Author Topic: 20 Gauge Lightfield slug problems? (Read 7569 times)

Forestclimber · « **on:** December 18, 2010, 02:28:08 PM »

A friend of mine likes the accuracy of 20 gauge Lightfield slugs but says he is going to quit using them on deer because he's had problems with them after they hit a deer. I can't remember exactly how he explained it now, but I was wondering if anyone else had a problem with the 20 gauge slugs.

Rustyinfla · « **Reply #1 on:** December 19, 2010, 04:01:38 PM »

Are you sure he's getting solid hits?

bobg · « **Reply #2 on:** December 20, 2010, 01:47:08 AM »

Maybe spikehorn will let us know of his results with Lightfield slugs. Seems to me like he has killed a couple of deer with them. Don't remember him saying he has had any problems.

SwampThing762 · « **Reply #3 on:** December 20, 2010, 10:24:20 AM »

I used the 12's a few years ago, nevr had a problem with them. neither did the hogs, come to think of it.......

St762

mspaci · « **Reply #4 on:** December 22, 2010, 03:34:08 AM »

I am also switching, several solid hits the past 2 years that I didnt get any blood. All deer found to confirm hits. One buck went 300 yeards & I found 1 drop of blood in the snow. They are very accurate, but Iwonder if they have changed something about them because I have shot them for about 7 seasons & never had a problem until last season. Several of the slugs broke apart, & not good blood trails. My partner switched to the sst slugs & every deer went right down. Mike

Forestclimber · « **Reply #5 on:** December 22, 2010, 01:15:24 PM »

I think breaking apart and no blood was part of the problem.

spikehorn · « **Reply #6 on:** December 22, 2010, 01:25:23 PM »

Are they the newer lightfield slugs or are they the hybrid express? I have had 2 bang flops and 1 I hit on the run and it was a little far back and put a big hole through the liver. I had no problem tracking that deer. I use the hybrid express.

mspaci · « **Reply #7 on:** December 30, 2010, 03:27:45 AM »

I thought they only had 1 20ga slug? Mike

SwampThing762 · « **Reply #8 on:** December 31, 2010, 11:23:35 AM »

Ever thought of casting your own? The Lyman 20 gauge 350 grain slug mold drops a very nice slug, and you can cast them from alloys ranging from 30:1 up to pure linotype. The mold is designed for Lyman #2 alloy (This is made up of 90% lead, 5% tin, and 5% antimony.; To make 10 pounds of #2 Alloy, use either of the following recipes: 9 pounds of wheelweights + 1 pound of 50/50 (lead/tin) bar solder or 4 pounds of Linotype +1 pound of 50/50 bar solder + 5 pounds pure lead.) and can be water quenched for a BHN of about 20. That slug will be plenty for any deer, black bear, or wild boar. besides, you can cast these slugs and use in standard hulls with standard shotshell wads.

I will also give you some numbers as well. The retail price for 180 20 gauge lightfield slugs (385 grains) is $439.95. The Lyman slug and mold is roughly $100.00. primers (200 of 209) is approximately $15.00 (depending upon retailer). 20 pounds of hardcast wheelweight lead can be found on ebay for $25.00 shipped. Lee ladle is $5.00, lyman electric furnace is $40.00, a pack of 250 shotwads is $7.50, lee load all is $50.00, and a 100 pack of shotshells is $25.00, and 2 pounds of powder is $50.00.

Total cost is $317.50 for bulletcasting and reloading equipment. I think the bulletcasting setup is better way to go. Then you get slugs you know will work as you will know how hard they are for penetration.

ST762

nimrodder · « **Reply #9 on:** January 07, 2011, 03:59:22 AM »

I killed 2 deer with the 20ga Hybreds this past season. Both deer went about 80 yards or so but there was a great blood trail to follw on both.

Slackdaddy · « **Reply #10 on:** January 09, 2011, 12:09:19 PM »

I have shot the 20 ga Lightfields for a few years now, before that about 10 years of the 12ga lightfield.
50% of my 12ga got pass through, and or bang flop.
The 20's are not getting any pass through, I have had 3 deer run 40-50 yards in the snow with NO blood trail. I am shooting from about 25-30 up, so the entry hole is usually high up. makes me wonder about a few lost deer that I found no blood (no snow) after looking for an hour.
While no pass through means all energy is used in the cavity, that does me no good if there is no trail and and animal travels up to 60-70 yards in thick stuff, then I'm tracking at night.

Want a soft lead bullit, but not as blunt.

bigbird09 · « **Reply #11 on:** January 09, 2011, 12:30:15 PM »

I would hate to say anything, but a hit in the boiler room with a chuck of lead that big is going to kill a deer. I have never had a blood trail with a crap on anything that I have shot with a slug or the M/L that didn't pass through. The only pass through I had was on my first deer and that was a little yearing with 20ga winchester slugs. The entrance was low behind the right front leg and took out the top of the heart, she dropped in 50yrds. So as long as they shoot good and kill deer with you doing your part there is nothing wrong with the shell.

spikehorn · « **Reply #12 on:** January 09, 2011, 12:53:17 PM »

If you are not happy with their performance try some different slugs. My son shoots the buck hammers out of his 20ga USH they are very accurate and put a serious hurt on deer. Hybrids I have came with the gun when I bought it from bobg so they may be older. I'll have to see when I buy some new ones. hard to tell what terminal performance will be like from the bench.

gcrank1 · « **Reply #13 on:** January 15, 2011, 09:17:51 AM »

A lot of deer go that far well hit with cartridge rifles too, and blood can be hard to find. As you know, there is more to tracking and recovery of game than just following blood.

mattri · « **Reply #14 on:** December 10, 2011, 02:12:09 PM »

I know this is an old post but just wanted to report how the Lightfield 20 gauge slugs worked for us this year.

My wife and I both hunt, have since we were kids but this was the first year we have ever hunted deer with shotguns. We both shoot 20 gauges, her a Mossberg 500 with a rifled barrel and myself an NEF tracker with the rifled barrel. We tried a number of different slugs to see which gave us the best accuracy and the Lightfields did well in both guns.

Today was opening day here and by lunch we had both filled a tag. I shot a doe on the run at about 40 yards, it wasn't a perfect shot, I hit her a little farther back than I intended but she dropped like a rock. I heard the slug hit, it was almost like the sound a bullet makes hitting a prairie dog. When I got up on the doe she was down not 15' from where I hit her. When skinning her out we found the slug against the hide on the opposite side, the plastic wad was still attached and the slug had mushroomed well and was intact. It weighed in at 318gr down from the original 385.

The wife shot her doe through the lunges at about 25 yards, dropped like a stone, tried getting up but couldnt. Because she was so close my wife got up on her quickly and put another through her head. Neither slug was recovered.

Later in the afternoon a friend we were hunting with opted out of using his gun (long story) and used the same 500 with the Lightfield slugs on a big doe at about 30 yards. She was jumping over a fence when he shot her and she flipped in the air from the impact.

Don't know about any troubles others have had but these slugs have been great for us.

ptpalpha · « **Reply #15 on:** December 11, 2011, 07:28:48 AM »

This is very interesting. The Lightfield 20ga EXP's grouped the best from my TC Encore, so that's what I hunted with. First shot at a doe, 45 yards, the slug exploded on the ribcage, follow-up shot took out both lungs, mushroomed perfectly and lodged in the off-side skin. The first slug was a mass of lead fragments, which made a huge bloody mess but would have failed to kill the deer without the second shot.
I'm guessing (just a guess) that there was at least one faulty batch of slugs which have made their way to the market. Since I bought 8 boxes of these from 3 different retailers, and took them out of the factory boxes to put into my shell box, it's possible that I used two slugs from two different manufacturing lots.
Either way, it's disconcerting. I'm going to use the rest of mine for target work, and try to find another slug that groups well and has reliable and consistant results on deer. Shame, because I spent a ton of money both to determine the Lightfields grouped the best and then again to stock up on them.
It would be nice to hear from someone at Lightfield to see if there is some explanation for the inconsistancy of the reports from the field.

mattri · « **Reply #16 on:** December 11, 2011, 07:40:50 AM »

When did you buy the slugs you were talking about?

It seems like the posts about having trouble with them are pretty old, the slugs that I used were bought in the last two weeks, maybe they got everything sorted out.

ptpalpha · « **Reply #17 on:** December 11, 2011, 07:45:23 AM »

All the slugs I have were purchased this year.

spikehorn · « **Reply #18 on:** December 11, 2011, 09:04:01 AM »

The OP was 12-18-10. That doesn't mean that some slugs didn't sit around for a year and get sold this deer season.

gcrank1 · « **Reply #19 on:** December 15, 2011, 02:53:04 AM »

The boxes all have lot numbers on them.

alleyyooper · « **Reply #20 on:** December 15, 2011, 09:08:33 AM »

I don't think that the boxes of slugs I have bought had a best if used by date on them..
For My 20ga. I buy the cheap ($8.00 per 5) old 2 3/4 Remington buckhammers with an once of lead. Ive shot two bucks with them one a paced 53 yards, lungs jello and a chunk of heart missing went 10 feet slug recovered under far side skin. Second was shot at a paced 69 yards again jello lungs and a chunk of heart missing went down hill 15 yards. Slug recovered in far side ribs.

Al

ptpalpha · « **Reply #21 on:** December 16, 2011, 01:05:03 PM »

I'm going to the Buckhammers too. They grouped fairly well from my Encore, not as tight as the Lightfields but very acceptable for a 75yd shot, and I've heard nothing but good things about their effect on deer.
Plus they're half the price of the Lightfields!

mspaci · « **Reply #22 on:** December 16, 2011, 02:23:09 PM »

sorry guys, buckhammers are being discontinued

ptpalpha · « **Reply #23 on:** December 28, 2011, 11:57:10 AM »

Yep, it's back to the drawing board for me.
Interesting side notes on the Lightfields...my Encore has been piercing the primers on the Lightfield 20ga 2-3/4" Hybred EXP's. An internet search revealed that many Encore users (both 12 and 20ga) were experiencing this problem. Lightfield states that it's because the Encore uses a "rifle-style" firing pin instead of the larger surface diameter shotgun style pin. Funny that none of the other 6 brands of sabots that I tried show any problems with the primers, but oh well. I have to inspect my firing pin to see if any scoring has developed.
Oh, and now that I've decided to give up the Lightfields, I thought I'd try them one more time before this season ended. I used one last night to shoot a doe and it was one of the most impressive one-shot kills I've ever seen.
Ain't that always the way...

encore4me · « **Reply #24 on:** December 02, 2012, 05:18:31 AM »

I have killed close to ten deer with my 20 ga. Lightfields, would not use anything else, they are devastating and the accuracy is outstanding.

Matt