Shotgun Rifled Barrel or not?

[Rev Ev]

This fall will be my first time hunting a deer with a shotgun and I need to know if I need a rifled barrel or not? My turkey gun is a 23" barrel, which is what I would be using, but I don't know about getting a new barrel or not? Any thoughts/suggestions?

[phade]

A rifled barrel is not needed. In fact, I see many people going BACK to smoothbores because the performance vs. cost and their usualy hunting circumstances (75 or less yd shots). My 12 gauge 500 is smoothbore with a turkey barrel (screw in chokes) and has killed a good number of deer...I really don't need a rifled barrel. I can always tote the MZ.

Try a few boxes of Truballs or some of the other variants. Truballs have a following here for smoothbore shooters, and I am one of them.

Edited September 4, 2012 by phade

[Lawdwaz]

Its all about what you want out of your gun and how serious you take your deer hunting. If your figuring to keep your shots inside of (75 yards or less) than you should be fine with a SB.

On the other hand, if you enjoy venison, big racks and think you might get a crack at 100 yards, head on over and talk to the guys at Johnson's or the Cabin Range and get something that will reach out a bit.

Once a gun is sighted in with those high dollar slugs, how much are you really going to shoot it? You ain't shooting a slug gun for fun. Leave your fun plinking to a .22 rimjob.

Although I haven't used a slug gun much in the past 5 or 6 years, prior to that I used a rifled bore slug gun since about 1985 or so. BRI slugs, baby. Man did they fly like crap but they did kill when they encountered flesh & bone!

Accuracy is EVERYTHING.

Edited September 4, 2012 by Lawdwaz

[growalot]

My browning 20ga has been dropping deer...shoulder shots.... out at 100 yrds for 30+ yrs...I use Brennekes and that is all I'll use...well rem. nitros for turkey but as for the Brenneke slugs..They fly true...and I use just a single bead as a sight...got to know your gun ammo combination is a right fit

[Cabin Fever]

I shoot a smoothbore with Remington rifled slugs. You're not limited to 75 yards, just because you shoot a smoothbore! I have a 3x9 scope on my Rem 1100 and Rem 870 and don't hesitate to shoot out to ~150 yards!

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I thik the gun companies could make a good buck if they sold smooth bores with a cantilever mount. the smooth bore would stretch it's range if the scope was not mounted to the reciever. I have seen some unbelievable shots made with smooth bores

Edited September 4, 2012 by Culvercreek hunt club

[ants]

I shoot a rifled barrel but I really don't think you need one for most deer hunting.

You say you will use your turkey gun. If you use the same gun for deer, make sure that you don't shoot deer slugs through a real tight turkey choke. Just go to a local gun shop, that you trust, and run it by them. Long answer to a short question....smooth bore is fine, with the right set up.

[Nomad]

Dropped last years buck in his tracks at a measured 100 yards with one Tru Ball out of my Browning BPS Buck Special (smoothbore) . I like to shoot 50-100 slugs prior to the season.

Tru Balls you can get on sale w/ rebate for $1.49 a box.... So the only pain is in the shoulder !

[apoallo]

i shoot an H&R slug hunter deluxe with a rifled barrel using Lightfield hybrid sabot slugs 465 grain. I personally feel like I want there to be accuracy I can rely on that is why I am comfortable shooting up to 130 yards give or take. most shots you will take on a deer will be 10 to 30 yards. not always thou. Most of my deer taken have been withing 30 yards. however if I need to go the distance I know my setup will perform everytime. its all personal preference. So you will most likely get others opinions rather then facts. kinda like comparing ford trucks to dodges for instance. I dont think you can go wrong with either setup. what ever makes you feel comfortable. just make sure you can shoot slugs with the choke tube(s) you have in your barrel.

Goodluck and enjoy

Edited September 5, 2012 by apoallo

[BaldguyLee]

+1 on the Truballs. My 'deer barrel' on my 870 12ga is a 20" smoothie with iron sights. I've only hunted a few years but the accuracy at the range suprised me. My one deer kill so far was with this setup.

[fasteddie]

What kind of choke / barrel do you have . I wouldn't put any slugs through a Full Choke barrel ........

[wdswtr]

I can tell you I was all excited and pumped up when I bought my last shotgun quite a few years back. Winchester model ? dont remember but they called it a sabot barrel. Fancy terms back then for a rifled barrel. I was impressed with the way it shot compared to my smoothbore at 150 yard shots. Then after they became more popular in a very short period of time the price of sabot slugs grew so high it cost more than a dollar to pull the trigger. Screw that the smoothbore was effective for many many years and slugs are a heck of alot cheaper. Crazy the cost of ammo these days.

Edited September 5, 2012 by wdswtr

[mlammerhirt]

You can put a slug through a modified choke.

Remington also sells a rifled choke for a smooth bore barrel.

[chiefbkt]

All depends on your type of hunting. I have a Savage model 212 bolt action that I can shoot comfortably out to 150 yards with. I have killed many deer with this and have only taken 2 over 100 yards with it. The rest have been under 50 yards. You can't go wrong either way, just grab a few boxes of different slugs and see which ones work best in your gun. If you can't get any to shoot nice groups (which I doubt will happen) maybe you need a rifled barrel.

[gfdeputy2]

I never used a rifled barrel my smoothbore is acurate out to 100 yards + the cost of buying the new barrel & the cost of sbots to me is not worth the cash

[landtracdeerhunter]

Our Remingtons won't group with smooth bore. Riffled with a Brenneke KO sabot, well that's fire power at it's best.

[Lawdwaz]

I've never been to a Turkey Shoot or Ham Shoot but I'll bet not too many of the winners are shooting smoothbore guns and Tru Ball slugs.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I've never been to a Turkey Shoot or Ham Shoot but I'll bet not too many of the winners are shooting smoothbore guns and Tru Ball slugs.

The ones I have gone to actually had them in different classes.

[Lawdwaz]

The ones I have gone to actually had them in different classes.

And why would that be??

All together now..................BECAUSE RIFLED BARRELS ARE MORE ACCURATE!!

<<<<<<grin>>>>>>>

[Culvercreek hunt club]

It is why I have one...lol. They just hurt the pocket book so much to shoot...

[Cabin Fever]

And why would that be??

All together now..................BECAUSE RIFLED BARRELS ARE MORE ACCURATE!!

<<<<<<grin>>>>>>>

You don't need 1" groups to kill a deer either...

[Culvercreek hunt club]

You don't need 1" groups to kill a deer either...

If I can put them in a softball that is my range. If I am carrying a gun that will only do that in 75 yards (notice it is the guns fault and not my aging eyes...lol) Then I shoot to 75 yards. with my scoped rifled slug barrel I know the gun is good to 150. (again not my eyes fault).

I had an 1100 smooth bore that I wouldn't shoot over 75 yards. my fathers 1100 grouped much better. They do have individual personalities.

[Lawdwaz]

You don't need 1" groups to kill a deer either...

Nope, just be lucky.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Nope, just be lucky.

now that sounds a bit ridiculous. the kill zone is the size of a paper plate.

[Chromeslayer]

Paper plate groups are a thing of the past.... and pretty sad in my eyes! Ill spend the extra cash and take the 1in groups!