Author Topic: top 5 slugs for 20 ga. (Read 4554 times)

Franklin7x57 · « **on:** January 15, 2011, 03:35:15 AM »

Slugs are expensive, would you pick one from everyone's lineup? Or go through one companies lineup? Looking at sabot lineup.

nimrodder · « **Reply #1 on:** January 15, 2011, 04:19:57 AM »

Remington Core-Lokt
Reminton Accutips
Remington Buck Hammers
Remington Copper Solids
Lightfield Hybreds
Hornady SST
Winchester Partition Gold
Winchester Platinum Tip
Federal Barnes Expander
Federal Barnes Expander Tipped

I would try both the 2 3/4" and 3" version of each load. My USH 20ga likes the Buckhammer 2 3/4", Lightfield 2 3/4" load and the Remington 3" Accutips. It shoots the Accutips the best.

spikehorn · « **Reply #2 on:** January 15, 2011, 05:15:51 AM »

I would buy as many different brands as you can and shoot them for group before you even start sighting in. That being said my Tracker II 20ga shoots lightfield hybryds exceptionally well and my sons 20ga USH Shoots a close 2nd with buck hammers. Neither gun shoots the federal barnes or the Remington solid coppers well. I got lucky and found the ones they like to shoot before I spent a lot of money.

Rustyinfla · « **Reply #3 on:** January 15, 2011, 01:30:08 PM »

For a smooth or rifled barrel? Sabots usually shoot best from a rifled bore.

Franklin7x57 · « **Reply #4 on:** January 15, 2011, 04:11:31 PM »

rifled.
Got plenty of time. My thinking was get 5 or 6 guys list their top 5, I could average them together. The one with the best "score", I'd buy a box, shoot them. They may shoot good enough for me, it not I'd buy a box of the next highest score, etc.
It's hard when ten guy give you 7 or 8 different brands that these shoot the best in their gun, but we don't know their second or third best is.
Like I said I've got time on my hands

Frank

honcho12 · « **Reply #5 on:** January 17, 2011, 02:46:15 AM »

My Ultra Slug likes the 3" Barnes with the tip and the 2 3/4" Lightfields, both group about the same out to 100 yards then the Lightfields really start to drop. The Barnes in my gun sighted in 3" high at 50 yards are about 9 inches low at 200.

tcencore3006 · « **Reply #6 on:** January 17, 2011, 04:34:38 AM »

I like Sabots that shoot flat and fast.
I am a huge fan of the Hornandy SST's and Federals Tipped Sabots.
If you sight your gun in with tradition Sabots and then shoot tipped sabots you will notice right away that at 100 yards, you are way high. It is quite impressive how much flatter they fly.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #7 on:** January 17, 2011, 04:40:16 AM »

Quote from: Franklin7x57 on January 15, 2011, 03:35:15 AM

Slugs are expensive, would you pick one from everyone's lineup? Or go through one companies lineup? Looking at sabot lineup.

Go to the TARHUNT sight and read about shooting slugs and slugs.
You need to decide what you want to do with the slug. Some slugs are sabots loaded with light bullets for speed and some for long distance others heavy for stopping a critter. If you hunt large fields it would or could require a different slug than one if you hunt on a swamp/river or beside posted land where either you stop the critter or lose it .
.

LEE IN VA. · « **Reply #8 on:** July 23, 2011, 05:55:07 PM »

Just bringing this to the top. I'm buying a 20 gauge USH and need to decide what slugs to buy?

jjas · « **Reply #9 on:** July 23, 2011, 08:32:58 PM »

Quote from: SHOOTALL on January 17, 2011, 04:40:16 AM

Quote from: Franklin7x57 on January 15, 2011, 03:35:15 AM
Slugs are expensive, would you pick one from everyone's lineup? Or go through one companies lineup? Looking at sabot lineup.

Go to the TARHUNT sight and read about shooting slugs and slugs.
You need to decide what you want to do with the slug. Some slugs are sabots loaded with light bullets for speed and some for long distance others heavy for stopping a critter. If you hunt large fields it would or could require a different slug than one if you hunt on a swamp/river or beside posted land where either you stop the critter or lose it .
.

Shootall is offering some good advice about Tarhunt's site and what you may/may not want in slug. I've shot many of the slugs on the market and can say that lightfield hybreds and Remington copper solids were usually good shooters out of most guns I owned and performed well on deer.
Federal has a slug out this year that might be worth a try for you. They are similar to the Barnes slugs but instead of copper they are made of lead. I've seen them for sale online for about $6.00-$7.00 per box of 5.
Here's a link....
http://www.federalpremium.com/products/details/slug.aspx?id=906
BTW, these slugs are available in both 12 and 20 gauge.

PHATINJUN · « **Reply #10 on:** July 24, 2011, 08:26:58 AM »

Pretty much cheapest best are the Buckhammers they are not a Sabot though they are full bore Hybreds. I use the Reduced recoil version in my rifled Tracker 20ga. Fairly easy on the shoulder and kill deer dead. Kurt

spikehorn · « **Reply #11 on:** July 24, 2011, 09:19:08 AM »

Yeah +1 on the buckhammers. I haven't shot any out of my 20ga Tracker II but my kid shoots them in his 20ga USH. They clover leaf at 75 yards and are devastating on deer.

herb40 · « **Reply #12 on:** July 24, 2011, 02:48:59 PM »

Just buy the Remington 3" accutips and save yourself a lot of money and needless range trips.

rickt300 · « **Reply #13 on:** July 30, 2011, 08:34:43 PM »

Buckhammers here, 2 3/4 or 3 inch both shoot just dandy in my USH and they really put what you shoot down quick. I used the old style Brennekes one season and they were very accurate and also dropped deer.

stringofpoloponies · « **Reply #14 on:** July 30, 2011, 10:42:12 PM »

winchester partition golds. and federal barnes expanders.

LanceR · « **Reply #15 on:** July 31, 2011, 02:37:16 AM »

I feel your pain on the cost of the darn things. I live in a "shotgun only" area of New York cringe every time I buy a few boxes. We raised five sons on our farm and come time to practice for deer season it got pretty expensive.

Slug guns are such unique individual things that if you started out with 5 identical guns the odds of more than two of them liking the same slug are pretty slim. I shoot a Savage 220 slug rifle that really likes the Federal 3" Barnes tipped Expander. If the loose nut behind the recoil pad is working correctly it pounds them into less than 1 MOA groups and holds about 2 to 2-1/2" at 200 yards.

My gunsmith has the identical slug rifle and his won't hold 4" with the same load. His son's likes a third load.

When I was shooting 12 gauge Savages I rolled my own. I used both Collet Cup and Ballistic Product sabots. Last I heard BP was not producing sabots and neither had been making 20 gauge ones at all.

As expensive as it may be the way to find the best slug is to buy a box each of several loads and try them. Sabots don't like heat so if you can feel any heat on the barrel you should let it cool between shots. When you find a load your gun likes, buy enough to last a while.

Lance

PHATINJUN · « **Reply #16 on:** August 01, 2011, 07:14:14 AM »

If I was gonna try and save money I would start w/Buckhammers then try the Lightfields though they are not true sabot's. Kurt

omegahunter · « **Reply #17 on:** August 04, 2011, 06:51:47 AM »

I have one that likes the Winchester BRI sabots really well. They are not a real high velocity, but give outstanding groups. Helped a friend with his last year and it did not shoot the Remington AccuTips worth a dang. Did really well with the Hornady SST's though. Just pick up a few different boxes and shoot for groups. Hope you do not eat up a lot of $ in the process.

abolt-fan · « **Reply #18 on:** August 06, 2011, 07:27:13 AM »

I shot for the the engineering dept. at H&R in Gardner till they moved. In that time I put a lot of rounds through 12 and 20 ga. guns. I was amazed at how consistently accurate the Buckhammers were. There was many times groups would be one ragged hole at 100 yds. If long slug gun range (past 125 yds.) is not needed that would be my first choice. Based on my time at the H&R range and using 20 ga. guns at home (mine and daughters) the following would be my first choices:

Rem. Buckhammers
Win. Platinum tips (my gun)
Hornady SST (daughters gun)
Rem. Copper Solids

Hopefully you will find success with your search quickly and not have to dump a ton of money checking loads. I will say that when you find the one that shoots best you should get back and buy a supply a them with the same lot number. Later, Robert.

gcrank1 · « **Reply #19 on:** August 11, 2011, 12:32:14 PM »

Wow, ya just dont find info like that everywhere !

Thanx!

cwlongshot · « **Reply #20 on:** August 11, 2011, 12:44:30 PM »

There is no short cut here...

I have said it before guess I'm saying it again....... Every barrel has its own set of likes and dislikes. Since they cannot talk and tell us what to feed them its trial and error.

My 12Ga USH shoots REMINGTON, Copper solids, Ultracorelokts and Buckhammers VERY well.
My 20 Ga will not shoot them under 4".... But Hornady SST's shoot quite well. I havent shot the Buck Hammers in the 20 yet.

CW

zettler · « **Reply #21 on:** October 13, 2011, 10:38:43 AM »

Quote from: abolt-fan on August 06, 2011, 07:27:13 AM

I shot for the the engineering dept. at H&R in Gardner till they moved. In that time I put a lot of rounds through 12 and 20 ga. guns. I was amazed at how consistently accurate the Buckhammers were. There was many times groups would be one ragged hole at 100 yds. If long slug gun range (past 125 yds.) is not needed that would be my first choice. Based on my time at the H&R range and using 20 ga. guns at home (mine and daughters) the following would be my first choices:

Rem. Buckhammers
Win. Platinum tips (my gun)
Hornady SST (daughters gun)
Rem. Copper Solids

Robert et al.

I have a new "Compact" USH in a 20 guage and it has the shorter rifled barrel at 22".

What would you recommend to try?

spikehorn · « **Reply #22 on:** October 13, 2011, 02:13:50 PM »

Quote from: zettler on October 13, 2011, 10:38:43 AM

Quote from: abolt-fan on August 06, 2011, 07:27:13 AM
I shot for the the engineering dept. at H&R in Gardner till they moved. In that time I put a lot of rounds through 12 and 20 ga. guns. I was amazed at how consistently accurate the Buckhammers were. There was many times groups would be one ragged hole at 100 yds. If long slug gun range (past 125 yds.) is not needed that would be my first choice. Based on my time at the H&R range and using 20 ga. guns at home (mine and daughters) the following would be my first choices:

Rem. Buckhammers
Win. Platinum tips (my gun)
Hornady SST (daughters gun)
Rem. Copper Solids

Robert et al.

I have a new "Compact" USH in a 20 guage and it has the shorter rifled barrel at 22".

What would you recommend to try?

TRY BUCK HAMMERS!

abolt-fan · « **Reply #23 on:** October 13, 2011, 10:40:23 PM »

Regardless of barrel length my recommendation would be to start with copper solids and buckhammers. They always seemed to shoot very well. If your not going to need to shoot past about 125 yds. the buckhammers are the best value in both price and performance. I am not kidding when I say that one ragged hole groups at 100 yds. were common when shooting the buckhammers. Even when I knew it was possible it always amazed me how well they shot.