Guys I deer hunt in a shotgun only zone. Well a couple of years ago I started to learn more about fully rifled shotguns, something I didn't know anything about before. They can easily go out to more then 100 yards and excellent gun companies such as Browning and Winchester boost their guns can go even further. For years I used a smooth barrel Mossberg 500 with Winchester rifled slugs. This is a great turkey gun, also a great home defense gun. It is not however in my opinion a great deer hunting gun. Sure if you have a deer within 20 yards or so then this gun works fine. But for those tough shots and longer shots I found what could be the best gun I've ever owned.

The H&R Tracker 20 gauge single shot shotgun. It's fully rifled, very light and will do the job. I switched from Winchester ammo to Hornaday Sabot slugs and man they are powerful! Took a nice 4 point last year from this gun at around 60 yards. Double lung shot and had open sights. I love this gun. He went all of 20 yards.

It retails for around $250 dollars so it's a very affordable gun. It's also a great gun to teach young children on although even the 20 gauge kicks like a mule.

Just my two cents. But great gun.

Thanks for the information. Just wondering why you would not want the same gun in a 12 gauge instead? Seems like a 12 would give you a little more power and distance? I have never hunted deer with a shotgun so just curious

A real rifle beats a slug gun, even though those rifle barrels with sabots can be quite accurate.

Plenty of cheap rifles on the market, and they all will work fine.

Offshore Life, the Tracker is only offered in 20 gauge. You can however get a 12 gauge fully rifled shotgun from the same company, it's just a different name. I bought the 20 gauge because while it doesn't have all the power of a 12 gauge it does shoot straighter and farther then one. So you can go both ways. For power go with the 12, but a smoother projectile that travels more go with the 20.

From the research I did on slugs the 20 ga typically penetrate better due to the slug being smaller in diameter.

I haven't read on this. I don't know the answer, but why would a 12 gauge slug travel less than a 20 gauge? They both have abysmal ballistic coefficients.

Depends on circumstances. Some wma's and areas only allow shotguns. Also on distance. I would challenge you to prove that a deer shot at 100 yards with a rifle is any more dead than one shot at 100 yards with a shotgun. Lots of people have no need to shoot past 100 yards. My dad has been hunting his whole life and doubt he has ever shot a deer at over 100 yards.

That's what I have always heard in regard to the different gauges. The 12 gauge does have more knock down power but have read up on and heard from other people that the 20 gauge travels better and faster. my 20 gauge is awesome. I've also shot deer with a 12 gauge though and can't complain about that either.

I think savage is making a bolt slug gun. You won't find one more accurate than that.

Savage has come out with their bolt action gun, it looks really cool and is supposed to be deadly accurate.

I don't know if anyone s watched Nugent's show but he was shooting a slug gun a few weeks ago and I think he got it out to 200 yards. Guys a great shot.

I have a 12 ga rifled barrel for my 870. Recoil is more than most of your large rifles like 300mags etc. It kills with authority within its range limits.

Go look at Gun Broker's shotgun section, scroll down to the "Other" selection, type in "slug" in the search bar, and you will find mebbe 50-100 Savage Model 220's & Browning ABolt rifled barrel slug guns. Look carefully and you might find a real bargain in a discontinued bolt action Remington/Mossberg Model 695. It is a rifled barrel bolt action with a series of drilled recoil reducer vents just behind the muzzle. Pre Remington Marlin Model 55's Slugsters also popup occasionally.

I understand in my research that it is common with the correct sabot slugs a particular gun likes, to take deer & even elk out to 150-200 yards with these scoped guns...and capable of holding 3-5" 5 shot 100 yard patterns using a scope.

The apparent benefit of the CF BA Rifle styled Slug guns is that they are not dependent on a single screw thru the butt to the reciever to hold the receiver in line with the butt, and the barrel attachment nut that holds pump & autos barrels to the receiver is the same way...so you have a single mechanical connection on both ends of the receiver that can allow misalingment or play, that will not be found on a bolt action shotgun's single length of stock and bolted into it from below with 2-3 receiver screws just like a CF BA rifle.

Recoil is also different on a pump/auto and more severe because of the enhanced drop at heel of the traditional style shotgun butt stock. Bolt action Guns, CF & Shotguns butt stocks have less drop at heel and ie: "are straighter", and handle the transfer of heavy recoil better _ no "dog leg" drop at heel involved...and uhhh more "rifle like", hence BA shotguns are usually more accurate at longer distances.

One other thing that jumped out at me in searching the 'web for info, also from more than one source, was that it is highly recommended to use ammo the same length as the shotgun is chambered for...ie use 3" slugs in a 3" chamber to prevent any "wobble" or misalingment of the sabot's travel from the chamber to the rifling that could cause it not to fly true on exiting the barrel. Remember the slug is NOT riding on the rifling...ONLY the sabot is.

Lots of Upper Midwesterners in shotgun only states have been doing this for a loooong time.
Ron

I hunt a shotgun only zone with a Savage 220F. They are awesome shotguns. They handle exactly like a rifle. I've used the 870s/1187s and a Winchester 1300 for years. They really don't compare.

I use 3" slugs, but that's just because they shot better in MY gun. Savage seems to think 3" slugs are better as 2 of the 3 recommended slugs on the hang tag are of the 3" variety. Mine will stay under 2" at 100yds which is the most accurate shotgun I've used.

As far as the 20ga vs 12ga debate...a 12ga slug kicks harder than the 338 Win mag. I had. A 20ga kicks more like a .270. Which one are you going to shoot better?

I've only ever know a shotgun only zone. I didn't even shoot my first rifle until I moved to MO...I would love to own a Savage 220

I have a 870 with the remington rifled barrel and the cabelas shotgun scope. By far the best investment ive ever made for public land hunting. This set up matched with the remington premier copper solid sabits have been deadly for me. I can easily punch 1-2" groups at 100 yards. 6-7" groups out to 250 yards (would never even attempt to take a deer this far though).

Im not sure there would be much difference between the 12 and 20 oother than a bigger shoulder bruse.

This may be crazy but I do a lot of long range bolt action rifles and I have been wanting to really really bad take a Savage 212 and accurize it or even do a barrel replacement and hand load like I do my rifles and see if I could get a MOA type shot gun out to 300 yards. It may be crazy but I have put some numbers to it and I think it could be done on that savage 212 with handloads. plus it would just be fun.