If your goal is to get multiple projectiles on target fast, its hard to beat a shotgun. Wad slugs are also crimped with a fold at the end, making them easier to (Due to variances in barrel constrictions and lengths, load velocities can vary greatly among different guns.). Forums Pellets, Projectiles, Slugs, & Ammo Best velocity for shooting slugs vs. pellets Views : 3088 Likes : 0 Likes : 0 | Subscribe December 9, 2018 at 12:37 pm Link TomiboyParticipant Member It seems to be common knowledge that shooting diablo pellets between approximately 825 900ish is the highest velocity to For the fastest delivery, select Express Shipping at checkout. The Internet's Best Resource for Shotgun Information. In contrast, centerfire projectiles from rifles can travel miles. If you recall, our discussion oninternal ballisticsfocused on the characteristics of the firearm, the cartridge, and the initial actions in the firing sequence that occur within the confines of the firearm. In almost all cases, you should only use rifled slugs in smoothbore barrels. At 733 feet per second of velocity and 167 ft/lbs of energy, a rubber shotgun slug delivers a significant amount of force to the target. If you are shooting upwards, it will go further. Find shotgun ammunition for your 12-gauge, 20-gauge, .410 and other shotguns. Most saboted slugs (commercially loaded) carry at least this amount of energy out to approx. 240 gr. And since most shotguns have a limited magazine capacity, and can be a challenge to reload, its a good thing each round contains so much lead. To give you an idea of how much energy is produced, a 1oz slug with muzzle velocity of 1800 ft per second has about 3,100 foot pounds. What it means to hunters: If you and your slug gun can deliver it accurately, many new slug loads have the energy necessary for an ethical shot at 200 yards. If you are using all as an infinitive meaning every shotgun the answer would be No! Earlier this year I shot my first ever 1-inch, 100 yard group with shotgun slugs. For round shot pellets, the maximum range in yards as stated by Journee's Rule is approximately 2200 times diameter of the shot in inches for typical shotgun velocities when fired a a 30 degree angle to the ground. Get the American Hunter Insider newsletter for at-a-glance access to industry news, gear, gun reviews, videos and moredelivered directly to your Inbox. They will work but accuracy suffers and there is no reason to spend the extra money for sabot slugs if you are going to shoot them through a smooth bore. The shockwave that WAS riding on the nose of the slug slides down the length of the slug, drops off the tail. Most shotguns are designed as short range weapons and 50 yards for a standard shotgun without rifle sights is reaching its effective accuracy. Check screw tightness and make sure you have good rings. Privacy Policy Contact Us Warnings FAQs 2021 National Rifle Association of America, Remington Model 700 American Hunter Rifle Project, Women On Target Instructional Shooting Clinics, Volunteer At The Great American Outdoor Show, Marion P. Hammer Women Of Distinction Award, Women's Wildlife Management / Conservation Scholarship, National Youth Shooting Sports Ambassadors, National Youth Shooting Sports Cooperative Program, #SundayGunday: Browning BPS Field Composite, NRA Publications Names Mark Keefe Editorial Director, #SundayGunday: Mossberg Maverick 88 All-Purpose, Turkey Hunting: Tips for Troublesome Toms, 2021 National Rifle Association of America. Required fields are marked *. Its a proportional relationship: the heavier the gun, the lesser the recoil. G2 Research Releases The Worlds Deadliest 12 Gauge Round WINDER, Ga. -(Ammoland.com)- G2 Researchs NEW extreme performance self-defense 12 gauge round. Specifications: IMPORTANT NOTES: This round is designed for self-defense only and has a true effective performance expansion range of 10 yards. Maximum effective range is limited as much by the slug's rapid decay of energy and velocity as by its poor accuracy." Role of Shotgun Weight. A slug also becomes increasingly inaccurate with distance; out to 100 yards, it drops approximately 5 and has a maximum range of approximately 400 yards. This is an average range for the typical field gun with a smooth barrel and bead sight, shooting any brand of ammunition picked at random. @ 1760 fps: 2,239 Yards. Most slug loads are 12 gauge, although you can find them 20 gauge and even 28 gauge as well. The trend to lighter, About G2 Research: Buckshot pellets are significantly larger than birdshot. #8 Shot. You can safely shoot any STANDARD birdshot, buckshot OR rifled slug through any STANDARD choke from Cylinder Bore to Full. Offering more power per pellet, the #8 shot remains popular for clay Using a 3/4 in plyboard as the standard for a potentially lethal wound, even the lowly 22 LR stretches its legs hundreds of yards. Thats part of the reason why a pistol chambered for 25 ACP can fit in your sock. Monday, July 25, 2011. of energy at 200 yards. For example, you could certainly kill an elephant with a 12 gauge slug, or a. Some new high-velocity sabot rounds can produce 1,000 ft.-lbs. Accuracy may or may not be as good with slugs through a Full choke as through a looser choke, but some guns shoot great patterns through Full choked guns. A typical 1 oz. Bushnell 1.5-636 Elite 4200 Shotgun Scope. These are just for example, but if it took 2 seconds for it to hit the ground due to gravity, and was traveling at 1300 FPS, it would travel approximately 2600 feet, or half a mile, before it stopped. A smoothbore slug gun with rifle sights can shoot groups in the 3 (6 MOA) range at 50 yards/meters, making them satisfactory deer hunting and self-defense weapons at short range. This is a huge In 3-Gun Competition only sizes #4 Buck, #00 Buck, or #000 Buck are allowed for engaging buckshot-designated targets. Shotgun slugs are best suited for uses over short ranges. (437.5 grain) 2 3/4 Foster shotgun slug (12 gauge) achieves a velocity of approximately 1,560 fps with a muzzle energy of 2,363 ft. lbs. Shooting slugs is easy, but accuracy is not guaranteed. of recoil. Now you get the the dispersement of shot and the rule of thumb is the 40/40 rule. Shooting sabot slugs through a smooth bore is a waste of money. Its probably not likely to go more than 300 yards (900 feet ) unless you are shooting at a very high angle. Although its ME is 2,365 ft.-lbs., it drops to less than 1,000 ft.-lbs. His MPR, however, is 200 yards, but he says that 75- to 125-yard shots are routine. Traditional sabots can be accurate at greater distances. The majority of shotguns in circulation should be able to accept a variety of shells but usually, you have In such cases a slug will provide a longer range than a load of buckshot, which traditionally was used at ranges up to approximately Menu. That should be your first thought. The Myth: Shotgun slugs for big game should be limited to 100 yards. If you are kneeling or prone it wont go as far. And, because slugs are made of soft lead so they will expand to fit the bore upon firing, they flatten out and become horribly inaccurate at ranges greater than 50 yards. Fritz tried various designs of slugs before finally ending up with a round that tops about 2,250 feet per second out of the muzzle of a 24-inch rifled barrel, and is still zipping at 2,000 fps at 100 yards. Although its ME is 2,365 ft.-lbs., it drops to less than 1,000 ft.-lbs. If you are kneeling or prone it wont go as far. The 3 slugs travel at around 1,760 fps with a muzzle energy 3,105 ft-lbs. Your email address will not be published. Picking a gauge for your deer hunt boils down to what fits you. At distances of 50 feet and more the slug puts all of its energy in one spot and demonstrates greater penetration than does buckshot--generally speaking. How far can shotgun slugs travel in feet? But friction from the air would slow it down, so it may not travel as fast the entire time. Shotgun slugs are used to hunt medium-large game at short ranges by firing a single large projectile rather than a large number of smaller ones. In Alaska, professional seasoned guides and wild life officials use pump action 12 gauge shotguns loaded with slugs for bear defense against brown bears as a formidable weapon under 50 yards. And even if it takes hours, or even days, to die, the animal is still dead. At home defense distances, only a slug comes close, but with buckshot there are fewer worries about penetrations beyond the target than with slugs. If you have a rifled shotgun barrel, youre going to want sabot slugs. Most modern shotguns built after the 1960s until today, the answer would be yes for 98%. Based on our testing, it may not penetrate into the target through heavy clothing, but the bruise it leaves behind should be quite spectacular. The Reality: Sabot, jacketed bullets that take advantage of rifled barrels greatly enhance accuracy at ranges unobtainable by traditional slugs. We also use Leupold PRW scope rings on our cantilever barrels. Buy a premium scope that can take the punishment of slug shooting. Most orders ship within 24 hours (excludes firearms). at 100 yards, which is below the minimum recommended energy threshold for big game. The typical maximum range of these are under 400 yards, much less then a rifle round. Although hunters brag of longer shots on deer with slugs, most shots end up being around 50-100 yards. Your expected range of accuracy for any box of slugs you grab in a store should be about 50 yards. For this discussion, well start with the cartridges, known as Published in 1964, the "Fact Book" states that a typical 12-gauge, 1-ounce slug traveling at 1560 fps loses 60 percent of its energy at 100 yards. Now, Eric and the IV8888 team tackle what might the the hardest to quantify, the shotgun. Shotgun slugs are used to provide rifle-like performance, but not range, from a shotgun, by firing a single large projectile rather than a large number of smaller ones. Slugs are sometimes mandated in populated areas for hunting larger animals such as deer and feral hogs because their stubby shape doesnt travel as far and fast as many rifle bullets reducing the risk of long-range accidents. Firing a slug at a deer over 100 yards away becomes somewhat unethical unless you truly know your slug will be accurate at an extended distance (more common for sabot slug users). Size, penetration, and energy all make buckshot more lethal than birdshot. When fired level (barrel is paralell to ground) slug begins to fall as soon as it leaves the barrel. at 100 yards, which is below the minimum recommended energy threshold for big game. The weight of your shotgun plays a big role in just how much recoil you will be subjected to when firing. 223, if you put one in an eye, or an ear, or another vulnerable spot, from a few feet or yards away. Call a scope manufacturer about the models that can take slug shooting. Most people arming themselves against violent criminals prefer lethality. 125-150 yds. In many populated areas, hunters are restricted to shotguns even for medium to large game, such as deer, due to concerns about the range of modern rifle bullets. Shotgun slugs came out of the dark ages with the advent of the sabot slug and rifled shotgun barrels. While this highlights what a slug-optimized shotgun can do, Maximum effective range is limited as much by the slugs rapid decay of energy and velocity as by its poor accuracy. Published in 1964, the Fact Book states that a typical 12 gauge, 1-ounce slug traveling at 1560 fps loses 60 percent of its energy at 100 yards. X44MHSP2- .44 Mag. Also please note- between 75 and 100 yards, the slug drops from supersonic to subsonic. Slug guns must be zeroed (sighted-in) at a distance where the slug will impact the target while still in the supersonic phase of its flight. Many modern shooters still consider the shotgun the ideal home defense weapon. Slugs / Lethal out to 200 yards and further due to its mass.. if you can hit the target. America's Ultimate Shooting Sports Discounter Search field desktop. In such cases a slug will provide a longer range than a load of buckshot, which traditionally was used at ranges up to approximately 25 yards (22.8 m), without approaching the range of a rifle. Its counter-intuitive to what the rifled slug name suggests and while it may not be a catastrophic failure, you could damage the grooves in your rifled shotgun barrel. Published in 1964, the "Fact Book" states that a typical 12-gauge, 1-ounce slug traveling at 1560 fps loses 60 percent of its energy at 100 yards. Slugs can generate 35-45 ft.lbs. What we have now with sabots is, in effect, rifle bullets the size of shotgun slugs (.72 caliber for 12 gauge and .61 for 20 gauge). Id presume that was fired into the air at quite an angle without any thoughts of accuracy whatsoever, let alone penetration power. Wad slugs have accuracy at a distance range of about 75 yards (70 meters), which puts them in the same category as the Foster slug. Find your best price for 12 Gauge Ammo shotgun slug | Best 12 Gauge Ammunition shotgun slug - AmmoSeek.com Search Engine 2021 In doing so, the stability of the slug is upset, and a bit of yaw given to the slug. Although some may disagree with using slugs in a shotgun intended for defensive purposes, shotgun slugs do have a place in the area of self-defense. Accuracy takes a dump when that happens. Most Foster slugs, however, only have this amount out to about 100 yds. Which is Better for Turkeys: Lighter, Faster Loads or Heavier, Slower Loads? Its probably not likely to go more than 300 yards (900 feet ) unless you are shooting at a very high angle. The lowly scatter-gun is often thought of as only a close-range weapon. If you are shooting upwards, it will go further. I received a direct answer on the estimated maximum danger range of rifled slug, sabot slug, .44 magnum and 45-70 rounds from Winchester Ammunition: X12RS15- Rifled Slug, 1 ounce @ 1600 fps: 1,068 Yards. This was from a firearms study and suggests the absolute maximum a slug can travel is around 3700 feet (1230 yards). by Jeff Johnston - Most ballistic gelatin penetration testing takes place at ten feet. What is the distance a slug can travel? The general rule for a clean, one-shot kill on a deer sized animal is about 900 ft-lbs of retained energy at the point of impact. Although its ME is 2,365 ft. The "NRA Firearms Fact Book" says: "Shotgun slugs should not be used at ranges greater than about 75 yards. General Journee's Rule: As I remember this is from Hatchers note book. We stock the best shotgun ammo at the best prices you'll find. Slugs can travel over 800 yards. In many populated areas, hunters are restricted to shotguns even for medium to large game, such as deer, due to concerns about the range of modern rifle bullets. The Data: I chronographed four modern slug loads to verify manufacturer claimed velocities, then I ran my data through ballistics software. You may do well with a standard shotgun if you use appropriate ammunition and invest in plenty of range time. What does buckshot mean? A shotgun slug that can exceed 2,000 fps is definitely a game-changer. Birdshot #8 & Under. Most slugs become subsonic, travelling less than 1220 feet per second, slightly beyond a muzzle distance of 50 yards, thus making 50 yards the ideal zeroing distance. Your email address will not be published. The secret to accuracy is finding the right gun and slug combination, preparation and then practice--a lot of practice. Sabot slugs in a rifled barrel are very accurate. Even law enforcement officers typically choose 0 or 00 buckshot for close encounters with dangerous human beings. 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