Coming from a state that doesn't allow centerfire rifles for deer(New Jersey), me and the kids have several slug guns, almost as many as rifles, but not quite. We go to your state(New York), so we can use rifles. But in all fairness to a slug gun, there are places I hunt in New York that, while rifles are permitted, I prefer a slug gun due to the dense cover. I've hunted the Balsam swamps above Roundout Reservoir where the cover is so dense a smoothbore slug gun with Weaver pivot mounts is the gun of my choice. Despite what was said in a previous post here, while i've never shot pumpkin balls, I've used foster slugs since the 60's, and any scoped smoothbore slugun we have is capable of sub 4 inch groups at 100 yards, so I personally see no advantage for me in a rifled barrel and the newer slugs unless I were to find somewhere where shots beyond 100 yards were the norm, and thats just not currently the case for me. But we have rifled barrelled slug guns just in case we do. List of slug guns we have is as follows:
Remington 1100 20 gauge, 21 inch smoothbore slug barrel, Bushnell Banner 1.5X4.5 variable in a Weaver Converta Mount.
Ithaca 37 12 gauge, 19 inch(I think) smoothbore slug barrel, Bushnell Banner 1.5X4.5 variable in a Weaver Converta mount.
2nd barrel, Hastings 24 inch cantilever fully rifled barrel with a Redfield Widefield 1.75X5 variable
Remington 870 12 gauge, 20 inch smoothbore slug barrel, Bushnell Banner 1.5X4.5 mounted in Weaver Pivot Mounts for a Remington 760 rifle(I drilled and tapped this receiver for this mount).
Remington 870 12 gauge, 24 inch Mossberg cantilever fully rifled barrel, Weaver V4.5 scope, 1.5X4.5 variable.
Winchester 1300 12 Gauge, 22 inch fully rifled barrel, Redfield Widefield 2X7 Variable mounted on receiver, not cantilever.
Winchester 1300 12 gauge, 22 inch smoothbore slug barrel, Bushnell Banner 1.5X4.5 variable mounted on receiver, not cantilever.
2nd barrel, 22 inch fully rifled barrel, Redfield Low Pro Widefield 2X7 variable scope.
