Some discussion recently about recoil of deer slugs.

What is the hardest kicking deer slugs you have experienced?

For me I have found the 12 gauge Remington 3" BuckHammers to be really harsh!

Lets stick to commonly available slugs. I did once shoot a 10 gauge, 3-1/2" that was brutal! Old shell looked like half of a road flare.

It's been my experience that the gun being used has more to do with the recoil than the slugs. Those 3 inch mags kick a little more I guess and with the SLIGHTLY higher velocities it sure isn't worth it. My TC PH slug slinger is a very light rig so with that comes much more felt recoil. My old Mossburg 500 with the deer slayer barrel on it was fairly heavy (that barrel was a beast) so the recoil of it was far less "painful" at the bench.

I grew up using shotguns for everything. Saboted slugs, 3 inch and 3 1/2 inch magnums were unheard of and shotguns where typically heavier with longer smoothbore barrels. I never recall recoil being too bad with heavier 12 gauges and 2 3/4 inch slugs. The introduction of 2 3/4" saboted slugs and rifles barrels never seemed too bad either. Avoid light guns and longer magnum slugs if recoil is an issue or get a 20 gauge. It doesn't take a cannon to kill a deer.

Have shot 410 slugs many years ago and they were not bad. Fast forward 50 some years and shot my hunting partners Remington 12ga. 870 with a Hastings slug barrel using Hastings 3 inch slugs. that thing rocked my world and I said I would keep using a Muzzle loader when hunting in his neck of the woods.
Since then I did buy a Remington 870 20ga slug gun, I shoot 2 3/4 inch buck hammers in it and don't find it unpleasant.

Al

Yes they are.