What's your favorite smooth bore 12ga slug?

[teddy12b]

I've got a 590A1 and may be taking it on a hunting trip. I'm curious what slugs people like and get good accuracy with out of a 12ga smooth bore shotgun. I'm not expecting long range shots with this, but if there's something more inherently accurate than I'm all for it.

 

[snapping turtle]

Back in the day we did all kinds of testing with slug guns. ( my shoulder still hurts)

Each type or even each gun would have something It shot pretty well. (Except one win model 37) I would find a selection and shoot them. Remington buckhammers and brenneki slugs included and the basic pumpkin balls. Sometimes the deference in accuracy compared to price makes the old pumpkin ball Winchester slugs the best bet.

My father’s browning Auto 5 will put the holes in three inches at 60 yards and I find that more than average. I put down 3 deer in 30 seconds to a minute in four shots at a state park hunt one year.

 

[Magyars]

Breneke, think it's called the TKO.

 

[Creedmoor]

Breneke, think it's called the TKO.

This right here... The KO slugs
I shoot a 590 when a shotgun is required.
Ghost Rings and a Heat Shield.
It will put those slugs in a 8" pie plate at 75 yds.

 

[Bstarkey_46947]

Winchester 1 1/8 rifled slugs. Shot the best out of Remington, Winchester, or Mossberg. We tried all the slug comparisons also these out shot sabots and Remington slugs. Rifled barrel and smooth bore.

 

[patience0830]

I don't have a smooth bore that I shoot slugs out of but my H&R single shot rifled 20 GA will put 2 shots touching at 100yds with 2 3/4" Remington Buckhammers. Darnedest thing I ever saw.

 

[snapping turtle]

Winchester 1 1/8 rifled slugs. Shot the best out of Remington, Winchester, or Mossberg. We tried all the slug comparisons also these out shot sabots and Remington slugs. Rifled barrel and smooth bore.

That was the consensus of our years of testing. Sure hornaday sabots were better in rifled slug barrels but they cost a lot more. The Winchester pumpkin balls were close enough for gov’Ment work and we were hunting close enough that most shots were under 60 yards in heavy cover. Your go to right out of the box would be these and a see what they do for you.

The h and r slugmaster heavy barrel and the browning abolt slug gun would launch sabot a very long distance and the 20 gauge versions were more accurate than the 12 gauge versions. Hastings rifled barrels for aftermarket guns were great also. As time marched on these 20 gauge rifled slug guns often with pinned barrels so dedicated slug guns finally outshot the long distance legal pistols we used for years. We would buy and sell these all the time and build another slug gun.

If hunting field edges back in the day we used contender pistols in 357 max 7-30 waters 35 Remington or 30-30. They were are long distance mini rifles normally always 14 inch barrels. Rests and bipods scopes and waiting for a perfect shot to present itself. Now on private land you can use what you want pretty much. I don’t see the demand for the slug guns or the 35 rem contender barrels much anymore. The laws changed.

 

[10mm]

Same brand recommendation, Brenneke. I've always like the black magic slugs. I haven't checked the price in quite a number of years, but they're worth whatever they're charging if you need them.