What is the range of a shotgun for deer?
 

Both barrel types preferably
I am looking to buy a shtgun and am debating if I should go with the regular barrel or belly up and buy a combo of rifled slug and regular barrel.

Thanks in advance

I'd say 50-75 yd for a smooth bore barrel, (although some smooth bore shotguns can group at 100 yd with the right slugs). Maybe 150 - 200 yd. for a rifled barrel with saboted slugs.

Best thing to do is to pattern your gun at different yardage and then determine what range your gun will allow you to make an ethical shot on an annimal. For me, I don't shoot at a deer beyond 30 yard w/ a shotgun, 25 yds w/ a bow. This keeps my recovery rate high.

As far as what to buy, it will depend on where you plan to shoot/hunt. My first shotgun was a combo with a slug barrel and a smooth barrel. Because I can use rifles where I hunt, I only use the smooth barrel. For distance shot I use the ML or rifle.

From my experience with shotguns, it comes down to accuracy. A smoothbore barrel won't be too accurate out past 50 or 75 yards I don't think. If you get a rifled barrel and try out some of the newer sabots, I think you will find you can hit a paper plate (about the size of a whitetail deer's vitals) at 150 yards without too much difficulty. The slug is starting to drop pretty fast out there at that range, so practicing at 100, 125, and 150 yards would be important.

Regular smoothbore barrels are not that good at stabilizing slugs, especially sabots. A sabot round needs the spin from the rifling to allow the sabot to separate from the actual bullet. Sabot rounds are what you really want to use for deer, they are way more advanced than the older slugs.

I shoot a Encore rifled Slug barrel, I am comfortable out to 120 yards. I shoot SST by Hornady. Smooth Bore 50 - 75 tops. I can push my encore father but choose not to.

I shoot a Browning with a rifled choke. I shoot lightfield sabot slugs. this combo is accurate to 125 yds. Past that you have to account for drop.

For smoothbore, 50 - 75 yards for most shotguns. My friend can shoot his accurately out to 100 yards, but from my experience, that is the exception rather than the rule.

With rifled shotguns, the only experience I've had is with the H&R single shot full rifled. That was extremely accurate with Lightfield slugs - like 2" groups at 100 yards. It is my cousin's deer gun, and he has taken deer out to 120 yards with it. I'm sure it would be good to 150+ if you practice to account for the bullet drop.

Wow, that's out there.

What brand and model is this shotgun?

And the right slugs? What brand are they? Any particular bullet configuration?

iSnipe

With my 870 28" bbl (smoothbore), I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn at 25 yards with rifled slugs, using the standard Rem chokes. Okay, I could hit a target at 25 yards but about 8 inches high and 5 inches to the left. TERRIBLE. I recently got the Wad Wizard choke and now I can sling rifled slugs 100 yards within 3 inches of bullseye. Go figure!

I also I have a Marlin 512 bolt action slug gun. It has a 3" chamber but I've only fired 2 3/4" sabots out of it. It's sighted in for 100 yards and can do 1.5" groups at this range with the Remington Premier Accutip sabots. They are the ONLY slugs I was able to get to group accurately out of that gun. With that said, I haven't tried everything out there. I am able to group about 4" at 200 yards with this gun. I aim about 3-4" high to hit bullseye.

get yourself the rifled/cantilever barrel a place a good scope on it, try different sabot slugs to see which works best

Ok - generalization



Smooth bore = 50 yards

Rifling = 100 yards (BTW - 100 yards is a long ways !)


Remember; It's a shotgun !!!

I have a Mossberg 500 model 12 Ga Shotgun about 25 Years old it has a 30 Inch Barrel and full choke, I have taken deer with Double 00 buck at 100 Yards , it will also group 4 inch groups with slugs at 100 Yards.I have down ducks that no one dare to shoot at that the hight they were flying, shot turkey on the head at 40 Yards, dove shot with a lot of accuracy.
If you can find one like that buy it, probably you can get one for around $150, best pump shotgun ever made for the money,IMO.

Get a muzzleloader!!
Yes, you get one shot, but accuracy,distance (200 plus yds) and ability to customize a load are the payback. Thats an inline ML.
I used a shotgun for 20 years and had tooo many inconsistant shots & performance with Foster &and sabot slugs.

Ranger

You've got to determine the range at which you can consistently hit the kill zone. That range might vary depending on the barrel, and generally it will be further with a rifled bore, but it boils down to making a quick, clean kill. For one person that range might be 50 yds., for another it might be 150. We all owe it to the game animal to take shots we can make.

i have an old mossberg 5oo with cantilever barrel with 3x9 bushnell shooting remington copper slugs. i have shot deer at 150 yards but thats with alot of practice 100 yards with this setup is a chip shot cant beat an old mossberg

I also shoot the mossberg 500 but in 20ga and have shot deer out to 125yds.Get the combo so you get the rifled barrel you will be glad you did.Iam shooting the 260gr Partition gold 1900fps.

My BPS will group 2 3/4" Brennecke slugs at 4-6" at 100 yd. with an IC choke tube.

WOW....!!!! 100 yards with Double 00 buck??? I'd love to see that! I dont doubt that a "target" can be hit with 00 buck at 100 yards, but to get enough penetration... hmmmmmm very doubtful.

Looked up Brenneke slugs and they look good from my brief observations.

Thanks.

iSnipe

Very irresponsible. I would bet anyone they can't hit the vitals of a deer "target" with 00 at 100 yards consistently 4 out of 5 times. Anyone want to take me up on it, let me know. I got the 100yards.

If you are looking to bird hunt also, it's hard to beat the 870 combo with bird barrel and a cantilever rifled slug barrel. Mine shoots dead on at 100 yds. It would likely do fine to 150, but I'm limited by my red dot sight. I'd go farther with a 1.5-4.5 or 3-9 scope.

For a dedicated slug gun, I'd go with an H&R Ultra Slug Hunter. If I were starting over, I'd get one of those and a separate bird gun.

Once you choose the gun, you'll have to try several different slugs to see which your gun likes the best.

Anytime any day, But we have to put up some $$ :happy0001: LOL
Done it more than once and deer being chased by dogs.

Snipe, I have a 200 yard range here on my place and shoot a BRN A-5 with a Hastings Full Rifled Barrel with rifle sights.........I shoot Winchester BRI's and can bust 4" flood lamps at 150 yards with them......

Sure, I can take you up on that. You ever come up north or always stay in Fl? I got the cash to back it, don't worry. And I know you do. Hey if you can pull it off 4 shots out of 5, I will humbly appoligize. But I have patterned too many shotguns not to know better.

5 bills wouldn't break you nor I and sure would make it interesting. But the one deal is we have to video it for our fellow HNI'ers

These days with sabot slugs costing what they do, to me it makes a lot of sense to consider what your hunting situation really requires. If you will be shooting longer shots (75 yards and beyond), then go with a fully rifled barrel and a scope, and shoot the sabots that give you the best accuracy. If you can live with shooting 75 yards and under, I'd be happy with a smoothbore barrel with rifled sights (or even a scope) and shooting the rifled slugs that work best from your gun.

I have a Mossberg 500 combo. The smoothbore barrel with rifled sights will shoot easy 2" groups at 50 yds, and I'd shoot at deer out to 75-80 yds no problem. Beyond that range my eyes and the sights become the limiting factor. Rifled slugs do a number on deer.

I was thinking more like 5,000 that would pay for my trip ,LOL

Your a high roller no doubt. Wife would cut my nads off if I risked 50 bills of family funds on this. I realize 5 large is nothing for a roller like yourself. But I am fairly tempted. As I don't think you could do it consistently. Decisions, decisions. On one hand, probably sinnful as all get out for two believers to try to drain each other. On the other hand, it would be good HNI fun for all.

Before the choice is made, let me understand.

Let me get this right, if I put 5 large into escrow (of your choice) and you do the same of course, you would fly up to BWI, I would pick you up and it would be on?

Terms would be you have to put at least 2 pellets of 00 buckshot 3" mag (no more than 16 pellets) from 12ga of choice into the vitals of a std deer target (well have to figure that one out). This shot is made at 300 lasered feet. Vitals will consist of heart, lungs, and I will even throw in the liver. This can be freehand, or off of a tripod or leaning against a tree. You would need to pull this off 4 out of 5 shots. You only get 5 shots. 5 full size deer targets. Each target replaced after the each shot. And 4 would need to have at least 2 pellet thru said vitals.

I tend to avoid getting into his sort of stuff because it always seems to turn ugly. But I will say of course that you will get accuracy at MUCH longer distances with a rifled barrel over a smooth bore. 2X-3X easily as a general rule.

And of course the capabilities of a given shotgun, given barrel and given round rely mostly on the shooter and alot of practice.

Deer are not difficult to kill at all with a proper shot that delivers enough energy.

As to any long range shotgun kills I can only personally attest to a single 12-gauge 3" Brenneke Gold Mag dropping a really nice size deer at just under 200 yards.

I mean absolutely no disrespect to you kosherboy, but just out of curiosity, why would someone who is willing to wager 5 grand on a seemingly un winnable bet, shoot a mossberg?:confused2:

you got big cohones ill give you that:happy0001:

5 ain't nothing for him. Drop in the bucket.

Interesting wager on the 100 yards with buckshot. He does have to push the pellets at least 6 or more inches into target as well right? You could get him a block target and put the vitals poster on that.

I've never shot buckshot before but I didn't know that buckshot kept that much velocity at 100 yards.

That would be step two. I seriously doubt we would get past step one

In order to be an ethical hunter, it is your responsibility to use a caliber that can not only hit a deer in the vitals, but the round also has to carry enough energy at that distance to insure a quick and humane kill. I would just like everyone to consider that one 00 buckshot pellet carries the same amount of energy at 40 yards that a .22LR has at the muzzle. A round pellet is also the least aerodynamic shape for a projectile, and they slow down at an ever increasing rate as they travel downrange. Most guns will also throw such a large pattern, that it would be almost impossible to miss a deer completely. This leaves more deer wounded than killed, just talk to any deer processor that's from an area where buckshot is used by a large number of hunters. They'll tell you stories of deer with infections and gangreen that was caused by buckshot pellets.

If you two guys really want to bet on this, I suggest that the test be done correctly. How about shooting a 12" thick block of ballistics gellatin that is covered with a deer hide. I say that you should be able to hit it with a minimum of four pellets(not two), and they should penetrate to the point that the pellets reach the skin on the off side, and preferably exit the other side.

Sounds like a good test to me..............!!

Sounds good. I wonder if kosherboy would be willing?;)

I will supply the bullistic gell.

Alex, calling you out. Where you at?

I shot my buck this year at 120+ yards with my Remington 870 and rifled barrel. I use Hornady sabot slugs.

I call BS. I also call you an idiot. Might get me banned, but then who wants to be on a hunting board where the mods would rather pacify irresponsible hunters, then get behind ones that say what everyone else wants to say but are afraid of getting banned.

Now I doubly stand by my statement.

You need to add in a moving target as he said his dogs were chasing these 100 yard kills.

Before this gets snowballing I would like to say that I think some people have a much more difficult time accurately establishing distances (ranges) than others do.

It is my opinion that many people truly do believe what the are saying. Not saying that they are right - just that they believe it.

Many of these folks can throw footballs well over a hundred yards also.