Slugs in shotguns?

[Twicepop]

Years back I did a little reading about the DIANA SOCIETY, they were a bench rest shooting group that used shotguns with slugs as their choice of firearm. Another group is the American Slug Shooting Association, these groups might be able to offer you some more insight on the subject. Tar-Hunt makes a bolt action rifled slug gun that is amazingly accurate. When I first read about these, they were designed for tactical use, the concept was to give pinpoint accuracy to a weapon that would not only kill someone holding a weapon on a hostage, but the force of the slug impact would knock them down/away from the situation.
Many years back I read a piece in a Gun Digest about a guy using a 12 gauge slug gun as his elk gun. He claimed in the story about using this gun out as far as 250 yards. A 12 gauge slug is a bad-ass round, they're better now than they've ever been. The 12 gauge is 72 caliber, 20 gauge is 62 caliber, in the middle 16 gauge is 65 caliber. Many years back I was in a local sporting goods store and they had a stack 28 gauge slugs (58 Caliber), I've never seen any more since then. With the right gun and the right load, there probably isn't anything that can't be hunted with a slug gun. Game officers in Alaska carry them for protection against large bears, I read somewhere that even a few elephants have been killed with 12 gauge slugs.

 

[sawcarver]

Never hunted Elk with one but lots of whitetail. Mossberg 500 or Rem 870 with a cantilever rifled barrel is the way to go. 20ga have been more accurate in my experience. 200 yard shots are do able.

Growing up we went through the evolution from smooth bore to the 4" rifled choke tubes to full rifled barrels. Now I use 357 Maxs since MI changed the law, still stuck with straightwall but it better than a shotgun

 

[hogpatrol]

If smokeless muzzleloaders are legal, I would go that route. With sabots, MOA or less at 300 meters and more than enough horsepower. Landriders can reach out to 500 and beyond. There's a nice turnkey one for sale in the classifieds.

http://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/smokeless-muzzleloader.3996025/

Or you could put one together yourself for approximately 800 to 1000.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

I shot a coyote at about 180 yards with my Savage 220 and 3" Federal fusion sabots. I hit it right in the spine middle of body. No exit, I decided right there NO 200 yard shots, probably no 150 yard shots on deer. Even though the accuracy is there the terminal performance is not big game consistent. With either traditional muzzleloader or a slug gun I would limit shots on elk to 100 yards. If any muzzleloader(with optics) is legal, then a smokeless setup will get you past 100 yards on elk.

 

[matthias]

The biggest thing with slugs I have found is trying different types and brands. They are expensive $2-3 each shot. Once you find one that shoots well buy a case. The 12 gauge with 3" shells will loosely match a 45-75 in velocity and bullet weight. Plenty of energy to out down anything in north America.

 

[WindSurgeon]

I went through a process of trying to get a 12 gauge slug to print 1 MOA groups at 100 yards several years back. In an 870 with cantilevered Hastings barrel, the best I could ever achieve was about 2.5 inches. Tried all types of ammo and even handloads. I found the Rottweil Laser sabots to be the best. Slower and heavier seemed better and they did well on deer, but while 200 yard accuracy claims are out there, I'd be hesitant to go out further than 150 yards hunting with them due to the large amount of drop. That said, the Savage Bolt Slug guns are supposed to be better than any other gun out there right now, but I have not shot one personally. Also, never heard of a shotgun being used for Elk, but it probably would do just fine.

 

[AckleymanII]

There are all kinds of you tube video's on shooting slugs, casting slugs, and load development.

From my own personal experience, best to use a gas operated auto, because a 1 oz slug at 1500 fps feels like you are shooting a 340 Weatherby mag!

7/8 oz lee slugs are darn accurate in a 12 ga, and there are guys over on Castboolits.com that will cast them for you!

 

[Blackthorn]

Just a 20 gauge. Holy moly, that like saying it's just a Howitzer.

Sorry I’m a 12ga guy generally. Most people turn their nose up at 20’s when it comes to slugs.

 

[matthias]

I went through a process of trying to get a 12 gauge slug to print 1 MOA groups at 100 yards several years back. In an 870 with cantilevered Hastings barrel, the best I could ever achieve was about 2.5 inches. Tried all types of ammo and even handloads. I found the Rottweil Laser sabots to be the best. Slower and heavier seemed better and they did well on deer, but while 200 yard accuracy claims are out there, I'd be hesitant to go out further than 150 yards hunting with them due to the large amount of drop. That said, the Savage Bolt Slug guns are supposed to be better than any other gun out there right now, but I have not shot one personally. Also, never heard of a shotgun being used for Elk, but it probably would do just fine.

The 200 yard issues are well documented. A good range finder and stable shooting platform are a requirement.

We shoot from elevated blinds with heaters and windows. Deer are usually around 125-150 yards but occasionally out to 200. I dropped two at 196 this last year. No wind , stable position, good rangefinder , deer eating and standing around. It is possible and I can testify to that. What I can tell you all is I have spent money and sore shoulder time getting the savage 212 dialed in.

Between the sought guns available now the savage 212 is the best I have found. If you can find o e a 210 savage is solid , and the h&r ultra slugster is a good one as well.

If you go the route of a cantilevered barrel I would suggest bolting the barrel to the receiver from the side and making spacers for the rail to the top of the receiver for support.

 

[SSL]

Sadly, the very best slugs I ever used are no longer made. Activ slugs shot amazingly well in smooth-bore shotguns with Improved cylinder to Modified chokes. They shot brilliantly in every 12 gauge I tried them in. Granted, I never used them past 75-80 yards, but could consistently place them into a 2.5 to 3 inch, 3 shot group from a rest at 75 yards from my old SKB/Ithaca 900. Luckily, I got wind that they would be discontinued and bought a case. Still have 60 of them left.

 

[Sundown]

Rifled barrels, use sabots
smooth bore barrels use rifled slugs
Never!! use rifled slugs in rifled barrel

 

[helmut in the bush]

A Savage 220 is going to give you the most bang for your buck, I also have a SBE with a ER Shaw barrel it's the best semi auto slug gun going.

 

[mauser284]

A rifled slug barrel and sabot slugs.

Most slugs if treated as artillery will be in the dirt at a max of 390 to 490 yards.

When fired more like a rifle very few slugs will do the deed past 200 yards. On top of that few are accurate that far out.

Other than joking around with Kentucky windage for fun at cans and steel targets I have never purposefully shot a slug further than 150 yards and I am talking about Sabot Slugs.

I have never shot an animal with one past 100 yards and 90% of my kills with a 12ga slug gun have been in the 40 yard to 70 yard range on white tail.

I have never shot an Elk with a shotgun. Michigan has an Elk loto and the rules are rather strict so my Elk hunts have been out of state in Colorado! In those cases I used 300 Win Mag and 338 Win Mag 90% of the time.

I live in a shotgun only area in Michigan so unless I want to travel I use a 12ga for white tail deer! I use a Heavy Barreled Parder/Trapper H&R single shot with Burris fullfield for sabot slugs.

I use a 32inch ventrib Mossberg Ulti Mag with choke tubes for turkey and water fowl in 3 1/2 magnum 12ga. That has been my setup since about 1994.

For sabot slugs I like Remington Copper Solids and Winchesters version of the old BRI slugs. For non-sabot slugs Brenke does well in many different shotguns and has a proven record on many different animals.

On an Elk you will need to stalk in close. Make sure you put that slug in a lung on that Elk and you should will be fine. I doubt a slug would do well against structure like a shoulder on an Elk like it does on a deer. It is going to come down to stalking in close and waiting for a good broad side shot and good shot placement. I would not attempt a quartering shot especialy not from the rear.

 

[msinc]

Well, I still live in the communist democrat state of Maryland and have worked on and shot slug guns all my hunting life. Here is my .02 cents: The most accurate "right out of the box" factory shotgun out there is the current made bolt action Savage. I know the 20ga version is the 220, not sure what they call the 12ga one. We have tried them all. The closest thing to it is the long discontinued but excellent Ithaca Model 87 "Deer Slayer II" with the barrel permanently screwed to the receiver.
Right out of the box with decent sabot slugs, a good scope and a steady shooting hand you will outshoot any pump or auto unless they have had some accurizing work done.
My personal gun is an 870 with a pinned and set screwed Hastings heavy barrel and a trigger job. I would dismiss anything you need to have worked on unless you have time to get it done.
Rem Accu-Tips seem to be one of the more accurate sabots and they also seem to kill okay as sabot slugs go. Hastings slugs and the now discontinued Buck Hammers worked best in my guns. Hornady sabot slugs in some guns are very accurate. As above, you will really need to try some different slugs to see. Personally, I hunt with Hammerhead slugs which I cast from a mold sold by Slugs-R-Us in Alumbank, Pa. They are really just like the old Remington Buck Hammers and are very accurate. Doesn't sound like you have time to mess with all that either though. Remington copper solids have delivered some of my best groups, but they just don't kill as good.
Also as above you are really limited in your range and slugs are just not the most effective killer out there. They are big, heavy and have a poor ballistic coefficient. Slugs run out of steam real quick. You can hit deer and elk sized animals out to 200 yards, but you might be disappointed with the terminal ballistics. I kill my deer with a stick bow these days, but when I did slug hunt I kept my shots to 100 yards and have scored a few at 150.
You will need to be selective about the rings, bases and scope...cheap stuff will not hold up under the recoil of a slug gun. Honestly, an arrow with a hair popping razor sharp broadhead has proven to kill way more effective than any slug to me, I have followed way too many long and in many cases empty blood trails because of slug shot animals.
I remember when I was in Alaska and asked the guide what they preferred for to carry for big bears. He told me, "a 12 gauge loaded with slugs"...I told him he was betting on the wrong team there. Best of luck!!! I think I would prefer a 12 gauge for elk for sure.

 

[JEFFPPC]

Need some info on slugs in shotguns for hunting. What gauge and slugs are used for hunting Elk ? What yardage can a person expect from the right set up? The up coming hunt is for a slug gun or traditional muzzleloader. What would be best?

I hunt S. MICH. every year. I use a Savage 220 bolt action 20 gauge. My choice of ammo is the Federal Barnes Expanders. In my it groups better than the Accutips. It's a 2 in gun at 100 yrs sometimes better. For elk I would get the 12 g version. It also has the accu trigger. Mine is at 2 lbs tiny bit of creep I only feel off bench.Kills big MICH deer DRT. I have one shot kills to 200 yrs. That's my self imposed range limit. That bullet is no longer used by Federal as Barnes cut them off and went to Remington.I would try those along with the Accutips see what your gun likes.