Mzloader or Slug gun?

[Buckhammer74]

If you had the choice, would you use a slug gun for deer season or a muzzleloader? I live in a no rifles during firearm season area but can use a muzzleloader. Obviuosly during MZloading season, I have no choice.

Thanks
Buckhammer

[Buckhammer74]

I should also add that my Hawken is a wall piece. I am going to buy a Sidekick. Also that I am considering trading my 870 cant barrel in on a single shot H&R Ultra Slug Hunter.

Should I just trade the barrel in on the sidekick and forget having a slug gun?

[Hammerspur]

Depends some on the hunting opportunities presented and amount of labor one cares to put into the effort.

If longer range shots are frequent I'd opt for the muzzleloader, a modern inline shooting a high powder charge sabot load... but that sometimes involves a lot of load developement to achieve consistancy.

The heavy barrel UltraSlugs are pretty dang good slug 'rifles' right out of the box. Experimenting with different ammo available should allow satisfactory dial-in. But then you give up some of the flat shooting, hi-velocity energy retension a modern smokepole offers.

Why limit yourself, DO 'EM BOTH I say! :wink:

[MI.sabot]

I too am from SE Michigan and hunt up in the Thumb.
And it also sounds like I crossed this same bridge as you in having to decide between an 870,  USH or the Sidekick.

I have to agree with Hammerspur....if you can....do them both!

I traded in my 870 w/rifled slug barrel last year for a 12 gauge USH Deluxe and couldn't be happier.  Grant it your 870 with the cantilever barrel may have been more accurate than my 870 setup.  But for me anyways there was a significant difference in accuracy between the 870 and the USH.  

The 12 gauge is quite a bit heavier than the 20.  It certainly isn't meant for walking around with.  But at the same time when you rest it on the ledge of your blind it ain't moving either.  My son has the 20 ga USH.  Personally I prefer the feel and fit of the 12, after I get it to my stand!

I just picked up a SS Sidekick (haven't shot it yet).   My intention is that if I'm lucky enough to pick up a deer early in the firearms season with the USH, then I'd use the Sidekick the rest of the way and in the ML season. To me that's  the fun of having the two guns.  

If you were opting for the 20 ga USH, in that case I might say just buy the Sidekick and be done with it.  The selection of high velocity/long range 20 ga. sabots is somewhat limited.  They are baiscally the same wieght as your ML projectiles and you might be able to work up some longer range loads with your Sidekick.

Good luck.

[Buckhammer74]

Thanks guys,


But I guess my question really is:

Will the sidekick reach out further and be as or more accurate then the USH? If so, Why bother with the USH when both guns are single action? I just put a scope on my 870 so I dont know what it will do yet. But if the sidekick is as  or more accurate, then the only reason for the 870 would be that it holds 5 shells. I have personally only taken deer with my 30/06 and never had to shoot twice.

So would you:

A.Trade in the 870 barrel for the USH(+$50) and buy a Sidekick.

B. Keep the 870 and buy the Sidekick

C. Trade the 870 barrel in on the Sidekick

Thanks

[MI.sabot]

I can't fully answer your question because I have yet to shoot, let alone hunt with my Sidekick.
So  I am really in no position to say one is as good as the other.  

But here's my opinion anyways:

If you just got a scope for your 870 cantilever barrel and don't know what it will do yet, then just buy the Sidekick.  This way if you find the Sidekick doesn't meet your expectations you'll have the 870 to fall back on during the MI firearms season in the shotgun zone.

The cantilever is a good set up for the 870.  Much better than I was dealing with.
I'm still kicking myself for not buying a cantilever for my 870 or the USH prior to buying the standard 870 rifled barrel.

There shouldn't be a dramtaic difference between the USH and a cantilevered 870.
Probably not worth the hassle of trying to trade-in and buy new all over again.
Hang on to it and see how it does first.

If you find that the Sidekick performs as well as the 870, then sell the 870 down the road if you feel you don't really need it any longer.

[cattleskinner]

From the looks of your choices, you've got your mind made up to have a shotgun, and a muzzleloader.  So with that being the case, I would say just buy the sidekick, and keep the shotgun you have for right now.  Then when you get the chance to shoot it, if it does not live up to your expectations, then think about trading in on the other shotgun.  I can't make the decision for you, but I have traded guns off that I probably shouldn't have, because of what somebody else said I should get/recommend doing, no sense in you doing the same.  Have a good'un!

~~~Amos

[Busta]

Buckhammer74,

Not to confuse you any more than you are, but there is another option. You could buy either the 20ga Ultra Slug Hunter or the Huntsman (instead of the Sidekick), then send in the receiver for the other barrel.

I have both the 20ga Ultra Slug Hunter LE and SS .50 caliber Huntsman and both are the finest Lower Michigan Whitetail rigs you could ever ask for. I have hunted Whitetails in the "Shotgun Zone" for over 30 years and have owned just about every shotgun/slug gun out there. I also own 7 muzzleloaders (3 Whites, 2 Knights, 1 T/C and the NEF Huntsman) and the NEF is the least expensive, least fussy and most accurate of my .50 calibers. I own or have owned slug guns in Browning, Ithaca (2), Remington (3), Mossberg, Ithaca/SKB to name a few and the 20ga Ultra Slug Hunter LE is my first choice with the shotguns.

With the new High Performance 1800-2000+ FPS saboted slugs on the market, the 20ga will keep up with the fastest muzzleloader loads out there. The bullets are in the 250-260 grain range and are plenty medicine for the whitetail out to 150 yards and a little more if one practices and knows the trajectory past 150. The bullets have enough energy to 200 yards, but only for the marksman that can place his shots into the boiler room at those distances.

So, if you would like ONE receiver, 20ga Ultra Slug barrel and .50 caliber muzzleloader barrel I would buy the Huntsman and send it in for the 20ga Ultra slug barrel. I think you will find that the triggers are much better on the Huntsman/Sidekick than you will find on the Ultra Slug and that is why I would recommend getting the Huntsman first. That way you will have your muzzleloader and if you wish to get the Ultra Slug barrel you can send it in or just buy the gun later.

I have a cantilever slug barrel and it is quite accurate, but these new slugs in that gun are brutal in the recoil departmant, not to mention hard on scopes in an autoloader.

I love hunting with my muzzleloaders, but sometimes it is nice to just drop in a slug and go hunting. Good luck in your decision, but if money isn't an option, I'd get both too. :grin:

The simplicity of the single shots are what really trips my trigger!

[Buckhammer74]

Thanks guys,

I went to the range today to sight in the scope on the 870. Before I did that I put my 21" barel on and patterned it for gobblers(5 shots).  I started off at 25 yards with cantilever and Breneke emeralds. I aimed at the bullseye and touched one off. It was quite a bit low and left. I then put the gun in the rest and aimed at the bull again. Once in the rest, I held the gun still, and adjusted the scope so that the crosshairs lined up on the hole. The next shot wasnt perfect(couldnt keep the gun perfectly still while adjusting) but was alot closer. I then put a target up out at a 100 yards and shot again. Now I was well right and slightly high. I adjusted until I ran out of Brenekkes. I then shot 2 boxes of coppersolids. I was only able to get a 6" group at best. I dont blame the gun or the slugs. I probably need more practice. The turkey loads probably were not the best thing to start off with either. I think next week I will buy a couple boxes of corelokts, hornadys, and hastings(heard great things about the accuracy in these but they wont reach as far as the other 2). Hopefully I will be able to get better groups with the added practice. I also will find out if the 870 likes those slugs better. If it doesnt, I think I will trade in the barrel for the USH in 12guage and pick up a Huntsmen as well.

Thanks again for your replies.

[MI.sabot]

BUSTA:

Did you put the synthetic Monte Carlo stock on your Huntsman?

What kind of scopes to you have on your Huntsman and 20 ga. USH?

Thanks.

[Busta]

BUSTA:

Did you put the synthetic Monte Carlo stock on your Huntsman?

What kind of scopes to you have on your Huntsman and 20 ga. USH?

Thanks.

Yep, when I hunt with a scope in Michigan, I use the synthetic Monte Carlo stock off my .17 HMR Sportster. Try one you will love it if you use a scope. I have a S&W 3-9x42 on my Huntsman and it is a VERY nice scope for the money. When I hunt elk in Colorado, I remove the scope, put the standard synthetic stock back on and use a Williams WGRS H&R Peep and Fire-Sights.

On my USH, I use a Bushnell Trophy 1.75-4x32.

You are going to have a pm in a bit.

[cattleskinner]

Here is how my Huntsman is set up...got the monte carlo stocks, and a simmons 4x scope on it.  Also the .41mag. Blackhawk that I use for gun season.



~~~Amos