lets talk about slug guns

[Mike357mag]

I currently use the 12 gauge encore and a Remington 870 with a hastings barrel.  They are OK but I wonder if their is something better.  

I have used the marlin bolt action, grip was to large and magazine did not work well.  The mossberg bolt action could never find a magazine that would work.  The mossberg 500 had that noisy forend problem.  While all were ok accuracy wise none were what I would consider great great.

The new england 12 gauge is too heavy, did not like the feel.  Has anybody tried the savage 210, does the magazine work.  I could never put two shells in any bolt action magazine.  What other options are out there.

Thanks Mike H

[GLC]

I have a Mossberg 835 rifled cantilever that doesn't shoot worth a hoot.  Great with the Turkey barrel though.

I've used a Marlin 512 for years.  Yes, the magazines are finicky and it sometimes doesn't feed the second round properly, but it is really accurate.  On a good day I get 2-2 1/2" groups at 100 off the bench with Remington Copper Solids. Its a great slug gun for stand hunting.

I also just bought a Remington 870 Super Slug gun with the 23" cantilever barrel.  It is close to the accuracy of the Marlin with Copper solids.  I really like it since it is dead reliable feeding, etc.  I intend to use this when driving or hunting while moving about the woods.  

I too think the NEF's are really heavy but it may not be a bad thing if you hunt from a stand.  They do have the reputation for super accuracy.  I may have to get one some day.  The price is certainly right.  

There were two guys at the range the other day sighting in their Bennelli's and they were shooting really good.  

A buddy of mine has the Savage.  It shoots about as good as my Marlin but does feed reliably.  I would buy one if I wanted another bolt action slug gun.  

Good shooting.

[mparks]

Sounds like you've got some quality slug guns there.

I have a Browning A-Bolt slug gun and I'm really happy with it.  No more accurate than my Marlin 512 but the fit and finish is first rate.  I don't belive they make them any more.

Tar-Hunt does some nice bolt action slug guns and they also have a tricked out pump slug gun.  Haven't shot or handled either of them.

[daddywpb]

I just bought a rifled slug barrel for my Rem 11/87 SP. I found a set of Tru-Glo fiber optic sights for it, and groups run about 2" at 50 yards. I've never shot it at 100 yards - I wouldn't shoot at an animal that far with iron sights anyway. I tried every kind of slug I could find, both 2 3/4 and 3 inch loads. An expensive project! It turned out that the ONLY slug I got good groups with were the Remington 2 3/4" Copper Solids. Worst groups were from Winchester 3" Partition Gold's, and any of the Lightfield slugs.  My barrel didn't do well with any of the 3" loads that I tried. Groups are tight, recoil isn't bad, and the gun is ready for the season out to 50 yards or so. For the shotgun only area that I'm hunting, shots longer than that are very unlikely anyway - too dense.

[Ramrod]

For me, a scoped gas operated semi-auto is the only way to go. Mine is an old Rem 1100. Little recoil, and it is light, fast and accurate, with a little bit of work and plenty of money spent on it. Many times "fast" is more important than "accurate" in the woods. You either shoot quick, or don't shoot at all. But it is nice to be able to take the 100+ yard shot that comes along every once in a while.

[GLC]

Ramrod-

Factory barrel or aftermarket?  What slugs are you using? What modifications to help accuracy have you done, if any?

Thanks, I have an 1100 also with a field barrel.  I might try to pick up a cantilever slug barrel eventually.

[Ramrod]

GLC, if you can, get the cantilever barrel! My setup caused all kind of problems for me to work out. Back around 1985, when I decided to dedicate the 1100 to slugs, the only rifled barrels available were the Hastings with iron sights. I think they only made two back then, one for the 1100, and one for the 870. With BRI sabots I got one hole groups at 50 yards, so I decided to scope it. Tried the side mounts, where you use the trigger pin holes. I did not like all the flex and movement, so had my gunsmith drill and tap for Weaver mounts. The top of the reciever is a little too thin to thread, so this mount is on the left side, about 45 degrees from vertical. The rings he put on put the scope over the center of the gun. I put a Redfield 2-3/4 Widefield scope on it, and got a couple of groups under 2 inches at 100 yards, one even going just under an inch. But I could never hold zero from one year to the next. I suspected the loose fit of the barrel to the reciever, combined with removing it for cleaning, was causing this. I pounded a copper shim .005 thick in with the barrel, and after a couple of years with no problems, I took the drastic step of epoxying the barrel in, and have had no change in zero in about ten years. Oh and I also swiched the wood stock out for a Bell and Carson composite. And the front sight being visible in the scope bothered me enough to remove it, and have the barrel cut back from 24 to 21 inches. (Thought 20 might be a little short, so went 21 just for something different). Some years ago, Winchester bought out BRI, and those are the slugs I still use. Have made kills from 14 feet, to 125 yards with them. The gun is so light, and the field of view from the scope so big, that I can get on a deer jumped from it's bed about as fast as I do with my SxS on rabbits or grouse. I don't see any need to modernize this thing when it works so well. (and since I have so many $ tied up in it.) :-D

[kb]

I have a Rem 11/87 SP smooth barrel with a rifled choke, and open sights.  I shoot Wally Worlds $6 a box foster style slugs.  I have shot deer out to 80+ yards with great success.  Ive thought about going to a fully rifled, scoped  barrel, with those expensive sabot slugs, but dead is dead, and Bambi cant tell the differance.

Recoil is mild, and the price is right.  Spend money on the gun, not the expendables.......to a point.

kb

[mikedb]

I bought my 15 yr old a H&R Ultra slug single shot for Christmas last year.  We finally got to sight it in and at 100yds using Winchester Partitions and Platinum tips it grouped 1.5 inches.  I want one now.

[eye shot]

"""" Ramrod
            I thought I was the only one out here with that set up! I also put a Hastings barrel on my 1100 back in the early 80's and use BRI slugs. I also get noched one holers at 100 yrds. The only differance I use a 4x32 lighted pistol scope that mounts on the barrel it self, no tuning fork canti. I don't know if Hastings still makes that barrel. Just as BRI went out I bought several boxes, got about 5 left. I got Sidekick muzzel loader that won't shoot as tite. Might be something Mike 357 would look into.

[BrianM]

Have you thought about a 20 ga Ultra Slug Hunter ? They aren't as heavy as the 12's . I bought one for my daughter last year and it shoots VERY well .

[Slackdaddy]

I loved My old Moss500 12 Ga, but when the Gun Smith told Me there was nothing He could do with the mossberg trigger, I knew it was time.

I ended up with an REM 1100 SPS cant, had it ported, had a 2.5lb Jewel trigger put in, after market stock, and topped it off with a Burris RED Dot. (Red dot is the only way to go with a repeater slug gun)

This is a deer killing machine!

Slack

[Redhawk1]

I live in Delaware and it is a shotgun only State, I have tried H&R slug guns, Remington 870, 11-87 and 1100 slug guns, Savage bolt action slug gun, Mossburg and Browning Gold hunter slug guns.  I have tried every slug made in just about all of them, to try to get the best accuracy. My best shooting slug gun was a Remington 1100 with Remington copper solids. I killed a lot of deer with the set up, my furthest shot and most of you won't believe it, but it was 208 yards. We lazar range found the distance.

I sold my Remington 1100 to a buddy when I got my Browning Gold hunter slug gun, boy what a mistake, I could not get anything to shoot in the Browning, I spent about $400 on slugs and finally sold it and got a Beretta Xtrema II. I have a Leupold 2X7X32 on the Beretta and found Lightfield slugs to give me the best accuracy. I am happy with the Beretta Xtrema II.

[1187VX2]

I too have found the semiauto with cantilever barrel to be the best setup - easiest to shoot well.  Mine is an 1187 with a 3-9 Leupold.  Killed a couple at 150 yards (furthest shots taken).  With lighter weight premium slugs (& plenty of practice, knowing bullet drop & range) 200 yard shots are reality.

Yes, there are slug guns out there that offer more raw accuracy.  I have a Mossberg 695 bolt action also, that is a little more accurate than the 1187.  And while the Mossberg is great from the bench, it just never worked well for me as a hunting gun.

[Slackdaddy]

I too loked at the Moss 695, basiclly a bolt action 12 gauge rifle, crippled by a NON adjustable 8 pund trigger.
Mossbergs are great from the bench (I got 3" groups with My 500/rifled barrell/scope/lightfields)
But they are only good from the bench, there is no way to off hand and hold it steady as You yank that 8 pound plus trigger.
to bad no one ever made a replacement trigger for the 500.

Slack

[messer454]

Right now in Ohio I am using a Rem 870 with a Hasings cantilever and a Leupold 2-7x32 scope with Winchester Partition Gold Slugs.  I have not benched it in over 5 yeras so I cannot recall what my group size is.  The slugs are so expensive I only practice from field positions every year.  I have read that the 20 ga Win Partition Gold has the ballistics of a 45-70 with a LOT less recoil than a 12.  If I were inclined to get something new I might start with an H&R TrackerII and have it drilled and tapped, it is light and should be very accurate.

I am currently bugging Ohio DNR about getting pistol caliber carbines like Indiana is proposing though.