SMOOTHBORE SLUG GUNS

[Forestclimber]

Have any of you ever mounted a scope on a break open, single shot shotgun to shoot Foster type slugs out of?  How did it work?  Is a little choke (modified) better than cylinder bore?

[spikehorn]

I had a 22" H&R 20ga drilled and tapped I have a tru glo 2x red dot on it with the mod choke accuracy is 2-3 inches at 75 yards.  Deffinately minute of deer, It makes a decent brush gun.

[LanceR]

There's no reason to not mount a scope but I'd personally stay with either a red dot style or a low power scope just because of the relatively short range and since any magnification will narrow your field of view.

I've used two different styles of red dot and used a 2-7x32 scope usually left at 2x.

Foster style slugs are made to shoot through full chokes so there is no safety issue with some degree of choke.  Extra full "turkey" chokes are a no-no, though.  I don't know of any body of evidence that a choke tends to hurt or help accuracy.  Certainly slugs are inexpensive enough to warrant a little experimentation if you have screw in chokes.

Good luck and if you try different chokes, please report back.

Lance

[tmccray45]

I have a 20-gauge H&R that I cut to 24" in order to get rid of the modified choke.   I've used it on the range twice and was able to reliably have three Winchester slugs touch each other at 50 yards.   I have just a brad nail as a sight and yet, I was able to get that kind of accuracy.   (I'm not a marksman by any stretch. )  I wouldn't have too much trouble taking that 20-gauge into the woods next deer season.

[Swift One]

Is a little choke (modified) better than cylinder bore?

I use a mod choke on my 500 20" barrel and have found it to be more accurate than a full choke or cylinder.

[coyotejoe]

I have 12 and 20 gauge guns with open sights and choke tubes. I've found either improved cylinder or skeet tubes do best with slugs. My 16 gauge with fixed modified and full chokes doesn't do nearly as well but there also is not much of a selection of loads available to try out. Still, even that 16 gauge double is accurate enough for 50 yards with Brenneke slugs if I remember to aim differently for each barrel.

[SHOOTALL]

I found mod to work better on both a 20 ga. and 12 ga. Those that find IC or CB to do better may be right also as what is marked on a tube is not always what the choke is in relation to bore. You can have a IC tube that may really be different in different bbls.
Shoot your gun before modifying. Also make sure it is a cut choke not a sweaged choke .

[huntswithdogs]

The one piece of advise I can offer is to try a couple of different brands of slugs. One of my smoothbores likes Win and Win only. The other perfers Fed but will do in a pinch with Rem.


HWD

[pastorp]

I've gotten the best performace with slugs with a cylinder barrel. Imp. Mod. works best with buckshot. 

Regards,

[ironglow]

I was brought up hunting deer with slug guns.  A few years ago however, the state legislature started thinking with their heads (at least on this issue) and adopted rifles for my home county.
  During my young years, I used alkl types of shotguns, starting with plain smoothbores and bead sights.  Although Foster slugs were not "reccomended" for full choke barrels, many guys shot such slugs through them.  Accuracy was spotty.. some guns fairly good some guns abysmal.  Choke pattern didn't seem to make much difference, because with bead sights the pattern was rather large.
  When smoothbores with rifle sights came out, I had Ithacas in both single shot and pump guns..plus used others.  The most accurate smoothbore I ever shot was an H & R single..got several deer with that.  Shotgun slugs from 12 to 20 guage are very hard htiting and do not lack in the least for killing power.
  When the gun companies decided to  build smoothbores with rifle sights and try for the most accurate shotgun, they all used "imporved cylinder" or "cylinder bore"...there must have been a reason.
  Some folks thought sure 20 guage slugs "carried further" than 12 guage..but tests have shown that to  be a false assumption.  On the other hand the 20 has a milder kick and is still fully adequate for deer....and more..
   Today's rifled shotguns can rival centerfire rifles for the first 150 yards or so... but those sabots are very costly....

[schuetzen]

  When the gun companies decided to  build smoothbores with rifle sights and try for the most accurate shotgun, they all used "imporved cylinder" or "cylinder bore"...there must have been a reason.

I came across a company in Latvia that makes steel slug shotgun ammo both for hunting and for defense.  The following video describes that a lead slug would suffer from more deformation, especially through a choke, hence their steel slugs.  Their steel slugs are molded with a polymer ring to protect the barrel from steel to steel contact.  I recently picked up some of their ammo at a gun show, but haven tried shooting it yet.

DDupleks - steel slug ammunition advantages
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsfMgRSwS5I

This video shows a 50m competition with smoothbore shotguns.  With many states that require shotguns for deer hunting, it could be fun here in the US as well.  I know I am limited to shooting 100 yards at any range near me, so 50m competition would be fun.

Smoothbore shotgun slug competition
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZXIb43f1A0

I've thought a competition that included a variety of shotgun skills would be great fun.  Perhaps a triathlon of smoothbore shooting?  Sporting clays, target slug shooting and tactical competition combined?

[SHOOTALL]

I've gotten the best performace with slugs with a cylinder barrel. Imp. Mod. works best with buckshot. 

Regards,

Have you tried some of the buck shot tubes ? I have an XX full that will give a pattern about the size of a ball cap at 35 + yards .