Odd shotgun slug question...

[TeeBugg]

So i shot a doe this afternoon. Hit the front left shoulder and buried about halfway back in the ribs on the right side. Hit heart with it. Heres my question...why didnt it come out the other side? Ive had this happen twice now. One shot was a button buck at 60 yards, and this doe at less than 40. Shooting a smoothbore ithaca with remington sluggers. Not that i needed a pass thru but seems odd at this close of range not to go thru. Retrieved the slug and its almost perfectly flattened out. Thoughts?

Edited November 26, 2013 by TeeBugg

[PREDATE]

The slug's energy was expended in the deer. That's what you want. I never cared for sluggers, I've always shot Feds and they don't always pass through either.

[Meat Manager]

I shoot sluggers thru a mossburg 500 with an improved cylinder choke. Have had the same happen also had pass thrus...they all die nice.

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[TeeBugg]

Pretty much what i figured. The doe i shot tonite wasnt going anywhere anytime soon lol. Was thinking of maybe trying some brennekes but i guess ill stick with what works!

[bluecoupe]

In theory a 12 gauge should blow through pretty much anything.  I mean at 100 yards, the lead is still packing around 1700 foot pounds of energy.  I think what you're seeing is two-fold, You're shooting a soft lead projectile out of a smoothbore. If you switch to a rifled barrel and a modern sabot shell I think you'll see a drastic difference.

 

The harder (typically) projectile of most sabots will decrease the expansion and increase penetration. The rifled barrel will add stability, accuracy and distance.   Both should have no trouble with a white tail but the more modern combo will be more effective at greater distances.

 

Edit: I see you're thinking of brennekes.  They are made of a harder material and will cut back on expansion but if your setup is sighted in and working then I'd say "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Just shoot within your, and the setups distance limits and you'll be fine as long as you put the shot where it needs to be. 

Edited November 26, 2013 by SteveC

[burmjohn]

My brothers 8 pointer he shot this year with a 30-06 @ 30 yards, it went in the shoulder and out the bottom. He blew the heart out.

[Buckmaster7600]

Large bullet diameter of a slug, soft lead and heavy bullet weight. This makes the bullet expand rapidly especially when going thru bone on entrance. A rapid expanding projectile will always give up penetration, not a bad thing unless you want a exit hole.

[G-Man]

Often at closer ranges the slug is at max velocity, causing it to flatten or break apart rapidly. Active slugs were notorious for this esp the one ounce. 1 1/4 ounce were much better. You will get better penetration at slightly longer ranges. I've see it happen with muzzleloaders as well. Brenekees are great slugs but there are many varieties out ko, original,magnum,gold plate. I have seen original go thru trees with no deformation and kill deer behind them, I have had ko not exit same as your.slugger problem.

[RangerClay]

 

Edit: I see you're thinking of brennekes.  They are made of a harder material and will cut back on expansion but if your setup is sighted in and working then I'd say "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Just shoot within your, and the setups distance limits and you'll be fine as long as you put the shot where it needs to be. 

 

I never cared for Sluggers because they always pancaked.  I switched to Brennekes and never looked back.  They will mushroom a bit but they will never pancake.  They will pattern so much better than the Sluggers because the wad remains attached.  Give them a try.

[genesee_mohican]

The knuckle bone on that front shoulder is pretty stout. I hit a buck there this year at 40 yards with a 2,000 fps SST and didn't get pass thru either. It took out the heart and was touching the skin on the opposite side. I was surprised it didn't pass thru but seeing all the large bone fragments in the front shoulder l could see how it lost a lot of energy.

[cdmckane]

I'm all for a slug dumping all its energy inside the deer and not exiting if the deer drops. I much prefer an exit wound in the event I need to track it. They leak more out of two holes than one.

I'm also against shoulder shots. Ruins bunch of meat.

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[TeeBugg]

The knuckle bone on that front shoulder is pretty stout. I hit a buck there this year at 40 yards with a 2,000 fps SST and didn't get pass thru either. It took out the heart and was touching the skin on the opposite side. I was surprised it didn't pass thru but seeing all the large bone fragments in the front shoulder l could see how it lost a lot of energy.

This is exactly what happened in the doe i shot. I guess ill live with it. It patterns great and i read an article about hitting deer in the skeletal system with a slug is a pretty good way to get them to drop. Ill see if i can find the article again but it made sense.

[TeeBugg]

http://www.buckmasters.com/the-shotgun-slug-knockdown-myth-2.aspx

[Buckmaster7600]

If you like me are a "shoulder shooter" then I would not change a thing. I do not like tracking gun shot deer. As for the meat damage you will get a lot more meat out of a shoulder shot dead deer than a deer that is never found.

[cdmckane]

Put a hole in its heart and lungs and it won't go far

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[TeeBugg]

Im a shoulder shooter with the slug gun. Like you i dont wanna track too far!

[Meat Manager]

If you like me are a "shoulder shooter" then I would not change a thing. I do not like tracking gun shot deer. As for the meat damage you will get a lot more meat out of a shoulder shot dead deer than a deer that is never found.

If I'm on public land shoulder out to 60, neck inside 20. Private land I'll heart shot and let em run a bit. Sluggers always take em down for me, but I think I'm moving over to a savage 220 next year.

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Edited November 27, 2013 by Meat Manager

[Early]

Slugs I like best out of my smoothbores:  The old, obsolete ACTIV's and either version of the modern Aero Slugs from Fiocchi.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Slugs I like best out of my smoothbores:  The old, obsolete ACTIV's and either version of the modern Aero Slugs from Fiocchi.

LOVED those Activ's. They shot great but the casings didn't hold up to many in and outs of the gun. the extractors took a toll in my auto loaders.

[Jeremy K]

The last 2 bucks I hit with smooth bore sluggers got knocked off their front legs, one got up and ran about 30 yards but the woods looked like a murder scene .Neither time did the round pass through, I can't imagine needing anything more effective than that.

Edited November 27, 2013 by Jeremy K

[apoallo]

I shoot 12 g lightfields never have a pass thru ever. That's what I love about them. Always drops them very little to no tracking drops them with in sight usually 20to 40 yards max

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[DanceswithSkunks]

My buddy uses Lightfields in a NEF 12 gauge. When I sighted in with him we had to tape the hole because @ 50 yards it was in the same hole every time. That gun is amazing. Kicks like a mule but the deer he's killed with it never ran ... err stumbled flopped more than 20 yards.