I might have the oppurtunity to do some special permit deer depredation hunting locally and shotguns only is the game. I used to do some slug hunting years ago but have been out of it for at least 10 years. Priced a barrel for my Beretta Urika but that was stupid priced. I can get the whole gun if I go with an 870 slug special with cantilever barrel for less money. I handled a 20 guage version today and man was that ever sweet. I just looked up some ballistics on a few websites and these new slugs pump 1200 ft/lbs of energy all the way to 200 yds! They are actually harder hitting and as flat shooting as a .30-30. My question is, does anybody use a .20 on deer? How does it perform? And lastly how far ( YDS ) do you feel its effective for harvesting deer? I can go back to a .12 but that .20 is so sweet I might even use it in rifle zones!
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ive shot 20 and 12 ga. slug guns. i shoot a nef/h-r single shot 12 ga. rifled barrel. w/scope...that gun is a cannon but is very accurate when shooting hornady sst sabots. the 20 will be less of a kick...there alot of good sabot slugs out..(thats what i would use) hornady sst, lightfields, brenneke, and remingtons copper solids.
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Can't get my fingers on the stats but the 12 is only marginal on fps over the 20. I would not shoot more than 120 yards and that is a stretch. You have to practice m[paractice and know your limitations.
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20ga. is more then enough for deer, and yes with todays advance slugs the 20ga has moved up to be right there with the 12ga. I only use 20ga these days
I use a 12ga primarily because I got the combo and wanted the 12 for pheasants. My son's combo is an 870 in 20ga, and all his deer have been one shot drops. (He's pretty good on the pheasants also.) If I were to get a dedicated deer gun, I would not hesitate to get the 870 cantilever slug gun in 20ga that you mentioned. With the new sabots, the energy difference is surprisingly small, especially past about 75 yds. Actuall, for a dedicated slug gun, I would probably go with the H&R/NEF Ultra Slug Hunter. Love that gun in the laminated thumbhole (about $325), less for the other stocks.
The 20ga actuallly outperforms the 12ga accuracy wise. With the 20ga you should be able to get it to shoot to 125 yards easily, and out to 200 if you do some modifications. If you get the Ultra Slug Hunter the gun should be able to shoot to 200 yards if you can do it.
If for nothing else than recoil purposes I would stick with a rifle in the rifle zones.
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A couple of my hunting buddies use 20 gauge slugs for deer- I use a muzzleloader, but based on what I've seen, I would go with the 20 over the 12. With the 12 you have a LOT more recoil and muzzle blast without much extra killing power or range than the 20. They've both taken deer out to 110 - 120 yards with their 20's. Their guns shoot very accurate, and if the slug is placed properly, deer never go more than a few yards. I would suggest a good sabot slug like Lightfields or SST's if you have a rifled barrel.
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The 20ga actuallly outperforms the 12ga accuracy wise. With the 20ga you should be able to get it to shoot to 125 yards easily, and out to 200 if you do some modifications. If you get the Ultra Slug Hunter the gun should be able to shoot to 200 yards if you can do it.
If for nothing else than recoil purposes I would stick with a rifle in the rifle zones.
I'm curious where did you come up with this one? I'm not knocking a 20 or a 12ga, being from Indiana (shotgun only state until a couple of years ago when they allowed pistol cartridge rifles)
I have a lot of experience with both and accuracy is matching the right gun barrel with the right ammo and letting the shooter do their best! That's it plain and simple. There is no one gun, gauge, twist ofrifleing and or ammo that makes the most accurate by it's self it takes a combination of all of the above with a shooter that is consitant( which means practice, practice and more practice. I've had smooth bore shotguns shoot as good and sometimes better than the rifled barrels with the wrong or right ammo. There are no givens or guaranties with any of them, however there is usually a combination with all the variables to make them shoot have way accurate? Just my 2 cents on the discussion.
My friend killed a black bear here in Georgia last year with a 20 gauge slug with one shot to the vitals. He was using a rifled slug barrel off a 870 with a copper sabot. It did a great job and the bear did almost instantly.
Assuming you can group your shots within reason (say 6" absolute maximum), while practicing out to any distance in the world??? This is for you to figure out?
I don't think I'd want to go much more than 125-150 yards with any slug gun, just due to the drop, etc...
That's a heavy bullet to push a looooonnnnngggg distance.
I would much rather shoot, maybe 75-100 yards and feel safe and ethical???
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20 guage or .12 guage slug gun?
