Tip 1 Groovy.
Shotgun slugs usually have a solid round nose and a hollow base, with spiral rifling grooves to impart a spin while the slug is in flight. The rifling also provides some space for compression if fired through a full choke. Slugs are usually manufactured under bore dimension, and unlike bullets, there can be a lot of variation in the exact diameter between brands. Rifled slugs can be used in either rifled or smooth barrels.

Tip 2 Don’t Cross Me.
Use slugs in single barrel guns only. Double-barreled shotguns (particularly side-by-sides) may crossfire, due to the alignment of the barrels.

Tip 3 One Gun, Two Uses.
A number of gun companies offer shotguns with rifled barrels and conventional rifle sights on top (and are tapped for scopes), or interchangeable barrels so one shotgun can do double duty. Slugs can be used with any choke, but cylinder chokes are usually recommended.

Tip 4 Keep It Close.
Slugs are only useful at short ranges because of their limited accuracy. A decent shooter should be able to get 3-inch groups at 50 yards with slugs. However, if you sight to hit dead-on at 50 yards, the slug will drop another five inches by the time it reaches 100 yards. (Slugs can drop more than 10 inches over 100 yards.) With practice and accurate ranging, a good shooter could consistently hit a deer-size kill zone at 100 yards. If you don’t put in the time to practice at those ranges, keep your shots to a maximum of 50-75 yards.

Tip 5 The Problem With Distance.
The other problem with slugs at longer ranges is the drop in power. A standard 12-gauge slug normally weighs an ounce, and comes out of the muzzle at around 1,650 fps. One catalog lists 2,361 ft.lbs. of energy at the muzzle, but that drops to only 926 ft.lbs. at 100 yards. Even if you can be accurate at ranges from 100-150 yards, the drop in power provides an absolute effective limit of about 150 yards for conventional rifled slugs.

Tip 6 Keep It Safe.
Remember that whatever your maximum range is to hit a deer, the projectile will actually travel much further than that. The most common reason to have a shotgun-only restriction is because there are a lot of people, buildings, or livestock around. Know what your target is, and what is behind it.

Tip 7 There’s That French Word.
Sabot slugs have been around for a while, and work very well, providing performance similar to modern in-line muzzleloading rifles. A plastic cover surrounds a more conventional bullet-shaped projectile. The lighter weight projectile leaves the muzzle at a faster speed, and the improved aerodynamic shape of the bullet prevents the velocity loss of conventional slugs. The ballistic chart for one Winchester sabot lists a drop of only 2.2 inches at 100 yards. Note that sabot slugs can only be used in fully rifled barrels.

Tip 8 The World Has Changed.
If you hunt in a shotgun-only area, and you’re still using the same slugs you did 20 years ago, do some research. There are many new kinds of slugs — new designs, new material, and a wide variety of sabot types and designs. Get some targets, buy a variety of slugs, and get to the range.

« Top »