Slug Gun Question????

I’m thinking of buying a Slug Gun this year, but I don’t know much about them. Anybody out there that shoots a shotgun with slugs for deer hunting let me know what you’re opinions on them are and what kind of range y’all get with them. Thanks for the help.

I dont have one but I've read a fair amount about them. They're good to 100 yards these days and you want a rifled slug gun for best accuracy and range.

Hard to beat the price of a Stoeger M3000R for shooting slugs. $550.

Savage 220 -- https://www.savagearms.com/content?p=firearms&a=product_summary&s=18827

Savage 212 -- https://savagearms.com/content?p=firearms&a=product_summary&s=19042

Ithaca Deerslayer III - https://ithacagun.com/product/deer-slayer-iii/

H&R Ultra -- http://www.hr1871.com/Firearms/Shotguns/ultraSlug.asp.html


I've shot the Savage and rung targets to 200 yards. I have the H&R Ultra, made before Remington's parent company bought H&R, and it's heavy as an axle but reliable. The Ithaca has a strong reputation dating back decades.

If you can find one of these to try I'd recommend doing so before buying.

Or if you want to dive in whole hog, buy one or have one built by Tar Hunt - https://www.tarhunt.com/

I have a Savage 220 and it is great. Amazingly accurate with the Remington slugs. Expensive to shoot though.

I shoot a 12 ga Ithaca Model 37 pump with rifled slugs. It has a 26” smooth bore with rifle sights. I can hit a 9” pie pan all day at 100 yards. I know rifled barrels with sabots are more accurate. Never had to track one. Love hunting with this.

All Slug Guns suck compared to a rifle.

If you have to shoot one, Get a Browning A-bolt 12 gauge or closely behind it, the Savage 212.

While I like my H&R, if I was going to buy one now it would be the Ithaca or Savage.


Sideline (which can help the OP) - What kind of recoil pad do you guys have on your slug guns? My H&R has one but it's still a friggin' jackhammer to shoot, even in a sled. Limbsaver? Something else?

I setup an old, 18.5" cyl bore 870 as a slug gun for a small spot i hunt where guns are allowed, but there are neighbors within earshot and i want to keep the noise reasonable but don't want the deer to make it far either (its on the side of a mountain, and they always run downhill but the path out is uphill) I was amazed at the accuracy from a short smooth bore. I have a red dot mounted on it and I am getting 2"-3" groups at 50 yards! I've tried it with a bunch of different slugs, all were acceptable, but the best were the classic Remington green box and the Herters brand from Cabelas. you can pick up a new 870 for around $260 on sale, and if you want to reach out even further they are one of the cheapest options for outfitting with a rifled barrel.

That's impressive. Any idea how much drop there is at that distance?

Yeah. It is a beast to shoot my 12 ga lthica Model 37. If recoil is an issue for you, might want to go with a 20 ga

We were just trying to clang the steel and weren't concerned with precision. Lightfield slugs. Probably a couple inches at least. It's been four or five years. Squeeze, boom, wait wait wait wait, clang!



I've considered selling the H&R 12 and getting a Savage 220. I kinda like having the Ultra, though, since it was made before Remington's parent company bought H&R and phucked up everything left, right and center. Also, if I need to kill someone by beating them to death with the Ultra it would only take a couple of blows. It's heavy.

I got one I may sell him if you don't hurry up and get off that damn wallet.

I bought a Remington 870 with the rifled slug barrel several years a go. put a 3-9 Leupold on it. It shoots 2" groups at 100yds with Hornady SST 300grain Sabots. I have only shot 1 doe with it but I have loaned it to a friend for him and his son to use in Illinois several times. They have killed some monsters with it. They had a muzzle loader and borrowed my 870. They started arguing about who was going to get to use the 870. They wanted to buy mine but I wouldn't sell so they both went out and bought their own. They have killed with it out to 170yds and love the quick backup availability. No clean up either.

Get a Savage 220 or 212 if you are budget conscious. Can't go wrong. If you want the true cadillac of non-custom slug guns, get the Browning A-bolt 12 gauge. All 3 are tack-drivers with the right slug (always start with both variants of Remington Accutip slugs).

Well I bought a Savage 220 from a guy once, and it’s a tack driver!!! Not sure what that fella was thinking when he sold it!

I've killed two bucks at 140 and 160 yards with my Browning silver hunter. 300 grain hornady slugs knocks em down. Like being hit by a train.

I have the 220F too. Use to be only thing we could use in IN. I had it zeroed in at 200 yards. My farthest shot was 220 yards with it. It shot 3 inch AT only.

They have after market rifled barrels for most makes of shotguns. I put one on an older model 20 guage 870 and have had great results. Shooting 2in. groups at 100yrds with 3in. Federal trophy copper slugs and a fixed 4x hawke scope. Some friends and I use slug guns hunting corp of engineer land down on the tombigbee.

Ballistics on the 20ga are way better than the 12 ga.

I bought a rifled slug barrel with scope mount for my 20ga 870.

I get 5-6" groups at 100 yards, that's with the short youth barrel.

I see people post that all the time. But it is horsechit.

I shoot an ABolt with a Leupold 3x9. I have it zeroed three inches high at 1000 and I can hold dead on out to 175 . A Limbsaver recoil pad is very helpful. I've killed several deer with Winchester Dual Bond Slugs but prefer the Win.Partition Gold slugs. They always exit. If you hit a deer properly it isn't going anywhere. Most of my deer drop in their tracks or go 25 yards or less.

The 20 Ga. Partition Gold slugs are also effective. With about 2000 ft-lbs. muzzle energy it'll get the job done.

I have the Savage Model 220 (20 gauge). You put 3 inch shells in there and it has substantial recoil. It is very accurate and will do a number on a deer.

The Cabela's in Chesterfield MI has seven, NIB Brown A=Bolts for sale at $599 in the Gun Library. That's a hell of a deal.

https://www.cabelas.com/product/gun-library/chesterfield-gun-library%7C/pc/103792680/c/1647704880/browning-a-bolt-12-ga/2795708.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fchesterfield-gun-library%2F_%2FN-1126136%2B4294736961%2FNe-4294736961%3FWTz_st%3DGuidedNav%26WTz_stype%3DGNU

I have had and do still own both the 212 and that same Browning A-bolt. I understand people not wanting to spend $1000 to get the Browning (I didnt either), but at a very small price difference like that (same when I bought my Browning from Bud’s)....it’s not remotely a hard decision. Like comparing a Mercedes to a Chevrolet.