Shotgun Slug Hunting

[steeleywhopper]

I have a cantilever Barrel and 2x7 power leupold scope on my 870 slug setup. I shoot Hornady sst 2/34 inch slugs and deer flat die with that setup. Furthest deer killed was a 165 yard heart shot and 20 yards being the closest. I would not hesitate to shoot that rig at 200 yards if need be.

[sawyer]

Work out of an elevated tree stand and try to shorten up your distance from the stand to the trail to 50 yards.  If it's allowed in the area you're looking at, get some game cameras going to see what's moving around.  Don't worry so much about only seeing does. Once fall comes, more does = buck magnets.  When you get your area figured out, get the stand up sooner than later so everything settles down a bit before season.

Good insight, thank you. I got a game cam coming in the mail. Going to rotate it between my 3 spots all summer long as I keep checking them. Luckily I get to check one of the spots regularly because i'm a forest tech and one of our work sites is very near a deer hotspot I've been watching.

[sawyer]

Ever seen what a 12 gauge slug does to a deer? Not very pretty and wastes a lot of meat. I would suggest using #00 buckshot instead unless you plan on shooting at more that 40-50 yards. I have shot three blacktails with a shotgun. Two with #00 buckshot and one with a slug. The one with the slug destroyed both shoulders of the deer, the ones with buckshot were quick clean kills with little meat damage.

Thank you for sharing that experience. I'll defiantly do some more research and perhaps go pattern out some #00 buck and weight the pros and cons. I would hate to waste a whole shoulder, let alone two. 

[sawyer]

I've never hunted deer and I have no one in my life to teach me how.

Good on you sawyer!
I never had anyone in my family that hunted, only fishing, until I started hunting in my mid teens.
I spent endless  :hello:hours hiking and learning about nature & wildlife when I was growing up.
It was a natural progression in my mind - nearly 40 years later, I'm glad I did!

Thank you! I've had great success learning fly fishing and salmon fishing on my own, and grouse hunting. Hopefully I'll be able to say the same about deer.

[sawyer]

My son and I have killed 5 BT with a 20ga slug gun. No added meat damage over a rifle. Good shot placement into the lungs or heart and you won't waste meat.
We used a solid copper slug and every shot was thru n thru. Even had one hit a bit back and it vaporized the liver. Buck was dead on his hooves.
Your plan sounds good. You didn't mention if you will be using open sights or a scope.  If using a scope you are easily good out to 100yds. I am comfortable to 120yds with my slug gun. Although wind will have more effect on slugs.
As others said, get a trail cam out and build your blind in advance.
Good luck and most of all have fun 

I'll be using iron sights, it is through the 12ga remington slug barrel. They have a nice rear sight and a nice front sight post. I may play with the idea of scope after I do some shooting. Thank you for sharing your experience. Good to know I'm not crazy using a slug gun in WA

[sawyer]

Just wanted to thank everyone for you're input. It has helped a lot. I'm feeling better about my decisions now and have some new information to go off of.

[Widgeondeke]

Deke is, was, shooting an h&r break open slug gun, rifled.

Ya that     

[Brushcrawler]

Second Bob33s comment on trying a few different slugs to see what works. My 12 ga will shoot around 1.5 inches at 100 when very clean using 3” Remington accutips. As stated shoot them through the ribs and you won’t lose any meat. Keep the butt tight to your shoulder, they kick!

[CP]

I took my deer last season with this slug.  Smooth bore shotgun, off the bead, 35 yards.  Yes a rifled bore, scope, etc. will increase your range, but you can make it work with any shotgun.  And the big, slow slug damages less meat than a smaller, faster rifle bullet.

[Remnar]

 Nothing wrong with your plan . I prefer to hunt edges and timber 90% of the Blacktail I have shot although using a rifle, could have been done with your setup.

I wouldn't  recommend buckshot.  If l were to use it would limit shots to 30 yards and under. 

  Good luck out there

[jackson7]

I have only shot one deer with a rifle. have always used slugs in a 20 or 12 gauge. standard Remington 870, smoothbore. it works. Good luck.

[follow maggie]

I’ll also say it’s a good plan. Slugs have come a long ways in recent years, just like bullets. Use a good quality slug & put it through the lungs like others have said and I don’t think you lose much meat.

[lokidog]

Ever seen what a 12 gauge slug does to a deer? Not very pretty and wastes a lot of meat. I would suggest using #00 buckshot instead unless you plan on shooting at more that 40-50 yards. I have shot three blacktails with a shotgun. Two with #00 buckshot and one with a slug. The one with the slug destroyed both shoulders of the deer, the ones with buckshot were quick clean kills with little meat damage.

There's a reason many states back east have banned 00 buck for deer....  A 12 ga slug will do no more "damage" than any high speed low caliber round when placed in the same location. Buck shot can create many more wound channels in meat and have a higher likelihood of not providing a clean kill as well as a much shorter range.

Find a scope mount to fit your gun, rib or receiver mounted, put a red dot or low magnification scope on it and go shoot, a lot. I prefer a 20ga sabot to a rifled slug, but I've also shot several deer with rifled slugs and you need a rifled choke tube or barrel with the sabot. Figure out your maximum accurate range and stick to it. My first year hunting, I was shooting a 20 with rifled slugs and open sights. I was only comfortable with accuracy to about 60 yards, I let a huge buck walk that was about 100 yards up the ridge, I've never regretted it.

Good luck.

[fowl smacker]

I have shot 1 buck with buckshot (12ga 00 buck) and never will again.  1st hit was 25 yards broadside, hit it right behind the shoulder, 2nd shot was immediately after at about 30 yards slightly quartered away still behind the shoulder/rib cage area.  The buck was hauling butt at this point.  Me and a buddy tracked this deer over 2 miles finding specks of blood here and there.  Jumped it out of a bed several hours later, hit it in the neck with the 3rd shot at about 40 yards, went another 1/2 mile and finally dropped it with a head shot at 15 yards.  There were small holes in that deer's heart, liver, and wind pipe.  The 00 buck performance was HORRIBLE!  Never again.

[Jpmiller]

Maybe the blacktail guys can chime in on this advice but if I'm going to be married to a spot for whitetail or mulies I can typically get them coming in fairly regular with a salt block. I'd imagine that would help out for blacktails as well and give them a little bit more incentive to be where you are. Helps get them in front of your game camera too. Good luck out there!