RIFLED SLUGS VS RIFLED BARREL

[FPH]

I found that I have a 20g Topper with a mod smooth bore.  If i want to shoot slugs in it should I get a rifled barrel?   Or can I just use rifled slugs? I've never used a shotgun for game.

[FPH]

Do you suggest trimming the barrel to 18.5"?  Most likely will be a truck gun.

[Ranger99]

don't have a 20, but i've shot foster
slugs out of my 28" topper mod. and
my cut 20" pardner 12's with no problems
other than a tender shoulder.


i would guess it would depend on what
you want to accomplish as to your path with your
shotgun. someone will be along in a bit to
smooth it all out, but i'm thinking foster
slugs don't do as well in a rifled barrel as
in a smooth bore ,  and
the sabot slugs do better in a rifled barrel.
if you want to shoot a good ways you'll probably
want a rifled barrel shotgun to use sabot slugs.

[FPH]

If I ever get this house sold, I will join my wife in San Antonio.  I thought a shotgun might be a nice added deer gun.  I know nothing about hunting with them.  I was just wondering what my best options might be.

[Ranger99]

some of the northern folks here can likely
better inform you about rifled shotgun
hunting than i could. all my shotgun deer
have been strictly tight woods and brush
buckshot or 50-60 yd right-of-way foster
slug hunting. most of the s.a. area hunting
i've done is sendero and mesquite flats
rifle hunting.
and here lately there and west and south of there
you have to be watchful of unexpected "guests"
that may be sleeping in your blind, or using
your rv if you have a lease. condition yellow.

[FPH]

Sounds like I just need to try some different rifled slugs, now what about barrel length.

[Ranger99]

i always use rem. sluggers.
have a big box i bought some years
ago.(probably never shoot 'em all
before i check out)


i've checked all my shotguns with a
laser doo-dad i have to see where
the bead is oriented at say 40 yards.
then shoot with the slug at the intended
range for all barrel lengths to know where
to hold. if i know my intended shot is
much more than 40-50 yards, i bring a rifle.
'course this season i've been bringing a
handi and a topper at the same time.
pick up whatever i need to use for the
work at hand. year before last we had
a lot of freak fog rolling through and i
had me a topper when the scoped rifle
was useless and got me a doe at about 10
yards.

[Larry L]

Moving to San Antonio? A 20 ga is not a game animal gun in Texas. Bird gun, yes, animal-no. If you hunt the hill country the shots will be something like 100-150 yds with opportunities for farther shots. Hunt South Texas and the shots will be 300yds+ and a lot of the guys have wind flags starting at 500 yds to 800 yds on senderos. Before you go out with that shotgun, you'd better read up on what's legal in Texas.
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/media/cs_bk_k0700_284_2012_2013.pdf


Pay special attention to "Hunter Education" as you may have to take classes before getting a license. Ignorance here will get you a jail sentence. It's up to you to know the laws and limits. I've never known anybody that took a shotgun deer hunting in Texas. But I guess you could start a trend.

[FPH]

Moving to San Antonio? A 20 ga is not a game animal gun in Texas. Bird gun, yes, animal-no. If you hunt the hill country the shots will be something like 100-150 yds with opportunities for farther shots. Hunt South Texas and the shots will be 300yds+ and a lot of the guys have wind flags starting at 500 yds to 800 yds on senderos. Before you go out with that shotgun, you'd better read up on what's legal in Texas.
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/media/cs_bk_k0700_284_2012_2013.pdf


Pay special attention to "Hunter Education" as you may have to take classes before getting a license. Ignorance here will get you a jail sentence. It's up to you to know the laws and limits. I've never known anybody that took a shotgun deer hunting in Texas. But I guess you could start a trend.

I grew up in W. TX. So I cut my teeth on long range & windy shooting.  I am to old to need a hunters safety card, but I do have one.  I lived in College Station for 10 years and I know quite a few guys who hunted pigs and deer with shotguns.  I usually used a 30-30 for the distances around CS.

[gcrank1]

Really a better question for the H&R Shotgun Forum, where there is much discussion on just such as you ask. If we ask nice I bet Quick will move it there??
I concure with Ranger99, Fosters in a smoothbore, or the fancy high priced, hard to spell rifled slugs. Use the saboted, etc. in rifled bores.
As to Foster type, Ive had better luck in various smoothbores with WW, and Federal as both are (we;ll, used to be anyway) larger dia. than the Remmys, but in your gun, who knows. They are cheap enough to try. Use the barrel as is, many shoot surprisingly well even with choke intact.

[FPH]

It has been quite a few years since I hunted E. TX (35).  I will check on the regs.  Never even thought about using a shotgun.  I'll have to check on it's legality......thanks for the heads up.  I used a 30-30 back then. (Around College Station)

[FPH]

Really a better question for the H&R Shotgun Forum, where there is much discussion on just such as you ask. If we ask nice I bet Quick will move it there? ?
I concure with Ranger99, Fosters in a smoothbore, or the fancy high priced, hard to spell rifled slugs. Use the saboted, etc. in rifled bores.
As to Foster type, Ive had better luck in various smoothbores with WW, and Federal as both are (we;ll, used to be anyway) larger dia. than the Remmys, but in your gun, who knows. They are cheap enough to try. Use the barrel as is, many shoot surprisingly well even with choke intact.

Sorry, I noticed I had posted in the wrong forum.

[Ranger99]

depends on the part of the state.
s.a. bexar and around is usually
rifle country because of the lack
of anything other than scrawny
mesquite and scrub oak and prickley
pear. move back eastward past the
ih35 corridor and you start getting
into the woods and some possible
shotgun situations. my folks all came
up in east texas, and some of them
never handled or shot a rifle other
than a .22


depends on the scenario and what
you want to do.
i've been in places close to tom green
and around that could be a good
shotgun area- close in and thick
thick brush.

[FPH]

depends on the part of the state.
s.a. bexar and around is usually
rifle country because of the lack
of anything other than scrawny
mesquite and scrub oak and prickley
pear. move back eastward past the
ih35 corridor and you start getting
into the woods and some possible
shotgun situations. my folks all came
up in east texas, and some of them
never handled or shot a rifle other
than a .22


depends on the scenario and what
you want to do.
i've been in places close to tom green
and around that could be a good
shotgun area- close in and thick
thick brush.

Just something different to tinker with.