Bolt action shotgun?

[outdooralex]

With my birthday coming up I am looking to purchase a new gun :) Right now I am using my Mossberg combo with the slug barrel and cantalevered scope for deer hunting. I am tired of swapping barrels and re sighting the thing in every year so I am breaking down and buying a dedicated deer shot gun. I am tossing around the idea of a bolt action. What are some of your opinions and or suggestions. Gander has a used Mossberg 695 for sale but from what I understand that gun has been discontinued. Do I want to stay away from something like that. Thanks for the help!!

[mparks]

I had a Marlin 512B that would really lay the sabots right in there. Its on the same lines as the Mossberg. These are both inexpensive options to a dedicated slug gun. I wouldn't worry too much about the gun being discontinued. Its not like a computer that needs tech-support. A gunsmith can service still it down the road if needed. I'd keep an eye out for a used model. I bought the Marlin in like-new condition for $175 at a gun show.

Some of the benifits of a bolt slug-gun are that you have a barrel screwed to the action and a solid scope mounting system. Easier to put on sling on one as well. Not saying that a bolt or auto is inferior because they'll get the job done just fine.

Right now I'm using a Browning A-Bolt Gold slug gun. This thing is great. Its like a centerfire rifle. Locks up real tight and feels like a rifle when you shoulder it. Its only a little bit more accurate than the Marlin off the bench though. A lot better looking however!

[wild bill]

if your not afraid of having one shot i would look into the H&R slug guns.

[Swamp Monster]

Alex, If your buying the bolt gun soley for the purpose of not having to resight every year your making a mistake. Every gun should be checked to see if the gun is still on every year. If you don't check it before season, you have no reason to be in the woods with it. If you already have the cantilever and keep the scope mounted to the barrel in the off season, it should only take a few shots to confirm your zero and only a few shots if you need to make adjustments. Hopefully your shooting your deer gun often enough to make this a non issue. I have an 870 with a cantilever and a Leupold scope and it only takes a couple of shots to confirm my zero and it's ready for practice. If you change slugs, you will nead to resight in regardless what style of gun you choose.
With that said, the 695 or the Marlin will work just fine. They are accurate slug guns with loads they like. There was a recall on the 695, so make sure the one you buy has been fixed or is fixed before using it. The H&R slug gun that Wild Bill mentioned is probably the most accurate factory slug gun one can buy, and they are pretty inexpensive as well. The Ultra slug gun, though heavy will flat out shoot!

[Pinefarm]

I have one of the old Browning A-Bolt slug guns. I would never consider using anything else in a shotgun zone. Just find a gun with a smooth bolt and a nice trigger. If you can find an old Browning, buy one. It feels just like shooting a rifle. I believe it's the same trigger too.

[outdooralex]

Thanks for your input guys, I really appreciate it. Its not that I don't like shooting my gun before the season because I do. I just don't have the confidence in that gun. This spring my wife wanted to use it for turkey hunting, so I took the slug barrel off and put the regular barrel on it. When she sighted it in she was shooting to the left big time. I thought it was her so I shot a couple times, same thing way to the left. After looking at the gun I saw that the ventilated rib was not lined up the way it should have been. I loosened the barrel and readjusted and eveything was fine. I just want one dedicated gun for deer to take that factor out. When I buy this gun I will make sure I shoot it before I take it in the woods.
Wild Bill mentioned an H&R single shot. I am assuming this gun breaks open. Can you still mount a scope to it? I have an old 20ga H&R and I love that little gun. I think I will have to run down to Cabelas and do a little shopping ;)

[mparks]

Ya Bob my A-Bolt is an old one with a real wood stock and its not ported. Looks and feels like a real rifle. The Marlin looks and feels like a sawed off Goose Gun. Both get the job done though.

The nice thing about the H&R/NEF or whatever their calling them now is that the make a model that has a heavy barrel and there is a heavy balancing lug in the stock. Makes them steadier and a lot easier on the shoulder. They're only a single shot but the thing is heavy enough to club 'em if you need a finishing shot:)

[Banditto]

mparks, the H&R single shot slug gun I shot weighed next to nothing and had so much shock that within microseconds of shooting it I had a black bruise that covered my shoulder. The guy who let me shoot it said if I shot it and like it I could keep it free. I nearly dropped it from the pain and shock and promptly returned it.

[outdooralex]

Banditto, was that because you weren't expecting it to kick that much or does the gun just have that much kick? I want one that I can shoot a few times without killing my shoulder. Sounds like that gun is not very gun range friendly :yikes:

[Randy Kidd]

The H&R with the heavy barrel is an awesome shoothin slug gun, My Brother in law bought one last year for the same reasons. I put 5 rounds through it and had no problem. I also knew before I shot it that it was going to kick a little more than my shotgun, But I was surprised. the heavy barrel with a decelerator pad on the butt made for pretty easy shooting. Plus that thing drives tacks at 100 yards.

[outdooralex]

Randy,does he have a scope on it?

[Randy Kidd]

Yeah I think it is a Bushnell shotgun scope 1.75 to 4. with the circle reticle.

[Swamp Monster]

The H&R Ultra Slug gun in 12 gauge has a heavy barrel bored from a 10 gauge blank and the 20 gauge Ultra has a barrel bored from a 12 gauge blank. They are MUCH heavier than the standard H&R/NEF slug guns. The softest kicking slug gun I have shot, softer than my 11-87 Auto with cantilever as well. The Ultra also comes with a weaver base and no sights so a scope is a must. IMO, it makes a great dedicated slug gun.

[Randy Kidd]

Yeah that's the gun Swamp. I just couldn't think of the full name for it.

[UPwannabe]

Outdooralex,

I have one of the H&R slug guns. It is comes with the bull barrel (which is just a 10 ga barrel that is only bored out to 12 ga), a heavy recoil pad, swivel studs and a Weaver scope mount already on the barrel. I bought it new around '98 and I cost around $180. The gun kicks very little but weights in around 11 pounds if I remember correctly, great gun for the stand but you don't want to lug it around the woods all day. The only negative thing I will say about it is that the trigger is ot very good, very heavy and not real crisp. I probably should have taken it in for some trigger work by now but I mostly hunt the UP for gun season so I only use it a day or two each year.

[outdooralex]

I looked on the web for that H&R slug gun. It sounds pretty cool the only thing I don't like is that the scope looks like it mounts to the barrel and everytime you load your gun , you have to break the gun moving the scope. I think I want the scope to be stationary all the time. Its one of those confidence things. I know it would probably be fine but everytime I put a shell in the gun, in the back of my mind I would be wondering if the scope moved ever so slightly.

[deepwoods]

I shot my buddies H&R 12 gauge last year. It was topped with a Leupold 4X scope and shot like a dream. I didn't think the kick was excessive and it grouped like my deer rifle. I wouldn't hesitate at all to buy on myself for hunting in the shotgun zone. I also think they are very reasonably priced if I recall correctly.

[UPwannabe]

You want the scope to be mounted to the barrel. The scope will not move in relation to the barrel, they move as one piece. Therefore, the scope will hold it's zero with the barrel.

[Swamp Monster]

UP is correct. It is a very strong mounting system. Weaver bases may not be the prettiest but they work. Unless you constantly and purposely slam the action open and shut and use a $30 scope, you won't have any problems.

Look at the TC Encore...same principle, scope mounts to the barrel and you can buy as many barrel/scope combos as you like. Folks I know that have them say they rarely ever have to adjust zero when changing between barrels. They check everytime though to be certain.

[GeeEmm]

Johnson's in Adrian was the cheapest around last year. Not sure if Cabela's is even carrying them. They were not in past years. A buddy bought the Ultra in 20 gauge last year from Johnson's and is in awe at the thing.

I have a NEF Handi-Rifle in .223 for varmints and it is an EXTREMELY strong shooter.

Good Luck!

[outdooralex]

GeeEmm, whats up? Got your messages, I will drop you an email when my email is up and running. Maybe we can get together and run out to Johnsons.

[Swamp Monster]

I'm looking at buying the 20 myself. It's a bit lighter, even less recoil and some of the new 20 gauge sabots are flat out impressive! 125+ yard shots are perfectly acceptable with the right loads. And load develop with the 20 is still in it's infancy compared to the 12, so there aren't nearly as many good loads available in the 20 but thats changing.

GeeEmm, do you know what loads your buddy is shooting in his?

[GeeEmm]

APB, I look forward to Johnson's! GREAT to hear from you!!

As for the Ultra 20, my buddies shot best with Winchester Supreme Partition Golds. 1/2" at 50 yards. Lightfields and Federal Barnes X-Pander's were 2nd and 3rd respectively.

He did have a minor scope issue which required a hammer spur. Not a big deal although he also had to use high rings which he wasn't thrilled about. Needed the hammer clearance. He's using a Pentax 0-4X.

Good Luck!

[Swamp Monster]

Thanks for the info! I had wondered if he tried the Remington Cor Lokt Ultras, but those supremes are pretty darn good on deer I hear. I use the Fedaral Barnes in my 870(12) and they shoot very well.
Ya, scoping a hammer gun can cause issues. But a hammer spur isn't to tough to deal with, but a scope mounted too high is! I would mount my 2-7x33 Leupold on it with the strongest (and lowest that would fit) rings I could find that would fit the weaver bases.
Thanks again for the info!

[outdooralex]

Now you guys got me leaning towards a bolt action after reading about the scope issue. Whats a man to do :confused:

[rzdrmh]

i wouldn't worry about scoping on the h&r's.

i have an h&r handi rifle, monte carlo stock, bull barrel, .223, scope.. awesome.. in fact, i shot a woodchuck with it yesterday at about 100 yards.. distance isn't that impressive, but chucks, yotes, and fox are about the only thing i use it for, and it stays dialed in forever.

also have the h&r standard 12 gauge slug gun.. its extremely light, and i'm not kidding you, it kicks fairly heavy... haven't gotten around to changing the recoil pad.. but it doesn't kick so much that i get bruised after one shot. nevertheless, i shoot remington copper solids through it, and it is a nail driver.. each year, i run a couple boxes of shells through it, but its never been off.. (i shoot open sights with that gun.) shot a standing doe last year at 150. (i'm sighted at 100)

my brother has the 12 g. ultra slug gun with a 2x7 nikon prostaff on it.. less recoil, and dead on as well. shoots with a hammer spur, and same as with my 223, not a problem with scopes.

i love my h&r's wouldn't trade them. the only thing to consider - if you get the ultra slug gun, you can only put other shotgun barrels on it. if you get the standard slug gun, you can put rifle barrels on it as well.. something to consider.. but for the price, why not just by another gun? ;-)

got the new h&r catalog last week - did you guys see that new for this year, you can get a 25-06 barrel, as well as a 22-250 barrel? and the new .17
add that to the options of 30-06, 45-70, 223, 243, 357, 44, 50 cal muzzle loader, 308, 270, 280, 7mm, 204, 22 hornet, 30-30, 10 gauge, 12 guage, 16 guage, 20 gauge, 410 (all smooth bore and 12, 20 available in rifled) and there's probably more..

oh, i love the beauty of the single shot h&r. a guy that walks into camp with a single shot is certainly making a statement...

[deputy]

you will not have issues with the scope moving, you will not have issues with the hammer spur i have a mueller 3x10 on mine in medium talley rings and have no cleance issues i also have had 3 other 980;s over the years and every one is great and is by far the most accuract slug gun i won and have ever owned

[Swamp Monster]

Alex, listen to rzdrmh. Don't worry about the scope mounting, honestly it's no big deal. The posts made it sound more of a chore than it really is. These guns are fantastic little guns, you should atleast look at them and handle them for yourself. Once you see the price, you might forget all about the bolt action.

As far as bolts go though, don't overlook the savage. I'm not sure if they make it with a rifled barrel anymore, but the ydid for a few years...very accurate. Don't bother with the smmoth bore version, designed more for Turkeys. The Marlin and the Mossberg are accurate as well, but I think you find that the H&R handles a bit better.

[outdooralex]

Thanks for all the great info. I am going to get out in the next week or two and check out the H&R. It sounds like what I want, now I just want to see how the gun feels. I am not really worried about the weight if I can put a sling on it. Thanks again I'll keep you posted on what I end up with.

[mal]

i have an H&R slug gun and it is a tack driver. its a little on the heavy side, but is lethal. i've shot it three times in the field, all one shot kills between 60 and 110 yards. i don't think it kicks any more than my 870 special purpose deer gun. for the price, hard to beat in my opinion - you can get the gun and a decent scope for the price of most guns alone.

[RecurveRx]

I will agree. The H&R is one heck of a setup. Got a buddy that calls his "The Tickeler." It kicks a bit, but he's wicked deadly with it. Of course, I'll never admit that to him. The thing is light as a feather.

On the other hand, I LOVE my Browning A-Bolt. They've discontinued them, but if you can find one, shoulder the thing. I think you'll like it. The thing is a tack driver.

[muzzymike]

i have owned both an h&r ultra and a marlin 512p. i still own the 512p after trading the h&r off for a vexilar. H&r pluses solid and accurate, minuses heavy and only one shot. marlin pluses accurate, handles well, and 2 shot clip, minuses still a little heavy(but that takes away some recoil). my marlin loves partition gold slugs. http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/555/2166web_8_point-thumb.jpg

[muzzymike]

lets try that again.http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/555/2166web_8_point-med.jpg andhttp://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/555/2166web_both_bucks.jpg both bucks taken on opening morning last year. the 8 point was about 70 yards away and the 5 point was about 110 yards away. both shot thru the lungs and both deer went about 40 yards but with easy to track blood trails.

[outdooralex]

Nice looking gun and deer. I think I am going with the H&R. The one shot doesn't really bother me. With me being left handed the single shot will probably be better. After thinking about the bolt, I figured trying to get a left handed one would probably be a little more of a problem and a little more expensive. So I think a single shot would do it for me. Cabelas has the H&R and is actually cheaper than some of the other places I have called.

[Mike]

my marlin loves partition gold slugs.

I've done well with copper solids and Lightfields with mine, but that sounds like a good excuse to head to the range. :)

Mike

[rzdrmh]

muzzymike - nice deer.. where's the picture with the 2 doe as well? ;-)

[CStarner]

Hello everyone!!

I saw in this thread that a gentleman had in the picture of himself and two bucks a Marlin Model 512P Slugmaster. I am interested in seeing a picture of this weapon. Specifically, the end of the barrel where the barrel is ported. I would like to get my Marlin Model 512 Slugmaster ported. I would like to see where the factory placed the porting on the end of the barrel.

If someone that has this weapon would be so kind as to e-mail a picture of the end of the barrel showing the porting, I would greatly appreciate it! Please e-mail the photos to: cstarner@comcast.net

Thank you for your time!

CStarner

[Banditto]

Marlin 512 comparison (http://www.gun-tests.com/performance/apr97browning.html)

[CStarner]

Banditto: Thank you for replying, but this link shows no picture of the porting of the 512P.

Have I missed something on the site?

[Banditto]

Oh... pictures???

How bout this one (http://www.auctionarms.com/search/displayitem.cfm?ItemNum=4209140).

[8POINTSorBIGGER]

Right now I'm using a Browning A-Bolt Gold slug gun. This thing is great.
I'll second that I love my A-bolt slug gun

[TJO]

I have the H&R Delux Ultra Slugger in 20 ga. and it is by far the best shooting slug gun I have ever shot. One hole groups @ 100 yrds. If you go to buy one ask to see a couple of them and look at the target they ship with the gun cause they test group everyone. I have a Nikon 3x9x40 on mine and don't have any problems . My guess is the one you shot was just an H&R shotgun not the Ultra slugger if the recoil was bad cause the Ultra's are heavy and the recoil is not bad at all. The way I look at it is if you can shoot you won't need more than 1 shot so why not go with the most accurate you can buy.

[WMU05]

Just a little more info for you. My dad has a 695 he bought a year after they came out. He absolutely loves it. It is real easy to shoot and very accurate even out to 150 yards. It really is a great gun. Just keeping your options open.

[Banditto]

I always like the 695 myself and wasn't turned off that they recalled them all. Something about a safety recall but not too many people turned them in. They are really nice guns.

[muzzymike]

here you go cstarner
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/marlin_slug_gun2.jpg
Is this what you wanted?

[Bmac]

I always like the 695 myself and wasn't turned off that they recalled them all. Something about a safety recall but not too many people turned them in. They are really nice guns.

Maybe we didn't turn them in because we didn't know anything about the recall :lol: :yikes: .

Then again, I've taken probably 30 deer in the last 10 years with mine. For the $200 I paid at K-mart, I'll never own a better value gun. They couldn't pry it away from me!

[vandermi]

With my birthday coming up I am looking to purchase a new gun :) Right now I am using my Mossberg combo with the slug barrel and cantalevered scope for deer hunting. I am tired of swapping barrels and re sighting the thing in every year so I am breaking down and buying a dedicated deer shot gun. I am tossing around the idea of a bolt action. What are some of your opinions and or suggestions. Gander has a used Mossberg 695 for sale but from what I understand that gun has been discontinued. Do I want to stay away from something like that. Thanks for the help!!

Deadly accurate "yes"
Built like junk "yes"

I have one, and loved it the first year. Have killed alot of dear with it. But it is the same as hunting with a single shot with the clip poping out on every shot. Buy another 500 so you do not need to swap.

[outdooralex]

Thanks for the tip Vandermi. Last year I ended up with the H&R Ultraslug. What an impressive gun. A little on the heavy side but with a 4-9 Nikon, it is a deadly accurate gun. I wish i could have shot it at a deer though :mad: