Son is asking for advice on Slug Gun

[Swede]

My son came to me the other day asking for advice on a 12ga slug gun for Ohio deer hunting next season. Being originally from Pennsylvania and a rifle hunter, I told him that I did not know what to suggest as for a slug gun. I have a Mossberg 500 20ga but it is not that accurate with smoothbore slug barrel.

I mentioned about Benelli SBE but he balked a the ballpark of $900 price I mentioned. I told him that interchangeable barrels would be nice but then they are not as accurate.

Any suggestions? I think that his budget is around $500.

[bubba]

I would suggest a remington 11-87 - I think that you can get the rifled barrel version of this with a synthetic stock for about that price limit.

Personally I would buy a muzzleloader - they kick less, they cost less, you can shoot farther too...........

but you asked about shotguns.......

-bubba

[tomcat mechanic]

Just saw a winchester 1300 at wallyworld for $150.00, didn't buy it because I don't use the slug gun that I have. My experience is that mossbergs shoot the best in a pump (rifled barrel and sabot slug), but there are the savage 210 slug guns and the nef guns that are supposed to be the best on the market according to a lot of people.

[Pocampo]

Sierra44,
You never said how old your son is so I am assuming he is over 18 and has a FOID card.

IMO I would recomend a 12ga Remington 870 Express pump with a 20" fully rifled cantilever scope mount deer barrel or a 12ga Mossberg model 500 Trophy Slugster with a 24"fully rifled cantilever scope mount barrel.

My son TJ has a 12ga Mossberg 500 Trophy Slugster with a 24" fully rifled barrel and using Lightfield 1-1/4 oz slugs it will shoot one ragged hole at 75yds.

My son in law has a 12ga Remington 870 Express with a 20" fully rifled barrel with cantilever scope mount and using 1 oz BRI slugs will also shoot one ragged hole at 75yds. The Mossberg has had a trigger job and a safety rework performed on it.

I think both these rigs can be setup for under $500.

I would opt for the 12ga over a 20ga because of the additional range and energy generated.

In the hands of an experienced shooter these rigs are deadly under 100yds and good for 125yds plus or minus.

If you do a trigger job on these rigs it will enhance their performance.
I have a complete trigger assembly for a Remington 870 that has an 18oz trigger pull. I also have a complete trigger assembly for a Mossberg Model 500 that has a 3# trigger pull. If you know anything about Mossberg shotguns you will know how good this is.

Pocampo

[jims]

If you can find a Marlin Model (312 or 512?) bolt action 12gauge with the fully rifled barrel it will shoot well and be well under your price limit.

[Blue-Dot-37.5]

Pocampo:

I second the Remington - I have one and I had Allen Timney re-work the trigger. That made a big difference in the groups. Send him the trigger group and $75.00 telling him what you want the trigger set at, and how much creep (if any) and he'll get it back to you asap. I had mine back within 2 weeks. Also, the earlier slug barrels were 1:32 twist, all the newer ones are 1:28 twist, which seem to work better with the modern sabot loads.

Sierra44: If he scopes it, he has to get a good scope. Slug guns are known as scope eaters! Basically the same with the savage - steel mounts, good rings and a good scope. I'd stay away from a slug gun that has a removable barrel with the scope mounted to the receiver. Too much play between barrel and receiver to stay sighted in. The cantilever scope mounted barrels are great.

Here in Indiana, no FOID card needed...... I have a concealed carry permit and it allows me to purchase a firearm and walk out of the store with it - handgun too.
I know in Chicago you cannot sell any ammo for guns, that includes bb's for bb guns! A buddy of mine lives in Tinley Park, which is close to Chicago. Midway won't ship ammo to him. Their excuse was "You are in Cook County and that's close to Chicago". Sportsman's Guide won't ship to him either, and they won't ship ammo to an address other than what's on the credit card, so he can't have them ship ammo to me like Midway will.....

Blue-Dot-37.5

[davel]

H&R Ultraslug with Lightfield slugs in 12 or 20 guage.

[jjw]

I bought and like the 870 express supermag combo. It has bird barrel and a rifle slug barrel with a 3&1/2" chamber. If I remember right it was about $490 or so.

[jjw]

It was 12 gauge by the way.

[Swede]

Jon, my son, found a good deal ($200) on a Savage 210 12ga. He has not made purchase yet. I told him it sounded like am accurate slug gun but does not have interchangeable barrels. But we have other shotguns for small game.

[jims]

That is an excellent price and they are quite accurate.

[george1]

Sent you a PM about a Savage 210 for sale.

[tar12]

davel said:

H&R Ultraslug with Lightfield slugs in 12 or 20 guage.

The best value on the market bar none!I have a semi-custom Tar-Hunt slug gun.The 980 ultras will shoot right up there with it.The 980 ultras will out shoot the Remmingtons,Mossbergs,Sav. slug guns. No problem! That is fact,I have owned all three in differant configurations.They just do not shoot as well as the 980 ultras.Lightfield Ammo,980 ultra one very dead deer! My 980s groups did not start to open up until 97 yds,they were still touching.At 120 yds. they opened up to 2-2.5in.s They just flat shoot and will not break the bank!

[a45gunslinger]

I'd have to say the H&R also. I made three good shots with mine during the '04 ohio gun season all were over 100 yds mine is in 12.ga and I use the Win. platinum tip 400gr. I bought mine almost 10 years ago for around 200.00 and put a 4x simmons scope on it. it has served me well..- Kevin

[art338wm]

If you don't buy the savage 210 for $200 bucks PM me and if it checks out OK I will. With out a doubt the Savage 210 slug gun is the finest production slug gun left out there IMHO, and I can not recommend it to you strongly enough. Although I don't own one Ive shot them enough to know they are best of whats left out there in dedicated slug guns. I also own a Tracker II AKA a 980, and it did not shoot as well as, let alone any better than my Marlin 512 or my A-Bolt shotgun. Don't get me wrong, my Tracker II/AKA 980 shot well, just not as good as my other two guns.

Having said that I must conceed that the 980 was and still is the best bargin out there in highly accurate dedicated slug guns, if you can accept its weight and it is only a single shot firearm.

What I do not like about the 980 is it is actually heavier than either one of my other slug guns and it is only a single shot firearm, but this is a shortcoming that is strictly amatter of my opinion.

I would not recommend any high quality non-express type pump or semi-auto over the 210 because of:
<>#1-they all cost more than the 210
<>#2-They all sport triggers that are all much worse than then 210, and unlike the 210, they either can not be adjusted anywhere near as easily or they must be replaced with high$$$ aftermarket triggers.
<>Unlike most pumps and semi-autos, the 210 was specifically designed as a dedicated slug gun. Pumps ans semi-autos are for the most part bird guns that have been modified into slug guns.

Don't get me wrong, pumps and semi-autos are tops when shooting foster type slugs, but are unlikely to perform as well as a bolt action slug gun like the 210, 512, 980, A-Bolt, all of which their barrels are rigidly attached to the receiver. A HUGE PLUS in the accuracy department.


Lastly Gun Tests Magazine gave the Savage 210 a Best Buy rating and called it and I quote "Nearly 4 million whitetail deer hunters need to know why they should buy the Savage 210"
I'm serious about buying the 210 if its in great shape and its still only $200. PM me to let me know, or post here.

Thank you Arthur.

[ohioguy]

check out the new Ithaca deerslayers, you can email them and they will give you a price quote for any configuration. Being from OH I have owned 3 different slug guns, and been around many others, now I have a deerslayer III, hands down for the money the best slug in the world, maybe just the best period. The H&R for the money is a shooter, if you can live with a single shot.

[redhawk1]

I have used the Remington 1100 cantilever slug gun with great success, but they no longer make them, so the 11-87 cantilever slug gun would be an option, I am setting one up for a buddy of mine. I have sold my Remington 1110 and bought the new Beretta Xtrema II with the cantilever scope rail. I put a Leupold 2X7X32 shotgun scope on it and use Lightfield slugs with very good accuracy. I get 2 inch groups at 100 yards and I have taken several deer with it.

[olsmokey]

Why don't you just get a hastings slug barrel for your mossberg? The sights are great, they shoot good and best of all there not expensive. Our deer season in Iowa is not very long,so I use the same shotgun for bird hunting and deer hunting ,just switch barrels.

[johnd]

Go for the Savage

[yankee]

can't believe no one mentioned the ithaca sluggunII, the new version ithaca offers is a fixed barrel to receive, it's an awesome shooter, i own 2 of em, and have had most of the slugguns here mentioned, and hands down i'll take my ithaca..i all but hunt with my inline now, but those ithacas are always in the batters box incase i have troubles with the inline