What kind of groups do you expect with slugs?

[assaulter]

I just started 3gun this year and never really shot slugs past 20 yards before that. I went out today to zero my shotgun with some Remington reduced recoil slugs. 25 and 50 yards are pretty much dead on with most hits on a paper plate and knocking down poppers pretty consistenly. 75-100 yards starts to get dicey with shots hitting 8-10" off the plate. I din't have time to prone out and shoot from a bag or rest. What are your expectations when it comes to slugs? And when it comes to changing up between slugs and birdshot, what's your technique? My plan was to load the needed number of slugs then eject the birdshot round in the chamber, keep my round count(or try) and then go back to shooting whatever I started with. I can see that plan falling to pieces if I have a miss.

Edited August 25, 2010 by assaulter

[ken hebert]

try more than one kind of slug. find out what works well in your gun. in my current benelli, remington reduced recoil was the absolute worst performer. fiocci reduced recoil grouped ok, but was well off of POI. federal reduced recoil and winchester winlite shot almost identical, but winlite has much less felt recoil. my point is, invest a few bucks and some range time. your scores will thank you.

[MarkCO]

try more than one kind of slug. find out what works well in your gun. in my current benelli, remington reduced recoil was the absolute worst performer. fiocci reduced recoil grouped ok, but was well off of POI. federal reduced recoil and winchester winlite shot almost identical, but winlite has much less felt recoil. my point is, invest a few bucks and some range time. your scores will thank you.

Yep! Rem reduced recoil in my 1100 with a Mod choke are the best in my gun, POA and POI are the same. The Federal Trubal was worse, as were several others. I shot at 50 and 100 yards, 10 rounds of 6 different slugs with 3 different chokes. Then I adapted my birdshot loads a tad to make sure I had the patterns I wanted. Some MDs are setting up "sniper scattergun" stages so you have to be prepared. When/If you clean the gun and remove any barrel clamps, you need to hit the range to make sure you torqued everything the same and still have the same POI. An 1/8" of the screw on some guns is like a 5-10 MOA adjustment! I also switched sights and improved my groups with slugs. Proper fit is also a HUGE issue that a LOT of 3 gunners ignore. Changing the stock was a help to me as well. Shotguns are so high maintenance!

Oh, I expect 5" at 100 yards, rested. I am getting about that now that I have made all of the changes.

Edited August 25, 2010 by MarkCO

[RiggerJJ]

I just sighted my M2 with Federal and Fiocci reduced recoil. the Federals were all over the place at 100, some even off an IPSC target. the Fiocci were 5 shots, 5 in the UPPER A zone at 100. point is to try several brands. I don't seem to see much difference with different chokes thou...check IC, LM, and LF.

the Federals shoot just fine in my Nova thou...

once ina blue moon you will see shots over 100, check your zero at 125 and out to 150 so you are ready for those blue moons...

jj

[DocMcG]

Great question! As mentioned above, play with all of the variables, or at least those that are affordable/easy enough to manipulate. Sounds like you are already locked into the shotgun and barrel, so begin testing different brands of slugs. Pick those that perform the best and run each them through trials with different chokes (probably I/C, LM & Mod.). My SLP likes the Remington Reduced Recoil with an I/C choke, which yields 4" groups at 100 yds off the bench.

Side Note: Also, one of the pros from FN shared with me something that I was not aware of. He mentioned that when testing accuracy with slugs you should not hold/force the gun down on a rest on a bench to stop/fight the recoil. Allow the gun to naturally recoil off of a rest without holding it down or conduct the tests without a rest. He explained that the act of holding the gun down can affect POI. I was not aware of this and he is the pro who works for the company, so I am guessing he probably knows his stuff. Just a thought related to accuracy testing.

Have fun!

Kyle

[mpeltier]

What are your expectations when it comes to slugs?

I have come to expect them to never shoot in a match where they did in practice. I have come to rely on the luck gods before each stage, that has slugs, and usually say a quick prayer. Sometimes it actually works...

Shotgun ammo in general seems pretty darn inconsistant, slugs included. Sometimes per box in the same case lot. I bought a case of the Remington LE slugs and about 1/2 the boxes grouped like 3-4 inches at 50yds, the rest would barely hit the IPSC target. Federal LE slugs have been a little more consistant and more accurate.

[KentG]

One vote against Remi Reduced recoil and one vote FOR Brenneke Home Defense slugs. Shoots very flat for me.

[SinistralRifleman]

If I can get 3" at 25 yards that's good enough for me. Shooting slugs from the bench is unpleasant compared to standing or kneeling like we actually shoot in matches. The slug targets we shoot at are either full size paper or full size steel if they're past 50 yards. I think the smallest slug targets I've shot were MGM double spinners at 40-50 yards. With my sloppy standards I seem to manage to hit most slug targets without much difficulty.

[bigbrowndog]

the comment that they are inconsisent is very much on the money, try lots of different type and then when you find one you like, buy a case and hope they shoot the same, when you run out of the case sometimes you have to start the whole process over again. I've had good luck (consistency) with Brenneke, Fiocchi and Rem low recoil, however my results do not mean yours will be the same.

Accuracy from my latest batch of Fiocchi, was 3-4" offhand at 50, with sub 6" at 75 offhand. the comment about shooting them from a bench with the gun held in your hands does hold true more times than not. You are not shooting a bolt gun with a rigid receiver holding onto a stiff barrel, they can and do flex differently off of the bench than they do when held in your hands, so always try and hold them like you would when you are shooting them in a competition.

trapr

[Kyle O]

I use plain Remington Slugger in my SLP, IC choke.

6 inch groups at 100 yards. I was using a bench, but not "holding" the gun down, just resting it. Results are the same during a match.

I guess I lucked out, it was the first slug ammo I tried, and it worked fine. Godd luck to you!

[goat68]

Try out different brands and see how your chokes affect them too. I show a Benelle M2 this season with wolf slugs with good luck. Some thought I was crazy for using wolf and they hated tehm for some reason. It had the best POA to POI for what I tested. As far as what's in the tube in a course of fire depends on how well you can keep track of your shots. I don't want to go home early so I play it safe usually and don't mix the slugs and birdshot in the tube. It's either one or the other. If you shoot a Saiga, all you need to do is change mags. Most places send you home if you shoot a slug at a non slug plate such as a popper or falling steel.