Hogs and slugs

[RevJim]

 I like the idea of a good shotgun slug on hogs. Even 20ga full bore slug cuts a 60 caliber hole. All the hogs I ever saw shot with a shotgun down home was with buckshot. It worked fine, as most guys try to shoot them behind the ear up close, some guys just "rabbit shot them", ha. I've finished off a few of the latter a day or two later, dang shame it was. I always used a 30-30 or 22 magnum, but it seems to me a good, accurate slug gun (with good slugs) would be a lot of fun on them in the thickets.
What have any of you used on hogs with your slug gun, load? Just curious. I always have a 12 with slugs and 3" buckshot as a camp gun, both for black bear and for meth addicts! (well, aliens too, either kind!)

[Ranger99]

plain ol' rem sluggers.
00 buck on the noggin suits
me better and doesn't spoil
any choice cuts.

[PreciousVideoMemories]

Greetings, up close I would not want any thing less than my Buck & Ball slug,



or have this load in camp where bears are known to look for easy food while the hunter is asleep in the tent!


Best regards,
PreciousVideoMemories

[JonnyReb]

 Thats freakin awesome

[Dee]

Shootin slugs seems to be gettin more complicated. I don't have no slug gun. All I got is a 870 Wingmaster & a 1100 Remington, both in 12 gauge.
They'll shoot slugs & calm a big brush boar right down. Or any thang else for that matter.

[RevJim]

 I hear you Dee, but ain't it interesting? ha. Growing up in SE Texas, shotguns and buckshot were the norm, Full chokes and all! I never saw anyone use a slug for hunting deer or hogs. Later on, when I was in my early 20's, I had a 870 Magnum 12 with a 28" VR Modified choke for rabbits, wood ducks. I played with some plain old foster slugs, and it shot like a rifle! I foolishly traded it off. I was a rifleman by heart, so I never shot a deer or hog with buckshot or slug. I saw many shot with buckshot, helped drag them out, and I liked to do the gutting so I could see the wound channels,etc.  I learned a lot along the way.
As a early teen, I bought a new Stevens single shot 12ga 3" with mowing money. It had a 30" Full choke, and I shot armadillos, squirrels, small game with it, always with 3" #6s or 00 buck. Man! That sucker was bru-tell on my shoulder and cheek! My dad used some #4 3" Buck in it and it patterned well right up to 75 steps! It weighed maybe 5#, it almost ruined me for shotgunning as I had to aim it like a rifle, ha. It was great for woods walking, but it made me appreciate a 3" 20ga pump when I got out of the Army, lol.

[GeneRector]

   Howdy! I have had the worst luck with shotguns and slugs. I suspect if I could hit the hog it would be different. I have a Mossberg 500 in 20 gauge and an 835 in 12 gauge with slug barrel. I have shot at hogs fairly close with the 20 gauge and missed. The 835 I can't get the sights lined up enough for it to shoot where you aim. It might be different if I could mount a scope or red dot scope on it and then sight it in. Thus, I don't use slugs in my shotguns at all. I hog hunt with my 30-30 or 243.  Always, Gene
 
 

[cpileri]

Sir,
What is your powder and charge for these 2 loads? and do you have pressure data on them? esp the 2 oz load?
 
Very Sincerely,
C-
 

Greetings, up close I would not want any thing less than my Buck & Ball slug,



or have this load in camp where bears are known to look for easy food while the hunter is asleep in the tent!


Best regards,
PreciousVideoMemories

[PreciousVideoMemories]

Good morning Cpileri, for a pay load  of 1 3/4 Oz I use 1 7/8 Oz shot loading data from any modern loading manual as a safe starting point in the same way for a 2 Oz payload look for 2 1/8 Oz shot loads!Be sure to use those harder darker nitro cards in between to protect your Buck shots and give the load a solid foundation!


Best regards,[/font][/size]PreciousVideoMemories[/font]

[cpileri]

Ok, so i found some 2&1/4oz data for 3.5" 12ga.  Below.
Are you saying that using these powder charges and your load/wad combos will fit in a 2.75" shell (barely)? and be safe, pressure wise?
 
Some are close to 11.3kpsi in the 3.5" hulls.
 
Charges are 38-38.5gr Blue Dot
36.5-42.5gr HS-7
29.3-37gr Longshot
 
depending on the exact components (all from loaddataDOTcom)
C-
 
 
 
 

[PreciousVideoMemories]

Good morning CpiLeri, the picture of the loaded shell was in a Fed.2 3/4 inch hull and LongShot powder, a bit tight fit tho but none the less just as effective load, now if you were to switch over to a 3 inch hull it would fit just right and may need yet another .125 nitro card below buck shots.


Please start low and come up gradually 1/2 grain at a time for safety, for your safety comes first!


I use this chart to see which powder needs less hull space to fit my load when developing my new loads for reference:

as you can see LongShot powder take up less hull space when compared to Blue Dot.


I use this home made depth gauge to after I decide on powder charge and drop the charge in the hull and measure my crimp index etc:

I bought the " O " ring pack from a Dollar store.


this way I instantly know whether all the components will fit in the load before loading them!


Best regards,[/size]PreciousVideoMemories

[Oldshooter]

Just bought some slugs from Midway. Remington AccuTip, 2 3/4" 385 gr. muzzle velocity at 1850 fps. They're kinda like a rifle bullet with a polimer tip. IT says Bonded sabot slug. I will post some range results when I get the courage to lean over a few of them at the bench. 

[cpileri]

Very cool!  So start w the low dose of Longshot and check fit from there.
 
Sounds workable!
 
Thanks!  And like I said before (on other forums), hope your stuff is available for those of us who don't "do" facebook- I'll buy some!
 
C-
 

[RevJim]

 I have the VR barrel that came on my Wingmaster 870 magnum. Before I bought the HD 18.5" I have on it now, I had the VR cut off to 18.5 by my smith. I am going to put a set of Williams Universal open sights on it (they clamp to the VR) and use it for the wad of foster type slugs I have. On this rifled bbl model (also has a raised comb buttstock) I am going to stay with the sabots and the hard cast Dixies, going to try some Brenneke Black Magics too. I spoke with the guy who runs the floor where they make them, in PA yesterday. He said that even the old Classic magnum (felt wad screwed on) would work fine in the Remington rifled barrel, but the Black Magic was suggested for what I want it to do. He also said that  2 3/4 Heavy Field Short magnum was Jim Dandy. I saw some Winchester BRI slugs and Hornady SST Lite and regular at a store yesterday. So nice to know that even in Utah, there is some diversity.
 I "was" thinking of pinning or epoxying the barrel, making it a dedicated slugger, but then I remembered I had that extra VR barrel. I think I'll leave it as is and shoot within its accuracy limits. If it turns out to be a good shooter, I may just pick up a pawn shop 870 for the VR bbl and send this new one to "The Slug doctor" and have it tricked out for scope and all! Whoopee, a 73 caliber rifle, lol.

[cpileri]

i tried the load in a 2.75" brenneke hull w 29gr of LongShot and it fit, barely, but my crimp is terrible- but i am lousy at crimps.(*)
 
So i put a drop or 2 of glue on the crimps. Still plan to try it out. I used a .678RB so mine is the 1&7/8 oz load.
 
Still cool!
 
 
C-
 
(*) BTW, if anyoen has any advice on how to make nice tight crimps w a Lee Hand Loader, that is a hand powered press reeeeeeally hard to crimp tool, pls share!

[RevJim]

 I've loaded for handguns and rifles since the mid '70s, but I admit my ignorance on shotgun loads. I just never shot enough to ever need the savings and such. Makes sense if you can cast your own slugs and live in a slug only area, I'm sure. My dad taught me how to "ring a shell" to make Depression Era "slugs", though I never hunted with one.

[cpileri]

i also loaded the same in a 3" shell and added a clear overshot disk and roll crimped: looked much better.
 
Will fire them some day soon and get back.
C-

[dougk]

For commercial loads I tend to go with Remington Slugger, Brenneke KO or Brenneke Black Magic.  I have found all are devastating on hogs.


Doug

[RevJim]

Hey there Doug, what do you shoot them out of, a rifled bbl model or smoothbore?

[cpileri]

i did finally test the loads, and a few others.  Posts start on post #27, here;
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?199731-Safety-of-hubel-Sabot-in-875-muzzle-thickness-barrel/page2
C-