Slug guns

[DGuest]

Wondering if anyone has much experience with slug guns for deer, bear etc. If so, do you use a scope or stick with the iron sites and what kind of groups can you get with premium ammo and a riffled barrel?

Thanks

[eaglesnester]

Slugs will kill the animals you mentioned, however they are not the ideal projectile. Slugs have poor sectional density, penetration, and B.C. A 2 power scope is all you need on a shotgun. Your shots should be limited to 100yds or less. Slugs are illegal for hunting Moose in B.C. as they kill big game so inefficiently. As for groups, you should be able to place all your shots inside a 10 inch pie plate at 100yds with not too much trouble. If you must hunt with a 12 bore your shots must be placed with care to put your animals down quickly.

[835]

Are you thinking for a shotgun only area? Most shotgun areas are "shotgun with shot" and do not allow slugs. Could be wrong in your case though.

[DGuest]

I was really just thinking of trying something new, right now it's a toss up between: Slug gun, cross bow, or a single shot rifle, I don't think I am ready to go to a bow yet. The single shot with iron sights is interesting, kinda want to get to real basics, stay away from fads and crazy high tech gear.

On killing big game efficiently, how would a bow compare to a 12ga slug, I assume there is a bow season for moose here, not being a bow hunter I have never looked into it.

[sparkes3]

use a rifled barrel and you will have no problem putting them in a pie plate at 150 yards with open sites and as to not penetrating tell that to the bear that i had a pass through on last year with barnes expanders and the other one flowered(expanded) beautifully and that bear was dead before it hit the ground.The same with deer no problem.

[weatherby_man]

Lots of deer and bear have fallen to the slug gun. Long range isnt an option but thats ok just sneak up on 'em: wink:

[Surrey Boy]

Slugsters are probably the best brush guns around. Light, durable, don't jam or even have to be clean. I had a Mossberg 500A with a 24" smoothbore barrel with rifle sights on top which was the best gun for the money I've ever had. Got rid of it to get a Remington 750 in 30-06.

[whitebirdfeathers]

When I started hunting I only had a Mossberg 500A with a 20" cylinder bore barrel on it. I practiced with slugs and the bead sight and was able to get 5" groupings at 75 yards. Not great for anything longer but for sneaking through the bush and getting something at close range it's fine. All I can say though with this set up is practice practice practice.

[ohno]

Page 17 BC Hunting synopsis (2009-2010)

Firearms
* No person shall hunt wildlife with a handgun.
* A muzzle loader containing powder and shot in the barrel but
unprimed (ie, no powder in the pan of a flint lock or no cap in the
nipple of a percussion lock) is not considered a loaded firearm under
the Criminal Code (Canada).
* It is unlawful to hunt with a set gun, or to hunt wildlife with a pump,
repeating or auto-loading shotgun with a magazine capable of holding
more than two shells. Where the use of a shotgun is allowed for
hunting or trapping big game, an unplugged shotgun holding more than
2 shells and firing single projectiles only (slugs) may be used.
* It is unlawful to use full metal jacketed, non-expanding, tracer, incendiary
or explosive bullets for hunting or trapping game

See page 16 for a table that prohibits hunting moose with a shotgun:
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/wildlife/hunting/regulations/0910/docs/Hunting-TrappingSynopsis_0910_Part1.pdf

[DGuest]

Not sure how we got onto this moose thing as it was not an animal listed on my original post, but it's an interesting topic of discussion non the less. I realize that here in BC we are not to hunt moose with a shotgun and I have no intentions of breaking the law, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't work. In New Brunswick, my home province, it is very legal to take moose with a slug and even buck shot larger than a specified size. I've heard of people taking a moose with a .410 slug, not ideal but it worked. In fact, the New Brunswick regulations don't even specify gauge, so that was totally legal. My point here is that regulations differ across the country, and no the moose in NB are not midget moose.

I took a quick look at the federal website to see what kinda of energy a slug will hit with at 100 yards then compared it to a classic deer cartridge the 30-30 win. A 150 grain soft point 30-30 has 1358 ft lbs at 100 yards and a one once barnes expander slug has 1423 ft lbs.

I probably wouldn't try shooting a slug farther than 100 yards and I am sure there have been countless deer shot at over 100 yards with a 30-30.

Back to moose, the first rifle my grandfather ever owned was a marlin 30-30, I've asked him before, he's taken more moose and deer with that rifle than he ever has or probably will with his 30-06.

On expansion, there is a outfitter down the road from my families farm back home who almost exclusively does black bear hunting. Again the regs change in NB, we are legally allowed to bait bears. When I decided to give bear hunting a try I had a chat with them, I asked about bullet selection for my .308, didn't say much other than get something that holds together, but he did say at close range nothing seems to put them down faster than a 12 ga slug, and of course hunting over bait you would be very close. So penetration can't be that bad with a slug.

Keep in mind I said premium ammo, not a rifled sabot through a smooth bore, rifled barrel with premo ammo.

Ok, not I feel like I am rambling, lets see what other have to say.

[huntwriter]

Wondering if anyone has much experience with slug guns for deer, bear etc. If so, do you use a scope or stick with the iron sites and what kind of groups can you get with premium ammo and a riffled barrel?

Thanks

I use a bolt action slug gun ( Savage Slugmaster 210 12 gauge) loaded with sabboted slugs (Lightfield Hybred Elite). This combination gives me 2" groups out to about 120 yards. Oh yes, I do use a slug gun scope. They are a bit sturdier built than your ordinary rifle scope. Slug guns are capable of knocking every game animal in North America down and keep them down. Why the regulations say that you can't kill a moose with a slug gun is probably grown on the same manure heap as having to use buck shot for turkeys. Sometimes you just got to laugh at some of the regulations and wonder on what they were based on.

[6616]

I have a Remington M870 slug gun with 3" chamber, up-dated with a 24" Hastings rifled barrel with a cantlever scope mount. I have a Leopold 4x shotgun scope mounted. I have used Federal sabot slugs and they are good, but I much prefer the Remington 1oz Premium Copper Solid Sabot Slug and they are more accurate in my gun. These Reminton slugs group around 6" at 100 yards. I've shot several deer at ranges between 50 and 70 yards and they all went down like they were hit with a ton of bricks. The newer Remington Accutip slug should also be a good one but I haven't tried them.