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...would like to here your experiences... Mike Legistine actu quod scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.  What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | ||
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I have only used smoothbore shotguns so I have been using Remingtons Slugger loads on deer and Brenneke slugs on feral hogs. Nothing shot over 60 yards though the slugs were plenty accurate enough for longer ranges. The Sluggers are ok on deer but penetration isn't anything like the Brennekes. My 870 shoots both to the same poi at 50 yards. Leftists are intellectually vacant, but there is no greater pleasure than tormenting the irrational. | |||
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Back in November of '76 I was hunting deer with my Uncle's in upstate New York. My Uncle Ron shot a nice buck with his '30's vintage Remington 20 gauge pump gun. The shot wasn't too far, only about 40 yards; but in spite of not having any sight on the gun as it had been lost many years before, he hit the deer almost directly between the eyes as it was facing him when he shot it. We were hunting woods which surround a pretty fair sized corn field. Well, a couple hours later after he'd dressed that buck and had it hung in a tree, he spotted another deer at the opposite end of the corn field. He put the gun up and says he raised it to what he figured was the right elevation and fired. He saw the deer drop its head and walk into the woods. It went about 50 yards and dropped dead. We measured that shot and it was 276 yards! 276 yards with a 20 gauge slug and no sight! Slug hit that deer right in the chest and took out both lungs. Now, there's no way a responsible hunter would ever try a shot like that, but on that day it worked, proving the old adage "It's better to be lucky than good." John Farner If you haven't, please join the NRA! | |||
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No, but I shot the biggest whitetail of my life (to date) with a .410 slug out of a Stevens single shot. Slugs work good. | |||
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Yep, 2-3/4" Forster out of an Ithaca 37. 200# bore at 45 yards...boom/flop.  If yuro'e corseseyd and dsyelixc can you siltl raed oaky? | |||
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If you guys were setting up a slug gun...would you buy a rifled bbl? use rifled choke tubes? or smooth bore with rifled slugs? Mike Legistine actu quod scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue. What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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Not constrained by laws my selection of arms is dependent upon cover. Expecting close quarter shots I use a shotgun, the Ithaca and another Winchester will mutilate a pie plate at 50 yards with Forsters, no point in rifling. If it get longer I have rifles. If I were legally constrained I would opt for a ML given the choice, rifled shotgun next, IF in circumstances that precluded closing on my quarry. Smoothbores are still more effective than bows though... If yuro'e corseseyd and dsyelixc can you siltl raed oaky? | |||
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I've used all three and given my choice I'd go with a fully rifled barrel with a cantilever scope mount. Jeff In the land of the blind, the man with one eye is king. | |||
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Living in a shotgun/muzzleloader state[Indiana], I have hunted whitetails extensively with a slug gun. While mine has been with a 12 ga. with a rifled choke tube, my son has hunted with a fully rifled 20 ga. NEF since he was 11 yrs. old[ he's 24 now]. He has killed 15 whitetails with that little rig. I've killed probably 30 with my slug gun. Before that, I mainly used a muzzleloader. If I were going to get a new 20 ga., it would be with a fully rifled barrel. The terminal ballistics of the newer saboted slugs, have it all over the old pure lead foster slugs. If you are going to shoot the old lead slugs, then go with a 12 ga. because you just have more mass to work with. Back to the 20. Once you get the 20, go get as many 5 paks of saboted 20 ga. ammo, as you can find. Slug guns are more finnicky than red- headed women, when it comes to what they like. Some guns won't like the faster sabots, but some will. Bench them all, then pick the most accurate, and go with it. I am partial to pump guns, and own a Rem. 870 sp, that I bought in 90 or 91. I'd get a 20 ga. with the cantilevered scope mount, and start with the winchester nosler part. gold, or Rem. corelokt ultra. I believe both are loaded to about 2000 fps, with a 260 gr. slug. If your gun will shoot them accurately, you will have a setup very similar in performance, and trajectory, as a .45-70 with 300 gr. slugs. This is JMHO having with slug guns for a long time. Mad Dog | |||
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I've shot both deer and one black bear with 20 gauge Foster style slugs back when my single barrel 20 gauge was my only gun. ( a while ago)They stink. Performance on game was terrible. I would have lost the bear except for it being finished off by someone else. Penetration on deer was also poor. Not at all comparable to a 45/70, despite what the ballistics table says. Foster slugs have lousy ballistics and penetrate poorly, especially in lighter gauges. | |||
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I agree w/ Skibum, a rifled barrel w/ cantilever scope mount is the way to go. If you are not concerned w/ quick follow up shots, you may want to consider the H&R single shot 20 ga w/ rifled bbl. They have gotten rave reviews the past couple of years for being accurate out to 200 yards and they are cheap. I know this isn't a 20 ga slug gun example but, I've taken several game animals w/ a 50 cal Mler while using sabots and many 20 ga sabot slug rounds have those same bullets offered to MLer hunters so it's esentially the same thing and they will slam game fairly well. A 20 ga slug gun is probably a better choice than a 12 ga w/ today's modern sabot loads. I personally think there is less room for error in the 20 ga bore due to the thinner sabot vs the 12 ga. Also less recoil. Good Luck Reloader | |||
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Killed 3 in Indiana with a Remington 1100, side mount scope shooting Remington Foster slugs. All three fell where they stood. 2 frontal chest shots and one side brain shot. All 3 shots were inside of 50 yards. | |||
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My 870 is a youth model with a slip on recoil pad added to lengthen pull. It has a ventilated rib barrel/ interchangeable choke tubes and I added Remington rifle sights to the rib. I also added a Red Dot sight to it by drilling and tapping the rediever for a Remington 742 base. The Remington Sluggers actually work pretty good on Texas deer and pretty much broadside hits. The Brennekes do penetrate like a 45-70. The Sluggers lead the barrel so that it has to be cleaned after 10 shots or so but the Brennekes seem to clean the barrel as they are fired. With an improved cylinder choke tube this shotgun makes 3 inch groups at 75 yards. I hunt WMA"s on rainy days for several reasons and most are shotgun/muzzleloader only and I much prefer the shotgun in the rain. Will I buy a rifled tube ar barrel someday, maybe but so far it hasn't been necessary. Leftists are intellectually vacant, but there is no greater pleasure than tormenting the irrational. | |||
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My sons have both hunted whitetails with rem 870 20 ga. fully rifled barrels. Lightfield ammo is the most accurate out of their guns. Both have killed several deer with the set up and they seemed to kill as effectively as 12 ga slug guns. | |||
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Thanks This is very interesting. PETA: people eating tasty animals | |||
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Just the once on a feral pig, which bolted out of the scrub while I was after Hares with a Savage 24C. Winchester 20g with the Forster type slug. Bang-Flop. Cheers, Dave. Cheers, Dave. Aut Inveniam Viam aut Faciam. | |||
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I live in Maryland where most of the State is shotgun only. For the past three years I have been shooting a NEF Ultra slug rifled barrel .20 gauge. It is a great gun that I consistently get 2" groups at 100 yards. Shooting winchester partition gold slugs. I is pushing that 300 grain bullet at over 2000 FPS. I have shot 11 deer with it and never had to shoot a second time. You will never see a 12gauge in my hand again. | |||
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I hunt in Delaware and it is a shotgun only state. I use a 12 gauge and my son uses a 20 gauge. I use rifled barrels and I get 2 inch groups at 100 yards. I have taken deer out past 150 yards with my Remington 1100 12 gauge. My son got 3 deer with his 20 gauge, all pass through shots and one shot kills. In both guns we use Remington solid copper slugs. I some times use a H&R 20 gauge single shot Ultra slug gun while deer hunting and never feel under gunned. Mikelravy, just because you had a bad experience with a bear with you 20 gauge does not count them as terrible. Shot placement no matter what you shoot is more important. If you're going to make a hole, make it a big one. ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ Member of the Delaware Destroyers Member Reeders Misfits NRA Life Member ENDOWMENT MEMBER NAHC Life Member DSA Life Member | |||
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I have with my model 1100 remington. I have killed deer up to 100 yards with remington copper coated slugs with good results. put it in the boilermaker and get ready to fry up some steaks. accurate and hard hitting without the beating of a 12 gauge pounding your shoulder | |||
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Took a rooter with a regular 20 ga. slug. About 40yds. just the bead for sights hog facing head on BANG FLOP! Spined him dropped where he stood. My brother couldn't believe it, he didn't think I would hit it. Rifled barrels work alot better had a 12 ga. with one it was deadly on big hogs and anything else. Shoulder shot and they would drop in track. Straight shootin to ya | |||
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The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting American Big Game Hunting anybody here taken any big game animals with a 20 ga slug?
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