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2 questions about a shotgun
I would love to be asking about which shiny new deer rifle I should be buying, but money is tight and it looks like I am stuck with the shotgun this year. I have a Mossberg 500 with 2 barrels - 1 smooth and 1 rifled. That said, I have a couple of questions about hunting deer with my shotgun.
1. How much of a difference in accuracy is there between sabot slugs out of a rifled barrel and rifled slugs out of a smooth barrel at 50-100 yards? 2. What is a good scope for a shotgun assuming that I am shooting less than 100 yards? For some reason, I have had trouble picking up the target through a scope in the past, so please keep that in mind if there is some scope that helps that. |
RE: 2 questions about a shotgun
Trip,
While I do not own a mossberg, all of the smoothbore shotguns I own are plenty capable of 4" groups or less within 100 yds when scoped. My rifled slug gun routinely has 3 holes touching at 100 yds, and I am fully comfortable shooting it out to 135 yds. However, these guns do not do this with every brand of ammo. I am fortunate that 2 3/4 " winchester Super-X slugs shoot excellent out of all of my smoothbore shotguns. Remington copper solids shoot so well out of my rifled barrel, I don't use anything else. If the cost of sabots is prohibitive, the smoothbore should do just fine. As far as a scope goes, you need something with a large field of view and good eye relief. My 2 favorite scopes are a bushnell 1-4 power with a circle-X reticle and a heavy crosshair leupold 2-7. The circle -X allows you to just place the circle on the deer without having to bring him into the crosshairs. The heavy reticle really draws your eye into the center of the scope and stands out when it starts to get dark or there is a lot of brush behind the target. You don't need any higher than 4X magnification within 100 yds. Any higher magnification than that really diminishes you field of view. Regards, KJ |
RE: 2 questions about a shotgun
I have a Mossberg shotgun that I hunt with and if you plan on keeping your shots under 100 yards then I would just stick with the smooth barrel. I also use sabot slugs but I have never tried any other kind because I have never had a problem with them. Any thing over 100 yards then I would recommend the rifled barrel and a rifled slug. No input on a scope because I don't use one on my shotgun.
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RE: 2 questions about a shotgun
What is your setup? 3 holes touching at 100yds is awesome for a slug!
and smooth bore vs. rifled barrel, IMO, huge difference! everythign favors the rifled barrels., but ive yet to see 3 slugs touch at 100, Id say 6" groups at a100 are about standard for my setup, but i do want to try some new ammo etc... ORIGINAL: ChazyKEJ Trip, While I do not own a mossberg, all of the smoothbore shotguns I own are plenty capable of 4" groups or less within 100 yds when scoped. My rifled slug gun routinely has 3 holes touching at 100 yds, and I am fully comfortable shooting it out to 135 yds. However, these guns do not do this with every brand of ammo. I am fortunate that 2 3/4 " winchester Super-X slugs shoot excellent out of all of my smoothbore shotguns. Remington copper solids shoot so well out of my rifled barrel, I don't use anything else. If the cost of sabots is prohibitive, the smoothbore should do just fine. As far as a scope goes, you need something with a large field of view and good eye relief. My 2 favorite scopes are a bushnell 1-4 power with a circle-X reticle and a heavy crosshair leupold 2-7. The circle -X allows you to just place the circle on the deer without having to bring him into the crosshairs. The heavy reticle really draws your eye into the center of the scope and stands out when it starts to get dark or there is a lot of brush behind the target. You don't need any higher than 4X magnification within 100 yds. Any higher magnification than that really diminishes you field of view. Regards, KJ |
RE: 2 questions about a shotgun
I routinely get 3" groups with my Ithaca 37 12ga smoothbore, with the rifled barrel you should be able to find a load that it likes and get a good 1"-2" group at 100 yards. While the rifled barrel will shrink your groups an inch or more at 100 yards it will really shine past 100 yards.
Pretty much any reputable scope maker (Nikon, Leupold, etc, etc.) with a low power setting and long eye relief should do well for you. Good luck. |
RE: 2 questions about a shotgun
Saluki,
My dedicated slug gun is an Ithaca Deerslayer II with a rifled barrel made in King's Ferry NY with a Leupold VX-1 that has the heavy reticle. I had tried the Hornady SSTs?, winchester BRI, and the lightfields, but none shoot like the remington copper solid. The only issue I have with the copper solid is that it blows right through the deer with little expansion. Kills them fine, but I don't get much of a blood trail. Ironically, I have an old Winchester model 120 pump with a smoothbore barrel that shoots almost as good. Growing up in a shotgun only area where the deer always seem to be about 100 yards away forced me to practice a lot in order to be comfortable with the distance. You can get good shotgun groups if you practice, most people just don't like getting beaten up by the gun. I should add that the Deerslayer II has a monte carlo type stockwhich really seems to reduce the felt recoil,and definitely helps in the accuracy department. KJ |
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