Smoothbore Slugs

[LMM]

After reading some posts of people having success with there plain barrel, bead sight smoothbores and slugs for deer I wanted to give it a test run.  I bought my Pardner 12ga for small game and upland bird hunting, I think I'll keep it just for that.  If I could find a smoothbore barrel with rifle sights then would reconsider.  I shot a variety of different slugs (chrony results posted below) and they all consistantly shot 7" low and 4" to the left at 25yds.  It grouped them consistantly but can't get a usable sight picture with this particular gun.  It was shooting 2" groups at 25yds with all but the Rottweil's which were about 1.5".  

Due to cost of ammo I gave up on rifled slug barrels and sabot slugs and replaced it with a muzzleloader.  That and the fact the sabot slugs don't live upto there advertised performance.  All the sabot slugs I tested last year were 200 to 300 fps slower than advertised with the exception of the Hornady H2K Heavy Magnum.

I was surprised with the smoothbore slugs. I sampled all I could find in my area.  The 3" Magnums with the exception of the Rottweil were BRUTAL in recoil! Wolf was the lightest recoiling.

Brenneke K.O. 2 3/4" 1oz 438gr Advertised 1600fps
5 Shot Avg 1650fps Recoil Moderate

Federal Vital Shok Hydra Shok 2 3/4" 1oz 438gr Advertised 1610fps
5 Shot Avg 1525fps Recoil Moderate

Federal Power Shok 2 3/4" 1oz 438gr Advertised 1610fps
5 Shot Avg 1575fps Recoil Moderate

Federal Power Shok 3" 1 1/4oz 547gr Advertised 1600fps
5 Shot Avg 1575fps Recoil Harsh (The harshest recoil of all tested)

Remington Slugger High Velocity 2 3/4" 7/8oz 357gr Advertised 1800fps
5 Shot Avg 1850fps Recoil Moderate

Remington Slugger High Velocity 3" 7/8oz 357gr Advertised 1875fps
5 Shot Avg 1850fps Recoil Harsh

Remington Slugger 2 3/4" 1oz 438gr Advertised 1680fps
5 Shot Avg 1650fps Recoil Moderate

Remington Slugger 3" 1oz 438gr Advertised 1760fps
5 Shot Avg 1675fps Recoil Harsh

Rottweil Brenneke 3" 1 3/8oz 600gr Advertised 1500fps
5 Shot Avg 1500fps Recoil Moderate

Winchester Super-X 2 3/4" 1oz 438gr Advertised 1600fps
5 Shot Avg 1575fps Recoil Moderate

Winchester Super-X 3" 1oz 438gr Advertised 1760fps
5 Shot Avg 1760fps Recoil Harsh

Wolf 2 3/4" 1oz 438gr Advertised 1400fps
5 Shot Avg 1450fps Recoil Mild

Now I'll see how long it takes for my shoulder to loosen up.  :shock:  It's pretty tender, sore and tight right now.......  :eek:

[MSP Ret]

LMM. find yourself a 12 gauge barrel and have a scope rail added to it. Shoot the moderate to low recoiling slugs with a low power shotgun scope or a red dot and have a ball. Great groups for short money with slugs and the $ savings does not bother the deer, they just flop over and become venison....<><.... :grin:

[Leftoverdj]

I shot a variety of different slugs (chrony results posted below) and they all consistantly shot 7" low and 4" to the left at 25yds.  It grouped them consistantly but can't get a usable sight picture with this particular gun.  It was shooting 2" groups at 25yds with all but the Rottweil's which were about 1.5".  

There are some solutions. An experienced shotgun smith can make it shoot where it says it  will. He'll do it by using a special fixture to bend the barrel very slightly up and to the left. (The special fixture of the guy I learned the trick from was the crotch of a tree, but most folks use a gadget found on page 58 of Brownells called a barrel straightener.)

Probably more practical for you is build the top of the action up with a few strips of black plastic tape. The higher action forces you to raise the bead a bit to see it, raising your POI You take care of the horizonal by applying a very narrow strip of aluminum tape  over the plastic tape just to the right of the centerline of the barrel. When the bead appears as a perfect circle on top of the silver blur, you have your sight picture. Might take you a few tries to get this just right, but tape is cheap.. If you don't like it, you peel it off. If you do like it, start scratching your head for a more permanent and attractive way to do the same thing.

[LMM]

It shoots my shotshell loads exactly where I'm aiming.  I hate to mess with it.  I have plenty of other options for deer.   :grin:

P.S. Shoulder still very sore and tender as well as my cheek bone.  :shock:  :eek:  :oops:

[Mohawk]

I used my H&R Topper on my first hog and that was only because I was out of options at the time due to me moving and my guns were mostly in storage.  I was using the Winchester Super-x 1oz 12 ga slug (1600) fps. It was very effective but the accuracy was lacking. It grouped great but the holdover was a little more than I would want to deal with on a regular basis. There is ways around it like taping objects on the receiver to raise the bead but it doesn't seem to be worth the trouble. But the moral of the story is, the Topper brought the meat home and that is what counted. And it is kinda cool to have a simple little shotgun that has harvested everything from squirrels to hogs without any modifications except trust that I have for these great guns. Thanks for the chrono results. I've always wondered about the actual velocities in the NEF's.