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20 ga VS 12 ga slugs for deer?

11K views 11 replies 8 participants last post by  Anonymous 
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#1 ·
I am trying to decide which gauge to use for deer. My choice will be Foster style slugs not sabots. Any suggestions? Is 20 ga sufficient for large northern deer?
 
#2 ·
20 gauge will do it, no problem. 12 gauge will kill 'em even deader. The difference in recoil between a 20 and 12 gauge is substantial. If you're recoil shy, use the 20 gauge. If you think that recoil is not a problem for you then you haven't pulled the trigger on a 1 1/4 12 gauge slug. Let me tell ya...It WILL get your attention!
 
#3 ·
I would shoot whichever one you can readily find ammo for or are the most accurate with, hey, this means you can go to the range and shoot up a bunch of shells. So many people look at going to the range as a chore, turn it into fun by shooting all sorts of odds and ends---lets stay safe, no glass! but items range from water filled jugs(you can freeze em too), balloons, clay targets, cheap cans of coke, etc.
 
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#5 ·
I have been using a Reminton 870 20 ga. with a rifeld barrel, and a youth stock the past few years. Bought it for the Ex. now it is mine. :) I use the copper solid sabots and get a 3 inch pattern at 100 yards. I have shot 8 deer with it; ranges from 40 to 100 yards. Not one of them took a single step. Dropped dead where they stood. The sabots come apart and sometimes ruin some of meat however. I just saw that Remington has a new 20 ga. sabot that makes a 1.8 inch pattern at 150 yards. (I think; the spec sheet is not real clear.) And sighted in at 150 yards there is 0 inch drop. (Launched on a trajectory of + 2.? inches at 100 yards.) I can not wait to try them! Oh, I use the small 20 ga. with the youth stock because it is so light, and compact, and I can't reach out much over 100 yards with the 12 ga. so I figure why carry the heavy gun for deer.
 
#6 ·
My uncle used a 20 ga slug to drop a Boone & Crockett buck dead this year. This was indeed a tough animal, as it had a broken back that had healed and looked like it was at least a there year old break. The 20 ga killed what a car impact couldn't. Just compare the energy of the big 20ga slug to the energy of a rifle cartridge. A 12 seems like too much for deer, and has a worse trajectory.
 
#7 ·
Actually i use a 16g for deer. the slugs work well and they don't run. a 20g is more than enough at moderate distances but if your in heavy brush and may need the penetration and extra power at 100 yards then i would use the 12 or maybe even a 10 in real heavy brush. 10g slugs are almost always going to ruin meat and they are hard to come by plus they cost so much. if the recoil is manable your more like to shoot it more often and not jerk the trigger and thus have a higher percentage of hits. hits count not ballistic charts.
 
#8 ·
http://www.remington.com/ammo/ballistic ... /slugs.htm

The above link will take you to Remigtons ballistic page for all of their various slug offerings. I think you can see that the 20 gage foster slug is pretty lethal. Not the masher the 12 gage it. The 20 gage has nearly as flat a trajectory as a 12 gage. At 100 yards a 2 3/4 12 slugs drop 3.8 inches the 20 gage drops 4.2 inches. This assumes both were sighted in for 50 yards. The 20 gage only has about 55-60% the kinetic energy of a 12 slug at the same range. Still the 20 gage foster slug delievers 640 ft-lbs of energy to a target at 100 yards. This is greater then a 357 Maganum at point blank range. I think the 20 gage slug would be a great round for deer. If you get a combination that shoots well for you should be fine. I hunted deer this year with a 410 slug gun and that only has 640 ft-lbs at the muzzle and it work great for me. I got a nice 3 year old eight point buck.

Later
mcb
 
#9 ·
I have a NEF singleshot 20 gauge with a smooth bore barrel and a rifled deer barrel. I sighted in a friends 12 gauge 870 at the range one time and I had to let my shoulder rest after about 3 shots.
I can shoot alot more in the 20 before resting my shoulder. Both gauges (12 and 20) shoot a pretty good sized bullet, when compared to a rifle bullet so a 20 is plenty.

I feel like you could shoot a 20 more accuratly than a 12.
 
#10 ·
Check the info at www.dnrws.com, the manufacturer's website for Rottweil rifled slugs.

There is no question that a 20 gauge slug will terminate a deer. I witnessed a 100 yard plus shot this year, with the deer taking two steps. Of course, the tree branches got in the way of two slugs. Don't know if a 12 gauge would get through any better, but the laws of physics would suggest that these would not be deflected as far as the lighter slug.
 
#11 ·
Cemoto_Man said:
If you think that recoil is not a problem for you then you haven't pulled the trigger on a 1 1/4 12 gauge slug. Let me tell ya...It WILL get your attention!
No truer words have ever been said! I was used to my Remington Core-Lokts at 385 grains. I tried Lightfields 1 1/4 12 gauge slugs. It was a VERY unpleasant experience. It just about knocked me over. I shot 2 rounds, and I was done at the range.
 
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#12 ·
Wwith regards to 20 or 12 gauge... I have a 20 gauge Mossberg 500C and I love it! I have a Propoint scope on it and I can put 3 rounds of the Remington 5/8 oz premier copper solid slugs into a quarter sized hole at 50 yards. Granted Florida deer don't really compare to northern white tail but this last season I dropped a 4 point buck in his tracks. He didn't run, jump or do any of the dying deer motions. He hit the ground and never got up. He fell right where I shot him. This round hits like a freight train and I love it. Personally I would never move to a 12 gauge as they are heavier and kick like a horse with a rifled slug in them. For me hunting is fun and a 12 gauge as a deer gun isn't fun. Go with the more expensive remington ammo. You will be much happier with your accuracy and proformance. Good Luck.
 
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