Shooting slugs at 100 yards

[Nate the Great]

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.

Did the slugs react at all to using a different choke?

[sdkevin]

.. makes me want to consider a sight for the 12, damn.

[SoCal Gunner]

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.

I'm not understanding how the mag tube affects your POA/POI when the projectile comes out of the barrel. Not doubting what you said, just interested in learning more.

[Simonsez]

Slugs at 100 yds.

I don't wish to rattle anyone's cage but the fact is that slugs beyond 50 yards at most is a futile exercise other than scare value. Back in the day when the Rem. 11-48 in 12 was all I had, I could put a slug in a telephone pole at 100 yards. However, that was never a range I dropped a deer at. All deer were taken running at skeet ranges or less and they were shot almost like bird-hunting. All were point of aim shooting and lung or shoulder shots. Just sayn...

For self-defense purposes, practicing at ranges well under 30 yards with alternating buckshot and slugs would be useful. Here in CA., I have yet to find a range where buckshot can be used, so I go out and set up targets elsewhere...

[bigbearbear]

Did the slugs react at all to using a different choke?

I wasn't shooting at the same range when I switched out the Skeet choke for a Modified one, but it didn't felt any different when I shot the slugs. The Benelli Crio chokes are rated OK for steel shots from Skeet to Modified, so I think their constriction isn't enough to affect the slugs.

[MauserMike]

slugs at 100yrds are still very accurate.... i dunno what people are shooting these days but im pretty sure nobody stopped shooting slugs, or deer with slugs.... at 100yrds.....

i love shooting slugs up to 100yrds or so iron sights, i have a rem 870 express magnum w/ the police slug barrel and rifle style sights. thing is scary accurate at 100yrds.... and if the target is badguy sized that paper is going down first shot standing iron sights.....

[Simonsez]

( i have a rem 870 express magnum w/ the police slug barrel and rifle style sights. thing is scary accurate at 100yrds)

Yes, I agree. Never tried it but you have the right stuff. Anything else is a Kentucky windage exercise...You put a 1.5 x 4 deer brush scope on that and you could do well with sabots. I was talking about a bead sight.

[gose]

I'm not understanding how the mag tube affects your POA/POI when the projectile comes out of the barrel. Not doubting what you said, just interested in learning more.

If the tube isnt aligned in the receiver and parallel to the barrel, the stress from the mag clamp might affect your POI.

On my M2, I didnt see any measurable effect at 50 yards between a tightened down clamp, no clamp or even chokes from full to cylinder. YMMV.