Author Topic: Which slug do you reccommend??? (Read 893 times)

ohboy · « **on:** September 19, 2005, 03:53:49 PM »

Recently purchased a 20 gauge Ultra Slug Deluxe, trying to set it up for my Iowa deer hunt and don't know which slugs to try first. Also 2 3/4 or 3"
Need to be able to shoot 100 + yards. Could someone point me in the right direction.

Critter · « **Reply #1 on:** September 19, 2005, 04:14:36 PM »

It has been my experience with shooting lots and lots of slug guns that the 2 3/4" shells are generally more accurate. I would stay away from the BRI type slugs in the 20 ga. That is a little tiny slug that has zero knockdown in my experience and leaves a pitiful blood trail. My sister-in-law uses the Partition Golds in hers, they shoot well and harvest deer cleanly.

MIdeerhunter · « **Reply #2 on:** September 19, 2005, 04:44:59 PM »

I have a USHD that is in 12ga., mine loves the Winchester BRI slugs, but I'll agree with critter, they don't have that well of ballistics to begin wiht, not even 1,000 f.p.e at 100 yards, I don't worry about that too much becuase it would be very rare to shoot 75 yards where I hunt, The partition golds also shot alright in my gun, they felt like they kicked harder but i don't think you could go wrong with the nosler partition, and the Winchester Supremes seemed to shoot alright in my gun, I was trying all sorts of the more of handgun style bullets in the sabots this year instead of the hourglass shape,but i concluded for the range i would be hunting at and the price, and the shoulder factor, the BRI's were all i needed, also i don't think you would need a 3" slug but I haven't shot a 20ga. slug gun so im not sure about that one, but i have heard that some of the 12ga's tend to shoot better with the 2 3/4" shells, plus there cheaper most of the time....Not sure if the Hornady SST sabots are in 20ga. yet or even available because i couldnt' find them anywhere in 12ga. But they might be something to look into, I have heard no reports about them or seen them, but it might be something to look into...good luck!

Paul Mohr · « **Reply #3 on:** September 20, 2005, 03:57:06 AM »

Unfortunately you will just have to try some different shells and see what your gun likes. Which will get expensive in a hurry. Mine seems a little picky about what you shoot out of it.

When I first got it everyone said lightfields, they are the best and work great out of these guns. Well, not mine! They are good at 50 yards, but when you move back to 100 the groups really open up. It's good enough to hunt with, but not what I was looking for. Maybe 4 or 5 inch 3 shot group. I'm looking for something like 1-2 inch groups.

It grouped well with the winchester platinums that use the 400 grn bullets at 1700 fps. I'm just not impressed with the bullet. I did some playing with them and they have WAAY more penitration than I want and don't seem to expand well.

I tried some federals with the barnes expander bullets that are rated at 1900 fps. I have seen what these bullets will do in a muzzle loader and handgun and it is pretty impressive. However they did not group at all out of my gun. Some shots did not even hit a 2 foot square backstop at 100 yards! I wasted 41 bucks on three boxes :cry: .

Mine shoot alright with the winchester X sabots that use the 50 cal one ounce slug. It preferes the 3 inch over the 2 3/4 as does my buddies 870.

Oddly enough my gun really likes rifled slugs. I shot a few different brands out of it just because they were cheap. I get like 1-1.5 inch groups with winchester 3" rifled slugs for 2 bucks a box. Makes one heck of mess in the barrel though. And after about 5 shots you have to clean the barrel or the groups fall apart.

Keeping this in mind I just bought some brenneke gold magnums and will see what they do out of it. I haven't had a chance to shoot them yet. They are a rifled slug, but the fins are molded in the opposite direction and it is coated to reduce fouling. They are specifically made for rifled guns suposedly. The good news is they are only 7 bucks a box. And they are 1 3/8 of an ounce (600 grns) moving at 1500 fps! Can't wait to see what that does to my 130 lb body :wink:

I will let you know what I think of them when I shoot them.

Paul

Wild Bill 442 · « **Reply #4 on:** September 28, 2005, 03:57:42 PM »

My story may help a bit but I do also have a question.

I added a a 20ga USH barrel to my collection for hunting back home in OH. Its mounted on an SB2 frame I acquired as a 204 Ruger, just for reference, and its wearing a BSA 2-7x. It was Flitzed before it lost its virginity, and it wears an o-ring on the forend stud. I've run quite a few slugs through it by now and its shows a clear preference.

At 50 yards I can pretty much keep all the holes overlapping (except the first shot, hence my question) with any slug that leaves the barrel at about 1500fps. As the MV increases to 1700, the group spreads out and by the time I push some of the 1900 fps loads down it, I'm 2-3inches @ 50yds.
With the 1500 fps loads, @ 100yds, I routinely get sub 1.5in, but again for shots 2 thru 5, with the first just high out of the group. As for specific flavors, Remington Copper Solids and Buckhammers both seem to lead the pack, I suspect because they list as 1500 and 1550fps.

Anyway, at least my package is sensitive to MV. Its something to keep in mind as you work up your own best fit. As for my first shot problem, I'm open to suggestions. I've been conscious of forend screw torque and tried to vary it. I'll try a couple more passes at varying it to see if that will pull the frist shot in, but if anyone has suggestions, by all means...

B-

Critter · « **Reply #5 on:** September 28, 2005, 04:53:38 PM »

Wild Bill,
Have you tried shooting it without the o-ring in place?
Is the group always from a clean barrel or doesn't it matter much?

Wild Bill 442 · « **Reply #6 on:** September 30, 2005, 03:25:17 PM »

:oops: Well, is the forest really made of trees??? I haven't run anything through it without the o-ring. Good clue!

As for Clean vs. Dirty.... Last outing I started with Coper Solids and got first high, next four tight for my first group. Then 20 or 25 rounds of other flavors and finished with Copper Solids. This last group was also first high, four tight (maybe 1/4 wider than the first group, but still all together). When I say high, by the way, the first shot is 1 to 1 1/4 inches north of the body of the group.

Within each group, I have a pretty quick cadence, maybe a minute between shots. Group to group, it stretches out to 25 minutes to a half hour. I generally alternate between two guns and the time it takes to clear the bench and set up for the other gun/caliber, shoot its group and then safely change back eats up the range's 30 minute cycle. (And yes I am paranoid about ammo mix-up, so the calibers selected for an outing are picked to eliminate any potential, last time out it was 38-55 and 20ga.)

dodd3 · « **Reply #7 on:** October 02, 2005, 02:05:40 AM »

has any one tried the the lee slug mould lee say that you just load them in std mono wad and they are supposed to be very accurate.
bernie

Lost Okie · « **Reply #8 on:** October 12, 2005, 03:05:38 PM »

From what I have been reading and my experience with my 20 USH, each gun has its own opinion about what it wants. You just got to try a few boxes (heck their only $2.00 a shot.
With my gun, I get 2" groups with Rem copper solids, 2.5 with the Rem Ultras at 1900 fps. The Winchesters were tight at 50 and 12" at 100, tried rem rifled slugs and got 12 inches at 50 yrds.

Have a post about Lyman slug molds and would like to cast and load my own.
Does Lee make a 20 ga slug mold?.