Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Shotgun suggestions

I've had very good luck with my Mossberg fitted with a ported rifled barrel. At 75 yards, it is as accurate as a rifle! Recoil is quite stout.

Sherwood

A pump ,semi or lever rifle is a better choice than a shotgun for driven or dogging. I have shot a few deer with buckshot that didn't die where I could find them. They dripped blood and kept living. I found one that I put 6 00 in and it.ran a while. I had to cut it s throat. Never used a shotgun again.

I agree with your choices for the hunts you describe. For similar hunts I have used Ithaca Deerslayers and 870s with rifle sighted barrels and IC or modified chokes. I like )) buck if that is needed though I carry a few WW 1" slugs as well.

I suggest that you check this guy out that teaches loading buckshot for long range, deer drives, shot guns, chokes, etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hT12Iz1hSE

My first shotguns were a Winchester M/12 with rifle sights that I added and later an ole Ithaca M/37 that I mounted a receiver sight and later a scope on. My current slug gun is a Winchester M/25 that I had E.R. Shaw install one of their rifled barrels on, I mounted a Weaver V4.5 scope on it. It is the most accurate slug gun that I have ever owned. It has accounted for several bucks over the years shooting Federal saboted Hydra-shok loads, all one shot bang flop kills.

I have used shotguns for deer for years in Virginia, where many areas are shotgun only--some slugs and some buckshot only.
Definitely a fan of Ithaca 37, not only for bottom ejection but also a much stouter receiver and interrupted threads stabilizing barrel connection to receiver. Mounted and recommend a red dot scope for quick target acquisition on running deer in cover for either slug or buckshot, and deerslayer barrel for slug, improved modified choke and 00 shot for buckshot has patterned best in all I've shot (about 6 guns, 3 different makers).

Strongly agree with others' admonition to pattern different loads of either, however.

I've heard good things about a 20 gauge with rifled slugs, but for buck shot I'd certainly opt for more of everything with probably a 3" 12 gauge. I grew up with an 1100 and it sure tamed the recoil of those 4 dram equiv. lead duck loads we shot back in the day, but it was heavy to carry around and more fussy in real cold weather than the 3" parkerized 870 Police Magnum that replaced it. Talk about a weather proof knock around 870 and that would be it if we had to use a shotgun for deer hunting, but we don't. Wisconsin had a number of shotgun only more populated counties years back until the DNR did a study only to find out that shotguns were causing more hunting related accidents than rifles. The entire state went rifles permitted, shotguns optional.

One of my trap shooting buddies got a Mossberg 500 and it fell apart on him over time. I won a 837 at a DU banquet and couldn't wait to pawn it off the next day. In your case, I'd shop for an older 870 synthetic stock. Same feel as an 1100, but lighter to carry. It will hit you pretty hard with those 3" or 3.5" shells, but hit a deer even harder.

I would prefer an auto over a pump. Deer pushed by dogs can either be slipping along or pushed at an extremely fast rate through the woods. The faster you can shoot the better you will likely be. If you are proficient with a pump that is fine too.

Most guns will only shoot a few different buckshot loads well. I had a Remington Versamax that would only shoot Remington buckshot well, but it shot it extremely well. It was amazing how bad the other patters were the other brands while the Remington was perfectly tight and symmetrical. Conversely, I had another Remington that would only shoot Winchester worth a crap. You really have to invest in a lot of buck shot to figure it out, but it's worth it in the long run to have a good tight pattern.

If you are going to use a pump I'd say its hard to beat an 870.

Get a Remington 1100.

I ave used a Remington 870 with slugs for years here in Illinois,Buckshot is not allowed. I prefer older 870s to new ,although both work

Another vote for the 870

I love my 500, it’s been beat all to hell and never failed me. It’s primarily a duck gun but I also have a smooth slug barrel for it. That being said, if I were buying another pump, I’d get an 870.

+1 ithaca is my first choice my backup has always been a rem 870 wingmaster you can pick up the older 2 3/4 guns cheap these days with everyone buying 3" and 3 1/2

My experience with the mossburg 500 is never quite feels right comfortably and they rattle to much.They are reliable though

Funny as hell Ithaca fans raggin on Mossberg for rattling too much. Ithaca 37's are the loosest rattle traps out there. Both Ithaca's and Mossbergs can easily be fixed so as to eliminate the rattle. There was a time when I had a Rem. 870, Ithaca 37 Deerslayer, Win. 1300 and Mossberg 500 slug guns. The 500 was the most accurate of the bunch. I killed 21 bucks and I don't know how many does with the Mossberg. The 870, Ithaca Deerslayer and 1300 are all gone now as I don't hunt the shotgun zone anymore. I still have the old Mossberg just in case that changes in the future.

grew up hunting a shotgun and archery only county. No slugs allowed either. We couldn't swing for multiple super black eagles so we had a couple mossberg 835s. If I remember correctly, the federal 00 3 1/2in we were shooting, held 18 pellets. They were heck on deer and we killed a lot from 10-60yards with that load. I remember dad belly crawling on a big 10 in the foodplot that was there before he was and shot it at 67 yards.

yeah the mossbergs rattle, but good thing was you could leave your rattling horns in the truck.

I have an 3" Remington 870 express that I have used to kill a lot of deer over the years. I purchased it back in the early 90's I think. I also have the cantilever slug barrel scoped with a Nikon. The gun is indestructible and would shoot buckshot really well through the smooth barrel, although I don't hunt with buckshot. I have over-unders and autos, but the 870 is the one I have always preferred due to reliability. When its 0 degrees in South Dakota, I know it will function and not freeze up and holds 5 shells for follow up shots. I've seen autos freeze from frozen moisture too often (snow and gunpowder). It is in my truck close to year round. Now for Turkey, fall for ducks, birds and deer. Does it all.

444Matt, I have used 3" mags since the early 80's, Ducks and coyotes.

Pumps kick your brains out, especially the 37's, which is what I started off with, then went to several 870's and Mossburg 500 for a back up. Then recoil became manageable with an 1100, then 11/87. Then I tried a friends Beretta 391 gas operated with a "Kick OFF System" which is a shock absorb-er located in the stock.

I will never be without this Beretta 391 with the Kick off system. I shoot heavy buckshot loads on coyotes, 1 5/8 oz of buck going 1350, the beretta 391 is a push on the recoil, which helps a LOT on sight recovery for follow up shots.

I would urge you to visit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=688KkPzDXrU

Mossberg 835,full choke,copper-plated 3.5" 00buck....

Had a few 870 Wingmasters, Special Purpose, Express and Police.
Had a couple 1100 and a bunch of Mossberg 500s (in smoothbore days they tended to shoot better than 870s).

If I had to go slug gunning now?

870 rifled bore w sabots.
D&T receiver.(variable scope w 1 or 1.5x on the low end).
High comb stock.

Had a couple before I gave up slug gunning.
They were hammers.