Which slugs have more punch down range and which shoot flatter? Looking up towards 200 yards.

I only have experience with the 20 gauge and that was in a Savage 220/3-9 Leupold. It was very accurate with the Federal 3" loads and 1.5" three-shot groups at 100 yards consistently. . Shot several whitetail deer with it but most of my shots were in the 50-80 yard range and I'm very particular about shot placement. The 20 gauge sabots passed completely through every time. I was confident that if circumstances were correct (broadside with a rest of some kind) 150 yard shots were very do-able. But that was my personal limit and never had to shoot that far. Your mileage may vary.

Sold my sabot shotgun when I moved west. But if I were doing it all over again, I'd go the 20 gauge route simply because A) they worked fine and B) I see no need for more recoil and/or bulkiness of a 12 gauge to double-lung with pass through on a 150 pound whitetail.

Generly the 12 ga has more "punch" due to a larger diameter and more weight. Some 20 ga sabots appear to hit harder than some 12 ga sabots due to sabot shape and/or construction. Same goes for trajectory, some 12 ga loads will be flatter than many 20 ga loads though I feel it is not enough to matter.

I shoot both 12 and 20 ga guns and found the key is to use the brand of sabot that the particular gun likes best. The fastest, hardest hitting sabot on the market is not a good choice if your gun shoots patterns rather than groups with it. My most accurate slug gun happens to be a 20 ga but the sabots that are the most accurate also seem to expand minimally based on internal damage and the distance I can expect the deer to run. I only use that gun when I am certain I others are unlikely to be around. If there may be others in The woods then I use a 12 ga as the larger slug seems to drop the deer quicker as it is of solid lead rather than copper.

Buy the gun you wish and use whatever sabot is most accurate in the gun. Realize that the combo of ammo, shotgun, and shooter may not be up to your desired maximum and work to get within range. If 200 yards is mandatory then I would look at an inline muzzleloader as that would be a more likely choice.

There is very little difference between the 20 slug and a .50 caliber muzzleloader. Slug ammo offered today equals the speed and bullet quality shot in most .50 caliber saboted bulleted ML'S. I see no need to punish yourself
with a 12 ga slug ammo when the 20 ga is more than adequate. The Savage model 220F is screaming accurate in 20 gauge.

Doc

+1.............. Those 20 ga. Savage 220's are what I call "20 ga. rifles". If I had to buy a slug gun today that's what it would be. Have seen their results on paper at 100 yards and have seen a friends 220 take deer with one round a little further than that. I'm convinced that modern 20 ga. sabots launched from something that accurate are more than sufficient on whitetails. Meanwhile; my dedicated slug gun for when I'm not in a rifle area is still my rifled barrel 12 ga. 870 but I'm not getting any younger and those 220's are looking better every year.