Shooting slugs at 100 yards

[bigbearbear]

I've never done this before and I normally use birdshots when shooting trap, but today, when celebrating my colleague's birthday at Los Altos, I decided to take along some low recoil Rio slugs just for fun. Plus, I was really curious how slugs will perform on my Benelli Supersport 12 gauge, which is really a clay target gun and not intended to shoot slugs.

This is the brand and load of slug I was using:


I shot from the bench using sandbags and used the Skeet choke on my shotgun (the most open one available).

What surprised me was how much the slug drops in height after flying 100 yards. It was hitting 7 to 9 inches below the point of aim. I had to aim at the top of the target board and the slug hit on the lower quarter part of the target board.

I'm wondering if using higher velocity slugs will result in less drop?

Another interesting observation I have is that shooting slugs is like shooting tracer rounds! I think it might be due to the larger projectile and the slower velocity, you can see the slug through your binocs, even under bright mid-day sun, as it flys towards the target when others are shooting. Very cool!

[Happyhappycamper]

Yes different velocities make all the difference.

What you see here takes some explaining

Originally I had been shooting 3" fosters magnums out of a 18.5" smooth bore with a Leupold 1-4 Duplex. I decided I wanted to go back to 2-3/4" so I went to the range with a clean target and the 2-3/4 shells were immediately low at 100yds (this can be seen in the center of the paper below the target.

Once I got it zero'd for the 2-3/4" shells I used the top targets to switch between left & right hand shooting then I used the bottom left target to fire off 7 seven shots as quick as I could rack them.

The bottom right target I went back to 3" shells just for grins and giggles and you can see they were instantly way high so I manually adjusted until I got them back on paper.

[bigbearbear]

Yes different velocities make all the difference.

What you see here takes some explaining

Originally I had been shooting 3" fosters magnums out of a 18.5" smooth bore with a Leupold 1-4 Duplex. I decided I wanted to go back to 2-3/4" so I went to the range with a clean target and the 2-3/4 shells were immediately low at 100yds (this can be seen in the center of the paper below the target.

Once I got it zero'd for the 2-3/4" shells I used the top targets to switch between left & right hand shooting then I used the bottom left target to fire off 7 seven shots as quick as I could rack them.

The bottom right target I went back to 3" shells just for grins and giggles and you can see they were instantly way high so I manually adjusted until I got them back on paper.

That is some pretty impressive shooting. Can you tell me what was the brand and load of slugs you were using?

[Happyhappycamper]

Everyday Remington sluggers 1oz

[bigbearbear]

Thanks man.

[Joe Blowitup]

Was out last weekend and amazed everyone by hitting the gong at 100 yards and even made 5 bucks. One shot one kill.

[gose]

I'm wondering if using higher velocity slugs will result in less drop?

I zeroed my 7/8oz 1300 fps Fiocchis at 75y with my M2 and I'm about 8" low at 100y with them. The Fiocchi 1oz 1600 fps are about 4-5" low at 100.

[CessnaDriver]

I like the Federal Truball, just shows how versatile a shotgun can be.

[Caseless]

Any Federal 1oz slug launching at 1600fps is 8"+ high at 100yd. Mid velocity Centurion 1oz 1400fps is dead on at 75 and 100yds. There is no way to adjust the Saiga 12s' elevation.

[bigkyle72]

It could be how your magazine tube is alined with your receiver as well. I know a few shops that adjust your POA/POI with a tool they have that squares up your barrel, receiver and mag tube and then the POA/POI is dead on and it seems they have been tested with almost every brand of slugs and its always dead nuts.

[bigbearbear]

I zeroed my 7/8oz 1300 fps Fiocchis at 75y with my M2 and I'm about 8" low at 100y with them. The Fiocchi 1oz 1600 fps are about 4-5" low at 100.

Thanks, this tracks fairly close to what I was seeing today at the range.

[bigbearbear]

I like the Federal Truball, just shows how versatile a shotgun can be.

Yup, I normally shoot trap but with a smooth bore shotgun, especially a common 12 gauge one, you can switch ammo and choke and try different things. It is versatile and really fun.

At the range today, when my colleagues are testing their AR-15 and zeroing a Springfield M1A at the 100 yard lanes, I used slugs with skeet choke. We moved to the 50 yards tin can range later and I switched out the Skeet choke for a Modified choke and shot buckshots, plus some slugs just to see how they work using a tighter choke. Lastly, we shot at the manual trap range and I switched to #7.5 birdshots.

Just 1 firearm, you can shoot for the entire day at a variety of distances and targets and have lots for fun.

[Bill Steele]

I've never done this before and I normally use birdshots when shooting trap, but today, when celebrating my colleague's birthday at Los Altos, I decided to take along some low recoil Rio slugs just for fun. Plus, I was really curious how slugs will perform on my Benelli Supersport 12 gauge, which is really a clay target gun and not intended to shoot slugs.... Very cool!

Reading your first sentence, I was thinking holy smokes, this guy is good!

Slugs would definitely tighten up your trap game.

[atakacorp]

Saiga 12 ,Remi 1oz 2 3/4 slugger
50 yards

100 yards

[H2O MAN]

It's great fun!

I like firing slugs out of mine from a standing position with iron sights.
The last time I did it a pumpkin was my 100 yard target... nothing but head shots.