Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Are rifled slug guns accurate?

I know many guy's that use this site are from states like Ohio that don't allow centerfire rifles during their firearms deer season and are very familiar with what kind of accuracy can be expected from a rifled slug gun. I recently spent what for me is a lot of money on a TC Encore Prohunter 12ga rifled slug gun that wont shoot for chit, I spent the extra money on the TC because in my years of taking my annual trip to Ohio for their firearms season I've tried other slug guns including a Mossberg 835 with a rifled slug barrel and also a Savage arms slug warrior bolt action rifled slug, none of these gun's performed to suit me, the best was the savage that would turn in 3" 3 shot groups at 75 yds, the mossberg would shoot 6" 3 shot groups at this distance and this TC encore (which I spent by far the most money on) turns in horrendous 6" to 8" 3 shot groups. I have tried only one load in the TC, the Federal Expander 3" so I haven't given up completely on it yet but I did try several different loads in the other slug gun's I've owned over the years and the groups I mentioned were the best these guns would shoot. Am I expecting too much accuracy out of these guns? are these pitiful groups all I can ask from a slug gun?.....Thanks guy's........547.

547,I live in a county in VA that only allows shotguns for deer. Around here H&R slug guns are very popular.I shoot a 12ga. with Hornady SST slugs that will shoot 2" groups at 100yds. Most that I have come in contact with will shoot 2" or 3" groups. These are thick barreled heavy guns. I gave my father a 20ga. because of the weight, but there is not much difference. The 20ga. will shoot the same type round into 3".

For a slug gun, that's really not too bad. Keep in mind these are slug guns, not finely tuned benchrest rifles. A 3" at 75 yards gun will kill all the deer you need if you keep your shots at a realistic range. (Again, slug gun, not long range sniper rifles.)



Since we can't fine-tune a load like we do when handloading for our rifles, about your only choice is to try other ammo, just like looking for a load in a 22 LR.



You may be expecting too much. I wouldn't call them pitiful.

I have killed a truckload of deer with an old scoped Ithaca Deerslayer over the past 30 years. Smoothbore, Foster style slugs. I keep my shots under 100 yards, and never felt handicapped because of accuracy.

Good advice about trying different loads. Start with the cheap stuff and work your way up the food chain. There's bound to be a round out there that that gun will shoot. Are you using open sights or a scope? For the average shooter, grouping anything with open sights at 100 yards may be a challenge. Looking for a suitable scope without breaking the bank? At any given time there's usually at least one old Weaver K4 listed in the adds here. Tough as nails, and a darn sight better than open sights. Try the different slugs, and you'll find what this gun likes to shoot. I've been shooting a smoothbore 870 for years and have little trouble shooting groups, and deer with it. Good luck.

Try the Hastings slugs also.....

Check out Tar-Hunt's shotguns. MOA all day long. Spendy though.

link to Tar Hunt

547,
Try different ammo. In fact, you might even try the 2 3/4" Federal Barnes expanders (tipped and non tipped versions). 3" versions often don't give you much more over a 2 3/4" slug. You will probably find a slug that your gun likes.
And not that you haven't done it already, but check the scope, bases and rings - scope might be causing your problems and not the gun (it's happened to me).....
Good luck!

Thats the problem with slug guns......the ammo is pricey.
But once you find the load it likes buy all the ammo with the same lot number you can.
I had a Rem 1100 with a fully rifled cantilever barrel and a Leupold 1 3/4x6 vari x 3 and with Barnes expanders, Winchester platinum tip, and Winchester gold tip it would consistantly shoot 1" at 100 yds.....so yeah some guns can shoot.

I own a Benelli with a 24" rifled barrel and had good luck with it. I used winchester sabots and remington sabots with around 1" pattern at a 100 yards. Tried Federal and Hastings ammo with no luck. But you might want to try Lightfield.

Like everyone had said, try different ammo.Slug guns are tempermental.But 3" groups at 100 is really about a good average.Some will do better, but you may have to spend a lot on ammo to get there.

I hunt in Indiana and had to buy a slug gun several years ago. Got an 870 and 6 different types of ammo. Fortunately for me, but unfortunately for my wallet, it shot the Winchester platinum slugs almost touching at 100(with a scope).Everything else was 3" to 6"+. I went back and bought all they had (3 boxes).At about $3 a shot, I thought at the time it was probably the most expensive ammo I would ever buy.

If slugs have gone up like everything else, I'd hate to see it now.

Good Luck,

Try Lightfield slugs,I was getting 1" groups a 100 yds with my mod 37 with the pricey winchester stuff and my buddy turned me on to the light fields and now I get even tighter groups.....with iron sights.

THANKS FOR ALL THE GREAT ADVICE MEN. THIS DANG SABOT SLUG AMMO IS MIGHTY PRICEY BUT I AM GOING TO GO BACK TO MY SPORTING GOODS SHOP AND BUY A COUPLE MORE DIFFERENT BRANDS OF AMMO AND GIVE IT ONE MORE TRY AT THE RANGE,I STILL HAVE A FEW DAY'S TO PLAY WITH AS MY TRIP TO OHIO WAS POSTPONED TILL THURSDAY. I REALLY WANT TO TAKE THIS SLUG GUN TO OHIO BUT I WANT TO BE CONFIDENT IN IT'S ACCURACY, I'M ONLY GOING TO GET TO HUNT FOR A COUPLE DAY'S SO I PROBABLY WONT GET MANY OPPORTUNITIES (IF ANY) IF I CAN'T FIND SOMETHING IT WILL SHOOT IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAY'S I'LL HAVE TO TAKE MY MUZZELOADER AND THAT WILL SEVERLY LIMIT ME ON A QUICK FOLLOW-UP SHOT...........547.

547, Field and Stream has a nice little article on slug's in the Dec. issue. Check it out. The writer knows what he is talking about. I shoot a smoothbore Rem 1100 LW 20 Ga. with two inches sawed off the end of the bore. I shot a nice buck about three years ago with it at 88 yards. DRT, exactly where I put the red dot on him. Don't expect too much accuracy at the range on a slug, but when you hit a deer with a piece of lead as big as a slug, it's very effective. They usually don't run away.

Our group has put a lot of time into finding a good setup and we (6 of us) all use Hastings fully rifled, cantilevered barrels on beretta 390s (with the one excetion being put on an 870). all of these group 5 shots around 2" at 100 yards. Most of the groups are under 2", but a few slide out to that 2.25" range or so. I dont think it really matters what you put that barrel on. We use the 2 3/4" Barnes Expanders. get a good scope for shotguns or the recoil will tear it apart (btdt).

On this TC Encore I mounted a Leupold VX III 2.5-8, I don't think it is the scope or the mounting system loose, it all seems tight.....I hope the gun will shoot different ammo better but as bad as it shot the Federal load I'm afraid it wont shoot anything well enough to suit me.....547.

547-I've got a 20-Encore that shoots 1-1/2" at 100 every year I pull it out. I did have to find the right load, tho. Mine likes Federal sabots. I have started using Lightfield slugs, as they have the same diameter as most 12 guage slugs. I would be happy with 3" groups at 100 yards.
Also, Encores benefit tremendously from a trigger job, if yours isn't what it should be. Mike Bellm or Shots Gunsmithing can help you there.

547-

I'm with the others as you'll likely find a brand that'll be lights out with the setup. I'd go with the advice on the Lightfields and give them a whirl - I have several friends that run them and really sing their praises.

You might give the XP3 Winchesters a look as well. Words of warning: Hang on tight when you touch one off.....

Thanks Skane, I'm heading back to the range tomorrow with some hornady 2 3/4 SST loads not much to choose from at My local gun shops, since My part of Virginia does allow centerfire rifles during firearms season nobody stocks much 12ga slug ammo, I'd really like to try the Lightfields but I can't find them and it's too late to order any as I'm headed for Ohio Thursday morning. From what you guy's say though given time and enough different ammo I should find something that will shoot decent...........547.

My 870 likes 2 3/4" Buckhammers and gets better grouping than the 3 inchers.