H&R 20ga USH - Finding Ammo for Mine!
11-18-2007, 04:34 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Southern DE
Posts: 171
H&R 20ga USH - Finding Ammo for Mine!
I've had a couple posts in the past month regarding me getting an Ultra Slug Hunter. I thought I had the gun sighted in - and realized yesterday after missing a 120" 8ptr at 35 yards that I was wrong. I am certainly going to take the majority of the blame here. All of the parameters, rules, and concepts that have made me what I consider to be a respectable bowhunter were completely thrown out the window because I got nervous about a move the deer made and I had a stupid gun in my hands. (I understand that the gun is not stupid, but it made thishunter into an instant moran.)
So, I'm still recovering from yesterday, but frustrated. At lunch, me and a buddy quickly went to the range to shoot our guns. I've tried, Hornady's, Barnes Expanders, and Winchesters. It seems as though the gun shot fine on first shots, but with a warm barrel, would not shoot consistently at 100yds.
I think maybe my expectations were a little built up - hearing claims of clover leafing at 100, and 125 yards. I have NO confidence with this gun, and am about ready to get rid of it - as I think it's cursed.
I'm suremy quesions have been asked over and over again in this and many other forums, but I'm not finding what I'm looking for, so here goes...
1)a cool barrel would represent hunting conditions, but would this gun be more accurate with a cool barrel? It seemed that once I got the gun back in line at 50, and we reset everything for 100 yds (which meant the barrel had time to cool) the first 100 yd was VERY pleasing. the 2nd, and 3rd, and 4th shots were VERY frustrating.
2)all of the loads I have tried have been high speed, 3inch, loads (1800 - 2000 fps). I've readwhere some people have hypothesized that slower loads of 1300 fps actually work better with the rifling of shotguns such as mine. Is there anything to this?
3)this may be stupid, but... with my T/C omega, I clean the barrel every other shot when practicing. Should I be doing this with the shotgun as well? Do I need to worry about copper buildup or any other buildup? Should I just run wet patches through it until clean and then dry patches?
I asked the guy at the gun shop when I got the gun what slugs he recommends for it, and he asked me what I usually shoot - and to start with those (and try a few others). My response was, "I shoot Muzzy's." I feel like I have NO idea what I'm doing, and I'm not liking it too much. Why the heck can't I just go out and fling slugs with some accuracy?
4)I'm wondering if a trigger-job would help the situation? Or maybe the problem is with me?-(majority of the time) I know I'm very consistent/confident with my Omega and a little .22 Savage Mark II that I own.
Just looking for a lot of help from some of the experts on here. I've blown through about 100 dollars worth of slugs and thought I would have a little more confidence than this.
Guess I'm going to have to try to put another on the wall the hard way (Bowtech style)- as the December shut down is approachingand it's going to be does and only does from there on out.
So, I'm still recovering from yesterday, but frustrated. At lunch, me and a buddy quickly went to the range to shoot our guns. I've tried, Hornady's, Barnes Expanders, and Winchesters. It seems as though the gun shot fine on first shots, but with a warm barrel, would not shoot consistently at 100yds.
I think maybe my expectations were a little built up - hearing claims of clover leafing at 100, and 125 yards. I have NO confidence with this gun, and am about ready to get rid of it - as I think it's cursed.
I'm suremy quesions have been asked over and over again in this and many other forums, but I'm not finding what I'm looking for, so here goes...
1)a cool barrel would represent hunting conditions, but would this gun be more accurate with a cool barrel? It seemed that once I got the gun back in line at 50, and we reset everything for 100 yds (which meant the barrel had time to cool) the first 100 yd was VERY pleasing. the 2nd, and 3rd, and 4th shots were VERY frustrating.
2)all of the loads I have tried have been high speed, 3inch, loads (1800 - 2000 fps). I've readwhere some people have hypothesized that slower loads of 1300 fps actually work better with the rifling of shotguns such as mine. Is there anything to this?
3)this may be stupid, but... with my T/C omega, I clean the barrel every other shot when practicing. Should I be doing this with the shotgun as well? Do I need to worry about copper buildup or any other buildup? Should I just run wet patches through it until clean and then dry patches?
I asked the guy at the gun shop when I got the gun what slugs he recommends for it, and he asked me what I usually shoot - and to start with those (and try a few others). My response was, "I shoot Muzzy's." I feel like I have NO idea what I'm doing, and I'm not liking it too much. Why the heck can't I just go out and fling slugs with some accuracy?
4)I'm wondering if a trigger-job would help the situation? Or maybe the problem is with me?-(majority of the time) I know I'm very consistent/confident with my Omega and a little .22 Savage Mark II that I own.
Just looking for a lot of help from some of the experts on here. I've blown through about 100 dollars worth of slugs and thought I would have a little more confidence than this.
Guess I'm going to have to try to put another on the wall the hard way (Bowtech style)- as the December shut down is approachingand it's going to be does and only does from there on out.
11-18-2007, 06:11 PM
#2
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: mississippi by way of Florida
Posts: 357
RE: H&R 20ga USH - Finding Ammo for Mine!
I bought one about a month ago for my kids and for a loaner gun.
Put a decent 2.5x12 scope on it and have played with it a bit. I have to say that the trigger is really good on our gun, for an inexpensive break open, it is better thansomemore expensive guns out the box. I have only shot the three following sabots out of mine, but have shot 5 or six boxes ofeach.
Remington copper solids, 2 3/4 inch, 1500 fps (i think)
Hornady SST, 2 3/4 inch, 1900 fps (i think)
Winchester sabots, 2 3/4 inch, 1400 fps (i think)
I don't think you need any more fps than these. One of these guns is really a 100 yard gun and 150 is stretching it. So, you hit a deer with 250 to 350 grains of bullet doing 1500 to 1200 fps, I think you are going to have a big hole in and a bigger hole out.
The lead winchester sabots were a total waste of money, although they shoot awesome out of their mossberg youth shotgun w/ a rifled barrel. The Hornady sabots held about a 3 inch group at 100 yards and every shot is on a 6 inch paper plate at 150, I would say probably a 4 or 5 inch group. The copper solids are the best load inside 100 yards. They easily hold a 2 inch group or less, often with two holes touching. Funny thing is that they fall apart past 125 or so and grouping goes to pot, the big hollow point probably has something to do with that.
If I were you, I would check my scope. Results like you post indicate something else rather than the gun. Our accuracy does get worse as the barrel gets hot, but usually after the 4th or 5th round.
One precaution. A buddy saw my kids shooting the gun and how well it shoots and he decided to buy his kid one. When he did it, Itold him to never shoot anything but sabots out of it because the old soft leadslugs will lead up the barrel and accuracy would go bad. Sure enuff, I see him aweek or two ago and he tells me how great the gun shoots, even with the 3.00 a box slugs. I warned himand he said that he was"onlydoing it to sight it in" because the sabots are so expensive. Well, on opening dayof youth season, his kid hits and looses a doe, then he does thesame a week later. I don't know it for a fact, but I betif he had scrubbed all that lead out the barrel, things would have turned out better. I hope he doesget it cleaned well before they try it again.
Hank
Put a decent 2.5x12 scope on it and have played with it a bit. I have to say that the trigger is really good on our gun, for an inexpensive break open, it is better thansomemore expensive guns out the box. I have only shot the three following sabots out of mine, but have shot 5 or six boxes ofeach.
Remington copper solids, 2 3/4 inch, 1500 fps (i think)
Hornady SST, 2 3/4 inch, 1900 fps (i think)
Winchester sabots, 2 3/4 inch, 1400 fps (i think)
I don't think you need any more fps than these. One of these guns is really a 100 yard gun and 150 is stretching it. So, you hit a deer with 250 to 350 grains of bullet doing 1500 to 1200 fps, I think you are going to have a big hole in and a bigger hole out.
The lead winchester sabots were a total waste of money, although they shoot awesome out of their mossberg youth shotgun w/ a rifled barrel. The Hornady sabots held about a 3 inch group at 100 yards and every shot is on a 6 inch paper plate at 150, I would say probably a 4 or 5 inch group. The copper solids are the best load inside 100 yards. They easily hold a 2 inch group or less, often with two holes touching. Funny thing is that they fall apart past 125 or so and grouping goes to pot, the big hollow point probably has something to do with that.
If I were you, I would check my scope. Results like you post indicate something else rather than the gun. Our accuracy does get worse as the barrel gets hot, but usually after the 4th or 5th round.
One precaution. A buddy saw my kids shooting the gun and how well it shoots and he decided to buy his kid one. When he did it, Itold him to never shoot anything but sabots out of it because the old soft leadslugs will lead up the barrel and accuracy would go bad. Sure enuff, I see him aweek or two ago and he tells me how great the gun shoots, even with the 3.00 a box slugs. I warned himand he said that he was"onlydoing it to sight it in" because the sabots are so expensive. Well, on opening dayof youth season, his kid hits and looses a doe, then he does thesame a week later. I don't know it for a fact, but I betif he had scrubbed all that lead out the barrel, things would have turned out better. I hope he doesget it cleaned well before they try it again.
Hank
11-18-2007, 06:29 PM
#3
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Where the big deer are from, seminole county FL
Posts: 1,435
RE: H&R 20ga USH - Finding Ammo for Mine!
well i just got the H&R tracker 2 which is the lighter version of what you have and mine is also a 20 guage, but i sighted in with the hornady sst's and man i feel sorry for the deer that gets one of them in his lungs, at 100 yards i belive, maybe 1 inch of where i was aiming is where i hit,and that was first shot off hand, not in a rest.
