sighting in H&R single shot .20 gauge slug gun

rotorhead · 10-03-2008, 04:59 AM

I need help bad. I recently purchased the H&R .20gauge single shot with a rifled barrel, I am having a hell of a time sighting it in. I am using hornaday sst sabot and I have a mediocre scope (Barska) it was a $ 30 dollar left over I had in the closet. At a hundred yards I am all over the paper and I cant to get her shooting correctly. I thought it was the way I was shooting but I was shooting my muzzleloader perfectly. Has any one had any issues with the hornaday ssts or is it the scope? Need advice please.

Retaks · 10-03-2008, 05:16 AM

Could be a few things. Check the mounts are tight, put a different scope on it and see if you get a group, shoot at 50 yards. My slug gun dosnt like Brenekee slugs at all and i get about 7" groups with them at 50 yards.

sjsfire · 10-03-2008, 08:39 AM

I heard that the H&R slug guns shoot the SST real well. First thing I would do is do away with that $30 scope and get a better one. I'drecommend the Nikon Pro Staff 2x7x32. I have them on two muzzleloaders and 1 one my 1187 slug gun. I also have a Bushnell Sportsman 1.5x4 on a Mossberg 500 slug gun. Either one is made for shotguns. Then I'd start back with the SST's but try it at about 25 yards and shoot for a group, don't try to zero it in. If the SST's don't shoot tight then try some Lightfield Hybrids. Find out what your gun shoots the best and then move the target back and zero it in. May take a few differnet makes of slugs.

outdoorsmen · 10-03-2008, 05:36 PM

i never had a gun that shot the sst's worth a dang at all. I'd get a new scope and new slugs.

rotorhead · 10-03-2008, 06:29 PM

thanks for the advice. I checked my mounts they are still tight (loctite). If I try at 50 yards and get a good group do you think the SST slugs are the issue? I will purchase a better scope anyway, the money I spent on the slugs I could have bought a new scope.

Retaks · 10-04-2008, 05:01 AM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: rotorhead

thanks for the advice. I checked my mounts they are still tight (loctite). If I try at 50 yards and get a good group do you think the SST slugs are the issue? I will purchase a better scope anyway, the money I spent on the slugs I could have bought a new scope.

Deff start at 50 yards. I dont know about a 20 gauge but my 12 gauge if i sight in 2" high at 50 yards im dead on at 100 yards. It saves alot of time. As for the scope i still dont know about the recoil of a 20 gauge with slugs but my 12 gauge has a tendedncy to destroy scopes from the recoil. I ended up jsut putting out $350 for a good Nikon and havnt had a problem since.

Pro-Line · 10-04-2008, 05:09 AM

Retaks is right...A slug gun can destroy a scope. The recoil is just a different type than a rifle.

I put a Bushnell on my 1100, and after about 20 slugs the vertical crosshair was crooked. I sent it back and was told that it was not meant for shotgun recoil and that I should have purchased their shotgun scopes...

sjsfire · 10-04-2008, 10:42 AM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: rotorhead

thanks for the advice. I checked my mounts they are still tight (loctite). If I try at 50 yards and get a good group do you think the SST slugs are the issue? I will purchase a better scope anyway, the money I spent on the slugs I could have bought a new scope.

I'd go ahead and change the scope out first. If it were me I'd still start at 20-25 just to see where it's grouping. See if the SST's work. Too many articles I've seen on the H&R's guys have the best luck with them. You may have one that just don't shoot the SST's. You may have to try a box of Lightfield, Remington Copper Solids, Federal's with the Barnes sabots. It's all a crap shoot until you know what slug your gun prefers. I've been throw'in slugs down range for 25 years. I'm not a know it all but I've put my time in shooting slugs. Good Luck! Let us know how it works out.

Just a after thought......Are you using a bench and a rest?If you are make sure the barrel doesn't touch the rest. Barrel harmonics can throw you way off.