HuntingNet.com Forums - Shotgun ammo question?

ChiTownBuck,
Of course you can try & shoot all the different slugs to see which one works best out of your barrel. But you don't really need to do that much work and spend that much money.

FIRST! Disregard any & all info regarding shotguns that is posted by Smitty03!!!!!!!!!

DO NOT shoot ANY buckshot through your rifled barrel! No it won't blow up but the rifling will get two things. First the rifling will get the machined edges rounded which will deplete the rifling effectiveness. Second, the shot (lead or otherwise) will lead up your rifling. This leading can be difficult to remove.

I guess from your screen name that your from Chicago? If you deer hunt in IL with shotgun.....DON'T get caught with buckshot in your gun during season. I wouldn't even have it in my pocket! Illegal. Get caught and you are in BIG TROUBLE. I think they outlawed the 0 & 00 buckshot back in 1977 when they also no longer allowed deer hunting with .410 shotguns. Also make sure you have "the stick" in your gun during season! This dowel rod goes in the under barrel magazine to limit the shell capacity to two rounds in the magazine. With 1 round in the pipe and two in mag you're at legal limit of three rounds.

What county do you have permits to hunt? I'm down in Johnson County and the CPO's down there are wound pretty tight. Always wanting to stop anyone they see and check you out-thoroughly! SOB's come walking (and riding their noisy 4 wheelers) out in woods to check you too much. I can't imagine how many deer they've scared off from guys. Hopefully no dumb a** ever thinks they're a deer and shoot! They'll even check you out at the check in's. There were a bunch of CPO's at the check-in last couple of years. Anyway the CPO's are tight down there.

Back to which slugs to use. Don't let anyone try and get you to believe that you can only shoot sabot-type slugs thru your barrel. Not true! Sabots are much more expensive (due to the hype) than tradional Foster-type slugs. I shoot an H & R "Ultra Slug Hunter" 12 gauge single shot with a fully rifled "bull" barrel. I've wasted the time and money trying different slugs, so now, you don't have to. Most sabots are not very consistent and some even cut paper sideways at over 75 yds. (which means they are tumbling). My only pick of the sabots are the the Remington Copper type. Remington sabots are the only sabots I've found that are engineered correctly for optimum balance from the start of their design. Machined from a solid piece of billet copper they are machined to true roundness and balance. Other sabots are just a cast piece of lead or some other alloy. Casting can allow trapped air pockets (no matter how slight) or varying degrees of pourousness (microscoping bubbles in the casting material) which means they are not balanced very well.

I don't use sabots anymore anyway. I have some in my shooting box. Maybe I'll use them up at the range next time to clean house a bit.

I think that Remington Sluggers will shoot very well from your gun. I've always shot pretty tight groups with them. They are readily available and priced the lowest of slugs. I never had a single complaint with them until this year. I bought a whole bunch at my local Meijer store at $1.99/box. Out of 15 slugs I shot Oct. 19th, two misfired (My gun has NEVER misfired!). On the third misfire I was flabergasted! The armoror/range officer took a look at the ammo and quickly determined that the primers had been set to deeply and the firing pin was only slightly impressing. I returned the ammo to the Meijer store for a refund. I learned a lesson though and I'm glad it wasn't learned with a big IL buck at the receiving end of the barrel! Lesson learned-ALWAYS TAKE A FEW SECONDS TO EXAMINE THE AMMO. I don't think I'll ever chamber another round (of any make) without checking the primer seating depth.

My first choice of slugs IS ALWAYS Brenneke. Simply awesome! Designed, engineered and manufactured in Germany by probob;y the finest engineers in the world. (Like a Swiss watch ya know). They advertise that they have much more delivered energy that sabots and the technical data from all the manufacturer's argrees. Brenneke now makes a sabot to try and pick up some money from people dead set on using sabots. Check out their website (www.brenneke). It's a good website to let you see all their slugs and the barrels they can be shot thru.

On the subject of 2 3/4" vs. 3". You're very smart to be using only what you need to get the job done. 2 3/4" will definately do the trick in wooded areas with shots say 75 yds. and under. The 3-inchers definately have more kick in a gun like yours.

Here's some info for you next year. The ISP (IL State Police) open some ISP firing ranges around the state for deer hunters to sight in prior to season. (Great guys, eh? I think so) There's no cost. You simply need to reserve a slot prior to the actual day. I always go to District 5's range on IL Rt. 53 by Statesville prison. Two troopers (Mark & Tony) run the event and they're both really nice guys. There was also a brown-eyed, brunette CPO there. She was in camo and
da** it, she was HOT! I guess I discivered I had a weak (very) spot for women of authority in camo with a big gun belt. I told her about my alleged violations and where I had concealed the evidence, but she still wouldn't pat me down! (He he he) This year was on Oct. 19th. I reserved a slot for 3:00PM (the last slot). I was only shooter there and had plently of time and the range to myself. They also enjoyed shooting my "Ultra Slug" and couldn't believe the accuracy it delivered! The Ultra didn't need to be sighted in. With the 4X scope, it was just as accurate as when I tagged an 8 pointer last season. I only shot about 15 slugs through it before I let them "play" with it. I also practiced a little with my old Higgins 12 gauge pump. Shorter barrel and rifled sights brazed on. (No rifled barrel) I use this gun when I set up in tight brushy/wooded areas as it's nice and short. I shot it very well too. I know my shooting is READY for the bucks this year!

Shoot Brenneke! Priced right and performs awesome. You will not be disappointed by this ammunition. With the 3-inch Magnums you let 1 3/8 oz. of hot lead fly. Those let me shoot to 150 yards + with great accuracy with my H & R. I'm a happy camper. Paid $225.00 for new gun & $45.00 for scope=$270.00. $270 is less than some guys pay for their cantilever scope mount rifled barrels that simply cannot match the accuracy of a bull barreled H & R Ultra.

Post back. I'd like to hear which county you are heading to. I'm out in Bolingbrook (SW suburbs, 25 mi SW).

If you still need to experiment with ammo and sight in, Buffalo Rock Range in Ottawa is only place I know of. Your (combo of you & your equipment) maximum effective range can only be determined with a range session. I imagine your set up (properly sighted in) should be good to 100 yds.. I practice with regular paper plates because they represent the size of a deer's "boiler room" no matter what the distance or weapon. Holes show up real nice in them, too. Can't see holes too well in the black center of targets. Why do they make the center black? I would make more sense to make the center white wouldn't it?!

Now....."Go Get Ya One!"