Question on slug guns 12 or 20?

[D84]

I am thinking about getting a slug barrel for one of my shotguns. I have heard some say a 20ga is flatter shooting and more accurate.So my question is do you prefer a 20ga or 12ga. And is it better to get a smooth bore and shoot riffled slugs or a riffled barrel and shoot sabots? Thanks

 

[knightrider]

20 ga rifled barrel is only choice, more accurate and easier on the shoulder!

 

[Columbia Scott]

We had an 870 youth 20ga. Great gun.

 

[turk870]

fully riffled barrel and shot sabots(you will need to try different ones to see what it likes best)12 or 20 is really up to you.probably wont notice any difference in accuracy of the two

 

[jakeway]

I wouldn't use a 20 gauge unless it was rifled barrel with sabots. The smoothbore with rifled slugs really loses energy fast, and would be only good for close range. I've shot several deer with a 12 gauge smoothbore and rifled slugs, and it's devastating out to around 75 yards.

 

[D84]

Thanks a guy has a 20ga riffled barrel he said he thought it was around 20" but he has shot about 10 rounds of buckshot through it. I didnt know if it would have ruined the rifflings with only 10 shots but he said it was still accurate with slugs. But you know how that goes, could have shot 10 boxes of buckshot i wouldnt know without shooting a few rounds through it how accurate it is.

 

[Headhunter]

20 ga. It is hard to beat a savage 220f (and I don't care much for savage guns) but I have a 220f in 20 ga and it is a shooter and it kills deer great. I killed 6 does with it last season out to 157 yards and none of them took more than 10 steps. Shooting a Remington 2-3/4" accutip and I am confident I can kill a deer out to 200 yards, shoots under 4" groups at 200 yards.

 

[deerfever]

20 Ga. I have the savage 220. I will never shoot a 12 again. Most accurate slug gun I have ever had.

 

[Winchester]

20 or 12 will work just fine, key is getting a good fully rifled barrel, good sabot slugs, and a good scope!

 

[Spikes Tactical]

Mossberg 695 bolt action 12ga with 2 3/4" lightfield hybred slugs and a scope. Shoots perfect. +1" at 25yards, +2.5" at 50yards, +2" at 75yards, 0 at 100yards and -4" at 125yards.

20ga is flatter but I will take my 12ga all day long.

 

[jakeway]

Just to clarify my earlier post: check the ballistics for both trajectory and Energy for "regular" slugs vs. sabot slugs. The sabot slugs, since they are much lighter, get much greater velocity and hence more energy. The old style solid lead slugs are so ballistically inefficient, and start out slow to begin with, that the kinetic energy drops off very quickly, compared to the sabot slugs. A 20 gauge with sabots is more like a ML than a smoothbore shotgun/rifled slug combo.

I personally haven't used a shotgun since I bought my in-line ML. And I used my old percussion round-ball rifle more than my 12 gauge smoothbore.

 

[D84]

Do yall think 10 or so rounds of bucksot would have ruined the rifflings or should it still hold pretty true?

 

[roadracer]

It is lead on steel unless he had some sort of fancy coated shot. with only ten rounds it should be fine. I have a Mossberg 500 with a slug barrel and a savage 220. Both shoot accutips and the other Remington sabot slugs very well out past 150 yards.

 

[Crosshairy]

I would think the rifling is OK.

I intend on buying a slug gun in the next year or two. My plan is to get a 20-gauge.

Look at your average deer bullet compared to a slug in either gauge...slugs are big. The added "power" of the 12 vs 20 is no big deal if you sacrifice range, and a lighter kicking gun will generally improve accuracy (less flinch for some).

 

[LIL JOKER]

I HAVE THE SAVAGE 220 BOLT ACTION 20GA..i shoot 3 inch shell

 

[Headhunter]

According to ballistics, the 3" remington accutip is only 50 fps faster than the 2-3/4" remington accutip and the fact the 3" accutip is impossible to find, makes shooting the 2-3/4" more than acceptable.

 

[Thewsus]

I have a model 210 savage warrior (12 gauge) it's an excellent bolt action rifle. It's very accurate and kicks like a mule.

 

[hunter drew]

I shoot 12 gauge Remington 1187 with A rifled slug barrel. And it's a tack driver