# How far will a slug travel ?



## fatboy (May 8, 2002)

Thought I'd post this question. Let's say a 12 ga. 3" mag. as they seem to be a common one used these days.


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## Robert W. McCoy Jr (Jan 18, 2002)

Shot from a gun that was level with the ground or aimed up in the air.


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## hangoo (Oct 3, 2001)

if you dont arch your gun at all, its about 1500 FEET.

b/c we sight in our guns one year on our lane....well that year of hunting we were walking down the lane and found a slug in one piece with no signs of damage...so it was a slug that missed the target and went about that far


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## fatboy (May 8, 2002)

Level As if you were shooting at a deer.


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## tree dweller (Nov 5, 2001)

Wait a minute.... My slugs say that they drop about 8" at 100 yards. How is it possible for it to go another 1400 yards before it hits the ground. Is that a typo?

I would think more like 150 - 250 yards depending on the slug and gun.


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## Robert W. McCoy Jr (Jan 18, 2002)

You have to take a few more things into consideration.
The terran is it flat?
If you were shooting towards a hill it will impact faster than shooting down a hill or on flat ground.
I have forgotton most of the bull$hit math problems the ARMY tought me. But just take the velocity say 1300fps. 300 feet in a hundred yards.
If your 6' high your 72 inchs above the ground.
If it dropped 8" every 100 yards that would take it 900 yards on flat ground to impact.
Well I know that it gonna slow down even more after 100 yrds so I'm gonna guess around 700 yrds at the most. Shot from the shoulder on flat ground.

Now somebody wake SFK up and make him figure this one out hes the engineer


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## Robert W. McCoy Jr (Jan 18, 2002)

most of my ballistic training has been done with the 308 round.
I'm just using some of those figures and guessing I'm sure somebody out there might know better than me..
Maybe if Sarge reads this he can tell yeah.
I know he has a bunch of knowledge concerning ballistics


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## hypox (Jan 23, 2000)

If you are shooting horizontally over a flat surface, I'd be suprized if it went over 400 yards.


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## Matt3ddsteel (Jan 10, 2002)

A slug that goes 1500 yards?? Not a chance in hell. I'd say the maximum range shot level at a deer would be 150 -250 yards then it would hit the dirt for sure.


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## The Mutt (Jan 6, 2002)

hangoo,

1500 yards is over 3/4 of a mile. I don't know of to many "lanes" that go 3/4 of a mile with no turns or obstructions. 1500 ft. would sound more like a "lane" to me.

As for a slug shot level at a deer I would think no more than 250 yards before it "touched down". Now a saboted load shot from a shotgun would be different but I'd bet still no more than 500 yards if shot level at a deer.


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## The Mutt (Jan 6, 2002)

Just checked a ballistics chart I have book marked and even a 7mm Rem. Mag drops between 52.9 and 58.8 inches at 500 yards. I can't imagine even a saboted shotgun load doing better than that.

http://www.pacinfo.com/~dropinsator/chart5.htm#7mm Rem Mag


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## TTSBowhunter (Oct 31, 2002)

I cant buy 1500 yds. I gotta believe its in the dirt a heck of alot sooner than that.


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## Hunt4Ever (Sep 9, 2000)

I don't think you could ever get a 1,300 fps slug to go 1,500 yards. I've made a kill on a priarie dog at 1,056 yards using a .243 Ackley Improved, from an elevated position. That was about all that gun had. We were shooting a VERY low drag bullet made for VERY long range shooting.


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## Big Frank 25 (Feb 21, 2002)

I remember reading the side of a box of slugs I had that read _use caution will travel a mile!_ 

Accuracy, that's another thing!


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## mich buckmaster (Nov 20, 2001)

I would say that a slug shot horizontally will only travel about 300 yards if you are lucky. If you are lifting your gun to compensate for shooting at an animal it may reach 400-500, but not much further than that. There is no way. lets be realistic on realistic shots.


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## tree dweller (Nov 5, 2001)

You also must realize that the slug is dropping more in the second 100 yds than it did in the first 100 yds. See that curve on the side of the box? The further it travels the more rapidly it dropps. You dont need math for this, just go in the back yard and throw a ball. You can see it happen.

Hangoo- I'm not saying your slug didnt travel that far. I suppose there are plenty of factors that could have put it 1500 yards from where you shot it. In most cases however, that slug is gonna hit the ground before 250 yards, shooting straight. As for replacing my gun. Naaa. Its doing a pretty good job for me. But thanks for the advise.


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## Danatodd99 (Dec 26, 2001)

Guys , 

Hangoo surely made a typo there.
I can't see a shotgun slug going much further than 400 - 500 yds.
under normal shooing circumstances that is, I can only see a maximum effective range of 150 yds tops


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Accuracy wise they are getting close to the 200 yard mark, based on the recent articles I've read. If I get ambitious, I'll figure out exactly how far one will go but 400-500 yards sounds okay. I am wondering if this a safety issue question, then I would say a mile. I always error on the side of safety.


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

1 mile = 5280 feet

5280 feet divided by 3 = 1760 yards in a mile

so 1500 yards is .852 of one mile or darn close to 7/8 of one mile 


FYI


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## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

This is how far a slug will travel in Muskegon County. In addition to shooting the house and the girl, the idiot didn't have a doe tag for the deer either. 

Hunter's stray bullet strikes girl in home

A 13-year-old Laketon Township girl was hit in the arm by a stray hunter's shotgun slug that went through her bedroom wall late Sunday afternoon. 

http://www.mlive.com/news/muchronic...tandard.xsl?/base/news-1/1037634303290200.xml


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## mich buckmaster (Nov 20, 2001)

HR, One more post and you hit 1000!!! Congrats.


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## islaysteelies (Apr 30, 2001)

900ft=.17miles...


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## hangoo (Oct 3, 2001)

OK EVERYONE, IM TALKING JIBBA JABBA......MY 1500 YDS IS REALLY 1500 FEET!!! TREE DWELLER WAS RIGHT IT WAS A TYPO. CANT BELIEVE I DIDNT CATCH THAT BEFORE. ALL MY 1500 YD TALK IS REALLY 1500 FEET

FREEPOP IS RIGHT, SO IS MUTT....SORRY FOR THE TYPO AND MY NONSENCE FOR NOT SEEING MY ERROR 

SO 1500 FEET IS ABOUT 500 YDS....WOW...HAHA

I was seriously getting pissed when you guys wouldnt believe me. i was thinking..."man that distance isnt that far (1500 feet) while im typing "1500yds" thats a long haul
man o man


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## Robert W. McCoy Jr (Jan 18, 2002)

LOL 
Just kidding just kidding


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## tree dweller (Nov 5, 2001)

Now you know why those guys were looking at you so funny when you were telling them about taking that buck at 60 yards with your bow ( or was it 60 ft ). 

It happens to all of us. Glad you caught it. 

Good Hunting-


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## Big Frank 25 (Feb 21, 2002)

I'll put a box of them in the trunk and see how far they get. Stay tuned! If I find an old box I'll scan it for you and post it. Federal once had on the box 1 mile.


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