slugs for elk

[JimmyHoffa]

Mainly I was thinking about short-med range.  If the smoothbore has fixed sights, could just take some operator knowledge.  I know that the old bead on a flat top, you can get some good groups at say 50 or 75 using rifled slugs...but they might be 6" or a foot from point of aim, and then no way to adjust. 

[wheels]

thats kinda what i was planning on

[lokidog]

thats kinda what i was planning on

If you have a scope, an aftermarket scope mount that fits into the 870 pins is not too expensive and gives the piece of mind of having a more definite aiming point.     They also make rifles choke tubes so you can shoot sabot slugs, but I am not sure how effective these are.

[wheels]

thanks may have to look in to those

[mikeybuck]

For around $120 you can buy a 21 inch rifled barrel with adjustable sights.
Short barrels are a lot more enjoyable to pack in the thick stuff than the standard 28.

[wheels]

yea thanks may look in to that  on another note  is sabot a style of slug ?

[MountainWalk]

It's a sub caliber projectile encased in a plastic shoe to provide a gas seal and bearing surface for rifling to impart a spin. Growing up in Arkansas, a shotgun was a very viable deer gun. I tried lots of them. Some are good, some are great, and some are worth less than garbage. Keep in mind this was15+years ago. I used an 870 express with the Remington rifled barrel with sights.  Full bore slugs designed for rifling to me is a total elk crumpler.

[mikeybuck]

I wouldn't use a foster slug (full bore slug for shooting out of a smooth bore).
The ones I have tested, Remington, Winchester, federal are all very soft lead. Good for deer but would lack penetration. They flatten out.

Trust me, get a rifled barrel and shoot a good sabot slug. 12 ga makes a great timber elk gun.

[huntingfool7]

I wouldn't use a foster slug (full bore slug for shooting out of a smooth bore).
The ones I have tested, Remington, Winchester, federal are all very soft lead. Good for deer but would lack penetration. They flatten out.

Trust me, get a rifled barrel and shoot a good sabot slug. 12 ga makes a great timber elk gun.

They are soft lead.  The 2-3/4'' Foster slugs penetrate much better than 3''.  All 3'' (12 gauge) that I've tested and recovered from deer look like a coin.  The 2-3/4'' loads are moving slower.  I have Texas heart shot a decent blacktail with 2-3/4 Foster slugs.  That round went end to end, starting an inch to the side of the rectum and ended up in the front shoulder.  That particular slug could have been loaded and shot again. 

[lokidog]

As long as you don't hit the shoulder blade, the rifled slug should be fine, the side of an elk isn't much thicker than a deer....

[msg]

Have been using slugs for years on Roosevelts out of a Savage 212. Started with Remington one ounce copper solids, now shoot 375 grain core lok ultras. 1900 f.p.s. out of the barrel. Great results for me and buddies. Rifled barrel and scope will more than double your range. Have also shot Winchester XTP 300 grain slugs at paper. I believe that they come out at 2000 f.p.s. but not quite as much muzzle energy. They do kick like a mule.