20 gage shotgun slug question?

[PA BEN]

I have a REM. 870 youth shotgun and a buddy’s daughter (12) is going to use it in a shotgun only area. It shoots 3” shells too. I’ve never shot slugs before so I was wondering what slugs to use? Can I use the regular barrel? And what choke to you use? It has a red dot site on it all ready for turkey hunting. Thanks

[Hunterman]

Get a slug barrel for that shotgun..I got on at Cabela's for about $150 with a scope.

Hunterman(Tony)

[MtnMuley]

Any factory slugs should work fine with that 870 barrel. I've killed a lot of yotes with mine using slugs jump shooting ducks in the day.

[PA BEN]

What choke to you use?

[Bob33]

If you are using a smoothbore barrel, you want the most open choke you can get.  Cylinder would be best since you don't need or want any compression of the slug at the end of the barrel.

If you can get a rifled barrel, it would be better.  You might get lucky and find a slug that works well in a smoothbore barrel.  Some companies like Federal and Remington makes slugs that are designed to work in smoothbore barrels.  However, if you can get 4" groups at 50 yards with a smoothbore you'd be doing real well.  With a rifled barrel, a scope, and the right slugs you can probably get down to 2" groups at 100 yards.

[PA BEN]

Thanks, I'm not going to buy a slug barrel but if my buddy wants to for his kid that's up to him. He won a guided hunt for her in a shotgun only area out of Sequim. She's a small 12yr old and a 12ga would kick the crap out of her. I told him he could use my youth 20ga so I'm doing a little research.

[Curly]

You may want to check the regs.  I'm pretty sure 20ga is not legal for elk.

[coyotewallace]

Shotguns:
Deer, bear, and cougar may be hunted with 20
gauge to 10 gauge shotguns shooting slugs or
#1 or larger buckshot. Other big game may be
hunted with a 10 or 12 gauge shotgun using
slugs. Hunters must use #4 shot or smaller
(e.g. #6 shot is legal) to hunt turkey.

[AWS]

Carlson's make a Rifled choke tube for the Rem 20ga about $30.

http://www.choketube.com/remington.html

Scroll down to near the bottom of the page.

AWS

[Curly]

Some companies make reduced recoil slug loads for 12ga, so your buddy may be able to find a 12 ga slug that doesn't kick too much for his daughter.  Here is an example:  http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/default.aspx?productNumber=918352

[PA BEN]

You may want to check the regs.  I'm pretty sure 20ga is not legal for elk.

This is a deer hunt.

[jackelope]

They have deer in Sequim too?
 


P.S. That 20 gauge will likely kick the crap out of her too.

[PA BEN]

They have deer in Sequim too?
 


P.S. That 20 gauge will likely kick the crap out of her too.

My girls have shot turkeys w/3" turkeys loads w/ ultrafull turkey choke. Don't know if a slug would kick more or not. BTW, my buddy's daughter has killed deer w/a 243.

[Bob33]

They have deer in Sequim too?
 


P.S. That 20 gauge will likely kick the crap out of her too.

She might actually be better shooting a heavy 12 with reduced recoil slugs than a youth 20 which is light.  Find the mildest and lightest weight slug you can, get it sighted in, and go hunting.

[PA BEN]

Thanks for all the info. Any ideas on the type of slug or brand? Those reduced recoil slug loads might work but I'm sure he will want to try a few others too.

[satchel3006]

 I would try some of these http://www.federalpremium.com:80/m/product_details.aspx?f=4&t=1&c=74&id=397   But you should probably grab a few boxes of each and try them all

[jackelope]

They have deer in Sequim too?
 


P.S. That 20 gauge will likely kick the crap out of her too.

My girls have shot turkeys w/3" turkeys loads w/ ultrafull turkey choke. Don't know if a slug would kick more or not. BTW, my buddy's daughter has killed deer w/a 243.

Back when in NY we had the shotgun county thing for deer hunting. The slugs I shot in my shotguns were brutal recoil-wise. If the child is a small 12 year old, then I'd be willing to bet that the 20 gauge slugs will punish her.  I don't have a kid that hunts yet(she's 3) but my buddy's boy is a small 12 year old. He will shoot his youth .243 all day long. He will shoot a round or 3 when it comes to patterning his youth 500 20 gauge turkey gun before he puts it away because it hurts him. My biddy ends up patterning it to make sure it's doing what he needs it to do.
The bottom line is that slugs kick like mules. Everybody's different when it comes to recoil, but I always thought that slugs kicked me harder than turkey loads.   

[Maverick]

how well do thos slug chokes work? Or would it be better to get a slug barrel?

[h20hunter]

I have run some Winchester Dual Bond 20's as well as the Horanday slugs through my H&R 20 gauge. They all kick pretty solid. I'd go with the rifled barrell and you will have more options on ammo.