Thinking about changing to slug hunting for deer. Where to begin??

[regulat0r]

Hi all,

 

I have been rifle hunting for 8 years and have taken several nice deer with my 270. i hunt in mostly thick hardwood as this is where i have the most success plus the property i have access to is mostly thick hardwood as opposed to open farm fields. i realized that all of the deer i have harvested have been shot at less than 50-60 yards.

 

I have a 12 gauge mossberg 535 that i use for turkey hunting. what would be involved in using this gun with slugs for deer? do i simply buy a box of 12 gauge slugs and sight in at the range for 50 yards? the mossberg came with a 2nd barrel but tbh i do not know what it is intended for, maybe waterfowl?? please let me know what i need to do to utilize this gun for deer/slug hunting. thanks!! 

[NYBuckHunter27]

Mossberg should make a 535 slug barrel, probably rifled. My Mossberg loved the Hornady SSTs. 

[First-light]

I primarily use a Remington 1187 12 gauge, rifled barrel with a scope. Use light field slugs. Gun is dead on at 100 yards.

Gun is 30 years old and very reliable. Site the gun in but I would get the rifled barrel first. Good luck!

[Mossberg500Guy]

I use Remington Sluggers with out a problem, harvest every deer under 60 yards as well and nothing like slugs will put a deer down with so much force. Don't waste your money on a rifled barrel and a scope not to mention that the sabots cost 12$ for 5 shells compared to 5$ for 5 shells or 14$ for a 15 shell pack of Remington Sluggers, just use an improved or modified choke with slugs never use a full or turkey choke.

[Uncle Nicky]

You will probably get better results with a rifled barrel and sabot slugs, but there is no reason why you can't get good accuracy with a smoothbore barrel. I would stay away from a full choke. Unfortunately, most shotguns shoot slugs differently, so you will probably spend a lot of time and money trying to get the perfect choke/slug combination out of your gun. Good luck!

[Doc]

I am just curious. Have you found that the .270 has been having difficulties coping with the brush. I know that the light higher speed bullets deflect and even disintegrate when they hit obstructions like branches saplings and twigs, and I am assuming that is why you want to switch to slugs, but have you actually had a problem with the .270 in this regard?

 

I just recently switched from a 12 gauge to a .270, so I am curious as to what kinds of problems you may have actually encountered. I have many really tight thickets that I wouldn't take my .270 into, but the fact is that I wouldn't expect my old 12 gauge to plow through that stuff either. Anyway, I am just curious as to how big a problem you have been having and whether I should be concerned or not.

[Tio1]

Stick with .270

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[Jaeger]

You asked what you need to do to use your Mossberg 535 for slug/deer hunting.

 

First, I would determine what the two barrels you have are.  Specifically, what are the chokes in the two barrels?  

 

And are the chokes removable?  If so, you can buy a rifled choke tube to put into one of the barrels and it would make the gun a usable slug gun but for the sights.

 

Or, as described above, you can buy a replacement slug barrel from Mossberg or cabelas, etc such as a Hastings rifled barrel.

 

The main issue you will have is not so much the barrel ('tho it is important not to try to shoot slugs through full or medium chokes, poor accuracy generally) but the Sights.

 

A replacement slug barrel can be had with open sights and/or a scope mount.  Adding a suitably strong scope may increase the cost if you don't already have an extra laying around.

 

If you are serious about going to a slug gun I would recommend a Hastings or Mossberg fully rifled barrel with a scope mount.  I am not familar with the 535 and it may have come drilled and tapped for scope bases.

 

Then add a low power scope, say a Leupold vxII 1-4.

 

So, figure out what you have, set up for rifled either choke or new barrel and add sights, preferably a low power scope.

 

Then You can start playing around with loads.  Lightfields may not be the best newest design, but the always work and are consistant.

 

Good luck and don't be afraid to ask more questions.  There are plenty of guys here with great success using slug guns.

[The_Field_Ager]

I use Remington Sluggers with out a problem, harvest every deer under 60 yards as well and nothing like slugs will put a deer down with so much force. Don't waste your money on a rifled barrel and a scope not to mention that the sabots cost 12$ for 5 shells compared to 5$ for 5 shells or 14$ for a 15 shell pack of Remington Sluggers, just use an improved or modified choke with slugs never use a full or turkey choke.

 

Yup, My Rem 870 loves the slugger. I tried a bunch of more expensive shells, and the cheap sluggers were more accurate than any of 'em. Finding the slug your gun likes is important if you are going with a non-rifled barrel. I also do not use a scope, just turkey sites, and I know that I need to keep things under 50 yards.

Edited December 28, 2015 by Papist

[Curmudgeon]

Anything rifled will behave better in brush than a smooth bore shotgun. Spinning projectiles are a gyroscope. Stick with the .270.

 

Once during shotgun years, I shot at a nice buck no more than 40 yards out. There was a pencil thick twig in front of the barrel that I could not see because it was below the sights. After the slug sheared the branch, I saw it hit the ground just short of the buck's front foot. I took the branch home as a trophy.

Edited December 28, 2015 by Curmudgeon

[Buckmaster7600]

Making the switch would make no sense to me you get more recoil, a worse trigger, more expensive ammo, less accuracy and less range. What do you gain with the 12 gauge?

[ants]

I would stick with the 270, but thats me. But if you really want to use your shotgun, you can start off the most inexpensive way and just get an Improved cylinder choke (pretty sure that the 535 has screw in chokes) for $20 and a few boxes of standard Foster style slugs for $5 each. If that set up shoots well at 50 yards you're all set. If not move up to a fully rifled barrel and maybe even a scope.

[grampy]

Last year was the first for me using a rifle, after more than 40 with a shotgun. I don't miss the shotgun at all. I would keep the 270.

[ATbuckhunter]

Yeah I have to say that I don't see the advantages of a 12 gauge over a .270. A 270 does everything a slug can do, but better.

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[ApexerER]

What is making you think about switching to shotgun? I have a Remington 870 with a  rifled barrel and a Leupold fixed 2 1/2 power scope on it....I hunted with it for years.......When we switched to rifle several years ago now....I never looked back....I haven't had that gun out of the safe since. There was nothing that slug gun did better than my .308....I hope I it remains in the safe.....I also have not made a shot with the rifle that I couldn't have managed with the slug gun because I too hunt in the woods.....The rifle is better in every way as far as I am concerned.

[growalot]

First check to see if that other barrel is rifled...then decide whether you want to shoot rifled or smooth...You have a 12 and I have 20ga's...my 28" smooth bore modifieds shoot and kill deer out to 120 yrds with just a bead sight. Now that's with years of shooting them.... it is also with knowing what ammo they prefer the browning Brenneke's and those only. She's dead on...the Mossberg has had some issues with Brenneke's and has done well with Remington high Velocity  slugs..

So what you need to do is get a variety (even borrow some from other guys)of slugs 1-3 brands and shoot 50 and 100 yrds with each brand....see what your gun shoots the best...

[G-Man]

Many at camp here are Going back to slug guns or large caliber rifles, thick brush and though a bullet can be deflected by anything seems slugs and large slower moving bullets fare better. Personally I think most just aren't comfortable with a bolt and pumps or levers are easier for a quicker 2nd 3 rd or more shot. ( unless the deer is dead ,if it moves it gets 2nd well aimed shot) better to lose 5 lbs of meat than the deer.

[growalot]

That and for me personally..I have one hell of a time with optics in the cold...I don't care what it is.... scope, binos... there isn't anything glass that I can put near my body that it doesn't fog over in the cold. It doesn't even have to be very cold out for this to happen...I do not need a scope for my shot gun. Lord when I breath it looks like the hot moist air from the dryer hitting the cold air out side...lol

[The_Real_TCIII]

I hunt in some tight spots (close to residential) and am a little nervous with the .270 at times. Of course I make sure of my target and beyond but things can go wrong and those bullets can travel a long way.

[chiefbkt]

Sounds like a good reason to buy a new gun...maybe a 45-70 or some other little brush monster like a .338 Lapua...haha

[The_Real_TCIII]

I have a Marlin 336 in .35 Rem but lent it to a friend for his son to use. I'll be getting that back soon I hope!

[growalot]

 

a little nervous with the .270 at times. Of course I make sure of my target and beyond but things can go wrong and those bullets can travel a long way.

Can't underestimate the distance a slug will travel...DEC was up here investigating a shooting and one of the officers(hill) was telling us how the week before they were on a house shooting...they traced the incident(don't ask me how) BACK TO THE SHOOTER 1/2 MILE AWAY....

[Lawdwaz]

Brush Busters!

 

Smooth bore guns, shiit slugs and open sights; what are you guys thinking of?  In this day and age of improved rifled shotgun barrels,the best slugs EVER, great scopes and RIFLES you are going backwards!!

 

If the rifle isn't "safe" enough for your spot, the shotgun isn't going to be any better!  Who are you kidding?

 

Yup, load the 12ga pump or semi auto up with 5 slugs and bang away.  That'll be MUCH better...........

 

Slugs don't tumble in the brush, neither do 45-70 bullets..........................HA!

[ncountry]

Another vote here for sticking with the 270. Nothing wrong with using a shotgun just to carry something different..but to switch to carrying a shotgun because it is better in any way than a 270 is crazy talk...IMHO...lol

[Two Track]

I find bead or ramp sights quicker to line up to make those quick shots rather using than a scope, and that eliminates the fogging in clod weather, and did I bump the scope issues.

 

My dad got me a range finder last year, and I carry that with me to check out the area and distances. I carry that in its pouch on my hunting gear belt so it is acclimatized for the temperatures and avoid breathing on it.

 

If deep woods hunting or brush hunting, a smooth-bore shotgun works perfectly fine where shots are not over 60 yards.  For 70 - 140 yards, you need a slug barrel and shoot sabots out of it.

 

Some rifled slug-gun barrels do not have sights, just pre-tapped for a scope - something to keep in mind for your shooting preferences on sights.

 

Grew in a shot gun only area, same as my dad. So my preferences and comfort level maybe a bit-one sided.

 

If you only use a smooth-bore barrel, here is an advantage - empty the mag and chamber, and drop in shells for squirrel/rabbit/pheasant if that is all you are seeing and bring home dinner.  No need to change barrels or guns to go from deer to small game/birds.