20ga Who is using one this season?

[jrkrk]

Hey guys I have always hunted deer with a 12 but this year  I just have an urge to use a USH  that I bought earlier in the year so let's here some comments on how you guys  like or dislike the 20 for big game. Buy the way the area that i hunt in holds some pretty big black bears so just incase if I had an encounter with one is the 20 enough gun.  Thanx  John

[MSP Ret]

Although I use smoothbore slug guns mostly I was of the opinion when you used a sabotted slug the "slug" from a 12 and 20 were the same diameter, only the sabot was larger to fill the extra void around it in the 12 gauge barrel. I do know black bears have been taken with 20 gauge slug guns, I also know most of the time the bears will be long gone before your arrival. I would not worry at all about one attacking you in the woods if you acted in a reasonable manner, also if I had a 20 gauge loaded with slugs in my hands at the time I would not be exceptionally worried for my safety, I would mainley be thinking about where to shoot the bear so it would not ruin the hide....<><....    

[gimphunter]

Load for load, the trajectories tend to be about the same for 12 and 20 gauge sabot slug loads. For deer, I don't see the need for the hard-kicking 12 gauge loads. In bear country, I'd want the 12 gauge. In the modern high-velocity loads, the 12 packs around an extra 1000 ft-lbs of energy.

D

[SDS-GEN]

Shot a deer this year with the 20ga USH.  I've always used 12 gauges in the past and got the USH for my wife, I like it so much she might have to find her own.  Here is a picture of the remington copper solid that I recovered from the doe.  She was facing me and the slug went through about 3 feet of deer.  The doe weighed 130lbs field dressed.
Bear can bite and I would recomend the 12 ga, as would every bear guide I have ever met.  Most won't even allow a slug gun less than 12ga.

[MI.sabot]

SDS-GEN:

How far was the shot and how far did she go afterwards?

Could you take another pic with maybe a coin next to it to get a better perspective of the size of the recovered sabot?
I think that would be interesting for everyone to see!

[SDS-GEN]

The deer was 45 yards out.  At the shot she flopped/rolled 10-15 yards down the hill then got up and ran about 30 yards down a trail.  The slug opened up to .941" from the original .45cal.

[snuffer#1]

I've bloodied mine this year. If I were to go to the woods, and encountered a bear, I would not worry about a boiler room shot. Any game I hunt that can EAT ME will get a head shot for sure! I believe that a 20 ga. would work, but it would not be my go-to gun for bear. I'm a meat hunter, but like I said, if the circumstances were like this and I encountered a bear, definitely a shot to the head.
                                              snuffer

[squidkid]

i wouldn't sweat a black bear with a 20. heck, guys shoot them all the time with slower, lighter rounded handguns and such.

[ILHunter]

My son blooded our 20GA Tracker II that I had drilled and tapped.  It is topped with Bushnell red dot.  He got a 7 point at approx. 35 yards with 2 3/4" Lightfield sabot.  Buck was quartering towards him.  He hit him alittle high above heart, but he got lung.  I did not find blood, only hair at sight of shot.  Picked blood after 50 yards and found buck dead after another 50 yards.
Slug did not exit.  It was getting dark and I was in a hurry so I did not find slug.

This shotgun is a joy to carry, but I sure would have like to seen an exit wound.  I like easy blood trails!  I am going to keep using Lightfields as I have several boxs, but I am thinking of of tougher sabot ie.. Barnes or Partition for the future.
I'll wait and see after a couple more deer fall to this combo.  It was a large bodied buck and was quartering towards him.
Jury is still Out.
ILHunter

[usherj]

I'll be getting the 20 ga tracker barrel too, and I hope the barnes expander performs similar (obviously not the same) to the 12 ga load. Yes, when hit behind the shoulder they run a little, but with the 12 there is no doubt you hit them. Large pink spray pattern behind where they stood, and lots of sign to where they lay. I already bought some ammo for testing: rem ultra core lokt bonded, 3" fed barnes exp, and hornady SST. 

[mspaci]

You will probably not see many exit wounds with 20 gauage lightfields. I have shot them for a long time. They just kill deer. Usually not a bang & flop but they never go far. It seems as though they expend all thier energy inside the deer. Range doesn`t seem to make a difference, 10 to 150 yards w/ no exit. I can think of only 1 or 2 that went thru. I will keep using them until they stop making them as they are extremely accurate & get the job done.  Mike