Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns anyone have an opinion on slug guns?

For a semi auto or pump slug gun which model and type (semi auto or pump) would you buy and why?

My old Remington Model 870 12 gauge with a 20" smooth bore rifle sighted barrel works well enough for my needs.

thanks for your reply, I am thinking rifled barrels and better accuracy.

I personally chose the Savage 210F but but if I weren't after a DSG I'd buy the Remington 870. My dad has a Remington 870 for which I bought him a Hastings barrel with scout mount on it, then mounted a Nikon EER scope and it shoots great. If I were to buy a pump I'd buy the 870 with factory rifled barrel or if I wanted a dual use gun I'd get an express of some sort and buy a barrel and monte carlo stock. There are good triggers for them, lots of stocks, lots of barrels, and mounts. You could buy one and have the barrel pinned or send it to Tar-hunt and let them turn it into a DSG. I feel like the 870 is the most versatile platform.

ithaca 37 but if looking new and not wanting to spend much can't 870 for the price

a couple fellows down the range had a couple of the new ithaca's. they shot great. i still use remington 870 though.

No 11-87 lovers here?

I thought Hastings had gone out of business?

as far as i know hastings has gone out of business. as far as the 1187. i have one in 12 gauge in the shop now that i bought but it will have to wait until after deer season for me to determine its worth. got some arthritis in my shoulder so am looking to get a bit of a recoil reduction. would have prefered a 20 but the 12 came along at the right price.

I've got an 11-87 with a Rem fully rifled cantilever barrel. It will shoot tight clusters (aprox. 1.5")@ 100yds with preferred ammo. I'm currently shooting Federal Barnes Premium slugs with the 3/4 oz slug. I've tried many different slugs, including the 2 other Federal Barnes offerings but this particular ammo shoots the best.

The 11-87 will also be much kinder to your shoulder than the 870.

Charlie, that cantilever mount is pretty flexable, tried one today at Dick's sporting goods on an 870. On the other hand your post is very encouraging! What does a box of 5 of those slugs cost you? Also I agree, the 11-87 cannot be that much heavier and it sure will be easier on the shoulder and faster on the follow up shot.

side note Remington cannot be serious about the "Remington" scope they mount on the 870 slug gun package, it actually distorts the image through the scope.

Benelli M1 Super 90. Is there any other?????

looks like the SBEII is the only slug gun they offer now in 12 guage.

yup!

If your okay with a bolt savage has the 210F(12ga) and 220F(20ga). They are very accurate and your shoulder will thank you if you get the 20ga. Otherwise I have a Mossy 500 20ga with the cantilever mount and it has performed admirably for me. Personally if I had to do it all over again I'd look at the H&R dedicated slug guns and the Savages.

The area I hunt in Minnesota is slug only. There can be up to five of us in camp and we've been through lots of sluggers over the last 25-years. Since sluggers are the only option I don't mind spending some money on a decent rig just like most rifle hunters at the Campfire.

Probably the best all around performance/value slugger we've used is the BPS Rifled Hunter. They always work and are always among the most accurate.

The top dog accuracy-wise has been the Browning A-Bolt slugger (fully rifled, not the choke tube). I've read here at the Campfire and elsewhere that Browning is re-introducing the A-Bolt this spring and I'll definitely be picking up another, probably new, but if the used market crashes I might go that route.

There are plenty of slug barrels for the Benelli's out there. Buy yourself what you like best and feel the most comfortable with. You won't find a more reliable semi-auto then the Benelli M1 Super 90. As far as accuracy goes mine will shoot better then I am capable of shooting in the offhand so not an issue in my opinion. Personally I see no need for and have zero use for the SBE as I don't shoot anything bigger then 3" shells. If you need bigger get a 10ga.

Go with the FULLY RIFLED Browning! It is the closest thing to the Tar-Hunt Custom guns and they are the gold standard. Everything else is judged against them.

Brownings should be available shortly with a price tag around a Grand. You will never be disapointed with an A-Bolt slug set-up. (BUT the choke tube versions cannot compare).

Buying the fully rifled Browning was the best move I ever made. 3 inch groups all day long at 100 yards with Lightfield Hybrid Extremes. I also have a Benelli SBE and an Ithaca with the pinned barrel (I have 3 sons so I have an excuse). I've taken deer with all of them, but the Browning is my favorite.

I currently own 2 designated slug guns: An 12 Ga. Ithaca Deerslayer III and a 12 Ga. H&R UltraSlug. If I am stillhunting I take the Ithaca but If I am hunting from my tree stand it is the UltraSlug. My son and I built the treestand in the corner of one of my back fields where deer will come out at different distances. The stand is big enough to hold both of us comfortably. I took a 9-point last season at a ranged 148 yds. (the longest shot I had ever attempted). We are lucky in that we can and do set-up deer sized targets at 50, 100, and 150 yds and practice at those distances before each season. The most accurate slug gun I've ever seen is my UltraSlug. at 100 yds I can shoot 3 shot groups all day long that are 3" or less and frequently all holes touching. My ultraSlug seems to prefer the 3" untipped Federal Barnes Expander Sabot slugs. Between my son and I we have taken 8 deer in the last 5 years with that gun and all 8 deer dropped where they stood when hit. It is one heavy gun but a really ultra-fine shooter and beyond compare in my experience. I've put a Nikon 3x9 SlugHunter scope with the BDC reticule on it and for me, it is an unbeatable combination. The only reason I prefer the Deerslayer III when stillhunting is the weight and the fact that I have a red-dot mounted on it for fast target acquisition. The older I get, the more I appreciate my plush tree stand and H&R UltraSlug though. Only you can answer which slug gun is right for you, I'm just saying what is right for me and why.
Best of luck with whatever slug gun you choose.