Legal shotgun for deer hunting

[gun_fan111v2]

Great discussion everybody - thanks!

So if you were looking into a new shotgun setup, would you just stick with smooth bore for versatility or get the rifled barrel? I need to read up to understand what difference that truly makes.

Last time I was in the store I think most slugs I looked at were rifled - is it tougher to buy slugs for rifled barrels?

[JJ]

Do you want accurate? Or cheap?

If absolute accuracy is your goal, it's tough to beat the Savage 220 or 212. Bolt action slug guns with fully rifled barrels. There are 6 in my hunting group, and all will hold 1-1.5" groups at 100 all day, and keep all shots in a 5" bull st 250 all day if the shooter knows his dope, and real world potential of 300+yd performance. But slugs will be around $1.50-3+ a shot.

Or you can buy anything smooth bore, and rifled slugs for $.50-1 shot. Accuracy beyond 100-150yds will be spotty at best.

With the 212, the longest shot anyone in our group had taken is 275 (a first shot vital hit). The 12g 3" slug is eerily similar to 45/70 in actual trajectory.

[gun_fan111v2]

That gives me a good idea, thanks. Cheapest for me would be a $150 rifled barrel for the Storger 2000 I own but I am thinking about using this opportunity to pick up a Remington 870...

[LumberZach]

You have a lot of options here thankfully. An 18" tactical shotgun will do just as well as a longer hunting shotgun for smooth bore rifles slugs. 100yards will be pushing the limits with that though. If you are limited to slug zone hunting it'd be hard for me to stay away from a bolt action shotgun like the savage. Depends on what you want to do. Cheap and versatile that will do a lot of things ok, or specialize in shooting slugs well and essentially having a rifle with a to of energy going down range.


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[yukonjasper]

I picked up a mossberg 500 combo package that has a smooth bore and a rifled barrel. The rifled barrel has a cantilevered scope mount and came with a low power BSA scope mounted. I only hunted with the rifled barrel 3 times, never had a shot but slugs were accurate enough that I was confident that I could be successful. It how has the smooth bore and is my HD gun. I don't remember it being expensive.

[Holland&Holland]

Rifles are illegal, but shotguns with rifling and rifled slugs are not. More non-sense that exists, I believe, because no one has really looked at these regulations in a long time and the equipment has evolved beyond the basic that was around may years ago. I have always been curious, as others have said, that its shotgun only for deer, but blast away with high power long distance rifles at PDogs or Yotes. The logic just isn't consistent.

The slug zone regulations have less to do with safety than they do with herd protection.

With the amount of hunters and the relatively small amount of cover, the herd could very quickly be decimated by rifle hunting. Slug hunting has kept effective range relatively short. The evolution of slug technology is changing that to some extent, but its still mostly an under 200-250yd game.

As for oytes, the density of hunters is not 1/100 compared to deer season. It's simply not a fair comparison

i wasn't aware we had p-dogs in MN, could you point me in he right direction? Would save me hours of driving.

Oh we have very healthy p dog town in Minnesota. You do have to pay admission to see it but they have a tram that will take you right over it. Have not tried to bring my .220 swift there yet...

[FJ540]

Oh we have very healthy p dog town in Minnesota. You do have to pay admission to see it but they have a tram that will take you right over it. Have not tried to bring my .220 swift there yet...

They have an African Safari too! Gonna be harder to explain than the dentist and Cecil.

[Ghost]

The tram no longer works

[BigBlue]

Do you want accurate? Or cheap?

If absolute accuracy is your goal, it's tough to beat the Savage 220 or 212. Bolt action slug guns with fully rifled barrels. There are 6 in my hunting group, and all will hold 1-1.5" groups at 100 all day, and keep all shots in a 5" bull st 250 all day if the shooter knows his dope, and real world potential of 300+yd performance. But slugs will be around $1.50-3+ a shot.

Or you can buy anything smooth bore, and rifled slugs for $.50-1 shot. Accuracy beyond 100-150yds will be spotty at best.

With the 212, the longest shot anyone in our group had taken is 275 (a first shot vital hit). The 12g 3" slug is eerily similar to 45/70 in actual trajectory.

Just how much drop is there on a 12 ga slug at 200+ yards??? Holding over the target about 10 feet?

[JJ]

Do you want accurate? Or cheap?

If absolute accuracy is your goal, it's tough to beat the Savage 220 or 212. Bolt action slug guns with fully rifled barrels. There are 6 in my hunting group, and all will hold 1-1.5" groups at 100 all day, and keep all shots in a 5" bull st 250 all day if the shooter knows his dope, and real world potential of 300+yd performance. But slugs will be around $1.50-3+ a shot.

Or you can buy anything smooth bore, and rifled slugs for $.50-1 shot. Accuracy beyond 100-150yds will be spotty at best.

With the 212, the longest shot anyone in our group had taken is 275 (a first shot vital hit). The 12g 3" slug is eerily similar to 45/70 in actual trajectory.

Just how much drop is there on a 12 ga slug at 200+ yards??? Holding over the target about 10 feet?

About 7" of drop at 200yds, with a 1/2" sight.

http://www.federalpremium.com/products/ ... spx?id=994

[gun_fan111v2]

2000 feet per second slug - ufta!!!

[JJ]

2000 feet per second slug - ufta!!!

Pussycats out of the 212!

Using a sabot slug that is only 300g vs a 500g+ lead pumpkin, makes a huge difference in felt recoil.

[BigBlue]

About 7" of drop at 200yds, with a 1/2" sight.

http://www.federalpremium.com/products/ ... spx?id=994

I guess these are not the shotguns (or slugs) of yore that I grew up with.

[wasfuzz]

Rifles are illegal, but shotguns with rifling and rifled slugs are not. More non-sense that exists, I believe, because no one has really looked at these regulations in a long time and the equipment has evolved beyond the basic that was around may years ago. I have always been curious, as others have said, that its shotgun only for deer, but blast away with high power long distance rifles at PDogs or Yotes. The logic just isn't consistent.

The slug zone regulations have less to do with safety than they do with herd protection.

With the amount of hunters and the relatively small amount of cover, the herd could very quickly be decimated by rifle hunting. Slug hunting has kept effective range relatively short. The evolution of slug technology is changing that to some extent, but its still mostly an under 200-250yd game.

As for oytes, the density of hunters is not 1/100 compared to deer season. It's simply not a fair comparison

i wasn't aware we had p-dogs in MN, could you point me in he right direction? Would save me hours of driving.

City of Fairmont has a P-Dog town in one of there Parks. Thou the might be upset if you cleaned it out for them! Have also seen a few towns in SW MN. But it is hit and miss as to locations.

[JJ]

City of Fairmont has a P-Dog town in one of there Parks. Thou the might be upset if you cleaned it out for them! Have also seen a few towns in SW MN. But it is hit and miss as to locations.

There are no, naturally producing wild prairie dogs in MN. The MN zoo has them, and maybe the town of Fairmont had some.

But there are not wild native prairie dogs in MN. This is laughable.

Cool story bro.