Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Which slugger?

If I was going to get a 12 or 20 ga slug gun what would you choose or neither and your suggestion.


Get a slug barrel for your encore?

Get a slug barrel for you NEF Handi rifle?

other?

Yes, one of those would do fine. I prefer 12GA, but I'm a walking landform. My guess is that the NEF option would be cheaper. The other option that I would recommend is a Mossy or Remmie pump with a rifled slug barrel. If you have an existing pump or auto that has a deer barrel made for it, that would be my first choice.

I shoot an 1100 with the smooth slug barrel and rifle sights and it keeps Sluggers touching on a pie plate at 50 yards.

I also have a Mossy 500 with a rifled slug barrel and a scope. It keeps Brenneke's going through the same hole at 50 yards.

Both barrels cost me under $100, but I had to look for them. The Mossy barrel came from a mis-mark at Wally World.

For me, the trick with slugs is to think more like a bow hunter than a rifle hunter. Go for close-in stand placements. Instead of the bean fields, focus on the trails and funnels that get them there.

Does your state allow muzzleloaders in shotgun zones? If that is the case I'd get a .50 cal ML barrel for the Encore if you want to go with the single shot option. That gives you a gun that can be used in multiple seasons. For a dedicated slug gun I like my 870 with a rifled barrel and cantilever scope mount. With modern saboted slugs a 20 ga. is certainly an option.

we don't have any shotgun zones.... muzzleloader during the season or rifles.

I have 2 50 cal muzzle loaders presently, T/C Renegade caplock, and Lyman Flinter.

per usual I am just wanting to try something new.

I have a Rem 1100 in 20 ga, but do you know how hard it is to try to find a rifled slug barrel for it?!

As a matter of fact, I do know how hard it is. My son has the older 1100 in 20GA. The 20 GA LT does have a barrel, but the older 1100's don't. If you wanted to try the 1100 20GA, you can do fairly well with a vent-ribbed skeet barrel, or any other barrel as long as it's not a super full choke.

my 20 ga is a Rem 1100 Lt Magnum with 28" full choke...

Hastings makes a barrel that will fit. A little over $300.

Depending on your budget you could always go with one of these.

I have a Hastings barrel on a 20-ga. Rem. 870. It's very finicky about ammo; only the Remington Copper Solid will group under 8" at 100 yards. The Copper Solids do 3-4".

Strangely, the only ammo Hastings warns against specifically is an older generation of the Remington Copper Solid!

The factory Remington barrel on my 12-ga. 870 SPS is less finicky and generally more accurate. If I were starting over, I'd probably just get the same gun in 20-ga.


John

craw fish who makes that ?

uh, nevermind I found it $2500.00 a bit steep for me.

anyone else make bolt action slug guns?

I love my slugger and have taken a few WI whitetails with it.....latest was a 21 inside spread 8 point at 135 yards.

I shoot a 12ga browning gold deer hunter with a rifled barrel and cantilever scope mount holding a 2x7x40 leupold shooting Lightfield Sabots.
Love it.

I think Mossberg made a bolt slug gun a bit more reasonable in price. I just put a cantilever barrel on a 870 Express 12ga mag synthetic stock. This is a monster with those hot Hornady's will rattle the fillings loose. However the groups are just a shade under 2" at 100 yards.
DougD

Savage ...... but only in 12g.

I think the Encore with 20g. shotgun barrel would be the way to go.