SLUGS --- 12ga managed recoil vs full power 20ga

[Purebred Redneck]

I've been kicking around deer hunting the Army Fort in Missouri which does not allow rifles.
If I can find one locally used, I'm thinking about a H&R ultra light slug gun and I'd put a red dot on it. Basically it would be a 6 pound rig for close range shots.

Being a 6 pound rig in a single shot, I don't particularlly want to have my teeth knocked out by a full power load from a 12ga unless I'm going to use it for hogs, moose, bear, etc some day.

So what do you guys like better?

12ga Managed Recoil @ 1350fps
OR
20ga @ 1550fps


I'm leaning very strongly towards the 12. You get you a 72cal Buckhammer traveling 1350, it's still going to hit like a dumptruck.

[twomoons]

I've killed deer with round balls in smoothbores from 710 to 562 diameter and inside 50 yards I see little difference. They all go right on through either a 12 or a 20 will do the job. BUT there is so much more available for the 12 bore, in both buckshot and slug loads. That same 12 bore deer gun could be a dandy home defence gun with buckshot. The 20 falls way shot shooting buckshot unless you are loading your own. And if you need to the 12 can take some stouter loads if you need to carry it in bear country. You wont notice recoil if you are looking at a bear!

[Purebred Redneck]

Dec 5, 2010 19:26:42 GMT -5 twomoons said:

You wont notice recoil if you are looking at a bear!

I'm just afraid the red dot will notice the difference in recoil. I heard some people say they were concerned with the sight keeping zero or breaking entirely with a lightweight gun. If it holds up with a 9 pound turkey gun, I'm hoping it would hold up with a 6 pound deer gun.

[jimh]

couldn't you just take your muzzle loader?

[Purebred Redneck]

Could

You get a rainy day though the odds of the gun going off range from about 50-90%. I've been way too lucky with the weather the last few years (killed my 2nd deer last year about 2 hours prior to a 3 day soaking). I'm due for a few rainy days.

Shotgun's 100%

Plus there are hogs down there. The bullets I shoot out of my muzzleloader I don't trust to plow through those shoulder plates. I'm having them blow up on deer pretty good as it is.

[jmarriott]

Fully rifled the 20 outshines the 12 at long range. Hasting and H@R make a 3.5 inch 20 that rocks to 200 yards but I think it is only in the ultra slug modle (heavy). Pruely deer here.

The light weight single's with slugs are brutal from the bench.

Don't you have a 870 red? I though you did, Mossburg makes an ugly replacement barrel for the 870 fully rifled cantilever scope mount. I put in a fax line and did a wireless upgrade for one a few years ago and It works very well. It is parkerized but it should fit a PBR to have a rem/mossy shotgun hybrid. Won't be light but will give you the same results without having a dedicated single shot.

If i was getting a single shot fully rifled slug gun it would be in 20 guage. I would also get a 1-4 20 mm scope over the red dot as my experance with red dots has not been positive.

[bounce]

My 69 cal rifled musket is an accurate 200 yds. gun, shooting Hollow based minni balls. Or a cabbage slaw maker at 15 yds.lol If you load the bullet up side down and create the worlds largest hollow point.

[Jack]

"The bullets I shoot out of my muzzleloader I don't trust. . . . . "
I never have quite understood the desire to take a large bore ML, like a 50 or 58, and then stick a sabot in there so you can shoot a smaller PISTOL bullet. I'm making an edumaceted guess, Red, that you wouldn't consider a 44 or 45 pistol a 200 yard deer gun - but those are the bullets you shoot out of an ML. . . .
OK, rant off.
I'd go with the managed recoil 12's, and try not to stretch the range. A 12 gauge hole through a deer is gonna get the job done.
A 6 pound slug gun from the bench is going to be an ugleeeeeeee monster with full power slug loads.

[jimiowa]

There are a lot of people arguing the flatter trajectory of the 20 ga gives the advantage to the 20.
I can say that a 2 /34 20 ga slug in an ithaca featherweight, was all the recoil I ever wanted to deal with.

As far as the red Dot is concerned, since I shot the mirror out of a Red Dot on a 500 S & W belonging to another guy.
I have been skeptical of Red Dots in heavy recoiling guns.
Like J Mariot said I would prefer a low powered scope.
And Have been tempted to use one of the Turkey scopes with parralax set at 50 yds. I think the circle around the X would be very fast to come to the eye in a snap shot situation.

I will go on record saying that I would gladly trade my 12 ga Mossy for a 20 ga. there is nothing in Iowa that I could not hunt with confidence, that the 20 ga was plenty of power.
And since one carries a lot more than he shoots a lighter gun would be an asset, especially since I'm feeling the effects of GEESER SYNDROME.

[Purebred Redneck]

Dec 6, 2010 10:53:48 GMT -5 Jack said:

I never have quite understood the desire to take a large bore ML, like a 50 or 58, and then stick a sabot in there so you can shoot a smaller PISTOL bullet.

I've never understood that either, that's why I'm using a full bore 50cal bullet ;D

The only reason I'm using it is because it's the only thing that will hit paper past 60 yards in my gun and it shoots to the same point of impact as round balls and conicals at 50.