Preferred shotgun sabot?

[Five Seasons]

lightfields have never let me down. expensive but generally I only shoot 2 slugs a year though. These are out of my rifled barrel browning

Edited February 26, 2013 by Belo

[OnHoPr]

Try the Federal power shoks or fussions. They might not give the same point blank range as the sst, partition, or rem core lokts but they can be accurate. It basically depends on your gun. You can spend a little chunk of change on seeing what your gun likes when looking for accuracy past a 100 yards, depending on what you are content with, 6" at a 100 yards or less than 2" at a 100 yards.

[sweet old bill]

were do you find the lightfield slugs, this seems to be one of the best. I have used for years the Remington, but would try the lightfield brand.

[Paula]

I use the lightfield for my shot gun

[First-light]

Use copper tops in my 1187. Always do the job.

[bowaholic]

My favorite is the 3 inch Sabboted Remington Copper Solids.  I tried the AccuTips one year and they were alright, too expensite at over 5$ a shell all I heard was Cha Ching when I pulled the trigger   

[Pygmy]

I must admit that has been several years since I even hunted with my shotgun, and when I was checking out sabots there was a much more limited selection than there is now.

However, just to add my own 2 cents, I always got best accuracy with the Original Winchester BRI 2 3/4" sabots.. I'd get 2" to 4" groups at 100 yards with these and they killed as well as any other slug I ever used, assuming good shot placement..

My slug is a Rem 1100 12 gauge with a 2 3/4 chambered fully rifled cantilever barrel.

It seemed that whenever I tried any of the higher velocity stuff in my guns, groups began to spread out..Accuracy of the Rem Copper solids SUCKS in my gun, and it's a Remington barrel.

The Win BRI is also one of the least expensive sabot loads. I killed quite a few deer with them ( perhaps 20) and I only ever reovered one slug...It hit the near shoulder, went through the offside shoulder and was beneath the hide on the offside shoulder. Of course ,THAT buck went straight down.

[mmkay]

I also use light fields and agree with other posters that the deer and in many cases bear don't go far.  Maybe 20 to 30 yrds tops.  Lots just drop in their tracks.  I did have a bear go about 60 yards once, but never had animal go more than that.  But I only shoot standing animals (no runners) and have a very accurate slug gun with a 3x to 7x scope.  Furthest shot was 120yrds at an 8pt and he only went 20 yrds

[apoallo]

I have a h&r it now owned by NEF ultra slug hunter deluxe with heavy rifles barrel I only use lightfields in it. I am shooting these groups at 100 yards the gun is sighted for 120 yards <br />The one left was user error. IMO the bet part I these slugs is that I have never tracked a deer more than 30 yards and have never had a pass through. They are devestating on penetration the shoulder. Some like pass throughs but where I hunt I like the added security that the slug stops at the deer and doesn't go further

[apoallo]

The copper solids also shoot very well from my gun but.. I get pass throughs most of the time

[ants]

were do you find the lightfield slugs, this seems to be one of the best. I have used for years the Remington, but would try the lightfield brand.

 

 

I get mine at Gander Mtn. or Dick's.  Gander, by my house has tons of them right now. I think they're around $18-$20, but thats about the going rate for most sabots now.

[First-light]

3 inch copper tops are a bit too much for me. 2 3/4 are just fine!

Edited June 11, 2013 by First-light

[Arrow Flinger]

The copper solids also shoot very well from my gun but.. I get pass throughs most of the time

 

 

These shoot great out of my 870 but I've found over the years that they don't expand worth crap when you shoot a deer. They just drill a hole right through the deer and alot of times you wont get a very good blood trail. I shot a buck in the neck with one and it blew through the spine, which dropped the deer in its tracks, but while skinning it out I found the slug lodged on the opposite side of the enty hole between the hide and the meat. After going through almost the entire deer and the spine, the slug only had a small dent in the tip of it! I also shot an 11 point one year in the snow and he ran about 100 yards after being doulble lunged. There were only tiny pin drops of blood in the snow. If there wasn't snow, I would have been thinking I missed that deer. They are accurate slugs but beware of the damage they do to deer.

[apoallo]

I get mine at Gander Mtn. or Dick's.  Gander, by my house has tons of them right now. I think they're around $18-$20, but thats about the going rate for most sabots now.

I second that Gander in my area has stacks. $17.99 for 5 but WELL worth it. you wont be disappointed

[apoallo]

These shoot great out of my 870 but I've found over the years that they don't expand worth crap when you shoot a deer. They just drill a hole right through the deer and alot of times you wont get a very good blood trail. I shot a buck in the neck with one and it blew through the spine, which dropped the deer in its tracks, but while skinning it out I found the slug lodged on the opposite side of the enty hole between the hide and the meat. After going through almost the entire deer and the spine, the slug only had a small dent in the tip of it! I also shot an 11 point one year in the snow and he ran about 100 yards after being doulble lunged. There were only tiny pin drops of blood in the snow. If there wasn't snow, I would have been thinking I missed that deer. They are accurate slugs but beware of the damage they do to deer.

yes that is what I figured they did. thats why I only use the lightfields. last year my buddy was abiout 100 yards apart from me when hunting and he shot at a buck a few seconds later a buck ran up to me 30 yards and then stopped and started walking. I didnt see any sign that he was shot so I shot him. he stumbled for about 25 feet and crashed  head first into the dirt. both my friend and I shot the same deer. he used copper solids and got a pass through on both lungs and the deer made it to me and I shot him with the lightfields same lung area that was a 7 pt. since my buddy hit the deer first we decided it was his.......... an hour later I got my 8 pt

[Arrow Flinger]

yes that is what I figured they did. thats why I only use the lightfields. last year my buddy was abiout 100 yards apart from me when hunting and he shot at a buck a few seconds later a buck ran up to me 30 yards and then stopped and started walking. I didnt see any sign that he was shot so I shot him. he stumbled for about 25 feet and crashed  head first into the dirt. both my friend and I shot the same deer. he used copper solids and got a pass through on both lungs and the deer made it to me and I shot him with the lightfields same lung area that was a 7 pt. since my buddy hit the deer first we decided it was his.......... an hour later I got my 8 pt

 

 

Yep...I think its the copper. Its too hard of a metal to expand.

[WNYBuckHunter]

These shoot great out of my 870 but I've found over the years that they don't expand worth crap when you shoot a deer. They just drill a hole right through the deer and alot of times you wont get a very good blood trail. I shot a buck in the neck with one and it blew through the spine, which dropped the deer in its tracks, but while skinning it out I found the slug lodged on the opposite side of the enty hole between the hide and the meat. After going through almost the entire deer and the spine, the slug only had a small dent in the tip of it! I also shot an 11 point one year in the snow and he ran about 100 yards after being doulble lunged. There were only tiny pin drops of blood in the snow. If there wasn't snow, I would have been thinking I missed that deer. They are accurate slugs but beware of the damage they do to deer.

 

Precisely why I moved to SSTs from the Copper Solids.

[Arrow Flinger]

Precisely why I moved to SSTs from the Copper Solids.

 

 

Do they do good damage? I'm changing slugs this year!

Edited June 12, 2013 by Arrow Flinger

[jjb4900]

I'll second the Hornadt SST's............they shoot great and get the job done.

[Chumleyhunts]

Hey guys, I'm obviously new to this forum, new to NY too. To the original poster, Be very cautious shooting your Slug Gun out of a Lead Sled. The recoil reduction of the Lead Sled is great, but it's heck on scopes and mounts. I have personally seen 2 low end scopes get trashed out of a Lead Sled. One on a Slug Gun, one on a 6.25lb .338 Win Mag. Even though the sled "slows down" the gun, physics dictate that something has to move. Unless you have a high quality scope and mounts, you run a huge risk of trashing one or the other. ever with quality, the risk is still there. The scope on the .338 was a Leupold.

[fasteddie]

Chumleyhunts ---- I read something similar in a hunting magazine a while back . It mentioned that some shooters would weigh down a lead sled so much that the rifle blast would crack a stock on recoil as the recoil had to go someplace . " For every action , there is an opposite and equal reaction " .

[WNYBuckHunter]

Do they do good damage? I'm changing slugs this year!

 

I shoot them both in my shotgun and use the SSTs in my muzzle loader. They are just plain awesome.

 

Last year I shot 3 deer with them (all out of the ML) and not one went more than 90 yards. The ones that did go that far left great blood trails. The buck I shot was at 180 yards and it destroyed both shoulders, darn near liquifying the off side shoulder. Im not even sure how he ran on just his rear legs and with the near side front shoulder punched through and the off side virtually non existent. He went 60ish yards.

 

The one that went 90 was a quartering to single lung/liver hit. The third dropped in her tracks.

[NYBuckHunter27]

Do they do good damage? I'm changing slugs this year!

 

Change to the SST's, you'll be glad you did.

[CuseHunter]

I have a Remington 870 that I bought 3 years ago. I've bought almost every slug out there. I got it down to these two as the best for two different reasons.

Brenneke KO's they are rifled, which is the downside if you care about that. But they shoot great, always get the job done out at 100 yards. The reason I recommend them is because of the price. They are really cheap and I can always find them in stock.

Lightfields hybrid exp 2 3/4 slug. They are not too expensive, at around 15 a box. The reason I personally use these is because they shoot great out of my gun, 2" 3 shot groups all-day at 100 yards. Besides the range benefit, they perform amazingly well in the field. I always have a nice mushroom expansion. They will reap havoc on the vitals. I've never lost a deer with these and they usually drop where I shoot them or 30 yards. The only thing I can say about them that isn't their strength is the range. I am not confident 150 yards or out. They really lose speed at 100 yards and the pattern opens up. Then again, how many shots with a slug are you going to take at over 140-150 yards in the woods.

As to the others recommending the hornady SST, they do shoot great and are affordable. BUT beware that they don't do well for most applications in the woods at ranges under 75 yards. They shoot too fast and their design is horrible for expansion and mushrooming. I have been processing deer for awhile, and at the shop I've seen way too many SST's still in the deer looking like they came out of the box, and the hunter wondering why the deer ran football fields away.

Short and simple. I would try the lightfield hybrid's if I were you, if they don't shoot well then get the hornady or copper solids

[jjb4900]

I have a Remington 870 that I bought 3 years ago. I've bought almost every slug out there. I got it down to these two as the best for two different reasons.

Brenneke KO's they are rifled, which is the downside if you care about that. But they shoot great, always get the job done out at 100 yards. The reason I recommend them is because of the price. They are really cheap and I can always find them in stock.

Lightfields hybrid exp 2 3/4 slug. They are not too expensive, at around 15 a box. The reason I personally use these is because they shoot great out of my gun, 2" 3 shot groups all-day at 100 yards. Besides the range benefit, they perform amazingly well in the field. I always have a nice mushroom expansion. They will reap havoc on the vitals. I've never lost a deer with these and they usually drop where I shoot them or 30 yards. The only thing I can say about them that isn't their strength is the range. I am not confident 150 yards or out. They really lose speed at 100 yards and the pattern opens up. Then again, how many shots with a slug are you going to take at over 140-150 yards in the woods.

As to the others recommending the hornady SST, they do shoot great and are affordable. BUT beware that they don't do well for most applications in the woods at ranges under 75 yards. They shoot too fast and their design is horrible for expansion and mushrooming. I have been processing deer for awhile, and at the shop I've seen way too many SST's still in the deer looking like they came out of the box, and the hunter wondering why the deer ran football fields away.

Short and simple. I would try the lightfield hybrid's if I were you, if they don't shoot well then get the hornady or copper solids.

shot lightfields for years before switching to the sst's, really can't say a bad thing about either.......just better groups at longer distances with the sst's.