Author Topic: What setup do you use for "Southern Zone" deer hun (Read 1508 times)

NYH1 · « **on:** September 25, 2004, 06:14:29 PM »

I just bought a 23 inch fully rifled barrel with the cantilever scope mount on it for my Remington 870 Express 12 gauge. I was gonna go with a 20 inch barrel but a guy I work with talked me into the 23 inch barrel. He has a Remington 1100 with a 24 inch rifled barrel and uses Winchester Partition Gold slugs and has had great results. I'm gonna try these slugs to. I had to put a Bushnell scope on it for this year, I'll get a Leupold for it next year. I'm not into shotgun hunting. I do most of my hunting up north. This year I'm going to hunt in the southern zone too, so Im really don't have a choice! What are you guys using?

Daveinthebush · « **Reply #1 on:** September 25, 2004, 06:53:06 PM »

In order:

TC Contender in .44 mag., 10" barrel and a 1.5 power scope
H&R 12 gauge single shot with a 1.5 power scope
Remington 870 12 gauge 30" full choke and a bead

The Contender is the handiest to use and I don't carry anything else along with it. The H&R is really light and I can get 2" groups at 90 yards.
The Rem. is in the truck as a backup.

I will be back in November and my son will be using the H&R. So I guess the Remington is in this year as NYSDEC says transporting a handgun across state lines is illegal. :roll:

George Foster · « **Reply #2 on:** September 26, 2004, 01:09:18 AM »

I use two 6mms and a 243 all with 100gr handloads. In case you are wondering yes I live in a rifle area.

bubba · « **Reply #3 on:** September 26, 2004, 02:21:40 AM »

If I were to go down state again I would use My H&R sidekick Muzzleloader with the same set up I use in the Northern Zone.

bubba · « **Reply #4 on:** September 26, 2004, 02:26:23 AM »

oops 100 grains loose pyrodex rs and a 240 grain 429 lead bullet I mold with a green hornady sabot. Bushnell banner 3x9x40 wide view. I also carry it a whole lot in the Northern Zone during regular season. It is rapidly becoming the go to gun for all my deer hunting

Mikey · « **Reply #5 on:** September 26, 2004, 10:13:57 AM »

plain jane old 1100 and same in the 870. S&W 357, 3.5" bbl, 200 gn SWC over 12.4 of WW296 or a S&W 44m, 4" bbl, 295 gn SWC over 20 of H110.

How so ever, if I have the good fortune to hunt with a rifle in some of the Southern Zones areas, it is a hodgepodge of 6.5x55s, 30-30s, 8mms, 444s. Works for me. Mikey.

crazyjjk · « **Reply #6 on:** September 27, 2004, 09:50:18 AM »

Been shooting an 870 with 20" cantilever rifled barrel and 6x burris scope for the last 10 years when I hunt shotgun country. With Federal ammo with the Barnes bullet it will cloverleaf shots at 100yd and devastating on deer. Standard Winchester slugs shot well in it but I got poor expansion on deer with them. The Remington copper slugs throw a pattern instead of a group in this gun. I look forward to trying the new Winchester Gold.>John

Daveinthebush · « **Reply #7 on:** September 27, 2004, 11:40:59 AM »

Crazyjjk: Have you tried Lightfields in the gun? They just might be the slug for you.

rebAL · « **Reply #8 on:** September 27, 2004, 02:50:50 PM »

I`ve been using the short rifled barrel & cantilever mounted 2.5X on my 870 for going on 10 years now and get complete pass-thru with 2 3/4" Winchester supreme sabots. I limit my shots to 100 yards max. but have only taken 1 at that distance with average shot @ about 30 yards.

Raging480 · « **Reply #9 on:** September 28, 2004, 06:12:37 AM »

S&W .45 Long Colt shooting handloaded hard cast bullets
S&W .357 mag shooting handloaded hard cast bullets
S&W .41 mag shooting handloaded hard cast bullets
Desert Eagle .41 mag shooting handloaded Hornady 210 grain XTP bullets

and if I get bored, I guess there is the Winchester 1300 that shoots Remington Copper Solid sabots pretty well.

crazyjjk · « **Reply #10 on:** September 28, 2004, 09:34:53 AM »

Quote from: Daveinthebush

Crazyjjk: Have you tried Lightfields in the gun? They just might be the slug for you.

Thanks I will give them a try. They were pretty scarce in my area last year but I see them on the shelves now. Sometimes it's hard to get me to try something new in the saboted slugs. Being the cheap guy that I am it gets me that I can reload 20 rifle shells in almost any caliber for less than I pay for a box of five of the saboted slugs.>John

tscott · « **Reply #11 on:** September 28, 2004, 02:21:38 PM »

Where I hunt ... About 40 miles north of Manhattan, on the Hudson, I have
shot dozens of bucks with anything from .243 to .444. My go to gun is a Savage 99 "f" .300 Savage, Leupold 1.5x5.... I moved to NC because
I couldn't justify the expense, and we wanted Mom home with kiddies.
I still hunt a few days each season... Lower hudson... With my trusty 99.
Over the years my HS buddies that moved upstate (Glens falls and north)
go back home too, mostly when they want to shoot something...

toecutter · « **Reply #12 on:** October 01, 2004, 06:44:39 AM »

835 w/ cant. scope mount and federal barnes expanders for shotgun only areas. I just can't find anything that flies as well and does as much damage as the expanders, it really doesn't seem fair. For rifle it's either my encore in .308 or a 1953 336 in .35 rem (a classic beauty that can really shoot!!). 14more days till bow season boys, good luck and be safe.

woodsdweller · « **Reply #13 on:** October 07, 2004, 03:13:21 PM »

i use my rem. 700 7mm mag. 140 gr hand loaded nosler partition. last year i fell in love with my wifes rem mod. seven in 7mm-08. what a nice little mt. gun. i hunt in the catskills and its a pleasure to carry. i also use a 12" encore in 7mm -08. i handload 130 ssp by serria.

ironglow · « **Reply #14 on:** October 09, 2004, 03:05:52 AM »

H&R Tracker 12ga with BSA red dot...
Friend was talking to state senator....probably will be rifle next year..

Passage of the rifle provision was held off because of the big budget wrangle...

oldhunter · « **Reply #15 on:** October 25, 2004, 04:22:48 PM »

Either:

T/C Encore in 7MM-08 with 15" barrel & 2x6 Bushnell scope using Hornady 139gr light magnums

Rem. 870 12ga with 20" rifled barrel using 2 3/4" Copper Solid sabots

S&W 696 .44 special with 255gr cast bullets by Buffalo Bore

Mossberg 20ga with 24" rifled barrel using Brenneke Rottweil 3" magnum with 1oz sabots

Early in the season, I use the Encore. If no luck, later will switch to 870. Always carry the .44 or once in a while my .357 for those close shots. Mossberg belongs to wife and only take it out on occassion.

kb · « **Reply #16 on:** October 26, 2004, 03:12:35 PM »

I use an 11-87 with open sites and foster slugs from wally world. This is good out to about 80 yards, +/-. I also shoot a GPR .54 caliber muzzleloader (75 Yards), and bow hunt (40 Yards).

I dont care much for the sabot slugs. My friend uses them, and Im constantly having to track the deer. They are accurate and do punch holes thru the deer, but transfer little to no energy. No expansion. Foster slugs may not be as accurate, but are better for a quick kill.

Good Luck

kb

crazyjjk · « **Reply #17 on:** October 27, 2004, 08:38:44 AM »

Quote from: kb

I use an 11-87 with open sites and foster slugs from wally world. This is good out to about 80 yards, +/-. I also shoot a GPR .54 caliber muzzleloader (75 Yards), and bow hunt (40 Yards).

I dont care much for the sabot slugs. My friend uses them, and Im constantly having to track the deer. They are accurate and do punch holes thru the deer, but transfer little to no energy. No expansion. Foster slugs may not be as accurate, but are better for a quick kill.

Good Luck

kb

kb, I had the same problem with sabot slugs (winchester) just punching little holes in deer without much shock or expansion. Changed over to the premium Federal sabots with barnes bullets and that solved the problem. I think that winchester is offering a "gold" version now with a partition bullet. That should work also.>John

oldhunter · « **Reply #18 on:** October 27, 2004, 04:07:43 PM »

kb

I believe that many of the original sabots were totally solid with little or no expansion. In recent years, Remington, Barnes, Federal, Winchester along with most other major manufacturers now offer sabots with tremendous expansion capabilities. I have used Remington or Barnes for several years and can attest to the damage they incur when they strike a deer.

oldhunter

kb · « **Reply #19 on:** October 29, 2004, 10:36:16 PM »

Thanks for the information, I'll let my friend know. Im personally too cheap to spend $240 for a rifled barrel, and $8 a box for slugs to replace something that already works.

Although I have been tempted a few times.....still I just cant do it. For $240, I could get a whole new shotgun, not just a barrel - and the last thing I need is ANOTHER shotgun!!!!!

kb

TCShooter · « **Reply #20 on:** October 30, 2004, 05:02:05 PM »

Either an 870 12ga. with 2 3/4' rifled slugs and a cheap scope,

a plain jane painted NEF 12ga.,

a Rem. 700ML with peep sites,

or my favorite stand gun...an Encore 7mm-08 with a 15" barrel and a Bushnell 3200 Elite.

ou812 · « **Reply #21 on:** October 31, 2004, 01:37:53 PM »

Up until now, I've been shooting Lightfields out of either a Derrslayer II, or a Beretta AL390 with a fully rifled Hastings barrel. The Lightfields are super accurate, but I'm not overly thrilled with their performance. I'm looking for something with more "shock and awe" to provide a quicker kill. I'm going to try Winchester's partition gold sabots this year. They are pretty accurate out of the Deerslayer, and at 1900 fps at the very least they provide more shock and awe to my shoulder. :shock:

Varmint Hunter · « **Reply #22 on:** November 05, 2004, 06:26:26 AM »

For the shogun areas I use an 11-87 w/ fully rifled barrel. The Federal Premium Barnes slugs shoot very well out to 100yds and they expand like crazy. They also maintain 100% of their weight.

Recently, I experimented with the 2.75" Federal Barnes with the .75oz slug. It is lighter but faster than the original version. It has proved to be the most accurate slug in my shotgun.

I'm not too concerned about the high price of the Federal Barnes slugs because I shoot very few of them. Considering what a season's hunt cost, the price of a few slugs is cheap. I just want to be armed with what works best.

I tried the Win slugs with the Nosler Partition bullet too. The recoil was so severe compared to the Federal Barnes that I couldn't really considerate them a reasonable alternative.

Will_C · « **Reply #23 on:** November 05, 2004, 02:33:17 PM »

I shot the Lightfields for several years. I was satisfied with the accuracy and the expansion, but was not happy with the lack of penetration. I tried the Partion Golds, and could not get them to group at all. I tried out the Platinum Tip Winchesters, and they are my slugs now. They give a nice combination of accuracy, penetration, and expansion. I am shooting an 11-87, Remington rifled barrel, and cantilever scope mount.
Will

bjgolfnut · « **Reply #24 on:** November 20, 2004, 04:14:21 AM »

Good Morning,

Use two MZ's for Deer. A White Super91 with a Bushnell 3200 Elite 3x9 shooting 70 gr 777 under a No Excuse 460 gr Conical. A H&R Huntsman with a Redfield Widefield 1.5 x 6 shooting 100 gr Pyrodex P under a Hornady 240 gr XTP. Most shoots under 100 yards at edge of Corn field or in heavy brush bodering field. Good Luck to all on Monday AM in Southern Zone. :grin: .

Shaylex · « **Reply #25 on:** November 20, 2004, 07:45:07 PM »

In the past I used a Rem 870 with 20" smoothbore barrel, open sights and Remington foster slugs from Wally's place. Always worked fine on any deer within 100 yds. that offered me a good shot. Bought a Ruger Super Redhawk .44mag last year outfitted with a 2X leupold. The few times I hunted with the Ruger last year, I had no luck getting close enough to get a shot at a deer. So this year, the shotgun stays home. I really want to take my first handgun deer. If I do wind up scoring with the .44 then I may bring the shotgun out to play afterwards. Wish me luck. I'm not as good a shot with the revolver and have personally limited myself to no more than a 50 yard shot given ideal conditions. At this time, that's the greatest distance that I'm confident I could make a quick, humane kill. Good luck to all come Monday morning. Be safe.