Slugging for deer

[DanaC]

Here in the PRM, aka the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, we're not allowed to use rifles for deer hunting. Shotgun season runs the two weeks after Thanksgiving.

My gun of choice is the Browning BPS. Started with a 20 gage, that still gets the nod for birding, and now carry a 12 gage. Had clamp-on sights on the rib, but bought an after-market Hastings slug barrel some years back. With scope mount. (Had a nice buck in thick cover, couldn't get a sight picture.)

have been using Winchester BRI sabots for several years, but recently tried Hornady's similar load. Better accuracy.

A lot of guys just use their muzzle-loaders during shotgun season (legal here) because the accuracy potential is maybe a bit better, but I like having a quick second shot handy when possible.

Anyone else deer hunt with slugs?

[stevelong]

Hi Dana, we in IOWA hunt with slugs. Same time as you, early Dec.
We have a rifle doe-only season around Jan. 20 that runs 2 weeks.
I shoot my Dad's old Win. 1300 with a smooth slug barrell & open sights.
I shoot the cheapest slugs I can find, my theory is that most slug guns are not capable orf real accuracy, so I keep it simple and just throw a lot of lead.....when I use it. We can also use handguns so I am always packing either my .357, .44, etc. because I feel a little better out of the stand with it. I'd use the slug gun for running shots when I walk in or out, or walking around during middle of day. Most people here use the "drive" theory, pushers and blockers. I hunt mostly alone or with my son, sitting or sneaking.

[Sam Dunham]

The modern Muzzleguns are 45-70 equiv if heavy loads are used.

[DanaC]

Steve, good sabots in a rifled slug barrel are a HUGE improvement over the old smoothbore-with-pumpkins. But for me it's the scope that does it, I suck with open sights.

Sam, I shoot a Savage ML II, basically as powerful as you want to load it ;-)
I know an engineer for Savage; I asked him how much powder you can put in it, and that was his answer. He said they'd tested it to 3000 fps, but didn't specify the load for obvious reasons!

[stevelong]

DANA, just wohhh on 3000fps in a muzzy, I'm not a muzzy guy but a bunch of my friends are, and that's cooking.
Yeh I do know the rifled slug barrells are better than my smooth barrell, but for what I do with it, it works ok. I mean, if I was only going to get standing shots at longer range, I'd go for more accuracy, but since most of my shots will be close, it's not that big a deal.

[Paul Muise]

My favorite slug gun for years has been a scoped up Ithica mod. 37. Back when I bought this rig, I picked up 10 rounds each of every available brand slug that I could find to test and see which one would print tighter groups. 3" Brenneke's turned out to be the best and I'm glad they work cause all of the foster types I tested were pretty erratic to say the least!
This combination works very well and I've never been disapointed, even though the NE Arms 980 that I was given, can out shoot it and will print pretty tight groups at 100 yds using 2 3/4" Lightspeed sabots.
At nearly 11 pounds with the scope, the 980 is a pretty good tree stand gun but nothing I want to walk around the woods with all day.... lol!

[DanaC]

Paul, you'd like the BPS, basically an update of the Ithaca pump. A bit heavier, top tang safety, dual action bars for smoothness.

I'd like to find an old Remington model 17 to see how it compares with it's 'offspring'.

[Paul Muise]

I hear you Dana! The Browning BPS and the Ithica are great for south paws like me. I don't have worry about jacking a spent shell back into my face if you know what I mean..
When turkey hunting became popular ( Thank You NWTF!) I hunted them real hard every spring from MA to CT, then NY and VT. and rolled a boat load of them over with a 3" BPS. I like the BPS a lot, for gobblers.
These days, I might get out 2 or 3 times during turkey season and usually I just hide out in a small blind and wait to try to stick one with a 58" DAS...
The last time I saw a Remington 17 I think was back in the late 60's and it was in the movie "Bullet" with Steve McQueen! (I think...)

[Paul Muise]

Now as I think about it, that may have been a model 12............

[Dave Holquist]

We can't use rifles in Illinois either. My only slug gun is a Rem 11-87SP with a rifled barrel and scope. While it's certainly not what I consider to be a tack-driver even with sabots, all my shooting is under 100 yards so it is very effective for my purposes.

[1bjd]

We still have shotgun only area in Allegheny County Pa. I have a mossberg model 695 bolt action with a 3-9 nikon and winchesrer 2 3/4" sabot's is better than pie plate accurate at 150 yards. My shots are usually under 60 yards and the results are deadly.
John

[DanaC]

The problem with sabots is MONEY! Costs about two dollars every time you pull the trigger; makes it EXPENSIVE to try different loads. I was shooting the Winchester loads for several years, and when I finally broke down and tried the Hornadys, the accuracy gain floored me. (As in all discussions of loads, your mileage may vary.)

But at ten buck for a box of five, it feels like gambling, and I stay out of the casinos ;-)

[Dave Holquist]

Some of those sabot loads are $3-4 per round! That crazy pricing precludes much experimentation for optimal accuracy. Personally, I just try to take advantage of any sales on 2 3/4" sabot loads and so far haven't really found an unacceptable one for my under 75 yard shooting. My gun seems to like Winchesters and Federals slightly better than Remingtons but it's not enough of a difference to dissuade me from buying them.

If a guy shot slugs on a frequent basis, you might consider reloading. Do a google search for the discussions and components. I just don't shoot enough slugs to make it worthwhile.

?

[DanaC]

Dave, one way out is to go in on a few boxes with friend or two. But it still ain't cheap, and shooting slugs off sandbags isn't for the faint of heart ;-)