Shotgun ammo question?
 

I will be deer hunting with a shot gun for the first time this season and I was wondering what is a good deer slug to use? And how long of a shot with accuracy that I can take? I will be using a Remington 870 shotgun with a rifled barrel. Thanks

RE: Shotgun ammo question?
 

Try several of the popular brands and you will find the one your gun likes best. Winchester, Federal, Remington, Lightfield are all good. Accuracy and shot length will be determined by you. From a bench or good rest, most rifled barrels shooting sabots have great accuracy at 100 yards and slightly further. Overall, that will be determined by you and how much time you put into it.

--Sign In Chinese Pet Store: "Buy one dog, get one flea..."--

RE: Shotgun ammo question?
 

I have the same setup & find that Challenger slugs work best in my 870...like the other post said, you have to try different ammo to find the one that works best for you....Brampton Mike

RE: Shotgun ammo question?
 

Ditto to what the others said . . . Get a couple of different brands, and find what shoots best in your gun. Every gun shoots different, even different exampes of the same model.

RE: Shotgun ammo question?
 

I bought me a Remington 870 this year... and am going with 2 3/4" Remington Rifled Slugs!
I don't think theres much difference in 2 3/4 and 3 inch shells... especially where I hunt... cuz after 30 yards or so... it's too thick for a clear shot.
I've literally had Deer walk up within 12-15 yards from me before... Longest shot was 30 yards!
I sit still like a statue... last year and this 92 class 8 point walks up 25-30 yards from me... watched me the whle time, but I would'nt move.
So he kinda went on about his business... and I had one time shotat his neck, and I got him. Boy was I thrilled...
I was out piddling around on some property this year, and walked in behind a pond I was fishin... and sit down... a few minutes I heard smething wlking. I stood up and looked, armed with only a fishin pole. lol
There stood the biggest Deer I've ever seen Oct 18th 2002... a heavily massed 8 point 150 class... 225 lbs.
He was staring at me for 15 minutes... 25 yards away... with his chest exposed.
I just remained still just like I did last year... kinda practicing ya know.
He never even took another step for 15 minutes. Just stood there. Snorted and Stomped once!
I'll never forget that... he was a Monster! :)

RE: Shotgun ammo question?
 

I don't know much about slug hunting, but if you go to buckshot, I would use a modified choke with 00 buckshot. The modified choke will give you a very tight pattern.

RYAN SMITH

RE: Shotgun ammo question?
 

Buckshot is illegal here in Mo... so I use Rifled Slugs... with an Improved Cylinder Choke. :)

RE: 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!"

RE: Shotgun ammo question?
 

Here in Missouri... it's legal to remove the plug, so that your Gun can hold 5 Sheels, instead of 3... only during deer season though.
I actually always leave mine in though...
I thought about using Remington Slugs... but am gonna check out that Brenneke brand... seems like Wal Mart mentioned carrying that brand.

RE: Shotgun ammo question?
 

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote<font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
Here in Missouri... it's legal to remove the plug, so that your Gun can hold 5 Sheels, instead of 3... only during deer season though.
I actually always leave mine in though...
I thought about using Remington Slugs... but am gonna check out that Brenneke brand... seems like Wal Mart mentioned carrying that brand. www.brennekeusa.com
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>

RE: Shotgun ammo question?
 

I would respectfully disagree with uncle matt. I have done a lot of work on my slug setup and rifled (Foster-style) slugs through a rifled barrel have not shown to be a worthwhile combination in my experience. I believe the manufacturers say the same thing. I would guess that the grooves in his barrel are significantly filled in/rounded. There is a different rate of twist between rifled barrel and rifled slug. The rifled barrel could likely shear off some of the rifling on the slug and who knows what you will get. I have shot Remington, Federal Classic (my favorite), Federal Premium, Winchester, Winchester Partition Gold and Hornaday through mine and never once have I had one tumble. My dad and uncle have the same setup as me with the same results. My setup is a Hastings Barrel, Beretta 390 and Burris scope and we are all consistently shooting sub 3&quot; groups (outside to outside) at 100 yards off of a vise type rest. Do what other posters have said and try a box of each flavor and see what works best. Note, if you try the rifled slugs and they don't work, you are in for many hours of cleaning to get back to where you were before you shot them.

RE: Shotgun ammo question?
 

HERE IN NEW JERSEY WE HAVE TO USE SHOTGUNS FOR DEER ALSO. IF I WAS YOU I WOULD TEST FIRE THE NEW &quot;LIGHTFIELD COMMANDER IDS&quot; IN 3&quot;. YOUR GUN HAS A RIFLED BARREL, 3&quot; CHAMBER, TRY THESE SLUGS I THINK YOU WILL LOVE THE PERFORMCE. YOU CAN TRY THE OTHER TYPE OF LIGHTFIELDS. HERE IN NEW JERSEY ALOT OF HUNTERS ARE USING LIGHTFIELD SLUGS, EITHER IN 2 3/4 OR 3 &quot; THESE NEW LIGHTFIELD SLUGS IN 3&quot; I USE IN MY 12GA MOSSBERG, HOPEFULLY HAVE TIME TO SITE IN MY 12GA REMINGTON 11-87 RIFLED BARREL. WISH YOU BEST OF LUCK

RE: Shotgun ammo question?
 

Thanks for all the replies guys. My brother in law that I am hunting with is lending me the gun that I mentioned. We are checking in the sighting tomorrow and he likes Barnes expander's. So thats what I will be using. I think the only way I will miss a deer is if a big buck steps out and I shake worse than an earthquake.<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

RE: Shotgun ammo question?
 

You never said what range (distance) you were expecting to shoot. In a rifled barrel, regular slugs (not sabots) might be fine for close range (under 50 yards), but they will lead the rifling badly and quickly. In my Ithaca Deerslayer II, the best sabots were the old BRI Sabots (before Winchester bought them). They would group 3 shots under 2&quot; at 100 yds from sandbags. Now after shooting everything on the market except the new Remington Core-Loc slugs and the new Winchester Platinum (testing will happen this week if the wind lets up), the best for my gun are the Winchester Supreme. But, every gun is different, and just like a rifle, the ammo will vary from lot to lot. So if you find a particular shell that works very well, buy enough of that lot to last as long as you will have the gun - the ammo won't go bad if you store it in a cool, dry place.

Maybe I'm a bit more anal about accuracy than most people, but I'm still not happy with the 3 to 4&quot; groups that I'm getting at 100 yd. with the gun now. If this years new ammo doesn't work any better, then it's out with the old and in with the new (for next year). Maybe I'll try one of the 20 gauges - they should have less recoil!

Whatever you decide, just remember that consistency in how you test (don't change anything other than the ammo) will give you the best indicator on what ammo your particular gun likes the best. In my experience, don't even bother with the 3&quot; stuff. They have never grouped better than that manufacturers 2 3/4&quot; shells in my gun.

If you are really curious, I've got a bunch of odds 'n ends (sabot shells) that didn't work in my gun. Cheap!

esshup
[email protected]

RE: Shotgun ammo question?
 

I called around my hometown... and even wal mart... asking if they carried Brenneke... and they said no!
We carry a Rotweiller brand... hmmmm well I went up there, and it's called Rottweil Brenneke... (Just what I was looking for) 2 3/4&quot; I shot a box for practice... and they did a fine job! Thats what I'm using. I'm now ready... <img src=icon_smile_cool.gif border=0 align=middle>

RE: Shotgun ammo question?
 

I have that same setup and Lightfields work good outta my setup, and they produce one heck of a hole!

RE: Shotgun ammo question?
 

CODYDAWG,

My barrel is not leaded up by any means-it's still &quot;razor sharp&quot;.
No offense was mean't and none was taken. It's all OK. Go to the BrennekeUSA website and you'll see there how most (if not all) of the non-sabots are RECOMMENDED for rifled barrels. Brenneke is a slug trade name and Brenneke slugs are loaded into some other ammunition manufacturer's shells too. You really CAN'T beat the energy delivered from these babies!

Now.....&quot;GO Get Ya One!&quot; (POWWWW!..........With a Brenneke!)

RE: Shotgun ammo question?
 

Unlce Matt-
How could the rifling be razor sharp and not shear off some of the soft lead from a foster style slug? Also, energy is a function of mass and velocity, thus the Brenneke's probably don't deliver much more energy (if any) than any other slug from the other brands. What could be different is the bullet style which could mean a big difference in wound channel.

RE: Shotgun ammo question?
 

Hey all, First post here for me
I am 3 days away from the Slug season here and MN, so I have some input on the slug issue. I have chosen the Winchester partition gold, 2 3/4 in. I started out with Federal Premium 3&quot; Sabot's. The federals were fine, but the winchesters are a much flatter shooting slug than the Federal. And the winchester velocity is much higher, at 1900 fps @ 3', as opposed to 1550 on the Federals. You do give up some size at 385 for the Winchester, and 435 for the Federals. But, be ready to spend some money for either of these as they can be $10/box of 5, but I have found them as low as 8.99 for the partition golds. Good luck