Can a deer dodge a slug?

[Stone]

On my last outing my dad mentioned using a slug in his smooth bore 16 gauge shotgun. I asked him what velocity that had and he guessed about 600 fps. That's slower than the speed of sound. I thought the sound of the report might overtake the slug and spook the dear, causing it to dodge the bullet. A quick check shows that this is not plausible using modern rifled slugs...but what about an older smooth bore like the one in question?

[tgriffin]

Have you been watching mythbusters again?

And im guessing its faster than 600fps. At slug gun distance, the answer is no. They tend to freeze momentarily to figure out where the threat is coming from

[Baconator]

Only in the Matrix.

[mif_slim]

Have you been watching mythbusters again?

And im guessing its faster than 600fps. At slug gun distance, the answer is no. They tend to freeze momentarily to figure out where the threat is coming from

Actually, they flinch. Ever shot one up close? They usually duck down a few inches before listening or taking off.


Im sure any deer can dodge a bullet let alone a slug. If its moving and the shooter is a poor shot. LOL

[fishboy]

if the deer is a ninja then yes

[Trapper]

A 4/5oz 16ga slug should leave the muzzle around 1600fps, he will not be able to dodge the slug at reasonable shotgun hunting distances. It is common for deer to, "jump the string" when being shot at with a bow. They respond to the sound and will drop slightly before running.

[DaveInOroValley]

if the deer is a ninja then yes

Shhhhh, they'll hear you

[Baconator]

This one could:

[BigDogatPlay]

The Federal Truball low recoil rifled slugs I use for HD are 1300 FPS at the muzzle, 909 FPS at 100 yards. There are some slug loads out there, particularly sabots, that are well above 1500 FPS at the muzzle.

A 16 gauge slug in a 2.75 load is likely going to be in about the same performance envelope as the Truball above.

If the deer dodge hard that last half second or so before the hammer is released and falls, then they might move out of point of aim. Particularly on a neck or shoulder shot. The visual in real time could easily seem to an observer that they dodged the slug.

[Richard Erichsen]

On my last outing my dad mentioned using a slug in his smooth bore 16 gauge shotgun. I asked him what velocity that had and he guessed about 600 fps. That's slower than the speed of sound. I thought the sound of the report might overtake the slug and spook the dear, causing it to dodge the bullet. A quick check shows that this is not plausible using modern rifled slugs...but what about an older smooth bore like the one in question?

First off, I hunt with bow and crossbow and those projectiles move a lot slower than a slug, pellets or bullet. "String startle" is something bow hunters talk about all the time, but isn't nearly the crisis some make it out to be. As another poster has mentioned, a typical deer will freeze, raise their head and try to isolate where the threat is originating from and in that moment the arrow has usually struck - all of this at 15-25 yards with an arrow or bolt moving some 300 FPS.

Smoothbore/rifled bore "shotguns" isn't a factor here. How did he "estimate" the speed of his 16 gauge slug? Many boxes of ammo will actually give you an average velocity for the load on the side of the box. A more typical number would be above 1200 FPS with numbers as high at 1700 FPS for magnums.

A deer will respond to a snapping twig or heavy breath as a threat too. If you haven't lined up your shot and estimated your range (more critical with a bow/crossbow given the faster drop than a shotgun slug at the same range) you will miss - blaming "inferior" equipment is perhaps the most popular way of dismissing human error, which is I suspect what happened here.

-R

[chaseface]

On my last outing my dad mentioned using a slug in his smooth bore 16 gauge shotgun. I asked him what velocity that had and he guessed about 600 fps. That's slower than the speed of sound. I thought the sound of the report might overtake the slug and spook the dear, causing it to dodge the bullet. A quick check shows that this is not plausible using modern rifled slugs...but what about an older smooth bore like the one in question?

Like most other people here have written, there is no way the slug travels at only 600 fps. I would bet it travels at more than double that. I don't have a 16 guage but my 12 gauge slugs travel at 1560 fps. They are 1 oz Remington Slugger Rifled Slugs meant for a smooth bore barrel.

[vietcious]

This one could:

^^^ That deer has nothing on this one...

[Baconator]

^^^ That deer has nothing on this one...

That was awesome

[aippi]

I knew there was a reason I missed all those Deer when I was a kid. It was them dang Pumpkin Ball slugs. I want all those shirt tails they cut me off back and I want them now.