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Shotgun Sluggers
idsman75
Member Posts: 13,398 ✭✭✭
I am very inexperienced in the use/performance/effects of shotgun slugs. I fired slugs through my Mossberg 835 Ulti-Mag for the first time last year since Iowa doesn't allow the use of modern rifles to hunt deer. Last year I bought some of the Federal Premiums with the Barnes X-Pander slugs. Today I picked up four boxes of Brenneke Super Sabots. My gun has a 3 1/2" chamber and I noticed (for the first time ever) that one box of another brand of slugs (Lightfield I think) warned against using 2 3/4" slugs in a shotgun with a 3 1/2" chamber. I didn't see these warnings on the boxes of Brenneke slugs but I bought the 3" Brenneke slugs just in case.
For those of you that use slugs, what kind do you and your gun prefer and what's the deal about firing 2 3/4" slugs in a shotgun with a 3 1/2" chamber?
For those of you that use slugs, what kind do you and your gun prefer and what's the deal about firing 2 3/4" slugs in a shotgun with a 3 1/2" chamber?
Comments
I've had a Mossberg 835 UltiMag also, but only went with Buchshots.
I was told to be carefull with slugs in the 835, as it has a slight oversize internal barrelsize called "OverBore" (unless it's a slug-barrel), the slight oversize barrel gives a smaller pressure and helps the shooter cope with the heavier loads - without it getting uncomfy.
The stuff to be carefull about, was small slugs(light slugs) - as their height or length would be shorter, and could vibrate or rumble inside the barrel.
That could make the slug tilt and get stuck in the barrel.
Wether this is the actual answer, I don't know. I didn't dig into it a whole lot.
But for slugs, I'd go with a fully rifled Slug-Barrel for the 835 Ulti-Mag.
It gives better accuracy at longer distances.
I've tried regular Rottweil Slugs in another shotgun I had, mainly because I knew the slug and filt-plug between the slug and gunpowder was somehow screwed together.
I've only tried slugs in 2 3/4" Winchester 1500XTR semi.
They worked well, but I love Buckshots better.
Regards
Peter E Jeppesen
Greenland.
I love my silenced .22 Anshutz rifle =o) Now also my Steyr Scout in .308W. ;o_ (Got a Schmidt&Bender 1.5-6*42 on it..)
Those guns are YUMMMYYYY !
I dont know about the 3.5" thing, but I can tell you that I use the Remington Copper Solids in my 12ga Mossberg, or use to when I still had it, and that gun was incredibly accurate with them out to, yes I'm sure, 130 yds. I took a few deer with those, probably more than a few, but they always went down quickly, penetration was complete, and blood trail was good when the deer went anywhere. That was with a rifled barrel too, with scope. I dont recommend using a scope anymore with a shotgun, but thats another story. The Remington Copper Solids are still the best for my money. I sold that gun to a guy I met at WalMart, over heard him telling someone he couldnt afford the one he wanted, I took him aside and made him a good deal, he was an officer in the Army. I had him over to the house, to close the deal. Gave him my number, told him if he had any problem with the gun, call me, and I'd refund the money. He calls me back about 3-4 weeks later, ecstatic, he just took an 8 point on post, first deer for him, using my/his gun and the Copper Solids, he was sold on them too. I really like them. Remember to really check your gun with your particular slugs, for trajectory close up and mid range, as well as long range. I found that the 2 3/4" slugs with the lighter slug performed much better than the so called 'magnum' load slugs, both in accuracy and trajectory. The 'magnum' 3" loads dropped like rocks when compared to the 2 3/4" slugs. Thats been my experience. I'd forgotten about that fella and the phone call, huh, glad this reminded me of him, makes you feel good again helping someone shoot a bigger deer than you ever have, darn it!!!
SSgt Ryan E. Roberts, USMC
...from my cold dead fingers!!
Ok, this doesnt apply to every shotgun, depending on what type of scope base you are using. But...if you use a shotgun with a scope that sits higher than what a rifle scope usually does, to allow for the use of see through mounts, or you use a side mount for your scope, as is common for Mossbergs, then you are accentuating the already present problem of trajectory with the slug. Meaning that if you sight your gun in with such a set up for say 75 or 100 yds. as I do, then take a shot at something much closer, say 20 to 40 yds., your chances of shooting right over the deer are very good, due to the trajectory of your slug being so much higher not just from the range you have it set for, but because the scope sits about 1.5" higher than the bore to begin with, figure in the amount of elevation you have to have at mid trajectory to hit zeroed at 100yds. and you have a slug that is quite capable of shooting right over the target at close distances. I've done it, and learned the hard way, got the deer luckily, but learned. For you in your area of hunting, you dont need to shoot that far, so you shouldnt have a problem, but for people like me hunting in Michigan as I use to, we commonly have shots as far as we can take them, so we sight our guns in for max distance of the guns capability, even going so far as to leave the shotguns at home and use muzzle loaders during shotgun season. Its shotgun only in lower Michigan. Well sighting in a gun for distance with slugs, with a high scope, is bad juju, its not nearly as bad with open sights, which is what I recomend for slug shooting now. The trajectory isnt nearly as hard to remember without a scope on a shotgun, but if it works for you, go with it, I have to keep it simple for me. I've gone so far as to make sure I use see thru mounts, using the scope for long shots, and the open sights for anything under 40 yds. I missed a deer, even knowing this info., with the first shot, my first year in MO hunting. Shot right over it again, didnt hold low enough, so that is when I decided the scope is not for me on shotguns. I shot that deer with the second shot, had to hold on the outline of its belly. I tell you its just plain weird with slugs and sighting in for long distances and what will happen at really close distances. Maybe I'm just stupid that way, but I cant do it right, so I dont recommend it to others.
SSgt Ryan E. Roberts, USMC
"Sometimes the people have to give up some individual rights for the safety of society."
-Bill Clinton(MTV interview)
I think you can now, as Mossberg, I believe, has been making their receivers to accept regular mounts now. They didnt use to do that. Even doing that, you still may have a problem with longer shots, but I havent tryed that, and since I dont have a modern Mossberg I dont have the ability to try it right now.
SSgt Ryan E. Roberts, USMC