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best slugs for a 20" smooth bore

3K views 27 replies 21 participants last post by  Michigander1 
#1 ·
shooting a 20" smooth bore 870 with a scope what do you think would be the best??? rifled slugs??? $ 4.00 a box or the $$ 22.00 a box ?
 
#3 ·
Before I got my slug barrel, I was using those Winchester Super X slugs (red shells) out of my Rem 870. Worked great.
 
#8 ·
Buy several boxes of different brands, AND LET THE GUN TELL YOU WHICH ONE TO USE!!! Translated, that means, THE ONE THAT GROUPS THE BEST AT YOUR HUNTING YARDAGE. Not all guns of the same brand with the same barrel shoot the same. You have to shoot them all to find out what your gun likes.
 
#9 ·
The high dollar sabot slugs are NOT designed for your smoothbore gun. You need the cheaper rifled slugs. I always liked Brenneke slugs when I had a smoothbore, but you'll have to see which brand your gun likes best.
 
#12 ·
I am not questioning anybodys knowledge or trying to belittle anybody but it suprises me to see how many people don't know that you have to shoot rifled slugs with a smooth bore.

I have seen worse moves, I have two friends that were using bird shot because they thought it was buck shot. One of the guys had his father pass before he was old enough to learn and the other one was self tought as well. They bought a box together and brought it out to the truck and I was confused. I asked 'em what they were doing with birdshot, they said no it says steel shot. Its a good thing I was there to set 'em straight.
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#14 ·
The high dollar sabot slugs are NOT designed for your smoothbore gun. You need the cheaper rifled slugs. I always liked Brenneke slugs when I had a smoothbore, but you'll have to see which brand your gun likes best.
News to me.I thought sabots was made for smooth bore.But to be honest the ones i had shot like crap.I had a 80 yrd shot a few yrs ago.Complete miss :eek:.I was like wth.She did not move.So i got another one off and just tryed to hit her dead center cause of 1st miss.I took the shot and hit her high and back.The shot was off 2 ft from where i was aiming.I havent used it again.Maybe i should try rifled as well.I was told by a gun shop to use sabots with smooth bore :confused: ,Mich
 
#16 ·
Any bullet needs to spin in flight to maintain stability. The "rifling" on a rifled slug will get the slug spinning even though the barrel has no rifling. A sabot slug will not spin without rifling in the barrel to provide the spin. Your sabot slugs shot out of your smoothbore were likely tumbling towards that deer.
 
#18 ·
I have used alot of the cheaper rifled slugs in my 870 express with the regular vent rib bird barrel and by far the best is the Winchester 2 3/4in. 1oz rifled slug. I have taken down deer at over a 100 yds with these. 2 yrs ago my brother got a nice 8 point with his wingmaster with his bird barrel at 180 yard with one. I know it sounds insane, but the proof is hanging on his wall. They are only $8.99 for a 15 pack at wal mart. I just bought two boxes today for my wife to hunt with. I highly recommend giving these a try before you start paying way too much for ones that won't perform as well.
 
#19 ·
I have used alot of the cheaper rifled slugs in my 870 express with the regular vent rib bird barrel and by far the best is the Winchester 2 3/4in. 1oz rifled slug. I have taken down deer at over a 100 yds with these. 2 yrs ago my brother got a nice 8 point with his wingmaster with his bird barrel at 180 yard with one. I know it sounds insane, but the proof is hanging on his wall. They are only $8.99 for a 15 pack at wal mart. I just bought two boxes today for my wife to hunt with. I highly recommend giving these a try before you start paying way too much for ones that won't perform as well.
So in other words, you are going to give him your gun with those slugs and let him have at it? How do you know for sure that they will perform as well in his gun? This is why you can't take someone's word for it, you have to shoot them and see how they do. All guns shoot differently. Sorry, that's just the way it is. By the way, damned fine shooting with a bird barrel at that range.:tdo12:
 
#21 ·
So in other words, you are going to give him your gun with those slugs and let him have at it? How do you know for sure that they will perform as well in his gun? This is why you can't take someone's word for it, you have to shoot them and see how they do. All guns shoot differently. Sorry, that's just the way it is. By the way, damned fine shooting with a bird barrel at that range.:tdo12:
To further qualify it I have also shot them out of a smooth bore slug barrel on an 870 model. One of my best friends used to swear by brenneke's (not sure if I spelled that right) he tried them in his mossburg and had 3 in groups at a 100 yards. I am simply saying give them a whirl. We were all amazed at how far the shot was, and it was verified with a rangefinder.
 
#22 ·
To further qualify it I have also shot them out of a smooth bore slug barrel on an 870 model. One of my best friends used to swear by brenneke's (not sure if I spelled that right) he tried them in his mossburg and had 3 in groups at a 100 yards. I am simply saying give them a whirl. We were all amazed at how far the shot was, and it was verified with a rangefinder.
What is truly amazing is that the deer died, and didn't run off crippled to die later unrecovered. Stunt shooting should only be performed at the target range.
 
#23 ·
I use winchester partition gold
Shooting rem 1187 with smooth bore/rifled tip
Great groups up to 75 yards which is my limit
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#25 ·
So in other words, you are going to give him your gun with those slugs and let him have at it? How do you know for sure that they will perform as well in his gun? This is why you can't take someone's word for it, you have to shoot them and see how they do. All guns shoot differently. Sorry, that's just the way it is. By the way, damned fine shooting with a bird barrel at that range.:tdo12:
What is truly amazing is that the deer died, and didn't run off crippled to die later unrecovered. Stunt shooting should only be performed at the target range.
This is why people don't like to give advise or their opinion on this site. Always someone that thinks they know everything and needs to add in their .02 when its not necessary. I'm sorry you aren't confident enough to take a shot like that at a live animal. Across an open sloping field its easy to misjudge the distance which he said later he thought it was closer to 150. Bottom line is the deer is dead and mounted on the wall.
 
#26 ·
This is why people don't like to give advise or their opinion on this site. Always someone that thinks they know everything and needs to add in their .02 when its not necessary. I'm sorry you aren't confident enough to take a shot like that at a live animal. Across an open sloping field its easy to misjudge the distance which he said later he thought it was closer to 150. Bottom line is the deer is dead and mounted on the wall.
Bottom line is, he used a gun with a bird barrel, probably a bead sight, and took an unethical shot at a live animal 180 yards away, about 120 yards too far, not having any guess whatsoever of where the projectile was going to hit said animal. He lucked out and hit the deer and killed it. Like I said, stunt shooting at its finest, on a live animal. That's the bottom line. I don't claim to know everything, in fact little of anything, but I know nonsense when I hear it. Confidence has absolutely nothing to do with it. Stupidity has alot to do with it.
 
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