Dropping Power

[buckshooter]

I own a 12 gauge USH (SB2-980) with the Nikon slug hunter scope.  I read an article a few months ago by Deer and Deer Hunting that said that a 20 gauge sabot flies faster than a 12 gauge sabot at 200 yards.  From what the article said, it was saying that a 20 gauge slug gun is the better weapon for killing deer at 200 yards.  Personally, I think the 12 gauge can still kill deer at 200 yards, but I am wondering if a 20 gauge has the power to kill a deer at 200 yards.    Is this true?     

[gcrank1]

Power to kill a deer at 200yd?
A .223 will do it, so why not a heavier, bigger frontal area projectile.
Foot pounds of energy is only one measurement of performance, and may not be the best indicator of terminal performance on game.
FWIW, in a bunch of cartridge rifle calibers it is not unusual to find a 'lighter' bullet that equals or exceeds the velo and trajectory of a heavier bullet at distance; the better BC takes over and retains energy better.
A lot of guys have been bagging their deer with 20's for years. See what distance you and your rig are accurrate enough for you to regularly hit the pie-plate kill zone of a deer in field conditions, regardless of caliber, then go for it.

[bikerbeans]

I think this was the argument put forth by Hastings when they came out with their 3.5" 20 ga slug ammo & gun.   The 20 ga sabots and attached wad slugs are supposed to have a better BC that their 12 ga counterparts, therefore retain energy longer, and supposedly more range.  Regardless of whether a 12 or 20 ga, given the velocities these rounds can be loaded to, you are going to have a holdover/bullet drop calculation to make at 200 yards.  As far as having enough power that would, as always, depend on bullet placement.  FWIW, I shot a heavy steel pan (approx 1/8' mild steel) that was hanging by a chain @ 200 yards with a 2 3/4" 12 ga buckhammer.  The slug ripped an oblong hole in the pan and knocked it off the chain.  It took 18 inches of holdover on a gun zeroed @ 125 yards to hit the pan.  Probably would have killed a deer at that distance.

BB

[Spanky]

If you hit the vitals of a deer at 200 yds with a 12 or 20ga. it'll be meat on the pole.



Spanky

[eye shot]

If you want to know witch has more knock down at 200 it's the 12ga.

[Spanky]

If you want to know witch has more knock down at 200 it's the 12ga.

Not necessarily. There is some pretty nasty 20ga. ammo on the market.



Spanky

[zackyholdem]

in the hornady sst for example the 20ga has a better ballistic coefficient than the 12ga so in that respect the 20 gauge wins

at 200yds the 20ga sst  1212fps and 815 ftlbs energy
at 200yds the 12ga sst  1341fps and 1198 ftlbs energy

so in terms of knockdown power the 12ga still rules, but a deer hit in the boiler room will die from either

[Bigeasy]

If you want to use "Bullet Energy" as a criteria, (an in-accurate criteria, I believe), then using the above noted Hornady ballistics, either slug load will hit a deer with as much, or more energy then a .44 magnum handgun, held point blank up against a deers ribs.  So, as others have said, the real issue is knowing your range, and being able to place those slugs consistently in the kill zone.

Larry

[zackyholdem]

If you want to use "Bullet Energy" as a criteria, (an in-accurate criteria, I believe), then using the above noted Hornady ballistics, either slug load will hit a deer with as much, or more energy then a .44 magnum handgun, held point blank up against a deers ribs.  So, as others have said, the real issue is knowing your range, and being able to place those slugs consistently in the kill zone.

Larry

i agree a better criteria to use would be the taylor knock out (KO) index, this gives you data that also takes into account a projectiles size instead of just its weight and speed like the ftlbs of energy does, it gives you more accurate real world expectations to use when comparing loads

[gcrank1]

Does anybody remember Elmer Keith? He was talking this how many years ago and we still dont have a reliable predictor formula because each critter brought to bag has too many variables. It is clear that big, heavy for caliber bullets do the job very reliably.
As Fynn Agaard (sp?) once said (to paraphrase) ," Im long past the point where I want to see how small a caliber I can take game with".

[Spanky]

I don't rely on magazines or knockout formulas to tell me whether I've got enough gun or not. I shoot deer through the vitals and they die. Whether I'm using a 22 Hornet or a 45-70 it's always the same... it kills 'em.



Spanky