Slug Guns
 

Hey guys I hunt in Missouri but I'm going to have a chance to hunt in Illinois in the upcoming years and I want a good semi-auto/pump slug gun that you guys use. I also want it for Missouri when I hunt thick hardwoods because my Remington 700 SPS Varmint isn't very mobile haha. I wouldn't want to spend over 600 or so. Also what ammo do you use?

Thanks guys

If you only want the gun for slug hunting there are many options...I have a Mossberg 500 with a ported/riffled slug barrel...it gets the job done. I just use iron sights on it...had it scoped for awhile and found it cluncky and unnecessary. For the $ the 500's are a good choice, but the Remington 870's, 1100's and 11-87's also perform well with slug barrels as do the Mossberg 835's. Just depends on how much you wanna spend.

Savage 220

It's the best.

+ 1 for the Savage 220................

Yeah I've really heard some good things about the savage 220s, but I wanted something that's more maneuverable like a pump or semi-auto.

I have a Franchi I-12....could I just put a slug barrel on that?

I've never seen a slug barrel for the I-12, but that doesn't mean it isn't out there. Cause it could be. I would look into the Mossberg 500, or Remmy 870. Both make a good pump and can be an accurate slug set up. I'm not real familiar with the semi-auto's, but those two would fill your need.
-Jake

A buddy has a Mossberg 500 I think. It's the pump one, isn't that the 500? Anyway, I've never shot it, but he absolutely loves it and hasn't had any problems from it. I know he'd recommend it.

I hate using slug guns when I have a 280 Rem., 30-06 Spr. and 35 Rem. in the safe. That being said, here in New Yorkistan there are still counties that you can't use a rifle in. That's when I use my Remington 11-87 12 ga. Sportsman Deer 21" rifled barrel with cantilever scope mount with a Leupold VX-II 2x7-33mm Shotgun Scope on it. If I'm up to it, it'll shoot 2 1/2 to 3" groups at 100 yards with a few different sabot slugs.

NYH1.

Savage 220 gets my vote!!!, but if you want to stay with a pump or a semi, then look into the Mossberg 500 (pump), or a Remington 11-87 (semi) either one with a rifled/cantilever barrel with a good quality scope, also I would stay with a 20ga. over the 12ga.

BOWHUNTERCOP is right. A well setup 20 ga. works very well. They're usually smaller, lighter, have less recoil and can be just as accurate if not more so.

My 11-87 Sportsman Deer 12 ga. is a tank, the added weight does help tame recoil a little, but it's heavy. I set my 11-87 20 ga. up the same way for my dad to use, bought a 21" rifled barrel with the cantilever scope mount. It's like carrying a rifle. A 20 ga. is definitely worth considering.

11-87 Sportsman Deer

NYH.

I'm getting a Savage 220 jsut for the special shotgun only season. I have used my 870 in the past but the 220 is the top dog. Hard to shot a slug gun like a rifle with a shotguns trigger. I had a mossberg slug gun and the trigger was so hard to get used to when we would go from rifle to shotgun hunting. The 220 has the same trigger as the savage rifles.

I am 100% with Bowhuntercop and New York Hunter!!! I have 2 Mossberg Trophy Slugsters, 1-12ga and 1-20ga, and since I began shooting the 20ga, the 12 hasn't left the safe. Except to friends who wanted or needed it.
Both have ported barrels, cantilever scope mounts and Burris Slug gun scopes. The 20 will shoot as fast as any semi-auto out there. Accuracy is great with Fed. Barnes Expanders or Winch. Platnium Tips. If I do my part, the 20 will shoot side by side with any muzzleloader out to 150yds in accuracy.
My longest 1 shot kill was 167yds with a Fed. Barnes Expander. Laser Range finder verified. Never took a step. Droppped in a foot of snow and recovered by my son to witness.

I have a Remington 11-87, cantilever Scope mount with a Nikon 2-7 x 32. I have tried the majority of the "super" slugs out on the market today and I hunt with the Hornady sst's, just what my gun shoots best. Every slug gun has its own preference on what its going to shoot best. If I could change anything about my set up I would have a 3-9x40 on on it (coming in the near future). Good Luck!

Great advise above, I've improved my buddies accuracy by 50% switching him to different slugs.
I shoot a SuperNova, rifled barrel, pistol grip stock and Nikon Slug Hunter scope. The Remington accutip slugs work the best for my gun.

i have heard great things about the savages too, i have been looking for Brownings re-release of the 12ga. A-bolt in a wood stock. they are hard to find

I use a Remington 870 12ga with a Hastings rifled barrel on it. I have it topped with a Leupould 2x7. Been very happy with it over the past 10 years.

I've been hunting Illinois my whole life. I have 4 slug guns and to be honest they haven't seen the woods in 7 years. Do yourself a favor and consider a muzzloader. You can use a muzzleloader both seasons and they have a muzzleloader season the weekend following the second firearm season.

I've only tried one, but I love my Remmy 870 with rifled barrel, cantelevered scope mount, 4X glass, and fast sabot slugs. It'll keep a 2MOA group past 150yds.

Savage 210F; a proven tool
 

I have been using a Savage 210F (12 gauge) for years. It has killed more deer than I remember out to more than 150 yards. When I first got it, I tried a number of different slugs and settled on the Remington 2 3/4 Copper Solids. I think they are call Ultra now with improved ballistics. Here in PA, we are mostly in thick woods and it has never been a burden. I did have the trigger done a couple of years ago but, it killed lots of deer before that was done. It has been so accurate and reliable that my Browning with a rifled barrel has not been out in years.

With all the improvements in 20 gauge loads in the last few years, I have to believe that the 20 gauge version would be almost as effective; particularly if 3 inch shells were used.

A good scope is one key. I have used the Simmons 3.5 x 10 x 50 all these years. It has taken a pounding from the slug loads without failure. The scope is large but, I get more light in the woods.

cannot go wrong with the old auto 5 browning i own 3 of a sweet sixteen with a slug barrel a 20 gauge remington sportsman and a 12ga model 11 both off of the browning pattern the sweet sixteen is the best deer gun ive ever known killed many deer with it but i do have to say for the price cant beat an old 870!!!!!

I agree. You can buy a good quality muzzleloader for less $$$ that will outshoot any slug gun. I used to use a slug gun, but bought a cheap-o muzzy that performed light years better than the slugger and never looked back. Case in point- with my old Winchester slug gun, I might average 5" groups at 50 yards with a lot of recoil involved. With the cheap muzzy- 1" groups or less at 50 yards and 2" or less groups at 100 yards. Every deer shot with muzzy was DRT or recovered a short distance later.

Having said all that, if you are set on a slugger, I would recommend an H&R single shot slug gun in 20 gauge. My hunting buddy has one- we call it "the howitzer" and it is accurate and has brought down deer from 30 to 120 yards. He uses Lightfield slugs.

I have seen a lot of frustrating slug guns, and all have been pumps. Newer Ithaca guns notwithstanding, this is just the wrong system to select for a slug gun.

Bolt guns made like rifles are the way to go. I have a bolt action Marlin 512 that shoots very good groups with a couple brands of sabot slugs. 3" at 100 yds is typical. That's all I need for deer hunting. Used bolt actions like this or the Mossberg 695 (I think) can be had if you look, for not much money. If I had to buy a new slug gun it would be the Savage in 12 Ga. Browning is making their bolt action slug gun again too, but they are pricey.

Why a guy would limit himself to a single shot gun, either slug gun or muzzleloader, is beyond me. We all try to put the first one where it needs to go, but things do happen that can make a quick second shot a blessing. I'd hate to be in need of a quick second shot in regular firearm season, standing there trying to reload a muzzleloader (which I can do in about 30 seconds), while a wounded deer moves out of sight. An unnecessary tracking job is just that.

I do like to hunt with a muzzleloader, in muzzleloader season.

In my experience with deer hunting i have never had the time for a follow up shot due to the fact that the deer is already gone. and even if i did the chances of a hit are very slim ( the deer is running). I shoot an H&R ultra slug hunter it is a single shot however the savage 220 is verrrrrryyyy nice. If you like the feeling of a second or third round being there than i would go with the savage if not my H&R is just as accurate for half the price.

My vote goes for the Mossberg 500 with a cantilevered rifled barrel and a 4X scope. I used Remington sabot slugs and at 100 yards bench rest could touch the holes. Killed a lot of deer with that combo; in fact every shot even out to 110 yards was a pass though. However, do a lot of small game hunting as well and it got expensive re-sighting the slug barrel when I changed it out.

I bought an H & R which is just as deadly. Good stand gun but is a bear to carry around.