Need Advice Or Thoughts On 20ga

[Eddie Cansler]

Looking to try a 20ga shotgun for deer hunting perferably a 20ga automatic with a scope.  Any thoughts would greatly appericated.  Your thoughs would save me alot of leg work on which type of gun, slug and scope.  Have always hunted with a muzzleloader during the firearm season in Indiana.  Thanks

[BH]

Eddie,

I think I can give you some ideas but need to narrow things down a little.

1.  What is your threshold of pain for cost on this rig?  Both initial investment and recurring cost of ammo.  Yes, dollars do buy you performance.

2.  What do you expect from the rig from a range/accuracy standpoint.  A good 75 yard deer getter or a 150 yarder?

3.  What kind of deer hunting do you do... stand, still, drive, or some combination?  This can make a big difference on the best rig to go to the field with ( weight, optics, barrel length, ammo).

4.  Are you sure about wanting an auto versus a pump or bolt action and, if so, why?

I love the 20 for a deer gun and have tried many but don't want to send you in the wrong direction because I don't understand what your needs are.

Bob

[Eddie Cansler]

Bob:

First off let me thank you for your reply.

1)  I do more still hunting and standhunting.
2)  75 to 150 yards would be nice
3)  As far as cost goes, try to keep under a $1,000 or less perferably
4) threshold of pain well lets say I am not all that big.

But any adivce at all would be helpful.

Ed

[savageT]

Bob:

First off let me thank you for your reply.

1)  I do more still hunting and standhunting.
2)  75 to 150 yards would be nice
3)  As far as cost goes, try to keep under a $1,000 or less perferably
4) threshold of pain well lets say I am not all that big.

But any adivce at all would be helpful.

Ed

Ed,
First off, I think you should lose the notion that a shotgun is a rifle.  In Shotgun Only Regions across the country, hunters are not allowed to use rifles because of the range of the projectile (usually over 300 yds.).  Shotguns using slugs, on the other hand, are most likely going to be limited to about 100 yds.  Actually more like 75 yds. effective killing range. Now that's with a 12 gauge gun.  When you step down to 20 gauge, you are cutting back on that effective range even more.

Next, I would NOT recommend that you use an auto loader. If you are waterfowl hunting, an autoloader is ideal, but not for slug hunting.  If you are after the most accurate, hard hitting gun, then you want a pump or bolt-action.  There are a number of very good modern pumps with permenantly mounted barrels just made for deer hunting.  These guns have the rigidity, and rifled barrels needed to put the slug into an 1 1/2-inch or better grouping at 75 yds.  You don't need to spend $1000 for a good slug gun.

Mossberg makes the model 500 pump w/ 2 barrels (one is a field barrel w/ screw-in chokes, the second is a deer slug, rifled barrel) for well under $500.  Mossberg also makes a great bolt-action slug gun that is made for w/ rifled barrel..............  My favorite is the Ithaca M37 Deerslayer with a smooth-bore barrel that has the necessary sights and choke designed for foster-rifled slugs. Foster slugs are cheap...... about $3 a box compared to $10 plus for sabots.

Knock-down for deer is not better using a rifled barrel, actually the foster slug does that best.  If you require maximum range, then you want 12 gauge/3-inch chamber with rifled barrel using sabotted slugs.  Good Luck, and ask a lot of questions when you go into a sportsshop to check out the guns.

[Bob_K]

My personal deer shotgun is a 12 ga 1100 with a Hasting fully rifled barrel and a Leupold 1X4 scope.  This combo shoots 1" at 50 yards with Federal Sabot slugs.  With advances in shotgun slugs, the 20 becomes a viable option, much like HeviShot makes the 20 a waterfowl capable gauge again.  Take a look at the Remington 1100 LT 20 deer version with fully rifled barrel:

http://www.remington.com/firearms/shotguns/1100FRRS.HTM

[Bob_K]

By the way, there are a number of ways to add a scope to the Remington 1100.  One is to get a cantilever mount from Brownells that requires silver brazing a base to the barrel.  I have one, and it looks like the Weaver base that mounts to it could be removed allowing use of the rifle sights again.  Another method is the Damar mount that screws to the top corners of the receiver where the metal is thicker (requiring drilling and tapping).  If you took the scope off, and put on a vent rib barrel, I believe you woud see the rib ok but I have not tried it.  The last method involves a straddle mount that is held in place by replacment bolts for the trigger assembly retaining pins.  I do not think this method is particularly good as over tigntening the scope mount crushes the receiver just enough to bind up the action.  My 1100 12 ga uses the Damar mount and I've been pleased with it.

[Ramrod]

HI All, New guy here.
I use an 1100 12 guage with an early Hastings barrel and scope mount that is offset from the left top of the reciever (to tap into the thicker part).It shoots 1-1.5" groups at  50-75 yds with Win. BRI sabots ($6.00 a box on sale, stock up), and is an honest 125 yard gun. Eddie I think the 20 gauge kills just as well with maybe 25 yards less range. An 1100 in 20 gauge would be very easy to shoot recoilwise.
Savage, I understand your concern about the barrel-receiver looseness, there are a number of cures for the 1100. Mine was to epoxy the barrel in with JB Weld!

[BH]

Eddie,

Sorry I haven't got back too you yet.  Second long day of our first gun season here >>>  many miles on these old legs and a lot of deer to clean starting tomorrow.  I'm beat now so won't give you many answers to your questions tonignt but will make a few comments on some of the posts made,

1. I agree that an auto would be my last choice for deer hunting ( although I like them for bird hunting) mainly because of the questionable  reliability under adverse conditions.  I've seen way too many of them turn into single shots at the absoluty worst time.  If it happens on a bird it's no big deal but when it happens on that buck of a lifetime it can turn you inside out.

2.  As for the 20 ga. vs 12 ga.,  I think with the newer 260gr sabots running about 1900fps out of the 20 you've pretty much reached the limit of pistol type bullets out of a 20 or 12 at that velocity since tragectory starts becoming the limiting factor not the energy delivered to the target.  In fact, I think the 20 shoots a little a little flatter and more accurate than the 12, but not much (but this is from limmited experience on just a few guns).

3.  I think the 12 and 20 are both "honest" 150 yard guns when shooting the high velocity sabots IF they can handle them well (and some can't) and the gun is set up right (Bolt action or fixed barrel pump, rifled barrel, good optics and a solid rest.

4.  At shorter ranges the foster slugs are without a doubt a devestaing projectale but accuray suffers greatly as you get out beyond 75 yards with the best of smoothbores.

Man, I'm really tired now.  Will get back with you when we get our deer cleaned.

Bob