Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game For those who are living in non-rifle zones. What do you use?

I grew up in OH using slug gun, ML, and bow. Family has a hunting camp in PA, but we never had rifles - Dad and brother now have 'em. I even shot my first couple Montana deer with my Winny slug gun. I've probably killed as many deer with a .50 cal Hawken flint lock as with a slug gun, but I'd rather carry the pump action any day.

I had never even hunted with a scope 'till I was 30. I don't see a problem where the restriction is due to population, we have some areas like that here. I enjoy it but don't get me wrong, Most of my firearms hunting these days is with a scoped rifle. Nothing is better than bow hunting the rut, though.

A Savage 220f with a quality scope and Remington AccuTip 3" sabots performs like a rifle.

Mossberg 12 gauge slug gun or CVA Optima. This Maryland doe was slugged by my Mossberg.

Sherwood

I hunt ih the shotgun zone of MN and have put some time into making my setup work well. Actually, 5 of us have Hastings or Beretta barrels and cantilever scopes. The Hastings are accurate out to 150, though we rarely have shots that far. At 100, we have 2-3 inch groups....which is better than some rifles at the range I have been to. Shotguns are a lot better than many think. I know that the neighboring party hunts with MLs and I think they have missed or goofed up 6 nice bucks in the last 6 years due to inaccuracy of the MLs. Maybe user error, who knows. What I have works and I am happy with it.

My Mossberg 500 with cantilever rifled barrel and 2-7 Leupy will cloverleaf 5rd groups(all holes touching pretty much 1 big hole in paper) at 100 yards off a sandbag with Lightfield 2 3/4" with boring regularity. Longest 2 I shot with it were at 106 and 111 yds, both DRT kills. Definately not much of a handicap for the terrain where I do most of my whitetail hunting.

I'm thinking abut getting a Savage 220 to hunt Ohio and urban deer here in PA. Heard nothing but good things.

I live south of the zone and growing up north of it...it sucks and I could never warm up to using a shotgun. They need to just eliminate it altogether, PA did a study a few years ago and found there was no safety advantage and that actually the heavy slugs and MZ bullets weren't any safer. Nothing more than a feel good law IMO.

Brinky when it warms up we'll have to head out to my range and see what you can do

I've hunted with many diff. slug guns and wasn't ever really impressed. Last year I bought a Savage 220 20ga slug gun and I'm sold. Don't know if they all shoot good or not but I'm very happy with mine shooting 3" Remington Premier AccuTips,

When hunting in Ohio, I'm as likely to be carrying a .44 Super Blackhawk over a ML or slugger. They all work, but I enjoy the revolver over a slug gun or ML.

Winchester SX3 20ga slug gun for deer drives and NULA 50cal smokeless ML for stands.

I hunt out back with a S&W 629 Classic 44 Rem Mag.
My daughter hunts with a ML as do I during the ML season.
Here is this years catch with the smoke poles.
My 9 pt

Daughters 7 pt
JD338

My area here in Virginia is shotgun only and buckshot only, during gun season, so I used my Auto-10 for years with triple-o buck, killed deer every year no problem, recently sold it off and will replace it with a 3 1/2" 12 ga, have found a new area that will allow slugs as long as your off the ground by 15 feet

For many years in Mass. I used a muzzleloader instead of a shotgun during the two week gun season. After trying an H&R 20 ga. Ultra I put the muzzleloader aside. Very accurate shotgun. Mine has shot well with Copper Solids, Buckhammers, SSTs and Platinum Tips. I bought a case of the Buckhammers when it was dropped because they perform so well on targets and game.

Those are dandy bucks with any weapon, JD. Congrats. I haven't shot one that nice in a few years in the central lower.

My 50cal Omega, 50cal Prohunter...or my 20awg TC pro hunter slug bbl.

They all spin 250gr shockwaves out at over 1900mv.

Tony

44 Mag Contender or Super Blackhawk has become my preference in non-rifle zones. A few shotguns but I never sprung for a specialized rig and didn't like slinging slugs from smoothbores with bead sights. Pretty much the same range with my 44s and easier to carry.

TFF. I do the same.

I don't hunt our shotgun areas any longer, but if I did, the ML would likely get the nod over the 11-87 that's been collecting dust for the last 8 years.

Encore 20 gauge slug gun w/Leupy 2.5-8. Lightfield slugs.

Ruger 44 mag revolver, 45 or 50 cal in-line muzzle loader.

Have 3
IN Iowa
Browning A5 12 Gauge light Hastings rifled slug barrel with open sights for driving deer hunts and stalking in cattails of heavy timber SST Hornady
Savage 220F 20 gauge for stand hunting Remington ACCU Tips
Winchester APEX 45 cal for muzzy season SST Hornady Sabot 120 G 777