Cant hit the broadside of a barn with with 12 gauge! Help!
For some reason I cannot hit a deer for the life of me with my 12 gauge 870 express. I missed twice this year, twice two years ago, once the year before that, and twice before that! I hunt the second part of the season in a shotgun only county, but the first half in a rifle area and I have knocked down a fair amount of deer with my 30-06 700ADL. But for some reason with my darn shotgun I always seem to choke. I get decent groups at the range with 2.75 inch copper solid sabots, but in all honesty since shooting a rifle is way more fun and not nearly as painful I dont tend to practice with the slug gun much. I really think it's %100 mental since I missed that first deer and it has gotten in my head since then. I have a couple solutions in mind:
1. Practice at least twice a month over the summer with the shotgun, its just a lack of confidence.
2. All the shots have been off-hand, since i sit in a box my father in law built and the sides are to low to use as a rest, so get a monopod to use as a rest.
3. Practice with the reduced recoil loads for practice just to get my confidence up and take one more variable out of the equation.
4. Last resort..and my favorite; BUY A NEW GUN (probably not most logical but any excuse for a new gun) been eyeing up the savage bolt action slug guns.
Any thoughts from veteran slug shooters?