Remington's Core Lokt Ultra Bonded slugs are definitely out!

[NYH1]

I have a Remington 11-87 Sportsman Deer 12 ga. It has a 21" fully rifled barrel with the cantilever scope mount with a Leupold VXII 2-7x33mm Shotgun Scope.

I went to the range today to finish sighting it in. I had 4 boxes of the Remington's Core Lokt Ultra Bonded, 2 boxes of Winchester Partition Golds, a box each of Hornady's SST and Federal's Barns Expander Tip slugs. All the slugs were 1900 fps except the Hornady's which is 2000 fps.

My gun shot 2 inch groups at 50 yards with the Core Lokt Ultra Bonded slugs. 100 yards was a joke, between 9 and 12 inch groups. I thought something was wrong with my gun.

I tried the Partition Golds next. The first 5 shots grouped about 2 1/2 inches at a 100 yards with one 6 inch or so flier. I let the gun cool down put up another target and had pretty much the same results. Another 2 1/2 in group with another 5 or 6 inch flier, this one went the other way. Both groups were nice and round, with the exception of the two fliers. My friend has an 1100 with a 24 inch Hastings barrel and his gun shoots about a 2 inch group with always one 3 to 5 inch flier. Maybe this is normal with these slugs, I don't know.

Then I shot the box of Federal Barns Expander Tips. About a 4 inch group. It was pretty round.

Then I shot the Hornady SST's. I only had one box. We had to get going but I wanted to see how they shot. I'm glad I did. I let the gun cool down and then shot all five round in about a minute. It shot a vertical group that was pretty much straight up and down. From top to bottom was about 3 inches. Two rounds made one big hole and the other three were very close. I ran out of time and slugs. I'm going to get 4 or 5 boxes and go back and fine tune it next week.

I really don't like the fliers I'm getting from the Partition Gold's. You have to include fliers into the groups as well. That makes my 2 1/2 inch groups, 5 to 6 inch groups. Then add into account that the fliers from both groups went the opposite way, that's a pretty large spread. I guess I'm going to stick with the SST's.

[dougk]

Interesting about the fliers.  Did they occur with a hot barrel?  I found cold barrel shots often vary from warm/hot barrel shots.  Interestingly, most hunting shots are taken from a cold barrel.

Doug

[NYH1]

Interesting about the fliers.  Did they occur with a hot barrel?  I found cold barrel shots often vary from warm/hot barrel shots.  Interestingly, most hunting shots are taken from a cold barrel.

Doug

I let the barrel cool down between groups as much as possible.  I only got the fliers with the Partition Golds.  The  Core Lokt Ultra Bonded just won't shoot in my gun.  I know guys that use them and really like them. 

I shot two five shot groups with the Partition Gold's.  The fliers I got were from the third shot of my first group and the first shot of my second group.  Then I went on to shoot one five shot group of the Federal's Barns Expander Tip slugs.  Followed by a five shot group of the Hornady SST's.  i can't explain what happened with the Partition Gold's.  I was really hoping my gun liked either the Core Lokt Ultra Bonded or the Partition Gold's.  I'm not going to give up on the Partition Gold's altogether.  Maybe after I shoot some more rounds through my barrel it will shoot them better.  I don't know.  With the exception of the fliers, the Partition Gold's group a little better then the SST's.       

[dougk]

I would be concerned that you have the perfect shot and you get a 6 inch flier, who knows in what direction..... 

[NYH1]

I would be concerned that you have the perfect shot and you get a 6 inch flier, who knows in what direction..... 

I agree 100%.  I'll stick with the SST's this year. 

[sliceman]

My Browning BPS loves the rem Core-lokt- 1-1.4" groups at 100yds. I think this is because it has a 1:28 twist meant for the modern faster slugs. The rem. barrels have a 1:35 twist meant for slower slugs, ~1500fps. I had my best groups ( with my old rem 870) with the Fed 3" barnes expanders, MV~1500 fps. They are deadly on game, as well.

[300winman]

Could have been some barrel fouling that caused the fliers.  Sabots do tend to foul a barrel pretty good.  I wouldn't think rate of twist would throw 1 flyer out of 5, the shots would be all over the place.  Out of my Benelli Nova the Rem. Buckhammers shoot the best.  But with the 547gr slug at 1500fps, their not long range slugs.  But they do leave a true .73 cal. hole.

[NYH1]

I shot the Core Lokt Ultras, the Partition Golds, the Federal Barns Expander Tips and then the SST's in that order.  If barrel fouling caused the Partition Golds to shoot inconsistently, wouldn't it effect the two other brands I shot after shooting them?

[NYH1]

My Browning BPS loves the rem Core-lokt- 1-1.4" groups at 100yds. I think this is because it has a 1:28 twist meant for the modern faster slugs. The rem. barrels have a 1:35 twist meant for slower slugs, ~1500fps. I had my best groups ( with my old rem 870) with the Fed 3" barnes expanders, MV~1500 fps. They are deadly on game, as well.

American Barrel Co. makes their 12 ga. barrel with 1:26 twist.  I think Ithaca was making 12 ga. barrels with 1:28 twist.  Remington makes there 20 ga. barrels with 1:24 twist.  I don't know if that's because the 20 ga. is a different animal altogether and requires a faster twist.  I'd like to know how those American Barrel Co. barrels shoot. 

[300winman]

Yeah, I caught that after I posted.  I guess fouling would affect the following shots.  If you know its not you, then a 1 out of 5 flyer sounds like inconsistent ammo.  I didn't have anything good to say of the partition golds that I shot in my 20 ga TrackerII.  They were all over the place.  Have not tried the Hornady SST's.  Might have to give them a try.

[carbineman]

My son and I have scoped Tracker II's in 20 ga. from NEF and have had inconsistent accuracy with the 2 3/4 Remington Premier Ultra Cor-Lokt's as well. We have noticed considerable lot to lot difference in point of impact with these sabot slugs.

We have had more consistent accuracy with the Federal 3" Barnes Expanders @1900fps and the 3" Winchester Partition Gold @2000 fps. We have only dabbled with the SST's but at the price they get for those rounds we just don't want to do a whole lot more practise shooting.

The original Federal Barnes Expanders (1450 fps??) were inaccurate in both of our guns but the newer 1900 fps offerings were the most accurate with the Winchester Partition Golds a close second.

[NYH1]

I guess I should have updated this thread.  I had to send my Leupold scope back.  I went to the range to finish sighting in my gun.  Every time I made a windage or elevation adjustment my groups would get huge.  Even with the SST's that shot good before I made adjustments.  I took the scope off and when I shook it back and forth I could hear and feel a clicking sound.  It did it even worse when I turned it down to 2 power.  I don't think I'll get the scope back before the season ends.  And even if I do, I doubt I'll shoot it again this year.  I'm sick of spending $10 to $20 for 5 rounds.

I set my fathers 11-87 20 ga. up with a 21 inch fully rifled barrel with the cantilever mount and a Nikon 2-7x32mm Prostaff Shotgun Scope and I've been using that.  I'm using Lightfield slugs.  I sighted it in 2 inches high at 50 yards as Lightfield recommends on their web site.  That makes the zero point right on at 100 yards.  It shot about an inch and a half groups at 50 yards and 4 inch groups at 100 yards doing this.  To be fair, when I shot the groups at 100 yards it was pretty windy.  I might even try the Lightfields in my 12 ga. when I get back to shooting that too. 

[NYH1]

I forgot to say that I really don't know for sure which slugs are going to shoot good in my 12 ga.  I'll have to wait until I get my scope back and try it all over again!