed on the Savage bolt action shotguns. It took a bit to wrap my head around a bolt action shotgun, as I had often done a lot of snap shooting and walking sloughs shooting deer on the run at close range. Basically, I was shooting deer as one would pheasants and came to depend upon 5 or so rounds in a semi-auto with a holographic sight, with the occasional decent animal while sitting in a stand.
I nearly bought the Savage 212 (12 gauge) until the gun shop owner said to do a bit more research to confirm that the 220 (20guage) is actually more accurate and capable beyond 200 yards. I was skeptical, but had a few bucks in my pocket and firearm season was approaching, so I bought the 220 and saddled it with a mid-range Leupold 3x9.
I boresighted it and went to the range and punched the bullseye first shot and touched on the second at 75yds (dumb luck, but it felt awesome just the same) with 2-3/4" Accutips. Took it to 100yds and it barely dropped, groups stayed under 2". On to 200 the real BS test and it dropped 5.5" and grouped 3 shots just under 4".
I settled on the Remington accutips which were recommended. with this gun, the accutips in 2-3/4" were better than the 3" which may have been my reaction to the recoil. I couldn't get the copper solids to group on a 10" bulls eye at 100yds. I did try a Winchester supreme something or another that was a super hot load, it hit the dirt in front of the target at 100yds and the Hornady sabots were hot as well and I could not get any consistency with this particular gun, but a couple of friends with 220's swear by them.
In summary, I've only hunted two seasons with this slug gun. The fit and finish is pretty much as expected with an off the shelf entry level Savage in synthetic, but it shoots more like a rifle than a slug gun.
I've taken a handful of does out to 75yds with it making head and neck shots, and my wife shot a doe in the pump and dropped it at 90yds. My dad bought the same gun the following year and dropped a nice 8 at 190 yards. He has a Nikon slug hunter on his with drop compensation that he swears by.
No idea on ballistics or knockdown, but I do plan to buy one or two more for.my kids in the coming years we basically hunt with these exclusively where we have spots that are slug zone and function surprisingly close to a rifle.

[marlinboy33]

Buy the right slug gun and you may have a new favorite gun for all of your hunting as they make GREAT deer and hog guns. I cut my teeth hunting military installations and other public lands, most of which were slug or muzzleloader only.

After years hunting with an 870 w/ a fully rifled barrel and cantilever-mounted scope, my big lesson learned is that 12 ga is overkill and just beats you up. 20 ga is plenty. If I were to buy a slug gun today, it'd be the stainless Savage 220 and it's what I'd recommend for you.

You could probably find a used one somewhere at a decent price, but here's a new one (blued) at Bud's:

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/...UG+GUN+20GA+22

This, I bought a 220 five years ago over a muzzleloader. I haven’t regretted it. At 100 yards it shoots 1 big ragged hole.

[Bayouboy]

I have a 20 ga Remington Express with a rifled slug barrel. It is a great shooter out to 100 yds. I have never tried to shoot it at any longer distances. No need to where I hunt.

I grab it over my rifles at times. I love the knockdown power and the simplicity.