Shooters Forum banner

how far wil a deer slug go?

15K views 17 replies 10 participants last post by  Tumbleweeds 
#1 · (Edited)
how far will a deer slug go?

i have a remmy 870 express combo with the rifled barrel what i want to know is can i get it to go out to 300 yards accuratly? if not how far?
 
#2 ·
I wouldn't even consider a shot beyond 100 yards with a shotgun. Anything beyond that will have a considerably large projectile drop.

Mr Gates has a slug called the Terminater that would be the only one I would consider beyond 100 yards. His has a better bore fit than commercial loads, and is short enough not to require as high a spin rate as commercial loads would for the same accuracy potential.

If hunting at the ranges you indicate, I would suggest a good rifle.
 
#3 ·
I have shot many deer with a 12 guage slug well past 100 yards. 300 is not even an option. That would be like trying to shoot a p-dog at 1000 yards with a .223. It will drop way too much for that. If you practice up to 100 yards, then you might take a longer shot, but I wouldn't go past 150yds. My slug gun has about a 10" drop at 100yds. Thats holding on its back and hitting in the lung area. Anything past that is just guess work. I use a smooth bore slug barrel on my 870.
 
#6 · (Edited)
gunslinger555 said:
mine has a rifled barrel tho
A rifled barrel will increase your accuracy, but it still has the shotgun velocity, thus it still drops. Many people are better than I am with a shotgun, and will take shots out to 150 yards, but I will still stick with a maximum of 100 yards. Most states that have shotgun only hunting usually have thick cover, and a 100 yard shot is a long shot.
 
#8 ·
gunslinger555 said:
got yah thanx
Since you have a rifled barrel you will usually have much more accuracy than a unrifled barrel. I have been testing sabot slugs for years and have tried every brand on the market. Of course, some work better than others in my 2 dedicated slug guns. I know I can get some nice groups with my Ithaca Deerslayer ll at 100 yards. I have had 3 shots touching several times so I knoe the gun is very accurate. I still shoot in the area of 100 yards as my personal maximum range. I have done some testing at 200 yards, but the accuracy is no where as good as at 100 yards.A 2 inch group at 100 doesn't necessarily translate to a 4" group at 200 yards. If I am 200 yards away from a deer, I will attempt to get closer and it sure does add something to the hunt for me,, stalking close is a rush for me, sure, I sometimes spook the deer but it is my inability. If you have THE gun that shoots super good, you might be able to connect with a deer at 300 yards, but to me it is very unsportsman like. The slug does have the power, do you have the ability? Just advice and you can take it or not. Best of luck in your hunting too
 
#9 ·
What everyone is trying to tell you is a shotgun with typical slug barrel accuracy is pretty much limited to 200 yards and under. In reality a hundred yards is probably the outside most everyone shoots deer sized animals with a shotgun.

Like some others I'd suggest a rifle for longer shots, though with the realization that some states do not allow that.

Besides it gives you another reason to aquire another gun, something most of us hunters are always looking for.
 
#10 ·
If you have properly tuned equipment, you can be minute of deer with a slug gun at about 150-175 yards. But that is being optimistic. With most shotgun scopes being 4x with thick reticals, your crosshairs will pretty much cover up the chest of a deer at 150 yards. With iron sights, forget going past 100. Your trajectory is not as flat.

If you really want to shoot a slug 200 yards....get a 20ga. They are the only ones that come close...but thats still pushing it.
 
#11 ·
Federal has a fairly comprehensive velocity, energy, and drop tabulation for all their ammunition, including slugs. Winchester does too. Remington has some ammo called Buckhammer that is touted to be quite accurate. Winchester sells a premier 3" 385gr sabot that still has ~2400 FtLbs at 100yd.

I would be impossible for me to better state what has been said already about velocities, drop, etc, so I'll add the following.

More important to me than energy is optimal game weight. While KE is MV(2), OGW is V(3)M(2)Y (a coefficient). That is, cube the V, square the mass, times this all together with 1.5E-12. It will give you the optimum game weight at that velocity. A 7mm-08 at 100yd has ~2400 KE and an OGW of 500. At 100yd that 7/8oz slug has KE of ~2400 but an OGW of 1050 Lbs. That's practically anything in the States except buffalo and bull Grizzlies. You can take 1000Lb game at 200yd with a 338 or 300 Winnie (or bigger) and 1000lb game at 300yd with a 375 H&H (or bigger). What I am saying is within a 100yd you can take just about any woodland animal on the continent with a slugger. Beyond that you should (must?) concider a centerfire rifle with the appropriate OGW potential for the distances you plan to use it at.

Winchester has Partition Gold zeroed at 150yd(?) with a zenith of 2.5" at 75yd. I would probably zero this zinger at 100yd and then you'll likely have a +/- 2" window out to 125yd. Federal's 3" 1.25oz slug has a 100yd KE of 1547 and a drop of ~4.5" when I zero at 50yd. This is the slug I most commonly use and it is good for up to a 650# animal at 100 yd - all I have ever needed. I will certainly have to try the Winchester Partition Gold! I have a smoothbore with a rifled choke for sabots.

And I concur, once your shotgun is scoped, barrel length (between 20-30") is of no consequence. The only advantage a long barrel provides is a better sight picture for open sight users, like bird guns. A 30" will do nothing more for pattern (all in the choke) or velocity that a similarly configured 20" will do. I have a Burris 2.5x on my 870 and my 28" barrel collects dust. Birds are like crabs; way too much effort for the meat!
 
#13 ·
That one really made me laugh! Yeah, I usually don't broadcast that, but I am amongst freinds here :).

We lived in Indiana for 4 years, and I once asked out loud "What's Eukere?" Any Hoosier out there will understand the gravity of such a question.

I'm a transplant - as more and more folks who live in the 'greater DC' area are. However, I have lived here 6 years now and can confess that I have yet to eat a crab fom the shell in Maryland. Why go through all that effort when you can have a T-Bone?

BTW, I am sure there are a lot of waterfowl hunters who peruse this forum; no offense intended! Bird-men (and ladies) must have a passion for and patience in birding that I must respect; I just haven't been bitten by that bug.

:)
 
#15 ·
gunslinger555 said:
Ruger4570, I didnt mean for it sound like i wanted to shoot a deer out to 300 yards I just wanted to know if it can make it that far the max. I have gone for deer is 125 yards I just wanted to know how far my shotty could go. thanx all for the info. everyone.
I am sure a sabot slug, at least all I have tried certainly are capable of killing a deer at 300 yards. I was just concerned you were planning on trying to do the shot,, heck, you might get lucky lol. The ballistics of slugs really don't lend themselves to shots this long at least accurately enough to try.. to much of a chance for a bad shot and a wounded deer.Please don't think I was beating on you, just trying to explain things as best I could. Best of luck with your gun and future hunts.
 
#16 ·
Over the last five years I've shot quite a few sabot slugs in 12's and 20's . All the guns I used had rifled barrels .
In the 12 gauge I've used a Browning A-Bolt , Savage 210 and Remington 870 . All were scoped . As far as slugs in the 12's go I've used Federal with the Barnes Expander slug , Winchester Partition Gold , Hornady SST and the Remington Core Lokt Ultra . The 870 left quickly , the ABolt liked the Winchesters and I killed a few deer with it . The Savage however likes the Federals , the Winchesters and the Hornadys . I recently got a TC Encore Pro Hunter ML and ordered a 12 gauge slug barrel for it as well , so we shall see about that one .

In the 20 gauge the only gun I've used so far is a H&R Ultra Slug Hunter Deluxe . And I've tried the same four slug brands in it as the 12 gauge . This one likes them all fairly well with a preference for the Winchester and Hornady . I believe if the TC 12 barrel performs well I may order a 20 gauge slug barrel as well .

As far as range is concerned I've shot all these slugs at 50, 100 and 150 . All shots were atken from the bench in solid bags . At 150 yards 2.5" groups were the norm . The Hornady boxes tell you that you are alright out to 200 yards , however I never tried them at that range.
In the past I've killed deer with a ML at 150 yards or so with 120 grains powder and a 250 grain bullet . So my belief is if the ML will do it at that range the slugs should be good to 150 as well . But the furthest I've ever shot a deer with a slug gun was about 85 yards .

These are all my opinions based on personel use .
 
#18 ·
Max range varies from one slug type to another, and is primarily dependent on ballistic coeficient and muzzle velocity, and of course on whether the barrel is rifled. A Foster slug from a smoothbore won't go nearly so far as a sabot slug from a rifled barrel, and results vary some from one gun to another just like with rifles.

Remington and others have ballistics tables on their web sites for rifle cartridges, and I presume for slugs as well. You might want to check them out. Two things, though: If I ever hunt with slugs again, I'll shoot some groups at various ranges so I know where MY gun shoots. Second, regardless of slug type, if the deer is standing between me and something I don't want to shoot, it gets a walk.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top