Favorite Slug gun?

I’m in the market for a new slug gun (those of us on the near side of the river have to use shotguns or handguns for deer hunting), leaning towards a Beretta Pintail, my Dad has one that I’ve used the last couple years, man that thing is a shooter, what’s your favorite slug gun?

I think the Rem 870 20 ga. is a great gun. I just started working at a sporting goods store and we well a lot of these guns. Most people go with the 12 ga., but the 20 really is more accurate. A smooth bore with a rifled slug will work just fine.

I think the Rem 870 20 ga. is a great gun. I just started working at a sporting goods store and we well a lot of these guns. Most people go with the 12 ga., but the 20 really is more accurate. A smooth bore with a rifled slug will work just fine.

I’ve been shooting an 870 Wingmaster with a 24″ Hastings Rifled barrel with cantilever scope mount, in a 12 gauge.

I have a simmons stragiht 4x scope on it.

I’m pumping through Federal Barnses Expanders in a 2 3/4″, 3/4 oz sabot.

This gun has me zeroed in @ 100 yards, with a 5 inch drop @ 200 yards.

I’ll shoot out to 250 with strong confidence, but after that, they get to live another day.

As for accuracy……..
Well…………
That is 95% of the shooter, but with this gun, I’m running a 2″ pattern @ 100 yards when I’m in the “zone”. But, I also do alot of shooting, where the next person may only get a 5 or even a 10 inch pattern @ 100 yards with the same gun……….

I’ve been shooting an 870 Wingmaster with a 24″ Hastings Rifled barrel with cantilever scope mount, in a 12 gauge.

I have a simmons stragiht 4x scope on it.

I’m pumping through Federal Barnses Expanders in a 2 3/4″, 3/4 oz sabot.

This gun has me zeroed in @ 100 yards, with a 5 inch drop @ 200 yards.

I’ll shoot out to 250 with strong confidence, but after that, they get to live another day.

As for accuracy……..
Well…………
That is 95% of the shooter, but with this gun, I’m running a 2″ pattern @ 100 yards when I’m in the “zone”. But, I also do alot of shooting, where the next person may only get a 5 or even a 10 inch pattern @ 100 yards with the same gun……….

I think my favorite sluggun is a JC Higgens. It was a bit long and had a choke on it when I purchased it for 50 bucks back when I was in Tech school (1979). I had it shortened and rifle sites mounted on it and I had to replace the original firing pin about two years ago. I’ve shot a lot of deer with that gun. I also have a Mossberg that has a slug barrel and a turkey barrel. My other shotgun is a High Standard. I like the beater JC Higgens the best for brush busting though. I don’t have to worry about scratchs and stuff. Pick the thickest cover, get there early, put up a blind or treestand and wait. You will get some upclose shooting.Which side of the river is the near side? Steve

I think my favorite sluggun is a JC Higgens. It was a bit long and had a choke on it when I purchased it for 50 bucks back when I was in Tech school (1979). I had it shortened and rifle sites mounted on it and I had to replace the original firing pin about two years ago. I’ve shot a lot of deer with that gun. I also have a Mossberg that has a slug barrel and a turkey barrel. My other shotgun is a High Standard. I like the beater JC Higgens the best for brush busting though. I don’t have to worry about scratchs and stuff. Pick the thickest cover, get there early, put up a blind or treestand and wait. You will get some upclose shooting.Which side of the river is the near side? Steve

Gary,
most of the deer I ever shoot at are usually much closer than 100 yds. How’s your cobination shoot at 50 yds or less?

Gary,
most of the deer I ever shoot at are usually much closer than 100 yds. How’s your cobination shoot at 50 yds or less?

I bought a Rem 1100 20 ga. slug gun 3 years ago. Came only with a rifled slug barrel (no field barrel). This gun is unbeleibably accurate. I shoot the Winchester Partition gold 2 3/4 in slugs from 50 to 100 yrs there isn’t 2 inches of variance

I bought a Rem 1100 20 ga. slug gun 3 years ago. Came only with a rifled slug barrel (no field barrel). This gun is unbeleibably accurate. I shoot the Winchester Partition gold 2 3/4 in slugs from 50 to 100 yrs there isn’t 2 inches of variance

Suzuki;

At 50 yards……..I’m splitting hairs……….honestly……..

Suzuki;

At 50 yards……..I’m splitting hairs……….honestly……..

My 870/Hastings combo would shoot EASY 2 inch groups at 100 yards using the 1 oz. Federal Barnes slugs. The year they came out with the 3/4, we went to being able to use rifles, so I haven’t really shot it since. I was confident to 150 with that gun.

At 50, if I missed, it was 100% operator error.

My 870/Hastings combo would shoot EASY 2 inch groups at 100 yards using the 1 oz. Federal Barnes slugs. The year they came out with the 3/4, we went to being able to use rifles, so I haven’t really shot it since. I was confident to 150 with that gun.

At 50, if I missed, it was 100% operator error.

Mike;

I hear ya on those bolt actions……..My nephew picked up a Browning A-bolt, 12 ga. My gun in incredibly accurate……But his is better!!!!!!!! An incredible gun………..

What people primarily need to remember/know is that 90% of the time, the gun is accurate, and the shooter is not. I do alot of shooting (not to brag). I can take my newphews A-bolt and put a 3″ pattern @ 150 yards. He takes the same gun and can’t do a 3″ pattern at 50 yards.

What I do, to get in the “mood” of shooting rifles or slug guns at the range is to shoot 50 rounds through my 22 first. It gets me in the grove for breathing and trigger squeeze. I recommend this to anyone……..

Mike;

I hear ya on those bolt actions……..My nephew picked up a Browning A-bolt, 12 ga. My gun in incredibly accurate……But his is better!!!!!!!! An incredible gun………..

What people primarily need to remember/know is that 90% of the time, the gun is accurate, and the shooter is not. I do alot of shooting (not to brag). I can take my newphews A-bolt and put a 3″ pattern @ 150 yards. He takes the same gun and can’t do a 3″ pattern at 50 yards.

What I do, to get in the “mood” of shooting rifles or slug guns at the range is to shoot 50 rounds through my 22 first. It gets me in the grove for breathing and trigger squeeze. I recommend this to anyone……..

I have done some experimenting with just a few slug guns over the years. I shoot a Remington Wingmaster 870 with the factory rifled bbl with a cantilever scope mount and a Leupold fixed 4X scope. I tried many different slugs, but the Remington Copper Jacketed Sabots work a little better than anything else in my gun. 3-inch groups at 100 yards. I believe it is 1-inch high at 50 yards… Oddly, some slugs worked pretty well while others were clearly wrong for my setup. My son’s Remington 870 express is set up with a sidemount lighted red dot sight. It too has a fully rifled Remington bbl. That gun also shoots best with the Remington copper sabots, but the Federal Premium sabots are a very close second.

My earlier experience was with a 20 guage Ithaca Deerslayer–a smooth bore. The Breneke slugs worked best in that gun. The ballistics worked out very well–it was a tackdriver.

In summary, I think that most any slug gun with a rifled bbl will be capable of becoming a real accurate shooter for you, provided you spend the time at the range experimenting with lots of different ammo.

I have done some experimenting with just a few slug guns over the years. I shoot a Remington Wingmaster 870 with the factory rifled bbl with a cantilever scope mount and a Leupold fixed 4X scope. I tried many different slugs, but the Remington Copper Jacketed Sabots work a little better than anything else in my gun. 3-inch groups at 100 yards. I believe it is 1-inch high at 50 yards… Oddly, some slugs worked pretty well while others were clearly wrong for my setup. My son’s Remington 870 express is set up with a sidemount lighted red dot sight. It too has a fully rifled Remington bbl. That gun also shoots best with the Remington copper sabots, but the Federal Premium sabots are a very close second.

My earlier experience was with a 20 guage Ithaca Deerslayer–a smooth bore. The Breneke slugs worked best in that gun. The ballistics worked out very well–it was a tackdriver.

In summary, I think that most any slug gun with a rifled bbl will be capable of becoming a real accurate shooter for you, provided you spend the time at the range experimenting with lots of different ammo.