Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Best Shotgun for Deer Hunting

Yea, they are heavy, 1 1/2 oz. The old version only shot at about 1400fps. The Crush shoots at 1600fps. They're not quite as bad as the Gold were. But then again, I've never really shot at a target over 100 yards. You're probably right.

Savages 220's prefer 2 3/4" Remington accutips,they will shot Lightfields but again you are leaving stuff at the table with them
They also shot the discontinued Federal barnes expanders
I shot those from my 12 ga Abolt and have about 10 boxes stashed away to last me.


This is a 5 shot group at 200 yds with the A bolt and 2 3/4" Federal barnes expanders

I've shot more accurate slugs at 100 yds from the A Bolt
Remington Buckhammers were very accurate as well as Lightfields but when things get stretched out to 200 yds
The Federal Barnes shined....at 100 yds they are inside 3" but held that at 200 yds

This is at 100 yds



This is at 200 yds

The Remington AccuTips are the most accurate out of my 220f with the Hornady SST's a close second.

I grew up in shotgun area always hunted a old Ithaca 37 16ga. Love the gun retired it back to bird and small game.You left alot of info out of your question such as budget and end use is this a one time hunt or will you deer hunt shotgun over the years and what distances you looking to shoot. I personally always preferred pump shotguns so i will start there the most common choice is Remington 870 which is a fine gun and i own 3 one being a dedicated turkey gun. The new Ithaca's are nice well built guns and pricey. Mossberg has always had a weird feel to me both them and Winchesters i handle rattle to much for me.
One more topic rifled vs smooth bore to me if under 150 yds smooth bore all the way.Foster slugs half to 1/3 price of sabot and accurate enough. The rifled barrels seam to be more finicky of which sabot they shoot good.I bought a Hastings cantilever for my 870 and I can't shoot any better with it then i can with the smooth bore at 100 yards. Which is the distance for my hunting.

Ok break down of pumps
REM 870
Ihaca 37
Mossberg
Winchester

Semi's is not my area i've only shot a remm 1100 and 11-87 and a Franchi 48 with slug barrels of the 3 i preferred the 1100.All with slug barrels I have friend withe bennelli m2 and he swears by it.

Bolt again little experience. I've shot the old mossberg bolts and they suck in my opinion. The savage 220 is amazingly accurate.The most accurate slug gun i've shot and no idea what slugs as was a friend's friend at the range.Absolutely no experience with browning abolt's but haven't ever heard anything but good thing's about them.

Sum it all up if money is no worry and gonna continue to hunt deer in shotgun only.
SAVAGE 220 or BROWNING Abolt but these a dedicated to slug use only no bird barrel as with pump or semi.

Budget a little concern or also want quicker follow up shots hunt bird and small game.This probably also cheapest route
Rem 870

bird hunt or sport shoot like trap or skeet also.
Rem 1100

If you are looking one time only hunt i would borrow if possible or buy the 870 and resell after

In closing these are my opinions based on my experience. Thankfully my area changed to rifle. If you were close i would invite you over and let you try a multiple of options.

I use the Benelli M2 20ga.I get 2.5"groups at 100yds with the Hornady 250gr ftx slugs.I also have an extra slug barrel and forend if you are interested.

A lot of good suggestions here. I am a 20g man myself and have been using an H&R Ultra for years and years. I would like to try the Savage 220 someday though. I do run an 11-87 with open sites once and awhile when I feel like spooking deer.

dvdgeorge, you have a line on those Buckhammers? I haven't seen them for a few years now. Really shoot good for me.

Here you go: https://www.tarhunt.com/

Nope wished I had stocked up on them as the were cheap to boot

Do you have a shotgun now? Many brands have rifled barrels available for a fraction of the cost of a new gun. I've never shot a slug gun so I can't comment on how accurate any of them are.

Slugs? If so, then the Savage 220.

Buckshot? Then the shotgun itself doesn't matter. You need a choke that patterns the buckshot well, and a shotgun that fits you well (sort of like a bird gun).

If you're Hell bent on a semi-auto, don't f'k around; get the Benelli SBEII, get a good rifled slug barrel or an excellent choke for the buckshot, and carry on.

This is what the buckhammers would do at 100 yds

I have 2 Ithaca 37 Deerslayer II in 20 gauge. They are pump guns I know but totally reliable. Free-floated barrels screwed into the steel receiver like a centerfire rifle. Tapped for scope by factory. I would be willing to sell one of the guns which is the Storm model, parkerized plus synthetic stock. Send me a PM if you are interested. These guns shoot the Remmy accu tips very well.

Yep......

Over the past 20 years I've lived in a shotgun only area of the state and have owned and hunted with a number of slug guns with all types of actions. All had fully rifled barrels.

Slug guns I've owned include an Ithaca 37 Deerslayer II, several Remington 870 pumps in both 12 & 20 gauge with both factory and Hastings cantilever barrels, a Remington auto 1100 & an 11-87 in 12 gauge, numerous H&R single shot Ultra Slughunters in 12 & 20 gauge, 2 Benelli M2s autos in 12 & 20 gauge, a Mossberg 695 bolt action and 2 Savage 220 bolt guns.

Most were fairly accurate with the slugs they preferred especially the Savages, Benelli's and the H&Rs. In my opinion NOTHING compares with a Savage 220 for a dedicated slug gun.

I have zero experience with slug guns, so here is my dumb question. Are single shot guns more accurate than repeating slug guns, do they give any sort of advantage?

Stonecutter,


You should have bought a 20 gauge slug barrel for your T/C Encore, Half the recoil and still kills them dead. Nice Poolesville, Md Buck by the way. A Mike Bellm 1X hinge pin will tighten up your groups...just sayin.

Doc

My T/C Pro hunter slug gun 20 gauge has shot one home groups and is under one inch at 50 yards for 3 shoots and have shot inch and 1 1/2 inches at 100 yards when I am up to the task. I do handload my own 20 gauge slugs using the Hornady .452 250 gr and 250 gr HP bullet.

I have seen the New England firearms shoot some great groups but testing the different slugs gets expensive to find the right load for your gun. I have spent a small fortune on factory slugs. I found sabots and loading data from a Gun shop in New Jersey and am now loading slugs for $1.35 each.

The most accurate repeater is the Savage 220-F, Followed likely my the Rem 870. Hornady test guns for slugs are Remington 870's but they have added other test guns. A 20 guage slug gun is more than adequate, no different than a .50 cal muzzle loader.

T/C twists the 20 gauge slug barrels 1 /28. The industry rarely marks the rifling twist on slug barrels and I don't "WHY"!!! In most cases rifling twist is all over the place. From 1/24 to 1/34. If your shooting .452 diameter bullets in most 20 guage slugs a 1/28 to a 1/30 will should give your great groups.

Doc

I was very impressed with an Ithaca Deerslayer that an old friend of mine had. I never knew a slug gun could shoot so well. If I were looking for a dedicated slug gun, that is where my search would end.

I was unaware of that class of accuracy from shotgun slugs. I suppose the trigger quality figures into it. I'm guessing the T/C Pro Hunter and Savage 220-F have better deer hunting triggers than pump and auto shotguns? I may start getting my act together and get a 20 gauge with a view of hunting some mid west shotgun states like Iowa or Illinois.