Anybody ready to shoot a (3-1/2") 20ga 410gr slug at 2000 fps? ***REVISITED***

[Busta]

I guess Hastings is.
http://www.slugsrus.com/News/pr05.htm

[22lyons]

Have to try some in my 20ga  NEF USH this summer.  Going to try the sst this summer as well.  Shot the lightfields this past fall.  Was real impressed with the accuracy but the knockdown power was not enough for me.

[Busta]

Have to try some in my 20ga  NEF USH this summer.  Going to try the sst this summer as well.  Shot the lightfields this past fall.  Was real impressed with the accuracy but the knockdown power was not enough for me.

Your 20ga NEF doesn't have a 3-1/2" chamber. That is what is dangerous about 2-3/4" chambers, a 3" shell will chamber, but wont have room to open up in the chamber. Hopefully the 3-1/2" shells are too long to chamber in a 3" gun.

A 3-1/2" shell would only be 3-1/2" after it has been fired and opened up. It would probably start at just a hair over 3" loaded. The bad thing is they would probably load in a 3" chamber and forcing cone. Scary thought.

[1187VX2]

410 grains @ 2000 fps - that would be the most powerful slug out there wouldn't it?

And who actually makes a 3 1/2 " 20 gauge? 

[Busta]

410 grains @ 2000 fps - that would be the most powerful slug out there wouldn't it?

And who actually makes a 3 1/2 " 20 gauge? 

I guess Hastings will rechamber your H&R/NEF to 3-1/2".

I have a 20 ga Ultra Slug Hunter with 3" chamber, I use 2-3/4" slugs. Very managable recoil, but then again I am only shooting 250-260 gr bullets + whatever the sabot/gas checks weigh. At first I thought they were making replacement barrels, but then thought about ejection/feeding in autoloaders and pumps. So, I guess that Hastings may be looking for H&R/NEF and T/C to pick up the ball and run with it concerning the 3-1/2" chambers. The custom rifle in the second link appears to be a Ruger #1.

So to answer your question, nobody yet, but it says negotioations are in the works with H&R/NEF to build a rifle to accept the 3-1/2" slug.

If this slug actually takes off, I'm sure there will be others with the 3-1/2" chambering.

http://www.fieldandstream.com/fieldstream/hunting/photogallery/article/0,13355,1578864_6,00.html

http://www.gunsandammomag.com/new_products/shot07_012207/index1.html

Hastings 3-1/2" Slug ballistics.
http://www.hastingsammunition.com/id8.html

[wink_man]

410 grains @ 2000 fps - that would be the most powerful slug out there wouldn't it?

And who actually makes a 3 1/2 " 20 gauge? 

The projectile is 350 grains, they add the weight of the sabot to get the 410 grain weight. It may be the most powerful slug in 20 gauge out there, but I think some of the 12 gauge slugs have it beat, and are much flatter shooing to boot.

It will be interesting to see if it flies with the public, it certainly doesn't fly with me. While it has about 33% more energy than a Hornady sst or Remington core lockt bonded slug at 250/260 grains respectively at 200 yards, both of the latter are flatter shooting with about the same zero as the hastings slug, and they are 2 3/4" shells. The Remingtom Core lockt bonded slug in 12 gauge , at 385 grains, has more energy, and is much flatter shooting out to 200 yards with about the same zero, and it too is a 2 3/4 inch shell.

While I like a 20 gauge slug gun, before I would buy a specialty gun with a 3 1/2 inch chamber to shoot this round, I'd simply use a 12 gauge with a 2 3/4 inch Remington slug. While the Remington Core Lockt bonded slugs are extremely pricey, I'm sure these hasting slugs will also be priced accordingly, and in my humble opinion, the remington, in both 12 & 20 is the best slug out there, from a standpoint of accuracy, bullet design, flat shooting and tenacity and effectiveness on game. Just my humble opinion.

[Busta]

Since more people are interested, I thought I would go dig this up.

Looks like Hastings is having H&R/NEF build them a new single for the NEW 3-1/2" 20 ga slug, they are calling it the "Open Field".

http://www.hastingsammunition.com/id4.html

[d_hiker]

Busta,

In an earlier post you mentioned a potential problem of being able to place a 3.5" shell in a 3" chamber & forcing cone.  I know this could be the case of a smooth bore shotgun.

Question, in your fully rifled barrel of the USH, does it have a forcing cone?  The reason I ask, if one were to ream their 3" USH to 3.5" do they need to deal with the forcing cone?

I had seen the product ad at the beginning of the year and have followed this post as well as the 12 GA FH thread under Big Bore guns.  In Illinois we are allowed to use shotgun slugs for whitetail deer.  Some of these slugs & sabots seems to blur the line of reasoning for DNR not allowing rifles.  They do also allow single shot pistols & revolvers .357 caliber & larger.

[Busta]

d_hiker,

Yes, all my rifled shotgun barrels have a forcing cone, just like the smoothbores. If they didn't have a forcing cone, you couldn't shoot shorter slugs without shaving lead or sabots. Hasting claims you can shoot 2-3/4", 3", and 3-1/2" out of this rechambered barrel.

[SDS-GEN]

Am I the only one who sees absolutely no point in a 3.5" 20ga?

[dukkillr]

Am I the only one who sees absolutely no point in a 3.5" 20ga?

Nope, and I don't think it's just you and I either.

[d_hiker]

Busta,

That makes sense, even my Blackhawk has a forcing cone.  I don't imagine that the forcing cone is as long in a rifled barrel as it is in a smooth bore.  I remember reading about lengthening the forcing cone in a smooth bore can improve the pattern.

To me the 3.5" 20 ga. is intriguing, I think we all like to think about something that is a little different or is improved a little more.  From what I have read, there isn't a tremendous gain with the AI version of some calibers.  But some one will always want to tweak that last little bit

[Ranger J]

Yep, it seems like an answer without a question.
RJ

[SHOOTALL]

What is gained with the 20 ? i know the gun is lighter , that is a plus when carrying it and a negative when shooting it !
I'm not opposed to it , just looking for a benefit other than Hastings's getting rich !

[wink_man]

What is gained with the 20 ? i know the gun is lighter , that is a plus when carrying it and a negative when shooting it !
I'm not opposed to it , just looking for a benefit other than Hastings's getting rich !

I don't think anything is gained using this slug in a 20, and a lot is lost. First, to shoot it, you need to buy a new gun that will chamber the round, another attempt to slay the family budget. Secondly, according to Hastings, recoil is as bad or worse than a 12 gauge 2 3/4 inch slug. Thirdly, to get close to 12 gauge ballistics with a 20, you need to buy a new gun and a specialty slug made of lead that isn't anywhere near as flat shooting as a 12 gauge Remington core lockt bonded slug, nor does it have the retained energy with it's poor ballistic coefficeint. 20 gauge sluguns have been killing deer effectively for a long time, with both foster and saboted slugs. The idea in using a 20(for me anyways) is carrying a lighter gun that is lighter in recoil. I just don't need to do what Hastings says I need to do with a 20, I can reach in the rack for a 12 and do it better if I want to get pounded with recoil.

I've been playing with slugguns since the 60's and this kinda reminds me of a Hastings advertisement when rifled barrels first came out. This was before the advent of saboted slugs/cantilever barrels and Hastings recemmended Winchester foster slugs for the best accuracy in their barrels. In this add, they stressed to you, the consumer, that 'a rigidly mounted scope will increase accuracy by 350%'. What they were REALLY saying at that time, was that if you rigidly mount a scope on your smoothbore slug gun, you really don't need our barrel. 

[SHOOTALL]

if they really wanted to improve a slug gun they would make it more accurate ! i wish savage would build a 20 ga. bolt gun for slugs ! my 12 works great !
by the way if you want to learn how to shoot a slug gun check out the tar hunt site ! i to have a long history with slugs but last year stumbled across this site and learned a few things !