What is your setup for shotgun deer?

[Mad Dog]

Well, it's a week til our firearm opener, here in Indiana, been doing this for 25 yrs., but I am just as anxious now, as the first year......  So, just for fun, what is everybody's favorite gun, load, and how many deer have you taken with it?  Mine is a Rem. 870 sp 12 ga., with a cantilever scope mount, and a 1.5-5x simmons pro diamond on top.  I bought the gun in 1990, and the ammo that it loved at that time was the old win. 1 oz. foster slug.  Forgot to mention that it has a rifled choke tube in it[couldn't get a fully rifled barrel in those days].  The old girl has helped me put 35 deer in the freezer, all with those old foster slugs.  Next year I am tempted to try some of the new stuff on the market, just to see what she might do.  How about you?

Mad Dog

[NYH1]

Mad Dog, I have a simular set up as you.  I have a Remington 870 Express 12 ga. with a 23 inch fully rifled barrel with the cantilever scope mount and a Bushnell Banner 1.5-4.5x32mm scope. I am going to put a Leupold VX-II 2-7x33mm Shotgun scope on it next year, I couldn't swing it this year  I am going to try the Winchester Partition Gold 2 3/4 sabot slug's in it. My friend has used them for a few years and loves them. I'll try as many as I can, but I hope it shoots the Partition Gold's well enough their pretty impressive! I have used Lightfield hybred EXP slugs. They shot around 2-2 1/2 inch groups at 100 yards  but they don't seem to have the "punch" that some of the other slugs do.

[mountainview]

Put me down for my 870 Express with smoothbore barrel and open sights. Works well enough for the heavy cover I work in and since distances tend to be short, the smoothbore is not a big handicap for me. A cantilever setup is attractive though the higher cost of sabot slugs vs foster slugs gives me some pause.

[kb]

11-87 with open sites.  I shoot foster slugs with a rifled choke.  Many deer have met their match with this combo.  I have thought about a fully rifled barrel, and those REALLY expensive sabots, but nah.  Im too cheap.  My set up works just fine

[Bob_K]

Remington 1100 12 ga (Express model), Damar scope mount on the receiver, Leupold 1X4 shotgun scope (love those heavy cross hairs), Hastings fully rifled barrel, Federal Sabot slugs.

[Ramrod]

Rem 1100 also, Bell and Carson composite stock, offset receiver mount, Redfield Widefield 2-3/4 power scope, Hastings barrel, Winchester BRI sabots. I have hunted with this rig since about 1985-86, it cost me a fortune to set up back then. Still, it's the fastest handling woods gun I have ever seen, and I can't say enough good things about that scope.

[MIdeerhunter]

My setup is an H&R Ultra Slug Hunter 12 gauge, with a laminate stock and forend, leopold rifleman rings, a Bushnell 1.5-4.5X21, and detachable sling mounts with a sling, it is a tack driver, I use Winchester BRI 2 3/4" sabots...This is my first year with this gun, i normally use rifles...

[gwhilikerz]

My slug gun is a NEF Pardner 20 ga. youth model. It only has the front bead that it came with, but I will probably put a scope or red dot on it in the future. I put a recoil pad on to extend the length of pull and ease the kick. Added a shell carrier for more weight and installed a carry strap.  Most of my deer hunting these days is as a sort of "backup" for my grandson. He uses the youth model 243 and I carry his youth pardner mainly to show him you can have fun and be successful afield without spending a lot of money. In the last three years, this season included, the deer count between us is 5 with 20ga. and 5 with 243.
 And yes I have a safe full of more "appropriate" guns. But this is fun. :grin:
OOPS I almost forgot. I load it with inexpensive 2 3/4" Winchester foster slugs.

[New Hampshire]

Remington 870 express Magnum (3" chamber.)  Synthetic Speed Feed stocks (soon to be replaced next year with factory Camo Remingtons and Limbsaver pad.)  Hastings 20" fully rifled bbl with cantilever.  BSA Catseye 1.5-4.5 shotgun scope.  Winchester Super X 2 3/4" sabot  (BRI) slugs.  Oh yeah, and a padded super sling!  Did I miss anything  :-D .
Brian M.

[Mad Dog]

Well, my setup worked again this year.  Got a really nice 9 pt. with a 16 1/4" inside spread.  BTW, he wasn't the biggest buck out there.

Mad Dog

[Busta]

Congrats Mad Dog!

Our gun season opened yesterday, passed up a nice little six point four times in a two hour period. He just doesn't know how lucky he was, real dumb one too. I had him at 10 yards twice and within 50 the other two times. That was the only buck I had seen, there is still a lot of corn standing so some of the bucks should make it to next year. :grin:

[cubsfan]

remington 1100 with a tasco 2.5x20 scope shooting winchester foster slugs. sighted in 4 years ago. take scope and mount off every year. never has lost it's zero. great shooting gun.

[Gregory]

I hunt in Illinois and my primary gun is a TC Contender pistol, but in the truck is my Rem 870 12 ga that I've owned since I was 18.  It shoots the WW
slugs out of the smootbore slug barrel with good accuracy out to about 80 yds.

[whodowl]

870 exp 12ga mag fully rifled, 2-3/4 win 400gr platinum tip Sabots.  2 hits, no deer.

Coulds swore there'd be meat in the freezer, maybe it was just me...but
Any comments on the loads appreciated???

[whodowl]

Hey C130E.
This was actually 2 separate bucks.  One less than 20yds, the other about 100yds.  Aimed for a chest shot on both.  The shot on the first buck could have been deflected, but I don't think so.  He took off like he was gut shot, but no blood trail.  The second was a wide open field shot and I saw him go down.  I wainted a few minutes to check on him, but when I got there he was gone, again no blood trail.
I have never hunted with the Sabots before and while I've knocked 'em down and lost a few with the lead rounds, there has almost always been a blood trail.  That is why I am wondering about these Sabots; just never used 'em before.  Thanks.

[Ramrod]

whodowl, my experiance with sabots goes back to the mid 80's and BRI, now owned by Winchester. Early on I found that they lack knockdown power compared to Foster style lead slugs. I have stuck with them because of the increased range and much better accuracy. Deer shot through the heart have run 200 or more yards with very little blood trail. I stick with neck shots on meat deer, but try to break a shoulder or two on big bucks when I don't want them going anywhere. I usually don't recover the slugs, I get complete pass thru from any angle. Fosters worked great in the woods, but when I started hunting more open brushy meadow type country, the sabots were the only way to go.

[od green]

win1300 with rifled barrel, bushnell dawn to dusk scope 4x fixed, put an M-16 type tactical stock ( it keeps me from rolling my wrist ) tactical fore arm to keep it looking the same, and win 2 3/4 bri. fits me well and is comfortable to shoot. last five years took total of 14 deer.

[jeff223]

NEF 20GA ULTRASLUG
FEDERAL EXPANDER SLUGS

[whodowl]

Thanks Ramrod and C130E for the replies.  I was hunting south central Indiana where you have a wide mix of open farmland plus the hardwood forests and brushy areas, so shot selection varies from one opportunity to the next.  The neck shot is without doubt the best shot.  The first buck did not provide that shot and based on what Ramrod said, I'm guessing that was a pass-through giving this deer the chance to get into the deep brush and briars.  I'm not sure about the second, and much larger, whitetail; fair distance for me to try a shot with a 12ga, probably.  He probably made it to the neighbors property not too far off; I heard another shot within a few minutes in that direction(we don't share hunting permissions).  Anyway, I do like the trajectory of the Sabots and will give them the benefit of doubt and rethink my shot selection and patience.  Thanks guys.

[tbonecpa]

Remington 11-87 with Hastings cantilever mount rifled barrel and Bushnell 3-9x scope, Uncle Mike's sling and polar cap scope covers.   It is very heavy but I hunt from a treestand 95% of the time so that doesn't matter.  I tried the Partition Golds but had far better groups with 1900 fps Federal Barnes Expander (2" @ 100 yds.)  Its sighted 3" high @ 100 yds which zeros it at 150 yds.

[DWARREN123]

Benelli Super 90, 20 ga. with rifled slugs, open sights, 4 inch 3 round group at 100 yards.

[Will_C]

Although I have semi-retired my slug gun this year to use my Encore .50 cal., I have a 11-87 with a Remington rifled slug barrel with a cantilever scope mount, with a Leupold 1-4x scope attached. I have used the Platinum Tip slugs for the past three years. I have found that the Platinum Tips give me the best combination of penetration, expansion, and accuracy
I doubt I'll ever buy a new slug gun, but if I were to, I think I would buy a Browning Gold 20 gauge. It would be much easier to shoot, and the ballistics of the new 20 gauge slugs are quite impreesive!
Will

[Adirondack Joe]

Current Rig:
Marlin 512 Slugmaster bolt action 12 GA
Cabelas Pine Ridge 2.5x32 scope in weaver mount

Rig that will replace that one for next season:
Ithaca 37 Guide Series Deerslayer II 20 GA 20" BBL 1-24" twist
Williams WGRS rear sight with .150" twilight aperture, XS white post front sight

[WNY_Whitetailer]

H&R 12GA Ultra Slugger
Bushnell Trophy 1.75-4x32 scope
Winchester Partition Gold 2 3/4" sabots

Rem 870 12GA w/Hastings Fully Riofled Cantilever Scope Mount Barrel
Bushnell Trophy 1.75-4x32 scope
Brenneke 2 3/4" KO Sabots