We have two Remington 11-87's slug guns. One 12 ga. with a 21" rifled barrel, cantilever scope mount with a 2-7x33mm Leupold scope. And a 20 ga. with a 21" rifled barrel, cantilever scope mount with a Nikon 2-7x32mm scope (it's like carrying a rifle!). The 12 ga. is mine and the 20 ga. is my fathers. He hasn't hunted in years so I used either one, when ever I want.
I don't mind carrying the heavier 12 ga. but this year I'm using the 20 ga. I was using 2 3/4" Lightfields and it shot pretty well. For some reason I couldn't get them to shoot that well this year. So I tried the Hornady SST's and Federal Premium 3" Barnes Expander HP (1900 FPS) Slugs. I tried the 3" slugs because for some reason they didn't stock the 2 3/4" Barnes Expander HP (1600 FPS) Slugs. My friends daughter just wrecked a nice 8 point at about 50 yards with an 11-87 20 ga. shooting Federal Premium 2 3/4" Barnes Expander HP (1600 FPS) Slugs. It was a bang flop, hit in the heart/lung area, never took another step. He shot a little bigger deer with his 1100 12 ga. using 2 3/4" Winchester Partition Gold Slugs. It only went a few yards.
The SST's were real erratic. They'd shoot 2 1/2" groups, I'd let the barrel cool down, then they'd shoot a 4 to 5" group. The Federal's shot 2 1/2 to 3" groups, shooting the same three shot groups from a cold barrel. All at 100 yards. Going from the Lightfields to the SST's and Federal's I had to lower my scope 6" at 50 yards. The Lightfields were about 3" high at 50 yards to be zeroed at 100 yards, not a huge deal (about the same with the 12 ga.). The SST's and Federal's are about an 1 1/2" high at 50 yards while zeroed at 100 yards in the 20 ga.
About 90% of my deer hunting is with a rifle so I'm not a big slug gun hunter. In fact I don't like them but in my home county rifles aren't allowed. You have to go check out as many different guns as you can. Once you find the one you like, you have to find a slug it likes.
Good luck, NYH1!
