# Slug Gun Accuracy ----Really?



## Baydawg (Apr 1, 2005)

I ahve been reading all of the reports on the slug gun tack drivers that most folks seem to have. I have a decent resume when it comes to marksmanship and I still have a hard time holding that 2" mark at 100 yards. 

I thought I was just hopeless based ont he reports because I could not get a cloverleaf at 100 yards. That was until I worked a local range and saw the actual results of approximately 35 slug guns first hand and probably 60 total. I did not see one gun capable of cloverleafs at 100 yards from a rest.

The question is this...are we really capable of the shooting we claim?

Disclaimer....I am not trying to start a mess here...just a real conversation on slug gun accuracy.


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## bmd1023 (Apr 25, 2007)

I cant but i do know my father can with his 870 with a hasting barrel and Hornady SST's at 100 yards.


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## wadevb1 (Mar 25, 2008)

I have three dedicated slug guns with rifled tubes and topped with qulaity scopes. Triggers professionally tuned and breaks at three pounds. I tried every sabot offered and determined a quality rig can put three rounds into a four inch group at 100 yards. Five rounds will likely get you a flier that will open the group to six inches. 

All my testing was shot from a solid bench and quality rest.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## jayzbird (May 19, 2005)

There is a guy on here that shoots a Savage 220f 20 guage bolt gun. He has posted pics of targets that he's shot with his gun and it does shoot cloverleafs at 100 yards. I can't remember his name for the life of me.... Anyways, my Ultra slug H&R is a 2" gun at 100 yards. Stock, no trigger mods. I'm going to do a last minute check to make sure it's on Sunday before the opener on Monday. I'll post pics when I'm done.


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## Silver Panner (Apr 15, 2009)

This was an intersting artical about just the subject. 

http://www.fieldandstream.com/artic...ethods-and-gear-tips-competition-slug-shooter


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## flockshot (Feb 23, 2007)

my H&R single shot is pretty impressive, stock, but truthfully at one hundred yards im happy with a 3 inch grouping. 125 a four inch grouping. its still a shot gun. lol.


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## sixft4par (Apr 1, 2008)

Best i've been able to get out of my 870 at 100 yards. If I can keep them on a softball size spot thats plenty good enough for deer hunting.

This group is with buckhammers. 2&3/4"


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## jayzbird (May 19, 2005)

sixft4par said:


> Best i've been able to get out of my 870 at 100 yards. If I can keep them on a softball size spot thats plenty good enough for deer hunting.
> 
> This group is with buckhammers. 2&3/4"


Stop using that industrial size paper punch on your targets. Really though, nice grouping.


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## Paul Thompson (Jul 16, 2007)

Accuracy is a balance between gun repeatability, and shooter repeatability. Having an accurate gun and marginal shooting skills will give you nominal results. Some guys say they have shooting skills, but don't. I have a brother in law that was on the Army Pistol team, he takes forever at the range, but is dead nuts on with all of his guns. Head shoots all of his doe meat.


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## Topshelf (May 24, 2005)

I set up both my slug guns to shoot 1" high at 50 yards. My typical shot is less than 50 yards so I dont even worry about those 100 yard shots. Holding tight groups at the range is one thing, but real life cross hairs on a buck are what I shoot for. I hunt the woods and not the big open corn fields so 100 yard groups are not in my picture. BUT if I had an oportunity to go shoot longer distance I would not worry about taking that 75-100 yard shot.

So IMO why worry about those tight bench groups at 100 yards if you will not shoot over 50 from your stand? Both my guns are rifled barrels and scoped and feel are very capable of "shotgun" accuracy at 100 yards.


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## jayzbird (May 19, 2005)

Topshelf said:


> I set up both my slug guns to shoot 1" high at 50 yards. My typical shot is less than 50 yards so I dont even worry about those 100 yard shots. Holding tight groups at the range is one thing, but real life cross hairs on a buck are what I shoot for. I hunt the woods and not the big open corn fields so 100 yard groups are not in my picture. BUT if I had an oportunity to go shoot longer distance I would not worry about taking that 75-100 yard shot.
> 
> So IMO why worry about those tight bench groups at 100 yards if you will not shoot over 50 from your stand? Both my guns are rifled barrels and scoped and feel are very capable of "shotgun" accuracy at 100 yards.


Because I do regularly get shots that are farther than 50 yards because the property I hunt on is mostly fields and fencerows. My slug gun is set at 3" high at 100 and at 200 it's 7" low. Right on at 150. Almost exact same settings as my muzzleloader, nearly identical. If I could only shoot out to 100 yards and with marginal accuracy I'd be in trouble.


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## sixft4par (Apr 1, 2008)

jayzbird said:


> Stop using that industrial size paper punch on your targets. Really though, nice grouping.


The hole through the deer looks the same! That is one hard hitting slug.

I think accuracy is part gun and part working at it. SLug guns are a pain to get good with because the triggers are usually not great, and they kick like a mule. I shoot mine a few times a year to make sure its on and thats it.

Doing things the same way everytime is a big key. Its almost like a preshot routine in golf, or a routine before you shot a free throw.

But to stay on topic there are alot of BSers out there.


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## bowhunter426 (Oct 20, 2010)

A lot of factors come into play to make a shot gun a tack driver. I was never able to get my Mossberg 535 or Rem 870 to do better than 4 inches. They were both 12 ga. With both of these guns, the amount of tightening torque applied to the thumb knob on the end of the magazine for holding on the barrel would greatly impact where it was hitting and how well. I traded the Rem 870 in for a H&R 20ga. I got this down to 3 with the scope that came on it, and to 2 with a luepold. Not only did the Luepold have a smaller adjustment increment, the crosshairs were also thinner. The thickness of the cross hairs does affect shot repeatability. Lastly, the 20 ga is much more tolerable to my shoulder so I shoot it atleast 5-10 times a week during the summer. Repetition of shooting it has made me a much better marksman with it. I think with a better trigger the H&R could be a MOA gun


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## TheCrawdad (May 9, 2009)

I have an 1100 Remington that I had Williams do a trigger job on. Nikon Prostaff 3x9x40 scope, cantilevered barrel. I really don't shoot much, I got it close at the 30 yard range and moved over to the 100 yard range. These are the first 4 shots thru it at 100 yards. BTW, I only ran 8 slugs thru it all day. 10 since i've had it, and there's meat in my frreezer.:coolgleam CDAD


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## jayzbird (May 19, 2005)

jayzbird said:


> There is a guy on here that shoots a Savage 220f 20 guage bolt gun. He has posted pics of targets that he's shot with his gun and it does shoot cloverleafs at 100 yards. I can't remember his name for the life of me.... Anyways, my Ultra slug H&R is a 2" gun at 100 yards. Stock, no trigger mods. I'm going to do a last minute check to make sure it's on Sunday before the opener on Monday. I'll post pics when I'm done.


Well guys, didn't get out to punch some holes in paper yesterday....BUT I did punch a hole in a doe this morning at 146 yds. with my H&R Ultra Slug hunter at 8:20. Shoting Federal Barnes expander tipped slugs 2 3/4 ". I had the gun zeroed at 150 yds. and it put the bullet right in the boiler room. In the pic is the exit side she was quartering away just slightly. The other side is tight to the shoulder.


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## sixft4par (Apr 1, 2008)

That deer had a weight problem and you did her a favor. Nice shot.


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## KPOD (Nov 17, 2009)

Quick question, how often are you guys cleaning your barrels (do you clean them at the range? how many shots in between cleanings)?

Also anyone shooting a Mossberg 500 20 gauge with 24" ported barrel? If so I'm curious as to what kind of grouping you get at 100 yds and with what slugs?


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## sixft4par (Apr 1, 2008)

I clean the barrel every 10 shots or so.....but you can expect a flier on the next shot. I clean mine and then shoot it once and leave it for the season and then clean it good after the hunting is done.


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## tm7554 (Nov 2, 2009)

KPOD said:


> Quick question, how often are you guys cleaning your barrels (do you clean them at the range? how many shots in between cleanings)?
> 
> Also anyone shooting a Mossberg 500 20 gauge with 24" ported barrel? If so I'm curious as to what kind of grouping you get at 100 yds and with what slugs?


I just purchase the mossberg combo barrel/scope for my 20 gauge 500. Shot so horrible i thought it had to be the scope. I put a 2-7 Leupold on it and got it down to a pie plate at 100 yards with SSt and Fusions. Yep, pie plate is the best i could do. This off the bench. Dissapointed doesn't begin to describe it. I honestly think i could do this with my bow.


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## KPOD (Nov 17, 2009)

tm7554 said:


> I just purchase the mossberg combo barrel/scope for my 20 gauge 500. Shot so horrible i thought it had to be the scope. I put a 2-7 Leupold on it and got it down to a pie plate at 100 yards with SSt and Fusions. Yep, pie plate is the best i could do. This off the bench. Dissapointed doesn't begin to describe it. I honestly think i could do this with my bow.


That's a disappointment to say the least :sad: Maybe I do need to get a muzzleloader sooner than expected  I plan on cleaning my barrel really well tonight and taking it out to the range tomorrow hoping it shoots better. If not, I'm gonna be limited to 50 yd shots for a while.


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