12 gauge slug
 

I decided to take my Mossberg 500 out for gun season this year, instead of using my bow for the full season. I bought a few pack of rifled2 3/4"12 gauge hollow point slugs. They are made by Winchester and weigh 1 ounce, shooting 1,600 fps. I have never hunted deer with a gun, and had a few questions about gun hunting.

I can consistently put every shot into a three inchcircle at thirty five yards.I will be shooting a max of thrity five yards. The "problem" is, after shooting a few times into the target, I noticed that they leave a massive hole. The deer here are relatively small, weighing 110-150 lbs. Would using these massive slugs be suitable for deer hunting?

If so, I have two chokes. One is an improved cylinder, the other, a full. I did a little research before shooting, and was informed that the improved cylinder was the way to go. I know that a slug is one solid mass of lead, so would there be any benefit to using the full choke? It would stabilize it more than an improved cylinder, would it not? Would it destroy my barrel?

Thanks for bearing with me. Any advice is appreciated.

RE: 12 gauge slug
 

Don't use the full choke, the imp. and mod. chokes will be ok. as for the deer size. Your good to go, the slug has alot of knock down power, but believe it or not, it doesn't do as much damage as a high powered rifle. Yes there will be damage, but in my past experience, it punches a hole thru them, without exploding like a high powered rifle will. But differant designs will do differant damage. I use sabots, and solid copper hollow points by Remington. But have also used Fostner type rifled slugs in the past. Place your shot right, and youll minimize your spoilage. hope this helps. Scott.

RE: 12 gauge slug
 

You can use rifled slugs with a full choke, but I doubt they will work very well. It will not hurt your gun though, the fins on the slug are made to crush as they go thru the choke. Full chokes with rifled slugs usually are not too accurate because of the amount of damage they do to the slug as it leaves the barrel.

I would also suggest an Improved Cylinder or Modified choke. And you should be able to shoot farther than 35 if you have to, probably 50 or better of your gun likes those slugs and you shoot well.

Those slugs are fine for deer, if you don't want to damage that much meat don't shoot them in the shoulder, aim for the vitals like you would with a bow. Don't be suprised if they run though, using that big ole slug doesn't mean they will drop on the spot. As a matter of fact I haven't had one drop yet, they all run for a little ways.

Like said above, slugs are not as devastating as a high powered rifle. I shot one last year with a full bore slug that weighed 600 grns. It punched a hole all the way thru the deer about the size of a quarter. The exit wound was about the same as the entrance wound. I shot the deer from about 20 yards.

Paul

RE: 12 gauge slug
 

I don't feel comfortable using the full choke with a slug. I know I'm probably just a little paranoid, but, most manufacturers don't recommend it. Most recommend improved. That said, one of the best hunters I know, who has used the same browning auto, for decades says "use the full choke, that's what I do". So there probably isn't a big difference, i just don't see why I would use the choke that wasn't recommended when I couldn't be happier with how my slugs are shooting out of my improved cylinder 11-87. I’m comfortable taking a 100 yard shot, if the situation is right.
Paul is right. Shooting the shoulder will damage the meat, but this is a good tactic to use if you in a situation where you don't want the deer to travel far. One example of this is in my favorite stand. In the mornings they are usually headed toward the property boundary. This creates a problem since we don't have permission to hunt the property and there is also a small river to contend with. If the deer is headed that way, I will shoot through the shoulders to stop him right where he is. And it usually works. Another option is the heart/shoulder combo. Quartering towards you, you’d shoot through the shoulder and then the heart. Quartering away, you’d shoot heart and then shoulder on the exit wound.
Good luck.

RE: 12 gauge slug
 

I use a Mossberg 500 with a rifled barrel and Remington coppersolid hollow points on whitetails (usually 125 - 150 lbs) and they do a great job. I always aim at the shoulder for two reasons. First, it will usually stop the slug inside the deer causing massive internal damage instead of passing through. Second, because of the slug causing that much vital damage, I have never had to track a deer yet that I have shot through the shoulder. The farthest I have ever had one run is 60 yards. You should be able to get a real good grouping at 35 yards too. I am very confident with my shots at 100 yards and can keep a 4" group at that distance with my setup.

With that all said, I usually leave the shotgun in the truck and take my muzzleloader if I am hunting from a stand. If I am push hunting, then the shotgun comes out.

RE: 12 gauge slug
 

Its pretty much been said already by a few guys. When I go out during Ohio's guns season I aim just like an arrow. Double lung = dead deer! The shoulder works but sometimes they can still go for awhile but it works good. I shot my first Gun deer last year with my ML, all of my other deer have been with a CB. I was going for a double lung but the deer was at a more of a quarter shot then I thought and it exited on the shoulder side. I had to toss about all of the meat in the shoulder. I will still try for lung shots.