Understood.

Two years ago I used a Remington 1187 12 gauge with Remington rifled cantilever barrel, Nikon Pro Staff scope, Remington Sluggers (yes people you can shoot fosters out of a rifled barrel). Killed two deer at 125 and 127 yards.

We have quite a bit of experience hunting (and shooting practice) with the H&R (also known as NEF-New England Firearms) ultra slug single shot shotgun. We use the 20 gauge models. It has a rifle barrel and is deadly accurate. Essentially it is a 20 gauge gun bored into a 10 or 12 gauge blank (I'm not sure which). Very heavy gun, no barrel deflection, absolutely minimal kick.

I use the Winchester Partition Gold sabot and it shoots 3 inch groups at 150 yards. My son uses the Hornady SST and shoots 3 inch groups at 180 yards. My gun does not shoot the SST's well and his gun does not shoot the Partition Gold's well. Our hunting buddy uses the same weapon, his gun shoots the Winchester Platnum's the best.

Best you try out different sabots until you find the one that works in the gun you purchase or own.

By the way, we have killed deer at these distances as well. Gives the hunter a lot of confidence, but remember, lots of practice is the key.

Wildbill51

I have seen two deer shot and killed at 80 yds while hunting over dogs with a shotgun. I would have never believed it if I had not seen it either. It was with a 12 gauge with buck kicker choke 000B 3.5". A couple pellets each in the necks of the bucks and they didn't make it far.

I'm not saying he is telling the truth, but it can be done. The penetration is going to be terrible unless with a 3.5" load. Personally, anywhere I can see more than 50 yards and I'm pulling out my rifle.

I did kill a 3pt buck two weeks ago with my Browning BPS 12 gauge (extra full factory choke) with 3" 00B at 40 yards and put 11 (out of 15) buckshot in him throughout the base of the neck and vitals(he dropped in his tracks). I thought that pattern density was fairly impressive.

I hunted many years with both an Ithaca Model 37 12ga smoothbore deerslayer - and later with a Model 87 Deerslayer Deluxe II rifled barrel (started with BRI Sabot Bullets in 1992).

Honestly - the downrange bullet effectiveness was the same for both guns - but the rifled barrel was more consistantly accurate. (past 100 yds - you had to know the distance though - because the bullet started dropping really fast for both guns actuallly).

My furthest shot with the rifled barrel was 110 yds - and my furthest with the smoothbore was a very lucky 150 yd holdover followup on an escaping wounded deer. Even at 150 yds a Federal Foster slug did mega damage.

FH