browning 20ga. bps not accurate

[ants]

I got a new browning bps 20ga. for this season but it grouped so bad i didnt even use it. Im shooting Remington buckhammers 2 3/4" and never got better than 5 or 6 inch groups at 50yds. I hope its just the ammo. The season opened before I could try other brands. Anyone else have problems with this gun or ammo.....or both? The gun has a full rifle cant. barrel

[erussell]

I would go to a full sabot slug. I always had good luck with remington copper sabots, though I wasn't really all that impressed with how they expanded.

[ants]

The buck hammers have a wad that stays attatched to the back of the slug. Do you mean a slug/bullet with a wad that falls off in flight ?

[erussell]

Rifled barrles are specifically made for sabot slugs or a plastic capsule that the slug travels in down the barrel and separates once it leaves the barrel. Buck hammers and others with tail stabilizers or plastic wad on the back say they can be used in rifled barrels but I find there performance to be anything but steller. Yes they kill deer with them every yr but there drop in velocity is dramatic past 50 yrds. Regular sabots should have 1inch groups out at 100 yrds with proper shooting form and a scope. Im not sure remington makes 20 gauge sabots but I know federal does. You can see the differance below. Switch to the sabots and you will see an improvement.

Edited December 28, 2011 by erussell

[ants]

I'll try some regular sabots then. I recovered one of the buckhammers out of the berm and the wad had no rifling marks on it at all. I think the things just slide down the barrel without getting enough spin. I hate to eat all the left over buckhammers but at least its not the gun$$$$. I hope. Thanks

[WNYBuckHunter]

I agree, use sabots. I like the Hornady SSTs, grouped great out of my slug gun at 100 yards. The Remington Accutips also get great reviews.

[Pygmy]

Don't overlook the obvious..Make sure that all screws are tight.

After that, try a couple of different sabot slugs. If it is an ammo issue, you should see an improvement or at least a change. Be realistic in your expectations. A 3 or 4 inch group at 100 yards is pretty good accuracy for any shotgun and is perfectly acceptable hunting accuracy, IMHO. A pump shotgun is a hunting tool, not a benchrest rig.

There are SO many options available today , that you can spend a good deal of cash just trying different slugs.

My rifled slug barrel never cared for the Remington copper solids, giving mediocre accuracy at best. Many hunters report excellent accuracy with them, however. Every gun is an individual.

I have never tried many of the more recent slug loads, because my gun shot very well with Win BRI standard velocity sabots.. Since they legalized rifles in my area I haven't used my slug gun, and probably won't since I prefer to use a rifle and my own handloads.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[Lawdwaz]

How are you testing the gun? Sandbags on a good bench? Off the hood of a truck? Leaning on a tree?

Most of my friends don't have a clue how to shoot properly from a bench.

[ants]

I sighted in off of a bench. A rest for the barrel and one sand bag at the stock. Not perfect but pretty steady. I'll take 3-4" groups at 100yrds. but this was crazy one shot high next low next right...... Im a respectable shot, one or two might of been me but this went on for 12 rounds. finally gave up (ran out of slugs anyway) A week or so later I picked up some more buckhammers (I know I should of bought another brand still kicking myself) but same thing. If we get some good weather soon I'll try some sst's Thanks for the info

[erussell]

Make sure nothing comes in contact with the actual barrell itself. Gun will not shoot accuratly resting on the barrell. Should only rest on forearm of gun.

[ants]

My mistake I said barrel but the gun was rested on the forearm. This moring I took that recovered slug (with wad attached) and placed the wad in the muzzel. It was not tight at all which made me feel better. Im thinking more and more its the slugs

[hunter]

I just have to say I use buckhammers in my 870 with rifled barrel and love them. Would be surprised if it is the ammo. Check all connections of barrel to reciever and scope mounts. Otherwise send it back. Good luck and let us know what it was.

[ants]

everything is tight thats why I think/hope its the ammo. I spent alot on this rig and it shoots like a bird gun ! I guess I wont know for sure till I get to the range with some different ammo

Thanks

[erussell]

Have an older friend that I hunt with,that has hunted with an antique smooth bore shotgun and pumkins for all of his life. Then one yr he missed a monster and wanted to get a new gun. I suggested the Mossbergs because they were on sale and do just as good at killing deer as any of the more expensive rifled shotguns. He came over to sight it in with a bag of brenneke KO's. We got it on paper after a few shots but the group was anything but tight at 50 yrds and 100 was terrible. I guess the sticker shock of 12 dollars a box for sabots had convinced him to go with the lesser priced KO's.at 5 dollars a box. I convinced him to spend the money on some good quality sabots and he would not regret it. He went out and got 4 boxes of sabots and came back. After a few sight in rounds he shot a three round group at 100 yrds that touched eachother 2 inches high of the center. He was rather impressed and said he had never seen anything like that before out of a shotgun. I said get use to it.

[ants]

I hear ya. The reason I went with the buckhammers was they were around $9 compared to $15 plus for other brands. I shot lightfields ($17 this year) for years out of my 12 ga. and loved them. Hard hitting and very accurate. I was getting sick of slug prices going up and up so I went for a cheap alternative. Not that the buckhammers are all bad but they stink in this gun. Should of bought a couple boxes of different sabots at the start instead of buying a bunch of the same thing. lesson learned.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I guess the sticker shock of any sabots never really bothered me. I didn't do a lot of target shooting with that shoulder breaker so after the initial sight in or verification of a couple rounds prior to season ...how many times are you going to shoot in a year.

[Nomad]

My BPS is a 12 ga smooth bore, it shoots flat to 75 yards with Federal truballs and I dropped a buck in its tracks at 100 yards this year ,held a little high and hit where I held....

I shoot at least 50 -100 slugs prior to the season.

Hope you get it grouping well .

[Pygmy]

My BPS is a 12 ga smooth bore, it shoots flat to 75 yards with Federal truballs and I dropped a buck in its tracks at 100 yards this year ,held a little high and hit where I held....

I shoot at least 50 -100 slugs prior to the season.

Hope you get it grouping well .

You shoot 50-100 slugs a year out of a fixed breech shotgun..??..

Dang...!!.. You must be as recoil proof as a tractor tire.. I say that with admiration, not sarcasm, my friend...

A couple of my aquaintances shoot deer with a 416 remington and a .458 Win mag, just because they enjoy shooting the big guns. Nothing wrong with that, as long as you enjoy it and can shoot well with such big boomers.

As por MOI, I am a sissy and much prefer the recoil of something like a 7mm08 rather than something that crosses my eyes whenever I squeeze the trigger.

Different strokes for different folks.. My hat is off to you.

[ants]

I agree with culvercreek. I thought the same way for years. But since I was starting off with a brand new rig I figuerd as long as the first sight in was with cheaper rounds, that I expected to be accurate, I'll save money. Unless there turns out to be a big problem with the gun or scope, I was dead WRONG. I'll keep you guys posted. Hopefully I'll get out soon with some different ammo.

[Karpteach]

I shoot the Remington AccuTipps and they rock. I shoot them out of a Savage 220, the most accurate shotgun I have ever seen!

[erussell]

I would love to shoot a deer with a 458.Lott they must fold like cold butter on a hot bun with that bad boy. A 500 grain bullet with 6000 ft/lbs of pressure must just smash them into the ground. Though the $160 sticker price on a box of federal premium safari would slam me on the ground.

Edited January 3, 2012 by erussell

[ants]

Crazy... I was in Gander Mtn. this week and they had a box of safari stuff (416 Rigby I think) for $167 in the CLOSE OUT BIN !!! How much was it before mark down?

[ants]

I got to the range, at last, and since I had some buck hammers left I sent a few down range.....ALL OVER THE PLACE.....This gun just doses not like them. I tried some Hornedy SST's and after five shots I got them less than 2" at 50 yards ...... Awsome!! Thanks for all the help.