Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Need a new scope or something else?

Recently purchased a Savage 220 slug gun as I drew a tag in Iowa this year for deer. I have tried about 5 different brands of sabot slugs and not really seeing any really good groups at 75 yards. Sometimes horizontal strings and sometimes vertical. The scope is a 30 year old Bushnell Trophy, 3x9. It has not had a lot of rounds fired as it was on a infrequently used BAR .270 before. Should I try one of the newer slug scopes before conceding that the accuracy of the Savage is just not that good?

Try a different scope.

That is kind of what I am thinking, as much of what I read says the Savage slug guns are pretty accurate.

Good luck. Please let us know how it goes.

duckster-

I'd definitely try a different scope.

But it can take quite a few brands of slugs to get find what you're looking for accuracy-wise so I'd be remiss in confidently calling it a scope issue.

I've been really impressed with the accuracy in a handful of sluggers using the Remington Accutip - though there are a lot of slugs on the market to give a whirl.

Was the scope holding zero before the switch to the 220?

Swapping to a different scope is hopefully the correction, as it is the easiest. I have heard a few stories where the 220 took a little longer to find that sweet spot, but when they do...

I have shot 5 different brands of slugs and about 2 1/2 inches at 75 yards is the best so far.

Not sure about the scope as it was in the safe for the last couple of years after coming off another rifle when that rifle got a scope upgrade.

My wife and I have Savage 220's as do several friends. Almost all of us are shooting Remington Accutips which is what Savage recommends.

I get 3 shot cloverleaf groups with ours and haven't found a sabot slug that shoots more accurate in the 220.

I'd definitely try them with a newer known good scope.

That is what I am thinking, too many stories about how good the 220 generally shoots.

Mine liked the accutips as well till I got hold of a lot that had a 10% FTF rate......tried those slugs that wouldn't fire in three different guns of different manufaturers and still wouldn't fire.

Try the plain jane Federal blue box lead sabots.....not the fastest in the world but man my gun shoots them great. Plus they are only like $8 for 5.

So put a Leupold VX-1 3x9 on it last night. Now have to get it out to the range

It might be your technique on the bench as well. I find holding the fore-end in my support hand rather than leaving it on the rest helps. Also I sight in at 50 yards (2 inches high).

You may also have issues if you try to shoot to quick. Barrel heat is your enemy with slugs and 3 shots should tell you all you need to know.

http://www.litfld.com/
Their is a lot of good information on this site relating to sighting in. Go to News and Resources and click on Slug gun sighting techniques.

https://www.tarhunt.com/
Here to.

Thanks for the links. I usually give a bit of grip on the forend of any long gun as I think it seems to better mimic field conditions as opposed to it resting completely free.

The part about the 50 yard zero is interesting. I was shooting at 75 yards with results I noted. Might have been part of the issue. I don't remember that there was a lot of wind that day but probably some as well.

It appears that the new scope did the trick

How many guns have been sold and how much ammo wasted due to crap scopes over the years? Glad you got it working, very nice shooting.

This is really the first scope that has gone bad on me. Pretty much have generally gone to all Leupold scopes these days. As I was thinking back, this scope was originally on a Browning BAR .270 - my first deer rifle at age 14. So some math says that it is about 35 years old. Certainly old enough for a scope to die....