Post by: treeclimber2852 on October 19, 2016, 10:24:28 AM
Post by: treeclimber2852 on October 19, 2016, 11:08:29 AM
Depends on what your Stoeger is choked. Others may disagree but I do not fire hard slugs, out of anything tighter than a cylinder bore choke. As your Stoeger is not rifled it would also not be any advantage to fire a "rifled" slug from a smooth bore barrel. You might want to think about a Brenneke slug for such use.
Currently it has the cylinder bore choke in.
Post by: Special T on October 19, 2016, 01:00:32 PM
Post by: Chesapeake on October 19, 2016, 01:33:51 PM
Do you not own another rifle?
00 heavy shot buck in 3" or 3.5" is my choice for shotgun deer. The same in lead would be second choice.
If your anticipating the possible need to bat cleanup, then a shotgun with buckshot is a #1 choice for short range work. Rifle for long range of course.
The only case I've seen for smooth bore slugs over buckshot is in 20ga. shotguns.
Post by: northwesthunter84 on October 19, 2016, 01:40:13 PM
Post by: treeclimber2852 on October 19, 2016, 02:37:21 PM
I've shot 10+ deer with a 12 ga smooth bore and 2 3/4" slugs, usually shoot Winchester super x but those are hard to find around where I have been looking so I have tested some Federal blue box 2 3/4" and they group fine and are fairly cheap. You can bat cleanup well out to a hundred yards with those no problem. If you don't try to hit the shoulder there is very little meat loss, similar to an lung shot with an arrow.
That was my plan. I have my best shooter with me...with his 7mm-08 he's a dead shot out to 200 yards 3" groups all day long. I'm more worried about a tight in shot on a moving target. I wanted to have something to do just that - bat cleanup if he misses or wings it in close.
Post by: Widgeondeke on October 19, 2016, 02:50:31 PM
another option as stated above. Carry a legal pistol
Post by: coachcw on October 19, 2016, 03:40:05 PM
Post by: Mike450r on October 20, 2016, 07:39:57 AM
Depends on what your Stoeger is choked. Others may disagree but I do not fire hard slugs, out of anything tighter than a cylinder bore choke. As your Stoeger is not rifled it would also not be any advantage to fire a "rifled" slug from a smooth bore barrel. You might want to think about a Brenneke slug for such use.
It is always advantageous to shoot a rifled slug from a smoothbore shotgun. Otherwise you are essentially catapulting a chunk of lead with no stabilizing spin.
Maybe you meant no advantage to using slugs designed for rifled barrels?
As for the question about taking the gun or leaving it at home, I say take it. if you don't Murphy's law will go into effect and you will wish you did.
Post by: Bob33 on October 20, 2016, 08:04:16 AM
Post by: JDHasty on October 20, 2016, 08:32:37 AM
I have never seen a smooth barrel shotgun that wouldn't group within about 5" at a hundred yards with Foster slugs when the gun also had sights on it. Most guns do better than that. These slugs go sub sonic betw 100 and 200 yards and accuracy goes to pot. Here is what is most important, you need to try various Foster slugs to find out which one if best. Try Brennekes too, some guns shoot them very well indeed.
I have personal knowledge of more deer that have been hit and lost with buckshot than any other weapon. I hate the stuff. I don't use it, but I know a few guys who do.
Again you have to try out various buckshot loads to find out which one is best for your gun.
This is the best buckshot I know of: http://www.federalpremium.com/ammunition/shotshell/caliber/12-gauge/vital-shok-buckshot-with-flitecontrol-wad/pfc157-00
Guys I know have done extensive testing and there is nothing else that comes close
Post by: coachcw on October 20, 2016, 09:53:28 AM
Post by: JDHasty on October 20, 2016, 12:03:41 PM
I've shot at least ten deer with buck shot and not lost one . typically guys loose them because the areas they hunt are brushy as hell and they cant or wont follow up. I used to hunt with a mossburg 500 with a 20 inch open choke barrel and 00 buck it was deadly out to fifty yards , when I threw a slugger scoped barrel on it my effective range with slugs increased but I lost that quick close range effectiveness .
Where I hunt it is brushy as hell. I have tried to help others out, who I came across, who were trying to find a deer quite a few times. No blood trail.
But some people do hunt with it and with great success.
Post by: coachcw on October 20, 2016, 01:04:46 PM
Post by: wt on October 20, 2016, 07:26:20 PM