Lightfield Slug question

TimHixson · 11-05-2007, 07:20 AM

I have a Rem. 870 with the fully rifled barrel and Bushnell scope. I have been sighting it in with the Lightfield Hybred EXP sabot slugs. These are the 2-3/4"shells with a 1-1/4 oz slug. They shot pretty good at 30 and 50 yards, but seem to drop off alot between 75 and 100 yards. I have them pretty much zero'd at 50 yards. They seem to be dropping about 4-6" at 85 yards.(distance by rangefinder)

What does everyone else experience while shooting them?

sjsfire · 11-05-2007, 08:37 AM

I'm going to try them in my gun this week. I checked their web sight and according to them you should zero at 2.17 inches high at 50 yards and they should be on at 100 yards. But thats just "their" balllistics data. Nothing substitues going out and putting in some range time. Every slug gun I own (3) I site in 2 inches high at 50 yards. Try that and I think you'll have better results. Two inches high at 50, on at 100 and 3-4 inches low at 125 shouldn't make much difference if you aim for the heart/lungs. Good luck.

maytom · 11-05-2007, 02:03 PM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: TimHixson

I have a Rem. 870 with the fully rifled barrel and Bushnell scope. I have been sighting it in with the Lightfield Hybred EXP sabot slugs. These are the 2-3/4"shells with a 1-1/4 oz slug. They shot pretty good at 30 and 50 yards, but seem to drop off alot between 75 and 100 yards. I have them pretty much zero'd at 50 yards. They seem to be dropping about 4-6" at 85 yards.(distance by rangefinder)

What does everyone else experience while shooting them?

Those are the slugs I shoot out of my Winchester 1300, and up to 75 yards they work very well accuracy wise. But going to 100 yards, they are all over the paper???? I've since bought a new rifle for Catt. Co., so I can have that accuracy that I want up to 200 yards away!!

TimHixson · 11-06-2007, 03:41 AM

I am getting the same results. I am pretty much committed to them for this year as I have to sight in at the same place that I hunt, and I feel it is too close to gun season to fire any more out there.

I will most likely try the hornaby sst for next year.

millerhunter13 · 11-07-2007, 06:42 AM

i shoot the sst's and there great in my H&R tracker 2 i shot the lightfields and there were all over the place, but shot one sst and boom it was perfect i didnt even have to sight it in it already was.

TimHixson · 11-07-2007, 09:32 AM

I am heading to target world in cincinnati tomorrow after work with the SST's. I don't want to have to pass on a shot because I am not comfortable with the downrange trajectory.

Bulzeye · 11-07-2007, 02:51 PM

I have the same gun/scope combo.

Why it is doing that?...
Those slugs you're using are on the heavy end of the spectrum of available 12 gauge sabots, so I would expect some serious drop off like you're experiencing. You just can't stuff enough powder behind a 1.25oz slug in a 2.75" package to keep the velocity up to deal with the awful balistic coefficient that 12 gauge slugs have to deal with. So, there's my input on the drop, but the group size depends completely on how that particular ammo shoots in that particular gun. If it won't group well, find something else that will.

Whatmight work better in your gun?...
My 870 loves the Remington CorLokts, Copper Solids, and Winchester Supremes, all about 385 grains, going 1,900 fps from a test barrel. If I zero @ 100yds, I won't be more than a few inches high all the way out to there, and then no more than a few inches low out to 125. Haven't shot past that yet, but I don't plan to in the field either. When I do my part, these combos will give about 2" groups at 100yds, and single ragged hole at 50yds.

Terminal performance of the lighter slugs?...
I had a Win Supreme do a bang up job on a doe at 125yds last January. Put the crosshairs high on her back, dropped it in just under her spine, penetrated fully to provide 2 bleeding holes for trailing, expanded fully blowing a 3" hole in each lung,rupturing the aortic artery, and the jacket separated from the core providing a secondary wound channel more forward in the chest. Deercrashed while runningafter 90 yds at full sprint. Not one bite of lost meat. I've heard that these fast slugsmight not be the best for up close because of a lack of expansion, but I have not seen this first hand.

Good luck.
If you like the heavier slugs, just stay within a limited range where they group well. I'm sure they'll hit plenty hard if you can get them in the right place.
I hope you find what works for you.

-Bulz

TimHixson · 11-08-2007, 04:04 AM

I never thought about the faster slugs not expanding. I have shot 3 different brands to date. I started out with the standard winchester sabots. They shot decent, but were tough to get good groups at 75 yards. I shot two boxes of the sst's when I got a better scope with more eye relief. I never got any real feedback as my scope was bad. I got the scope replaced and sighted in with the Lightfields and did not like the drop off down field. I am going back to the SST's to re-sight in today and feel pretty good about them based on other members feedback here.

*On a side note- I bought my bushnell scope at dick's sportingoods near Tri-county in Cincinnati. My first one was 6-8" low at 30 yards with the adjuster all the way up. Aaron at Dicks didn't blink in telling me to bring the whole gun in to check the scope. He immediately found it defective and put another one on it and bore sighted it for me. He was happy to help resolve the problem, DID NOT CHARGE me another dime for any of it, and made sure I was satisfied before I left. I will be buying more stuff from them!*

eldeguello · 11-08-2007, 11:28 AM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: TimHixson

I have a Rem. 870 with the fully rifled barrel and Bushnell scope. I have been sighting it in with the Lightfield Hybred EXP sabot slugs. These are the 2-3/4"shells with a 1-1/4 oz slug. They shot pretty good at 30 and 50 yards, but seem to drop off alot between 75 and 100 yards. I have them pretty much zero'd at 50 yards. They seem to be dropping about 4-6" at 85 yards.(distance by rangefinder)

What does everyone else experience while shooting them?

IF your big ol' slow slug is right dead on at 50 yards, -6" at 85is not so bad! Once they pass the line of sight ON THE WAY DOWN, drop seems precipitous!

TimHixson · 11-08-2007, 01:01 PM

your right. It took a little thinking to realize that if it is a couple inches high at 50 yds that the bullet is still rising at that point and then doesn't seem to drift as far down at 75 yds, but it It is already at the top of its trajectory at that range then it's gonna drop a bunch down range.

I guess what I am saying is that if I am not setting up for the trajectory that they suggest, then I am all but guessing where it will hit past where I zero at.