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Big Game with a 20 gauge?

6K views 14 replies 11 participants last post by  Huntinbull 
#1 ·
Can you hunt whitetail with a 20 gauge within 40 yards? Would buckshot be better than a slug?
 
#2 ·
What gun do You have? The 20ga is a very good Deer gun a Mod. choke with a 3in chamber smooth bore will do You good. Buckshoot 3in( test for pattern ) 40 pushes it 30 better, slugs rifled 75-100 yds. Winchester super x most of the time gave Me better groups. If a rifled barrel a whole new game...........John
 
#3 ·
if your shooting from a stand 20 g slug will be fine 100yds and less if your shooting running deer evan close go to 12 ***** for buckshot a 20 just doesnt have enough punch you will get some but you will loose some to
 
#4 ·
if your shooting from a stand 20 g slug will be fine 100yds and less if your shooting running deer evan close go to 12 ***** for buckshot a 20 just doesnt have enough punch you will get some but you will loose some to
 
#8 ·
We've (myself and 2 siblings) shot deer out to 125yds with the 20ga. My little brother finished one up at about 160yds a couple years ago that was wounded (*** shot) on a drive. Just a simple Mossy 500 slug barrel and scope. Shooting Remigtons Copper solid sabots. Not the High Vel. ones.. just the new 100% weight retention. Sighted in the gun at about 75yds. Shoots about +- 2" (from the crosshairs) from roughly 25-100yd. after sighting it in we then shot at about 125yds and held a just a hair high.. The gun had the capabilites to hit a deck of cards essentially everytime (notice the gun.. during some hunting conditions Iknow that i couldn't do such feats). The slug energy is near 1000ft.lbs at 100yds. If you shoot a standing broadsided deer in the lungs at 125. I do truly believe it will Kill effienciently and effectively, only shoot over that 100yd mark if you are putting down a wounded animal, killing maybe a coyote (much smaller animal=need alot less energy to penetrate and kill), or shooting into a white-tails broadside vitals not much further than 125yds.

I realize I may catch a bit of flack if the bullet has less than 1000ft. lbs, but if I know (through my shooting practice) that I am going to hit the vitals I will take that shot, if conditions are tough its a no-go. To further ruin my credibility, I've been know to take head shots on yearlings (not spotted fawns) and a couple does for the freezer. :?

to answer your question about 20gas... I would never use buck-shot... with a 12 or 20, unless I was shooting less that 30yd and driving deer in the cattails. I would still rather take a slug in the chamber cuz of the ones that stand up at about 50 yds and just stare at ya for a minute and run. I've been about 15yds from deer before and had them just pop up there head and just look at me...often times they just wait for a bit and then sulk and run... The muzzleloader 10pt I shot last year got up within 5yds of me. I literally stepped on his bed. and shot him in the back quarter out the front. Wished I had a 12ga and buckshot there... He stood there wounded and looked at me after the shot.. I reloaded then he went to run, got 2 ugly hops in and I shot him again to ensure no funny business in that thick crap.

My older uncle shoots one and he's killed over 20 deer with his in the last 8 years. 20 ga s are accurate and much easier on the shoulder, which I feel is huge when it comes to shooting slugs. My brother, Ian, has no problem with recoil of a 12ga. but just loves shooting his 20.
I've taken deer with both and the only deer I've wounded have been with 12ga.s. To say the least, shot placement KILLS DEER, not a selection of bore size between 12 or 20. Consider buying a rem 870 w/ slug barrel or moss 500 w/ slug barrel and low power scope it or red dot. Then buy a few sabots and a lead sled or some rest, get your gun accurate at 25yds. Dial in at 50-70... Kill deer the rest of your life.

For slug guns we have 2 20ga mossberg 500s factory slug barrels 1 scoped 1 red dot, 1 20ga Rem 870 wingmaster with a hastings barrel with a red-dot that I can't remember where we got it but its spendy as hell but shoots great, 2 benelli nova 12 ga's, hasting barrels, that shoot great one is red-dot one is scoped. IMO slug barrels turn a shotgun into a rifle within 125yds. You will be amazed at how well a 20ga shoots, in terms of, accuracy and knock-down power.
 
#9 ·
Here is a doe (of course...shot in the back of the head), running straight away on flat ground, last year with my brothers (Ian and Hans...on the ground). Good meat dear, young but not as tender... i'm sure she was pushed a bit from the days before. We loaded her on top of the jeep, cuz I need a pick-up, strapped her down..and ate the loins that night! Got 20mpgs even with her on top!

MN deer hunting.



 
#10 ·
In the Pittsburgh area, you may use a rifle in all of the surrounding counties. If you choose shotgun, you must use slugs. You may hunt from a tree stand or on the ground... but no blinds, I believe.
 
#12 ·
I have an 2 3/4" 20ga A5 Browning with a factory smooth bored slug barrel and sights. My great nephew and nieces have taken 6 deer with this gun in the last few years. It is lightweight, handles well and it is very accurate up to about 100 yards. Most of their deer were taken from under 40 yards and all were one shot kills.

I once shot a wood chuck at over 100 paces with that gun but it was probably just a lucky shot. My niece thinks that I am the world's best shot, though! :wink:
 
#13 ·
I have found the only difference in terminal performance between 12 and 20, shooting a slug, is a little bit of range while still holding on center. I have made kill shots on standing deer with a 20 gauge out to about 115 yards. My longest shot with a 12 gauge is about 85-90 and that was on a coyote. Bullet (or slug in this case) placement is the most important thing. Know your round, and know your own limits. All my guns shoot farther than I can.

I will test my loads for accuracy from a bench. Then I test myself for accuracy from the positions I will most likely be shooting from in a hunting situation. With both the 12 and 20 gauge I will not take a shot at a standing deer from a standing position from more than 80 yards. From a seated position with a rest at a standing deer I might stretch that to about 100-110 for the 20 gauge and maybe 130-135 for the 12 gauge. that is optimal situation though. Neither of my slug guns wears a scope. Both have Williams fire sights, fiber optic open rifle type sights.

You should also NEVER shoot at a running deer. Your chances of a hit, drop by 80-90% as soon as that deer moves faster than a walk. Supposing you are a good shot and hit 19 out of 20 from the standing position at a still target, that puts you hitting 1-2 out of 20 at a loping or running deer. Not good odds.

Huntinbull
 
#14 ·
So...this question is perfect for what I'm researching right now...

20gauge slug vs 20gauge buckshot for my 9 yr old's Remington 1100...

Would I be better off letting him shoot the 20gauge slug (the Rem 1100 LT Youth Model) fits him better or the .243 (he's still about 2 years out for it to fit him right and I don't want him to develop a flinch or bad stance, etc.

I am sure that deer have been taken with 20 gauge buckshot, but more than likely they'll have to really close (again, probably not gonna happen with an ants in his pants 9 yr old).

I'll go buy some slugs and see how they kick...any suggestions (and can these be shot out of a rem-choked gun? and if so, Full or Mod choke?)?
 
#15 ·
Remington makes a managed recoil version of the slugger for 20ga. I would advise using the most open choke you have for the gun. I generally have found better luck with more open chokes when shooting rifled slugs.
 
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