billy62green
Senior Member
I've got an older model Springfield (Savage) pump action, with a bead sight only, 20 gauge that is one of those shotguns that for whatever reason, is just jam up accuracy wise shooting rifled slugs, especially Remington Sluggers. Pie plates and even soda cans are no problem and I would feel comfortable putting a slug from this gun where I wanted it at least out to 50 yards. It is a full choke gun which is even stranger since everything I have read about rifled slugs indicate they are usually better out of improved cylinder. Also, with my eyes, I can pick up a target with the bead sight better that looking down a rifle front/rear sights without a scope. One of the places I hunt is a swampy area loaded with tangled vines, brush, etc, where a shot past 50 yards (most would be probably 30 yds or less) would not happen until later in the year when we start losing some leaves and vegetation. Buckshot from a 20 gauge, though legal, is not on the table for me for deer hunting, I wouldn't try it, unless the deer is maybe 10 ft or less away, so slugs is all I would carry in the gun hunting. Many years ago, in my younger years, I got a deer with a 20 gauge slug, mainly because it was all I had in hand to take at the time and also luckily the deer was only about 45 ft away when I shot it. My questions are, does anyone else out there regularly use a 20 ga deer hunting? What are ya'lls thoughts on it, take it some hunting, or leave it on the rack at home and take something with a little more horsepower, like a 12 ga or deer rifle only? And finally, what, if any effect would the slug have on that full choke with usage over time-is it completely safe for me and the gun?
