Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Shotgun rifled / slug opinions

Yes I believe the parallax is the main difference, I use a 1 3/4 x 6 Leupold and thats a rifle scope and it has never been a detriment to me.
Just dont go any higher in power.

IMO A good Rem 1187 in 20 or 12 gauge with cantilever barrel, Leupold VXII 2-7x33 and Federal Barnes tipped expanders are all you'll ever need out to 150 yds. YMMV.

what Tom and Kimber7 said.

I used to hunt grouse with a 20 until I used a 12. There is a whole lot more shot in the air to fill pattern holes and penetrate brush and I put down more birds. It's amazing how few pellets are recovered in grouse so you may as well stack the deck.
A lightweight benelli montefeltro 12 is nice for grouse hunting. A light 20 or 12 will be brutal for slugs either way. I would pick a 12 for more shot in the air and more slug options. Stoeger makes a nice autoloader that benelli bought out of jealousy I suspect.
H

I understand the opinions about 12 and more ammo options. I owned a 28 ga for a very short time. Finding shells for it locally was tough and when I did they carried a high price. Based on that I might need to really think about a 12.

I have not seen many 12 ga autos that were light though. Remingon 11-87 and Browning Gold wouldn't be fun to carry for a day of grouse hunting. Those are two I have seen at local shops. I did see a Beretta auto but didn't pay much attention to it. Not sure why, just didn't.

While I have the 12 gauge 11/87 I have always had the desire for a 20 gauge version with the fully rifled cantilever barrel for deer......I think thats a good way to go too.

I do like the idea of replacing the slug barrel with a 24" or 26" barrel after deer season. A combination shotgun like that in 20 ga is what I have in mind. But the 12 has some good advantages. Would be nice to find a lighter 12 ga.

I would get:

http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/shotguns/model_11-87/model_11-87_sportsman_deer_specs.asp

Either in a 20 or 12ga.

And shoot:
http://www.winchester.com/products/catalog/shotdetail.aspx?symbol=SSPTH20&bn=5&use=8

or:
https://www.hornady.com/shop/?ps_session=b033fa423984f6359fc520efbe5bb469&page=shop%2Fbrowse&category_id=d27c0a040bea71ad74e3d35d6bc0ec9e

or:
http://www.remington.com/products/ammunition/shotshell/slugs/core-Lokt_ultra_bonded_sabot.asp

or:
http://www.remington.com/products/ammunition/shotshell/slugs/copper_solid_sabot.asp

or:
http://www.federalcartridge.com/ballistics/Ammo_Search.aspx?act=choose&firearm=5&s1=1


I have a sportsman 1187 12 ga 3" with a full rifle CL Hastings bbl that shoots well with the Win PG sabots.

Have a Good One,

Reloader7RM

Been thru a couple of shotgun vs. rifle arguments...one county here is shotgun slug only and the surrounding area is rifle with the only real difference being politics. Been a pretty heated battle the last few years to allow rifles in that one county.

It's been shown statistically, by our Game & Fish that rifle use is safer than shotgun slugs on many levels. Never could figure out the problem understanding that anyway, as I couldn't imagine launching a bullet, or a slug for that matter, and not know exactly where it's going to end up stopped. Been taught from the beginning to put dirt behind it....not houses.

Never could figure out either why those in the "thick woods" would prefer a shotgun slug over a rifle bullet. I've killed enough stuff at close range in tight cover to know that a precisely placed rifle bullet has the advantage.

But you want a shotgun so knock yerself out.......

WW, I just wish we could use rifles here in IN, I would sell my cantilever slug barrel and be happy.

A precisely placed bullet in the woods on a slow walking deer, while shooting off hand aiming around the tree your stand is in with a bolt action rifle isn't the easiest thing to do. Not too mention if it is a nice buck. Seeing a nice buck in that situation increases my heart beat.

I have a bolt action. Great rifle and shoots good, but maybe not the best for tree stand work in the woods. A little heavy, and the follow up shot is a little slower than I bet it would be with a semi auto (rifle or shotgun).

Congratulations on your perfect shooting everytime WW. I have made some good first shots, but also some that were not given the location, brush, if I had to swing around the tree and if the large buck walking by got me really excited.

Toss in new log cabins being built on the opposite side of my 50 acre hillside and a auto loading shotgun seems like a fine addition. I don't see how a shotgun with slug is less safe than a high power rifle. I do agree that accidents with a shotgun might be higher given that most shot gun hunting is related to birds. Just look what Dick Cheney did a while back.

Mwarren, with an autoloading shotgun, cantilever barrel and good scope/mounts..............I think your right on track! good luck!

My 1187 with the FR cantilever barrel put 3 barnes tipped expanders in less than an inch when I sighted it in. Seemed to be pretty accurate to me.
BTW, throw a R3 or Limbsaver pad on the 12 gauge 1187 and it don't kick much....

I'd say watch the classifieds here for a deal.

Exactly! you are absolutely 100% correct Kimber7man.

Thanks for the all the great feedback. I wasn't trying to start an argument of rifle vs. shotgun. I have never hunted deer with a shotgun. Couldn't argue much based on that fact. Everything tossed out here about what to consider if I get shotgun with a rifled slug barrel has been very helpful. I really like my rifle and started reloading a couple years ago. I don't plan to just start ignoring my rifle for a shotgun...I shot my first buck with that rifle. How could I completely ignore it?

If your not looking for a pump or semi auto shotgun, these are super accurate and inexpensive. Can get a 12 or 20 guage. I use a 20 guage with Remingtion Copper solids = 1" group at 100yds.

http://www.hr1871.com/Firearms/Shotguns/ultraSlug.aspx

Shooting Deer with a shotgun does not take the most detructive slug out, but if you ever need that the Dixie Terminator Slug hold that disticktion IMHO. It is a 730 grain heat treated hard cast slug with a wide meplat and .730" diamemter.

Check out the Damage and the slug only penetrated 1" less than my 416 Rigby with a 400 grain Partition. The wound channel of the slug was about 4" in diameter








http://www.dixieslugs.com/technical.html

shotgun scopes usually have a bit longer eye relief about 3.5". cantelliver is the best way, although mine is a side saddle on a mossberg 500. on/off it comes back within 2" of zero at 100 yds. bushnell banner 1.5-4 scope, not the best set up but i got lucky and it holds zero (2") for now, i'll break it eventually and be forced to buy something good. zeiss conquest 2.5-8x36 has 4" eye relief. federal and hornady both have a 2 3/4" 7/8oz. sabot slug,shoots 1900fps. w/more energy than the average 45-70.

That right there is pretty funny, on so many levels....



Am wonderin' why the need, really, for the follow up shot....



I've seen me shoot a few times, and yes, I'm a fair hand at it.....but I don't suffer from Buck Fever, either.



Like you do......



Log Cabins, last I seen one are pretty big, even if small...and quite easy to not aim at......



Aimed in the air at a 45 or so degree angle a rifle bullet will travel further than a shotgun slug, but both have to come back to earth at some point in time and both would then be equally "dangerous". Since deer don't fly it stands to reason that most shots at deer are not taken aiming at the clouds. And, if you use the same old safety failsafe of "puttin' dirt behind it" then both are equally "safe". The ricochet factor however, of light and fast vs. heavy and slow makes the rifle bullet "safer" than a shotgun slug. Proven by ballistics experts and statisticianers far more adept at numbers than me. Simple physics that I've not the energy to repeat for the millionth time again on a web forum.




Nothing to do at all with this discussion, or with the proven statistics regarding the safe hunting of deer with shotguns or rifles.

WW, you are way off base jumping in with your wisdom on a thread where I am trying to learn about a subject. If you are on level ground, in a field and shoot a buck from a kneeling position, just how do YOU going guarantee dirt behind it? I shoot mainly from a tree stand, which you should have picked up on. That generally means shooting into dirt at some point. I don't aim at the log cabins, but I also can't guarantee that the kids of those familys aren't going to be playing in the woods or trespassing either. I guess that stuff doesn't matter to you.

I spent a few years in Physics classes at college. Your example of shooting in the air at an angle to support your idea is pretty stupid. Who in the hell would do that?

Explain how it's possible for a slug traveling at a much slower speed that bounces off something to travel farther than a centerfire that bounces off something at 2900 or 3000 fps. If you are going to toss in studies done, then you need to source them. I have never heard of a shotgun slug hunting for deer being less safe than file hunting. I bet a study does exist that supports shotgun hunting in general is more dangerous than rifle hunting.

Apparently you don't hunt from a tree stand. It's not funny on any level. A shot from a stand that is facing the opposite direction is tough. We aren't talking long distances, since I already stated it is in a wooded area. If you do hunt from a stand, you must not make any shots on nice bucks that walk beind the way you are facing. If you did, you would have to do the same thing you are calling "funny on many levels."

I also find it odd that you don't care for shotgun hunting, but in your first post you state how you shot a doe IN THE HEAD at 125 yards with a slug. Why were you using the shotgun? Were you just proud of your head shot and had to toss that in? Seems like you need to finish arguing with yourself about which is better.

Why a follow up shot? Because I am not too perfect to admit that I shot at a nice buck a couple years ago and missed. It was by far the biggest buck I have seen on my property, and my heart was racing and I was excited. It was walking slowly and would not stop. I rushed my shot. There is no way of knowing for sure, but would a semi-auto given me one more chance at it. That was a first for me, but then I don't claim to be perfect shot. I can hit an eight inch paper plate off hand at 100 yards almost every time with my rifle. I am comfortable enough with that.