My best shot to date!!!!!!

Well;

As some of you know, I shoot slugs down in zone 3. I take pride in long range shooting and have built up my slug gun to achieve “my” standards.

I shoot an 870 Wingmaster, with a Hastings Rifled 24″ cantilever scope mount. Topped of with a Simmons 4X scope.

After trial and error on many different slug makes, I ended up with the Federal Barnes Expanders in 2.75″. These slugs shoot at 1900 fps at muzzle and are the fastest slugs on the market today.

The beauty of it all, is that my gun setup LOVES these slugs. My gun is zeroed in at 150 Yards, shooting about 3 inchs high @ 75 yards.

Well, Saturday evening my bro-in-law has a doe and 2 fawns come out of the woods past him. He shoots and misses. The deer are leaving the area, so I hiked over to flank them and try and herd them back to the bro-in-law.

After a good jog of about 1/2 mile, I ended up about 220 to 230 yards from the deer. They were about ready to bolt, looking at me.

So, huffing and puffing, with the heart pounding after running 1/2 mile……I decided to take a shot at the big doe, to get her to back track and head back to my bro-in-law.

I take my time, standing, trying to control my breathing and heartbeats……..Aiming 3″ below her spine……..I touch off a shot as carefully as I could……….

The deer jumped and ran 100 feet and rolled!!!!!!!!

I shot her perfect, right through the aorta!!!!!!

The slug never touched a bone, passed through both sides of the rib cages and layed under the skin of the otherside of the deer.

The slug never expanded at all and looks like she was about out of energy when she hit the deer.

This is the best shot I’ve ever made at a deer in my life. I’ve shot further with rifles, but always was using a rest, or atleast I wasn’t out of breath!!!!

So, get out there and practice with your slugs!!!!!!! There is no reason not to be able to shoot a deer with a clean shot at 200 yards with a slug!!!!!!!!

Congrats! Sounds like a heck of a shot. How big was she?

Congrats! Sounds like a heck of a shot. How big was she?

Nice shot Gary, got to love it when work at the gun range pays off!!

had a chance Saturday morning at a buck at 289 yards on the rangefinder, but there was just a bit of brush around him, and he was 3/4ing away from me, and I just didn’t like the shot, so I passed. Rifle obviously. I love those long shots!

Nice shot Gary, got to love it when work at the gun range pays off!!

had a chance Saturday morning at a buck at 289 yards on the rangefinder, but there was just a bit of brush around him, and he was 3/4ing away from me, and I just didn’t like the shot, so I passed. Rifle obviously. I love those long shots!

I’ve tried the 3″, thinking I would get more out of them due to more powder, but couldn’t make it happen.

Also, I lost some accuracy with the 3″. I think most of the accuracy loss is due to the kick and heavy muzzle blast causing an uncontrollable “flinch”…..

I’ve tried the 3″, thinking I would get more out of them due to more powder, but couldn’t make it happen.

Also, I lost some accuracy with the 3″. I think most of the accuracy loss is due to the kick and heavy muzzle blast causing an uncontrollable “flinch”…..

Why 3″ My Hastings barrel says 3″, and I shoot 2.75 regularly. I have the same setup as Gary, only with a red dot. 3″ Groups at 100 yards.

Why 3″ My Hastings barrel says 3″, and I shoot 2.75 regularly. I have the same setup as Gary, only with a red dot. 3″ Groups at 100 yards.

I 100 percent agree Gary I get much better groups with 2 3/4″ slugs like you said much less kick and no flinching.

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I’ve tried the 3″, thinking I would get more out of them due to more powder, but couldn’t make it happen.

Also, I lost some accuracy with the 3″. I think most of the accuracy loss is due to the kick and heavy muzzle blast causing an uncontrollable “flinch”…..

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I 100 percent agree Gary I get much better groups with 2 3/4″ slugs like you said much less kick and no flinching.

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I’ve tried the 3″, thinking I would get more out of them due to more powder, but couldn’t make it happen.

Also, I lost some accuracy with the 3″. I think most of the accuracy loss is due to the kick and heavy muzzle blast causing an uncontrollable “flinch”…..

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Doesn’t say not too on the barrel, other than don’t shoot 3″ slugs through a 2 3/4″ chambered receiver…….

Remember, we are shooting Hastings barrels on Remington 870s…..

So, my guess is that we can shoot 2.75 or 3 inch all day long…….I’ve been doing it now for 5 years and have zero interest in changing now!!!!

Doesn’t say not too on the barrel, other than don’t shoot 3″ slugs through a 2 3/4″ chambered receiver…….

Remember, we are shooting Hastings barrels on Remington 870s…..

So, my guess is that we can shoot 2.75 or 3 inch all day long…….I’ve been doing it now for 5 years and have zero interest in changing now!!!!

Mack;

You can have the Winchesters………I just can’t get the accuracy out of them, like I can with the Barnes……..Don’t know why, but my gun shoots best with the Barnes……

Mack;

You can have the Winchesters………I just can’t get the accuracy out of them, like I can with the Barnes……..Don’t know why, but my gun shoots best with the Barnes……

My Hastings would spray the Partion Golds all over at 100 yards, some even off the paper. Did very very well with the Federals though. Liked the Remington’s OK too.

My Hastings would spray the Partion Golds all over at 100 yards, some even off the paper. Did very very well with the Federals though. Liked the Remington’s OK too.

Gary I shoot Federal Premium Sabot Slugs 2 3/4″ I also have a Remington 870 with a Remington Fully Rifled Slug Barrel. I can not remember the last time I bought slugs as I bought a bunch of these up one year after the deer season when they were on sale. What is the difference between the Federal Premium Sabot Slugs and the Federal Barnes Expanders?

Gary I shoot Federal Premium Sabot Slugs 2 3/4″ I also have a Remington 870 with a Remington Fully Rifled Slug Barrel. I can not remember the last time I bought slugs as I bought a bunch of these up one year after the deer season when they were on sale. What is the difference between the Federal Premium Sabot Slugs and the Federal Barnes Expanders?

The premium sabot is a solid slug and I believe it has a little larger diameter.

The vital shock Barnes is about 1″ long and about a .5 or .45 diameter and has an approximate .3 or .25 hollow point that is .5 inches deep. The hollow point has 6 fine lines in it to make it explode on impact and do serious damage.

That is what surprised me greatly on this slug I shot…..It never expanded/exploded!!!!!! The slug is in perfect condition, other than some meat packed into the hollow point.

The premium sabot is a solid slug and I believe it has a little larger diameter.

The vital shock Barnes is about 1″ long and about a .5 or .45 diameter and has an approximate .3 or .25 hollow point that is .5 inches deep. The hollow point has 6 fine lines in it to make it explode on impact and do serious damage.

That is what surprised me greatly on this slug I shot…..It never expanded/exploded!!!!!! The slug is in perfect condition, other than some meat packed into the hollow point.

Gary,

That’s a heck of a shot! I’ve got to be honest, though, and tell you that my main reaction is that taking a 200+ yd shot probably should have resulted in a wounded deer that would have been tough to recover.

If you were a bad shot, I’d probably tell you to take it because I’d know you’d miss! Since you’re apparently a good shot you’re likely to hit it … but at 220 yards I think it’s unreasonable to expect to put a slug through a deer’s vitals under any circumstances. The fact that the slug didn’t pass through or even expand tells me that it’s not made for that kind of distance.

But again, you made an awesome shot! I’m just not sure you want anyone out there trying to make a longer one!!

John

Gary,

That’s a heck of a shot! I’ve got to be honest, though, and tell you that my main reaction is that taking a 200+ yd shot probably should have resulted in a wounded deer that would have been tough to recover.

If you were a bad shot, I’d probably tell you to take it because I’d know you’d miss! Since you’re apparently a good shot you’re likely to hit it … but at 220 yards I think it’s unreasonable to expect to put a slug through a deer’s vitals under any circumstances. The fact that the slug didn’t pass through or even expand tells me that it’s not made for that kind of distance.

But again, you made an awesome shot! I’m just not sure you want anyone out there trying to make a longer one!!

John

Nice shot Gary ! That is what happens when you practice, practice, practice and know your abilities and your equipments. Congratulations Buddy!

Nice shot Gary ! That is what happens when you practice, practice, practice and know your abilities and your equipments. Congratulations Buddy!

Nice dead nu-s shooting Gary, It sounds like she was a nice big doe too. So your bro-in-law didn’t get a shot at one?

Nice dead nu-s shooting Gary, It sounds like she was a nice big doe too. So your bro-in-law didn’t get a shot at one?

John;

You are right! I won’t make this shot again. Even though the gun will do it, I won’t do it again. The more I evaluated the whole deal, the more I realized that if I would have hit her square in the shoulder, it wouldn’t have been a fatal shot.

However, where the deer was at, she really didn’t have a change to get away. More/less we had her covered. That was the primary reason for taking the shot in the first place.

I think I’m going to tone it back down to 175 yards!

John;

You are right! I won’t make this shot again. Even though the gun will do it, I won’t do it again. The more I evaluated the whole deal, the more I realized that if I would have hit her square in the shoulder, it wouldn’t have been a fatal shot.

However, where the deer was at, she really didn’t have a change to get away. More/less we had her covered. That was the primary reason for taking the shot in the first place.

I think I’m going to tone it back down to 175 yards!