Slugs or buckshot?

Coyote,

What is your prefered method of deer hunting? Are you mostly a stand hunter or do you stillhunt or do drives more?

I have two guns dedicated to strictly deer hunting.

A mossberg Model 500 trophy slugster in 12 guage with a BSA deerhunter 1.5-4.5 scope on it for stand hunting. It gives me 3" groups out to 125 yards with lightfeild slugs and the whole set up cost me around 350.00. They do offer it in a 20 guage if you want.

For walking I use a winchester 1300 with a smoothbore with rifled slugs and open sights. It is accurate enough that I can hit a clay pigeon at 50 yards with it just about every time.

I never use buckshot as I feel you need a dedicated gun for that and you need to pattern the buckshot just like you pattern turkey shot. I know people that do that but they are the exception. Very few ppl know how to use it correctly and effectively and just end up wounding deer most of the time.
 
No stands. Walk a little, then stop and listen. Maybe with one or more other people.

Just want something light and inexpensive. An H&R with a sleeve on the stock for quick(er) reloads might do it in either 16 or 20 gauge. Wondering what kind of iron or iron/fiber optic sights would be good, or maybe a red-dot or something else good in low light.
 
No stands. Walk a little, then stop and listen. Maybe with one or more other people.

Just want something light and inexpensive. An H&R with a sleeve on the stock for quick(er) reloads might do it in either 16 or 20 gauge. Wondering what kind of iron or iron/fiber optic sights would be good, or maybe a red-dot or something else good in low light.


Personally I have found a good low power scope is as good, plenty bright, and just as quick as iron sights in fast shooting situations. It is all in how you mount the gun and keeping both eyes open. When I mount the gun I am instantly on target .

Most of my gang in Maine that hunt with 760 pump rifles have switched from williams peeps to low power scopes. Even the Beniots have switched.
 
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Do they make fiber sights or the "ghost ring" type sights for a Remington 870? I would think a ring rear with fiber front would be the best (I first typoed and put in beast!) of all worlds, with good sighting and low light capabilities.
 
Took down a doe this year about 10 yds away from my tree stand quartering towards me with a 000buck. Blew hew guts right out the bottom of her, she turned into jelly, did'nt even take a breath. No tracking good eatin.
 
So, here goes again. I have an 870 Wingmaster with 28 inch vent rib barrel. Is this going to be OK for deer season, or should I get another barrel? OR, should I just get a new gun? I had shoulder surgery over 5 years ago, and haven't shot slugs or buck through it since the surgery. In fact, I mostly have done just trap and light bird loads with this gun.

If a barrel, what do I get, and how much do they go for? Can they be ordered online cheaper? Or am I better off going somewhere local due to shipping costs?

If not a barrel, how about something like the Ultra Slug Hunter?

In any event, I am already scoping out some deer country, and looking forward to Fall. I want to get something I can practice with and work on my shooting with over the Summer.

So to summarize:
have 870 12 gauge with 28" vent rib barrel
had shoulder surgery
new at deer hunting
limited budget

options:
1) use what I have with A) slugs B) buckshot
2) get a new barrel for the 870 and use A) slugs B) buckshot
3) get a new shotgun in A) 20 gauge B) 12 gauge C) 16 gauge and use A) slugs B) buckshot
4) get a blackpowder, and get a longer season, and tailor my loads to what works

Thanks!
 
I will check for sure, but we have a rifled Remington slug barrel, (rifle sights not cantilever) and I think it's about $160.00. I'm not sure where your budget is, but you may want to consider semi-auto, (ie: 1187 or a 935 Mossy)...We have a combo deal on the Mossy for under $500.00 and it comes with both a rifled ported slug barrel and a 28" ported field barrel.

As to shoulder surgery - everyone's different. I smashed my shoulder to pieces, but still enjoy recoil...
 
I have hunted turkeys, deer, rabbits, grouse & pheasant with the same 870 12GA & 22"-ish bead-sighted smoothbore barrel. I swap out chokes and loads only.

For deer, I use standard Remington Slugger Foster-type slugs and keep shots to 50 yards. Though I have used buckshot in the past, I haven't in 8-10 years and no longer do.
 
Then if I were using your setup, I'd buy several brands of 2 3/4" slugs that would work in the gun and try them out to 60-70 yards max and see if you like the results.
 
Are there any public ranges where you can pattern a shotgun for buckshot? It seems like a lot of the gun clubs only allow slugs to be fired on their ranges.
 
USE BOTH!!

I used to live in Sturbridge, MA. My local buddys there got me tuned in to their tried and true method of loading for dense woods:

The first round out of the shotgun should be a slug. The presumption is that you have some time to aim, and make a true shot, on that first shot.

The next couple of rounds out of the shotgun should be 00 buck shot, presuming that, at that point, the deer was missed by the first shot, and is running. Trying to shoot another slug through the branches is tough at best, and 00 buck shot will at least hit the deer with a few pellets and slow it down. The last two should be slugs again, because a slowed down deer is now easier to hit again.

That was their thinking, and it seemed to always work well for me when I lived there.

I'm now in a state where I can hunt with a real rifle, and haven't used a shotgun for hunting in a long time.
 
I used to live in Sturbridge, MA. My local buddys there got me tuned in to their tried and true method of loading for dense woods:

The first round out of the shotgun should be a slug. The presumption is that you have some time to aim, and make a true shot, on that first shot.

The next couple of rounds out of the shotgun should be 00 buck shot, presuming that, at that point, the deer was missed by the first shot, and is running. Trying to shoot another slug through the branches is tough at best, and 00 buck shot will at least hit the deer with a few pellets and slow it down. The last two should be slugs again, because a slowed down deer is now easier to hit again.

That was their thinking, and it seemed to always work well for me when I lived there.

Thats what ignorant and dangerous spray and pray hacks do. [angry]
 
I prefer slugs. buckshot messes up too much meat.
OK, slugs because they are better on meat.

of the deer I've butchered this year, the sabots are dropping the deer like rocks. The hole these things leave is incredible
Wait, slugs make incredible holes? (wasted meat)

Which is it?

If you hunt in thick areas, buckshot may be better but I still use slugs
Why do you use that which is not better (ie:worse)?
 
Brenneke-style slugs out of a smoothbore barrel. 12- or 16- gauge. As open of a choke as possible.
 
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