Hello, I have a 20 gauge single shot H&R Pardner, and deer season is right around the corner. I have my deer rifle, but been having some difficulties with it, and I want to have a back up in case it decides to poop out on me. I'm a bit iffy on the whole slug idea with shotguns. Is it safe? What type of slugs do I need to use with a smooth barreled 20 gauge?

The rifled slugs that shoot most accurately from your gun.

Cowboy is right, you need rifled slugs. Sabot slugs are made for shotguns with rifled barrels, rifled slugs for smooth barrels.

Don't you need a rifled choke tube for slugs in a smooth bore barrel?

No. People have been shooting slugs in smoothbore shotguns long before rifled barrels and choke tubes.

yep
best thing to do is buy a few boxes and put them on paper at 50 yards

see what shoots the best

Best thing to do is fix those "difficulties" with your deer rifle. A 20 gauge with rifled slugs is a pretty limited weapon.

That's because the sides of tradition slugs are rifled which gives them spin much like smooth-sided bullets that travel down a rifled barrel.

However, most say that newer smooth-sided sabot slugs should only be shot through rifled slug barrels. And likewise, shooting sabots through a smooth bore is a waste of money.

This ^^^
Does your H&R Pardner shotguns have a fixed full or modified choke? If that's the case, you won't likely be able to hit a barn door with it. Between the single pin for a sight and the slug going through that choke and coming out looking like a banana, sounds like a recipe for frustration. Take it to the range. If you can keep it on a pie plate at 50 yards, I'll eat my hat.

The slug option is common in those states that only allow shotguns for safety reasons. As pointed out earlier, just be sure to use a rifled slug when shooting through a smooth bore barrel.

As for effective distance, you're more likely to be limited to the open bead shotgun sights than the accuracy of the rifled slug.

You'll want to use a Foster slug. They're designed for use in soothbores. They have grooves that I've read were originally desiged to relieve excess pressure but were found to have the additional benefit of imparting some spin and increasng accuracy. They've been aroud a long time and were designed for deer hunting. Good luck and be safe, sir.

I thank all of y'all with the responses and advice so I don't need a choke at all to shoot slugs?

Haha, turns out it's modified.

That doesn't change the fact that it's still a smooth bore without any rifling.

Sorry, meant to reply to someone else. He pointed out that modified wouldn't be too good with shooting slugs, and I just found out my shotgun is modified.

Truth is, you won't know till you shoot some slugs at paper.

[quote=DancesWithSquirrels]I thank all of y'all with the responses and advice so I don't need a choke at all to shoot slugs

If the shotun is theaded for chokes you should not shoot it without one. it'll mess up the threads.

I don't see any markings in the barrel at all, I'm guessing that means I shoot chokeless?

All it says on the gun is 3 inch modified.

Go buy some rifled slugs and try them.

The barrel/choke effect is likely not going to be an issue as much as the single bead sight.

^ ^ ^ this right here^ ^ ^ ^

you won't have any problems shooting foster-type
slugs though a modified choke H&R shotgun. i've
done it many a time. dave canterbury does it on
his yoo-floob videos. that's why foster slugs are
hollow and have rifled ridges on the outside, so
they can safely pass through a fixed choke.
if you're within 50 yards of your game and make a
properly placed hit, it's dead no question. no
deer or such can take a .62 caliber hole in the
pump house and live.
you need to try several different brands of slugs as
said ^ ^ in the previous posts and see what shoots well
from your own gun. the old pioneers killed many an
animal with smooth bore and round ball with just a
front sight and they settled this country in way worse
conditions than any of us will ever see.

Awesome. So I don't need to worry about getting a choke then?

It sounds like you don't have a barrel with changeable chokes if the barrel says on it "3 inch modified" meaning it's a fixed (non changeable) modified choke

Google "shotgun choke images" and you'll see what changeable chokes look like. Some screw into the inside of the barrel, some screw onto the outside of the barrel.

If you don't have a changeable chokes then "getting a choke" is not an alternative.

Thanks for the help.

If your near a Cabela's go get three 15 shell packs of Winchester. They are like $14/box and have a rebate going on. Only place I've found 15 shell packs of slugs, and the best price by far.

I shoot mine out of a shotgun with a red dot and it's pretty accurate but I wouldnt want to hunt with it.