Shotgun slugs versus muzzle-loaders

[Swift]

I only hunt with a flinter, PRBs and keep my shots to under 100yds.

A rifled slugger and an inline are another breed.

[skeet]

A rifled choke in a smoothbore bbl will usually give a bit more accuracy with a"rifled" slug. The rifled slug usuallu loses most of the rifling going through the choke area of most shotguns.. A rifled slug actually travels mostly the way it does because of the weight forward hollow base construction. Some guns shoot great with "rifled slugs"...some don't. Rifled bores and chokes work much better with the more expensive and more aerodynamic sabot slugs They are usually much more accurate than the "rifled" slug. To be honest most of the hunters in the areas that most people hunt for whitetails would be just as well off with the rifled slug. Most deer are probably killed at ranges under 50 yds. I killed a few deer with sabot slugs out to 200 yds and a bit more in a couple of cases..but I knew the gun/load accuracy. I once shot a deer with a sabot slug that was so close the sabot and all went clear through...but it DID do the job. I have also used my muzzleloaders to take deer at up to approx 200 yds but the average was again much much less. Usually 30-40 yds. I even shot a fox at a lasered 227 yds with my Savage smokeless powder muzzleloader. If I were going to hunt eastern deer again..I would still choose a pump(870) or semi-auto(11-87) with a rifled bore and sabot slugs..just for the ocassional long shot..but would not feel undergunned with a purely everyday skeet gun with regular slugs..Muzzleloaders have their own season..but if ya want to use one that is your choice. They will do the job too. Let's not make this deer hunting with a shotgun into the same thing as the magnum rifle debate..Heck..nothing kills a deer like a 300 Super dooper ultra super short action magnum rifle. Heck the 30-06 is outclassed by the darn deer we been hunting.. Super dooper deer are impervious to anything less than a 300 mag of some sort Heck it's so bad I'm almost ashamed I shot any deer with a 270 or a 12 ga rifled slug...

[dovehunter]

I don't recall having seen anyone mention it but your state's (and/or locality's) game laws have to factor into the decision. Here in Virginia we have counties where you can legaly use a ML but not shotgun slugs. Conversely we also have counties in which you can use shotgun slugs but not MLs. With the relatively thick wooded areas that are most prevalent where I hunt, either ML or slug will do fine for up to 100 yds. If you're using a repeating shotgun you always have the advantage of a follow-up shot. Personally, considering the ranges and/or circumstances under which I usually hunt, I prefer buckshot to both.

[fabsroman]

Okay, I read through all the replies and your additional posts Bri Bri, and I will start with this suggestion. Save for your daughter's college first and foremost. If you think it is cool to see her hoisting a bow now, wait until you get to see her hoisting a diploma. Both my dad and I almost broke down crying when I got mine.

Next, since it doesn't seem as though you NEED a slug gun or a muzzleloader right now, I say wait until you have the funds to buy something nice, and then buy something nice. I have an AR-10 and AR-15 lower sitting here waiting to be built because I am still working on finishing a bike that will take another couple grand to finish. Sure, I could finish building both AR's, but that would put college funding in doubt this year. Once I have both 529 plans funded for 2009, I'll start finishing the AR's.

Responsibility first, toys second. If this economy teaches us anything, it has to be that.

Throughout law school I refrained from buying a new gun, while a law school friend of mine was taking out loans to buy an SBE and new clay guns. Those loans had to be paid when he graduated. Me, I bought my SBE when I graduated and I still use it to this day, 11 years later. I could stand to upgrade my bow and muzzleloader, but I don't use them enough to justify it.

If your daughter doesn't go to college, then you will have plenty of money to play with in 13 years.

[muskrat30]

A little old but a question many ponder. I strongly favor a quality in-line over a slug barreled shotgun. If I was in the rain or extreme weather I MAY take the shotgun. I tested both extensively last Fall before an IL deer hunt. They were a 12ga Browning Gold & a Knight Disc. The Knight shot much better(Blackhorn 209, 250 SST) than the shotgun. I took both on my hunt but never uncased the shotgun. I took 5 deer with 5 shots on 2 different hunt periods, 1 buck & 4 QDM anterless. One usually has to fiddle more with the M-L to get it ready & do the cleanup, but once on the stand it's worth it. YMMV

[fabsroman]

Originally Posted by muskrat30

A little old but a question many ponder. I strongly favor a quality in-line over a slug barreled shotgun. If I was in the rain or extreme weather I MAY take the shotgun. I tested both extensively last Fall before an IL deer hunt. They were a 12ga Browning Gold & a Knight Disc. The Knight shot much better(Blackhorn 209, 250 SST) than the shotgun. I took both on my hunt but never uncased the shotgun. I took 5 deer with 5 shots on 2 different hunt periods, 1 buck & 4 QDM anterless. One usually has to fiddle more with the M-L to get it ready & do the cleanup, but once on the stand it's worth it. YMMV

You also understand that not all shotguns are the same. So, comparing a single shotgun to a single muzzeloader is sort of a poor comparison. Same goes for my comparison. I've only ever shot 2 slug guns and a single muzzleloader. 1 slug gun is well above my muzzleloader in preference, and the muzzleloader is well above the other slug gun in preference.

For a comparison to be valid, we would need to take 5 of the top of the line slug guns and compare them to 5 of the top of the line muzzleloaders, or do a comparison of the slug guns and muzzleloaders amongst themselves and then take the winner of each category and compare them against each other.

[popplecop]

One of the most reasonable rifled shotguns is a singleshot made by H&R (New England Firearms). People that have them say that they are very accurate, the one I shot a 20 would kill deer at 150 yds with a good scope.

[.50 cal]

The answer to the question is more about preference and the distance you are shooting.I have a few muzzle loaders and a few slug guns.If you get a shotgun my suggestion would be a rifled barrel if you will be able to afford the sabots to practice with it.I shoot shotgun during shotgun season and muzzle loader during muzzle season.But my go to gun is my muzzle loader because it was only 50 bucks ammo is cheap and it is more accurate than any of my slug guns at 100 yards. And the recoil is not as bad as 3in sabots.I have never shot over 100 yards at a animal with it but it took down a 3in in dia tree at 200 yards with 80 grains of powder and a hand cast 250 grain bullet.I use the shotgun during season because if i can get 2 rounds into the deer and I don't have to look for it,then I will.