Best slugs for smoothbore

[BruceP]

Up until this season I've used a muzzle loader during shotgun season but this year I'm using my 870. I would love a rifled barrel but it aint gonna happen this year. Any opinions on the best slugs to use with a smoothbore? Nothing like waiting till the last minute to sight in

 

[HorizontalHunter]

I personally have had good luck with the Remington Sluggers out of my Winchester smoothbore. The best thing to do is to pick up a box of everything you can find and see what shoots the tightest group at 40 yards or so. Then stock up and dial in.

I have been hunting with a smoothbore for a lot of years and I have never seen the need to move up to a rifled barrel. Yes you get better long range accuracy but you also need to buy much more expensive ammo and you have to carry a much heavier gun in the woods all day.

The real question is do you need that extra range for the kind of hunting you do? I decided many years ago I do not. I can shoot minute of deer out to 100 yards but the vast majority of my shots are well under 60 yards.

JMO,

Bob

 

[Polibious]

What choke tube do you use, I assume its important to protect the threading?

 

[Woodstock]

I personally have had good luck with the Remington Sluggers out of my Winchester smoothbore. The best thing to do is to pick up a box of everything you can find and see what shoots the tightest group at 40 yards or so. Then stock up and dial in.

I have been hunting with a smoothbore for a lot of years and I have never seen the need to move up to a rifled barrel. Yes you get better long range accuracy but you also need to buy much more expensive ammo and you have to carry a much heavier gun in the woods all day.

The real question is do you need that extra range for the kind of hunting you do? I decided many years ago I do not. I can shoot minute of deer out to 100 yards but the vast majority of my shots are well under 60 yards.

JMO,

Bob

What he said.
Every barrel is different, even within the same company. I've seen Remingtons that are more accurate with Brenneke, Winchester or Federal slugs, and some that liked Remington. Take it to the range this weekend and wring it out.

 

[HorizontalHunter]

What choke tube do you use, I assume its important to protect the threading?

No choke tube. It is a smoothbore slug barrel.

What he said.
Every barrel is different, even within the same company. I've seen Remingtons that are more accurate with Brenneke, Winchester or Federal slugs, and some that liked Remington. Take it to the range this weekend and wring it out.

You couldn't pay me to go to a range this weekend. I did go once the weekend before the shotgun season. You would not believe the lunacy.

Bob

 

[NautiBuoys]

Slugs

That is good advice about buying one of each and see what your barrel likes; however, the most consistent I have used across many different smoothbores are the Winchester 1oz Fosters. I have taken deer out to 125 yards. I sight in @ 2.75" high at 50yds, dead on at 100yds, 4" low at 125. Have yet to find a sabot that drops them better than a foster slug...

 

[Plural of Mongoose]

Ive been shooting the older style felt wad Brenneke 2 3/4 inch slugs in my 12 ga.smoothbore slug barreled 1100 for close to 30 years. Never had an issue with them and they are plenty accurate in the 1100. Two years ago I had trouble finding the felt wadded slugs and bought the Black Magic slugs offered by Brenneke. No sight adjustment was required.

 

[mac1911]

my remi 870 slug barrel likes the remingting slugsters also. As mentioned good for minute of dear 100yards. Also as noted I dont think other than being in a field can I even really see a dear in the woods beyound 60 yards. I also have good groups with the 28" field barrel with modified choke with the remi slugsters/sluggers ???

 

[jar]

I dont know anything about the terminal performance for hunting, but I just picked up a case of B&P slugs. Recoil is low and they seem very accurate. The first 3 i shot at 50 feet (mosty a pistol range trip) made a cloverleaf.

Sent from my PG06100 using Tapatalk

 

[ccm75]

My smooth bore model 37 shoots federal classics like a rifle. As suggested, try a few kinds and see what works best.

 

[SAV]

The question was raised about chokes.

I've heard IC (Improved Cylinder) was right for rifled slugs.
Then there are chokes with rifling that you shoot plain slugs out of.

Can anyone elaborate?

 

[HorizontalHunter]

The question was raised about chokes.

I've heard IC (Improved Cylinder) was right for rifled slugs.
Then there are chokes with rifling that you shoot plain slugs out of.

Can anyone elaborate?

From Winchester:

Winchester Ammunition offers two slug designs, the sabot slug or the rifled slug. Sabot slugs are designed to be used in rifled barrels or in smooth barrels with a rifled choke tube. Rifled slugs are designed to be used in smooth barrels. We have found the best accuracy when using rifled slugs in a cylinder or modified choke.

http://www.winchester.com/learning-center/faqs/Ammunition/Pages/faq.aspx

I have never shot sabots out of a shotgun with a rifled choke so I have no experience there but I have always had my best rifled slug accuracy out of a cylinder or modified choke. Two different shotguns one was mod. and the other is a cylinder choke.

Bob