I need a slug recomendation!

[Dutchman01]

I'll be hunting deer and bear in the ozark mountains. Range in the 50 yard area. My drilling is a like new one 23 years old. It's chambered for 12 ga 2 3/4 chamber. The full choke barrel throws remington slugs at the proper elevation but 6 inches to the right. From the modified barrel it throws the same slug at the proper windage but 12 inches low at 50 yards. I'm not really happy with this. At this rate I can use slugs in the full choke barrel and maybe buckshot in the modified. However, it would be great to have something that would approach similar poi from either barrel. Any ideas? Is it even possible to get what I want? :confused:

[Jack]

Getting slugs to shoot to point of aim in a double barrel (or drilling) is not guaranteed, as you've seen. I believe you will have to try several different brands of slugs to see if one brand will shoot to point of aim for you. I know of no other way. When you find the brand that does shoot to point of aim (if you do) buy up enough of that brand and lot to last a long time.

[GoodOlBoy]

Try the winchester superX slugs (available from wally world), it MIGHT be a wee bit better, but I wouldn't count on it.

GoodOlBoy

[Mr. 16 gauge]

I've found slug guns to be like rifles: they all seem to have a 'preference' for different makes/models of slugs. You said you use 'Remington' slugs....Remington makes several different models of slugs: buckhammer, foster, copper solids, ect.
I would suggest sticking with foster-type slugs, esp. since you wish to use them in your full choke barrel (however, if it was me, I would use it in the modified....I prefer adjusting elevation rather than windage). Winchester, federal, and Remington all make a foster type slug. In my firearms, Brenneke are consistantly accurate out of all my guns, with Remington a close second (these are slug barrels with rifle sights, mind you). Winchester slugs are accurate out of a couple of my guns, and Federals just don't perform worth crap out of any of my guns! I'd suggest buying a box or two of each and see what they do......kind of expensive, but you'll then have your answer.;)

[Dutchman01]

I don't mind trying a selection but this is pathetic. I mean, I could live with either but with both shooting to such wildly different poi's it kinda brings me back to my idea of using a slug for one and buckshot for the other.

[Mr. 16 gauge]

I don't mind trying a selection but this is pathetic. I mean, I could live with either but with both shooting to such wildly different poi's it kinda brings me back to my idea of using a slug for one and buckshot for the other.

Hey!.....its a shotgun! It was meant to throw shot, not a solid projectile!:p;)


Seriously, I don't know of ANY side by side that will put both slugs to the same POI, or anywhere close to the same POI....if you find such a gun, spirit it away and hide it from all others, for it truly is the holy grail of shotguns!:D

[fabsroman]

I don't even think full choke is a good choke to be shooting slugs out of. Personally, I would put the drilling on the side for wing shooting and buy a cheap dedicated slug gun. Plus, that gun is too nice to be using for slug shooting. I would never dream of shooting slugs out of my Beretta 682's, or even 686 for that matter. Heck, probably wouldn't shoot them out of my Beretta autos either. I set up my BPS and my SBE with their own slug barrels and scopes for that specific purpose, shooting slugs. When I want to wing shoot, the slug barrel comes off, along with the scope attached to it, and I slap on the smoothbore.

Seriously, you have one heck of a task ahead of you to find slugs that will shoot out of both barrels to the same POI all the time. Don't let the focus on using the gun for the hunt ruin the hunt. Nothing like a trophy deer or bear to come along and you miss with both shots as your heart is pounding.

[dovehunter]

I agree with both fabsroman and Mr. 16 Gage. If you want to use your drilling, forget slugs and concentrate on finding the right buckshot load or get a cheap dedicated slug gun like the NEF Pardner or maybe Mossberg 500 pump. I still say if you're back in the thick stuff you're better of with buckshot anyway and, if you can legally use it, you always have the rifle barrel's backup for distant shots and it should certainly be better for that and more accurate than slugs anyway.

[Dutchman01]

Well, boys I really appreciate your responses. It's good to know I can't expect slugs to shoot to the same poi from both barrels. Since I'm going to be hunting in such thick heavy country I think I'll pack some of all of the above. I'll use the slugs I presently have for the full choke barrel. Six inches to the right at 50 yards is workable. I'll try some other slugs next year and see if I can do better. I'll use my modified barrel for buckshot. It does pretty good at 50 yards as well. I'll probably use the federal 06's I have this season since they group well and shoot poi. I'll work up a better load after this season. In short I'll just use a little of everything ya'll suggested.

[fabsroman]

A little of everything can usually get the job done. Good luck.

[skeet]

what regulated meant in the Constitution. They shot muskets that were about the size of our 12 ga.. They had to regulate(well regulated i.e. well aimed) the sights to hit where the ball went. Actually Dutchman that gun shoots pretty well considering. SxS rifles were always regulated with shims etc to get them to shoot to the approx same point of aim at least with one load. The rest of the loads they might have used were Kaintucky windage types. You found out where they shot and lived with it. That is why most SxS rifles were dangerous game guns. Regulated to shoot the big thumpers and at not all that long of ranges. Being this was a shotgun the shot shoots to approx the same points at 40 yds. If'n I was hunting that thick cover you're talking about and want to use the Drilling(too purdy) I load her up and go. A long shot will probably be 25-30 yds. Well within the angle of deer or hog..er whatever you be goin after.

[Dutchman01]

what regulated meant in the Constitution. They shot muskets that were about the size of our 12 ga.. They had to regulate(well regulated i.e. well aimed) the sights to hit where the ball went. Actually Dutchman that gun shoots pretty well considering. SxS rifles were always regulated with shims etc to get them to shoot to the approx same point of aim at least with one load. The rest of the loads they might have used were Kaintucky windage types. You found out where they shot and lived with it. That is why most SxS rifles were dangerous game guns. Regulated to shoot the big thumpers and at not all that long of ranges. Being this was a shotgun the shot shoots to approx the same points at 40 yds. If'n I was hunting that thick cover you're talking about and want to use the Drilling(too purdy) I load her up and go. A long shot will probably be 25-30 yds. Well within the angle of deer or hog..er whatever you be goin after.

Well....life's just too damn short to hunt with ugly firearms. :D

[skeet]

Well....life's just too damn short to hunt with ugly firearms. :D

Naw...lifes too short to make a pretty gun ugly. :D I'd still get me an ol 870 with either a slug bbl or a skeet bbl and use it. easier to shoot..and ya don't have to worry bout makin it a beat up gun..

[fabsroman]

Yeah, I would lose sleep putting a scratch in one of my pretty guns. Worrying about taking care of the gun while hunting makes hunting less enjoyable for me. I like my hunting guns to take a licking without showing it too much.

[Dutchman01]

Yeah, I would lose sleep putting a scratch in one of my pretty guns. Worrying about taking care of the gun while hunting makes hunting less enjoyable for me. I like my hunting guns to take a licking without showing it too much.

To each his own, but I've never understood owning a firearm without using it. My drilling is 23 years old...and was obviously never used. It has all the signs of a safe queen. Unless I'm mistaken someone owned it, never used it, then died. I'm not that guy. Not only am I using this firearm, I'm enjoying using this firearm. :D

[Dutchman01]

Naw...lifes too short to make a pretty gun ugly. :D I'd still get me an ol 870 with either a slug bbl or a skeet bbl and use it. easier to shoot..and ya don't have to worry bout makin it a beat up gun..

I guess it depends on whether you use or abuse it. My drilling will certainly be used but I won't abuse it. Most drillings you see have been heavily used. That's why they were made in the first place.

[fabsroman]

I use ALL of my guns, but the pretty ones are used exclusively at the range to break clay. Those are the ones with nicely grained wood stocks and engraving on them. All of my hunting guns are plain vanilla with black stocks on them, and the rifles are usually stainless steel. I'm not much for safe queens either; however, I don't want to drop a $20,000 Beretta o/i (not that I own one) over the side of a boat and cry for 5 years afterward. The $1,300 Benelli will hurt a little less. Same goes for using it as a boat paddle or whatever else.

Like you said, to each their own. I'm not rich enough to scratch up a $5,000+ gun and not care about it because I can easily replace it. When I am filthy rich, I might take an expensive, finely crafted gun out into the field, but maybe not even then. Kind of like my bicycles. I own carbon fiber frames made in Italy that cost $3,000+, but I race on aluminum frames made in Taiwan that cost $650. The first reason being one of cost and the second being one of passion. I could throw a POS made in Taiwan frame in the dumpster without a second thought, but throwing a hand painted made in Italy frame in the dumpster would bring me to tears, and not because of the money involved.

[skeet]

I like Fabs use all my guns. I do have a few $20,000 guns. They have all been used in the field hunting however. I have 2 sets of D grade 1100 Remingtons and with the exception of the 12 gauges all have been used to hunt with. Especially for Doves and or quail. I have a Nice Ithaca SxS grade 4 28 ga(only 5 or so made) that in the past was hunted with quite a bit. It shows that use too. It's worth probably more than any gun I own and even it has been used by me in the field. Killed 2 pheasants with it one day last season.

Now there are a couple of guns that are worth nowhere near as much that I do not use in the field. They have a value much more than money to me as they were gifts to me by my mother and my wife. I know it seems stupid to shoot a 20 grand gun and not a 500 dollar one but that is the way it is . And like Fabs..I wouldn't want to use an expensive gun as a boat paddle either....but if I hunt with it, it'll get scratched for certain. I really don't sweat the stuff that can be fixed.

I also have a couple of guns that were given to me with the instructions that they were to be used. One is a nice pre 64 Winchester M-70 in 300 H&H and the other is a not so nice Remington 721 in 270. I had the 300 out the other day Elk hunting(no Elk) Saw lots of wolves and some moose. The 270 will be used to shoot a deer or two with next month.

[Dutchman01]

I like Fabs use all my guns. I do have a few $20,000 guns. They have all been used in the field hunting however. I have 2 sets of D grade 1100 Remingtons and with the exception of the 12 gauges all have been used to hunt with. Especially for Doves and or quail. I have a Nice Ithaca SxS grade 4 28 ga(only 5 or so made) that in the past was hunted with quite a bit. It shows that use too. It's worth probably more than any gun I own and even it has been used by me in the field. Killed 2 pheasants with it one day last season.

Now there are a couple of guns that are worth nowhere near as much that I do not use in the field. They have a value much more than money to me as they were gifts to me by my mother and my wife. I know it seems stupid to shoot a 20 grand gun and not a 500 dollar one but that is the way it is . And like Fabs..I wouldn't want to use an expensive gun as a boat paddle either....but if I hunt with it, it'll get scratched for certain. I really don't sweat the stuff that can be fixed.

I also have a couple of guns that were given to me with the instructions that they were to be used. One is a nice pre 64 Winchester M-70 in 300 H&H and the other is a not so nice Remington 721 in 270. I had the 300 out the other day Elk hunting(no Elk) Saw lots of wolves and some moose. The 270 will be used to shoot a deer or two with next month.

I'm not a rich man. I can't afford to own something and not use it. Make no mistake, if someone doesn't want to use a firearm for any reason I figure that's their business. Fact is I've just gotten this drilling. I'm having a great deal of fun with it already. The first time I was out squirrel hunting I came across a bear. I also shot three squirrel. That's pretty much my limit as that's all the wife and I can eat at one sitting. I'm thinking this may be a lucky firearm, which is good because the way I hunt I need all the luck I can get. :D

[skeet]

Don't get the impression I am rich either. I'm not by far. Most of the valuable guns I have were acquired for fairly modest sums of money. With the exception of the Bavaria Grade Krieghoff which I paid 4 thousand dollars for quite a few years ago. and I had to sell some stuff to afford it. But it WAS a good investment Don't know what you paid for the Drilling and it doesn't matter. I hope you enjoy it and have fun with it. I do with most all of my guns. If they get a scratch er two ...well just something you will always remember. And hopefully cherish the memory of :p