First, let me state the set up I am using. I am a bowhunter and a precision rifle shooter and it reflects that. I have a 20ga H&R Ultra Slug with the heavy barrel (a 12ga blank bored 20ga if I understand it right), a Konus 1.5-5x32 scope, a Harris bipod, and am shooting Lightfield Hybreds. I can get it to shoot to 1.1" on the bench at 100yds and it is zeroed at that range. At 50yds it is 2.25" high and at 150 it is 5.5" low.
I took this out for deer this year hoping the precision would overcome the added weight and acquisition time. The first deer I saw was 130yds (I have a range finder so I know), but none of the three would pause in the clear for a shot. The next was at a full run across an open field. I was beginning to think a red dot would be suited better. Then right after driving I was sitting with one of the standers and two deer crashed through the woods down in a bottom I had just crossed. They ran up the other side and one stopped and turned towards us. I put the cross hairs on the base of the neck, raised up a couple inches and prayed the slug would arc over the branch half way between us (the hairs were right on it). I saw it drop and got out the finder. 126yds right into the chest from the front. I was ecstatic! The stander didn't even know there was still a deer in sight. When I went to get it I heard "How far did it run before it dropped?" To which I happily replied, "It never moved. It dropped in it's tracks" The jaw dropping was visible even through the face mask. Finally, I had some redemption for the heavy, slow single shot sniper gun.
The next deer I saw was in an open field staring at me. I used the bipod on this one and ranged it first. 142yds. Center on top of the back in line with the shoulder blade, breathe out, pause, deer dropped right there with both blades broke. I was happy with the performance thus far.
The third deer was a fluke I walked right by a bedded group coming in from still hunting a section. I slipped on some ice and three deer exploded out from the brush. I centered my cross hairs on the first and pulled the hammer back as it paused. I counted points and moved on to the doe (I would have taken the buck if I had my bow, but had promised only meat with the gun on this land. So a 160 class is still out there waiting. We have it's sheds from last year, so we know it's score.). She was behind a tree so her yearling took the slug. I like to think the time was quick enough considering the number of times I reset my target.
Last deer thus far was taken by mistake. I had just tracked the yearling. I went down to the garage and the owner's wife asked me to help a neighbor (a boy just starting to hunt) drag a deer he had just hit. I went over and he had a large doe down, but informed me he had shot at another deer too and hit it. Legality aside for the moment, I gave a look around to find a young deer walking from side to side in the next thicket from the doe. It wouldn't spook, or leave and I figured this was the hit deer. I called the boy up and asked him and he confirmed that he had shot twice at the yearling. So I took aim and put it down. Umm.....he hadn't hit it at all. I had to tag it, thanked the good Lord for the idea of spare tags. The boy's father chewed his rear for the mess, but it was all good in the end.
So I am now four deer down with four shots fired. I wish I could tell you they were huge, but I'm afraid not. Just meat for the freezer. The gun has earned some serious respect among those here. They are waiting for me to load for it and see if 200yds is truly possible.
Overall, I love the set up. The gun is short enough to handle in the brush. The weight adds to how steady it is in the hand. And how can I possibly argue with one inch groups from a shotgun? The scope does take time to aim in, but no more than any other sight I think if it is on the 1.5 setting. The diamond reticle is excellent. The low light could use some help, but if it is too dark to use it's past legal hunt time by far. I plan on adding one to my AR-15 for predator hunting too.
The bipod is more useful as a kick stand than for actual shooting. I use it simply to put the gun down on. Saves me having to lay it in the mud or lean it against a tire.
I hope Lightfield is reading this. I had a preconceived notion that slugs were just some joke that you prayed hit the target. I would never do it on live game, but I flung three at 200yds just to see. They hit in the wood under the target, but I could have covered them all with my hand! One deer needed tracked and it was the closest of them (the third one at 25yds) and went an amazing 1/4mile with both lungs and a heart hit. I think the slug went through too quick to expand on such a small deer. After all, it only hit rib cage. I think I can take shoulder shots from now on on small deer and not have any tracking to do.
I posted the above on the other forums and was told it belonged here too.
