This morning I shot the rifles and slug gun I hunted this year before I clean them and lock them up. The rifles all had the same POI as every other time I've shot them this fall (before each hunt) and groups were in the .6's. The slug gun dropped 4.5MOA with no windage shift and the groups doubled in size to about 3MOA. All fall it has been consistent. This is the first time I've shot it in the cold.

The rifles are consistent, reliable performers and are fed good handloads using stable powders. I got exactly what I expected from them today. I shoot the slug gun with Lightfield Hybrid EXP or handloads using IMR SR4759 or IMR 4227. This is my first year with a slug gun and I did not get the result I was expecting.

When these guns were zeroed the environment was as follows: 69deg F, 29.70 inHg, 72% humidity.

Today: 34deg F, 29.75 inHg, 68% humidity.

I didn't bring the chronograph so I don't know if the ammo slowed that much in the slug gun or if it has to do with the barrel shortening just enough to change the harmonics (both the gun and ammo were put in the car a couple of hours before so they were at same temp as the environment). Or a combination of the two.

I haven't hunted with the slug gun in cold weather and I'm glad. That is enough of an elevation change to cause a miss past 100yds. Anyone else experience this?

If you search posts I have amde in this foruum, you will find that I've spent more time and money developing slug loads than all my rifles combined.

As you are finding out, it can be quite frustrating.

What I would suggest is to look up the Tar-Hunt website and read their section about shooting slug guns, it is very informative.

Next, if you reload I would suggest using clear shells and a flake powder. I have had a couple of misfires over the years that I could never figure out, and once I happened to use some clear shells and ball powder. I didn't shoot them all up and a couple months later I grabbed some and while looking at them while I was loading I realized that a substantial amount of powder had leaked past the wad. This not only leads me to believe this is what caused misfires but even if they don't misfire that certainly cannot be accurate and also can explain why some reloads may be accurate when they are new early in the season but accuracy goes to pot at the end of the season.

Frustrating, yes.

I have read the Tarhunt info and think I have the shooting down:


That is a target from zeroing at 50yds on the right and a clean barrel group at 100yds on the left.

I'll have to try the clear hulls to see if they give me any insight. Right now I have brown Fiocchi. I'll search your posts. Thanks.

What powders and bullets are you shooting? Right now I've got IMR4759 and IMR4227 under full bore solids.

I have settled on using Ballistic Products "Dangerous Game Slugs" over about 34 grains of Unique.

I have a jig that I sand the tips of the slug off to get each one to 410 grains, and I use a roll crimp die in a drill press with the quill stop set so they are all the exact same length.

What sort of precision are you getting from those loads and from what gun/guns?

7mm,

I wish I could say it was like your target on the right, but to be honest it is more like the target on the left and after 100 yards they really start opening up to where even broadside I could not take a 130 yard shot with a clear conscience.

I have a Mossberg 695, and I think I'd get better accuracy if I made a new stock for it as the current plastic one is rather flexible. I went as far as blanking out a piece of wood for it but I always seem to have something more urgent going on, and where I hunt it is difficult to get a shot over 80 yards anyway but it is one of those projects to finish up when one has an empty few days in a row.

Having said that, it still works. Here is the result from this season:

Nice, heavy buck! I like the heavy bases with stickers. Right brow tine looks bladed too.