Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting slug gun hunting deer

Started with a smoothbore and quickly changed to a cantilevered rifled barrel. Like others have said, try several boxes of different slugs to see what YOUR barrel likes. While living in Indiana, I took several deer from 10 yards out to 125. I liked the Remington copper solids.

If you end up with a rifled barrel try the Lightfields - there is no better slug and the kills are dramatic.

I have never had any penetration issues with regular foster type slugs and the kills have been spectacular. Slugs kill deer extremely quickly and almost always leave a blood trail if the deer does not drop on the spot.

Boonyrat:

I was a Buckeye Sluggun hunter for several years, before I moved my hunting to KY and started using a rifle.

Honestly, I cannot tell you that you will enjoy a smoothbore slug gun any more than a 45-70. My Rem 1100 smoothbore is about as good as you can get inside 50 yards-- it always managed to devastate with simple cheap Remmie Sluggers. However, I cannot tell you that there was anything "MORE" to it than a 30-06 or 35 Whelen. I still like to get out and still hunt with the 1100 a day or so a year, but it is more for old time's sake than anything else. I haven't killed any deer with that rig so far this century.

I also have a Mossberg 500 with a rifled barrel and a scope. It reaches out to 100 yards easily, but again it is not a rig I'd pick over one of my 30-06s , given a choice.


Good luck. Happy hunting!

I have and would strongly recommend getting a 20 ga. H&R ultra slug hunter. It is a relatively inexpensive single shot with a fully rifled barrel. Mine is scoped with a 1.5-6x32 scope and with slugs it likes it is definitely under 1.5-2" group at 100 yards. Usually it is much better than that and it is not at all rare to have holes touching at 100 yards. Some places I hunt require a slug gun or muzzleloader and I will pick this slug gun every time. The only downside is that it is a little heavy since it is actually a 12 ga. barrel that they only bore to 20 ga. essentially making it a bull barreled slug gun. The H&R 12 ga. ultra slug hunter is really heavy (10 ga. bored to 12 ga.)

I like the 2 3/4 in federal truball slugs in my youth 20 that I got for kids. Dick's (only place close that has a decent selection of ammo) has them on sale for 3.99 plus 20% off. With the current federal rebate of $2 back per box it comes to $1.19 a box (not counting tax). I wish this rebate was not limited to 5 boxes.

I've hammered quite a few deer with a smoothbore 12 ga and "pumkin balls." I fired you a PM if you're interested in a good slug load. I actually have an O/U 12 Ga bird gun with a IC and Mod barrel set up and it "regulates" rather well at 40-50 yards with a particular Federal 2 3/4" slug load. Makes for a great still hunting package in the thick stuff.

I have (2) Mossberg 385 and (1) Mossberg 185 that I have cut the polychoke off of, re-crowned the barrel and cut/welded the bolt handle to clear a scope. I then drilled and tapped for bases and added a scope and base. These things shoot very good and are better than a 75 yard gun. I also have a Savage 210F and a new Camo/Stainless Savage 220. At 100 yards they are all very close. The 185 and 385 are much cheaper to shoot which make them fun to shoot.

I have less than 100.00 in each of the old Mossbergs not counting the scope.

I hunt in a "controlled hunt" watershed area only a few minutes from my house and it is a shotgun only area.
I use my old 870 in 12 ga. with the shorty smooth barrel and iron sights. Even though I can't see the irons as well as 30 years ago,I'll take an 80 yard shot without any trouble.
2 3/4 inch Sluggers work well. For some reason they shoot far better than 3 inchers in my gun.
This setup works for me, but that Savage bolt gun in 20 may be calling me for next season.

I live in a shotgun only state here in the NE . For years we could only use buckshot . Slugs have now been legal several years . I used a 12 gauge 870 with a rifled barrel then went to a 20 gauge 870 -this year I bought a Savage model 220 bolt action 20 gauge slug gun topped with a 3x9x40 Leupold . It is dead nut accurate with Remingto Accutips . I would not hesitate to shoot out to 175 yards with confidence . Now let me clarify that . You have to get the right slug for your particular gun and you need to sight in and practice at various ranges . Slugs run from 14 to16 for a box of 5 . Practice costs !!!
Soup

I just bought a H&R ultra slug gun 24inch heavy rifled barrel in 12ga from a guy I work with. $300, bucks never fired with a nikon prostaff 3x9 on top. I took to the range and tried 5 different types of Saboted ammo. Best of show went to the Hornady american whitetail 2 3/4 325gr. load, three shot at 100yards under 1 inch.first two shots in the same hole, the third just above the first two. Awesome! It will be a 200yard death stick on deer.

I hope you enjoy it more than I did.