[bbanbury]

Today we held an "open to the public - sight in your deer gun" day. Man was it interesting...and scarry. I've never had to tell so many people to keep their muzzel down range, or up, or unload your gun before going down range to check targets etc. How there aren't more hunting accidents I don't know.

Saw lots of differnt slug guns and set-ups. Also, almost any brand of slug you can think of. ...Thousands of dollars of ammo flung down range. :shock: Most gun/slug/shooter combos were pretty good to 50 yards. Between 75 and 100 yards is where one could really see the change. Very few gun/ammo/shooter combinations were consistent enough to hit a deer beyond 75 yards. There was some pretty ugly groups of out of some quality guns unsing quality ammo.

Every now and then, someone would show up that had that right combo and was a good shot. Those were fun to watch.

 

[jjas]

Between 75 and 100 yards is where one could really see the change. Very few gun/ammo/shooter combinations were consistent enough to hit a deer beyond 75 yards. There was some pretty ugly groups of out of some quality guns unsing quality ammo.

I've seen the same thing time and time again. People don't like to shoot hard recoiling guns plus the saboted ammo is so expensive people don't want to spend the money and invest the time.

It was bad enough when fosters and smoothbores ruled the slug gun world. Now it seems like every manufacturer is touting their latest, greatest 200 yard load and it makes me cringe to thing of the people just flinging slugs two football fields away with no idea where they will land.

Jim

 

[neophyte]

"It was bad enough when fosters and smoothbores ruled the slug gun world. Now it seems like every manufacturer is touting their latest, greatest 200 yard load and it makes me cringe to thing of the people just flinging slugs two football fields away with no idea where they will land. "

For someone like myself you are "preaching to the choir".
I wish I had a nickle for everyone that came out with their favorite brand of super sabot slug at $17.00 a box and proceeded to throw about a hundred dollars downrange.
Gee,,,Why am I not getting the accuracy they claim ?.....Gosh my shoulder hurts ! Yes the accuracy is not that great (read 18" groups at 100 yds) "maybe I need to adjust the scope a 1/4 minute right and a half minute left." That unfortunately is the state of a lot of the shooters. The others have learned what works in their gun and know the limits of the ammunition accuracy. They have no problem bringing home venison.

We run our "sighting in days" for one solid month at my club. Here are my observations that souldn't come as a surprise:

Cheap scopes just don't last.
Shooting techniques becomes more critical with target distance.
Velocity does NOT equate with accuracy.
Recoil does NOT make it better.
Advertising Sells.....Performance however is sorely lacking.
The equipment just can't do it.
More expensive is not always better.
Little things really DO matter.
Best Value/performance for a in rifled and non rifled non-sabot SLUG accuracy (within 70 yds)-without question, K.O. SlUGGER, .
Best Sabot slug round Hastings and Lightfield.
Fastest and quite accurate in VERY good equipment Hornady.
Best overall accurate slug gun...and this is really not a surprise
H&R UHS. Choice is split between 12 ga. and 20 ga.
Expenditure on ammo IS about 400% more than rifle counterparts for a shooting session.

Lucky this year, only 4 "idiot marks" that needed to be closed with butterflies this week. Nasty cuts for those who insist on crawling up on the scope. Well back out to the range this morning and see what the day will bring.

If you are hunting.....GOOD LUCK ! and be CAREFULL.

 

[jjas]

Neo,

Good points on your post. All very true and all things many of us have seen.

I would just add one thing to your list for slug hunter/shooters:

How about shooting your gun more than one day a year!
Jim

 

[neophyte]

AMEN to that !