I have been contemplating getting a 20 ga rifled barrel. What kind of accuracy do you guys get from your shotguns? Years ago I read about 3" groups at 100 yards being possible. Has anyone achieved this yet?

I shoot a 12 guage, and my accuracy is a little better than that, though not much (about 2.5" at 100 yds) However on mine they really open up after about 120 yards, to where you might miss a paper plate at 150 yards or so.

Go to Tar Hunts website and read what they say about shooting them, a lot of good info there.

Also, instead of a barrel you can get an entire gun for about the same price. I have a mossberg 695 and the savage 210 is pretty close, those are 12's but I believe the H&R 20 single shot is one of the most accurate slug guns out of the box.

quote:

Originally posted by Duckhunter39208:
I have been contemplating getting a 20 ga rifled barrel. What kind of accuracy do you guys get from your shotguns? Years ago I read about 3" groups at 100 yards being possible. Has anyone achieved this yet?

Yes, 4" or under @ 100 yards shooting 5 shot groups, 3 shot groups will be smaller, with factory sabots, using a scoped, cantilever rifled barrel, 12 ga..

Duckhunter,
try this website and watch the video
www.hastingsbarrels.com

Amazing accuracy!

regards
griff

Verrrrrry impressive. Thanks for the info.

quote:

Originally posted by Duckhunter39208:
I have been contemplating getting a 20 ga rifled barrel. What kind of accuracy do you guys get from your shotguns? Years ago I read about 3" groups at 100 yards being possible. Has anyone achieved this yet?

I own a Browning Gold 20 gauge Deer Gun, and receive 2 1/2" to 3" (mostly) five shot groupings @ 100 yards. I have a Leupold "Shotgun" scope 2-7 power, mounted on it and use Remington BuckHammers or Lightfield hybrids (Both 2 3/4" shells). Of the two I like the BuckHammers the best. I've also used Winchester Supreme Golds but have had a few flyers with this ammo especially @ 100 yards.

I hunt in Iowa each year. I live in Mich. My Remington 12 Ga. 870 has a Rem. rifled barrel from the factory. The only slugs that will shoot accurately is the Remington Buckhammers. They will group 2.5-3 inch groups all day long at 100 yards. The only problem is that the shotgun will not shoot sabots accurately. Bought an American Barrel from Cabelas for it. I have not shot it yet, but need to find the right sabot for it. 1 in 26 inch twist,I think. The reason I mentioned where I live, is because when we first started going out to Iowa, we had the only 12 gauges in the group. Now after 5 years out there, we still are the only 2 that shoot 12 gauges. The 20 gauges do the damage! Eventually I will change to a 20 gauge auto.

Recently put a Hastings rifled barrel on my Rem 870 12 ga. with a scope. Tried several different slug types and found I could get 3- 2 3/4" Buckhammers to touch at 50 yds. Only had 2 left to put into the 100 yard target and they were 2" apart.

I thought this was amazing after years of smoothbore barrels with 8-12" groups at 50 yrds.

Yep.Those Buckhammers are accurate! But they don't open up on deer. That is the reason I want to go to sabots.

The "hollow point, rifled slug" of yesterday didn't open up much either. Plenty of dead deer though. With a relatively heavy and slow projectile, like the buckhammer slug, your just punching a hole in the deer. Not much in the way of terminal ballistics, just penetration. While a bigger hole is always better, its pretty big already.

With the newer saboted slugs you have a faster, but lighter (and smaller diameter) projectile. Terminal ballistics matter now if you are going to equal or improve on the heavier and slower (and larger diameter) projectile. As a result the projectiles are designed to expand (and have some help from the added velocity).

I couldn't get the saboted slugs to shoot accurately either. I don't see that it matters much though except at longer ranges. 100 yards or less and deer won't be able to tell the difference. A big hole is a big hole regardless of what made it.

I'm happy with the buckhammer. I basically doubled the range of the shotgun with the barrel change based on accuracy.


Good luck with your search for an accurate saboted slug. Keep us informed if you find one!

quote:

Originally posted by 69deer:
Yep.Those Buckhammers are accurate! But they don't open up on deer. That is the reason I want to go to sabots.

they are bigger in diameter then what most saboted slugs will ever open up to.

Well I cast my own slugs with the lyman moulds. You use a regular shotgun wad so Im guessing its like or similar to a sabot slug . These slugs are shaped like a huge pellot from a pellot gun. Inall honesty I havent used them for deer hunting but the 12 guage will take off the bottom of a bowling pin. I think I was getting at least 3inches at 100 with smooth 12 guage barrels ( short slug barrels with sights) On the 20 guage I bought a screw in rifled choke tube which works well too ( rem 870s)

for a look at what PhilBilly is talking about, check my post and photos in cast bullets under "two hours".

The cool thing; these 12 gauge slugs mike about .672" and weigh (20:1 alloy) about 510gr... I use the trap shotcups for 1 1/8oz loads, and started at hot trap loads. I am at 1850fps ( a sort-of 12 gauge FP, from purgatory) now, and staying under 3" for 3-shot groups at 100yds with a 3-9X Bushnell variable. There's more velocity there for the taking, if you want the recoil.

Rich
DRSS