Deer hunting and shotguns

[BackWoodsHunter]

I was just wondering what information i can gather from beasts on hunting with a shotgun. I have an .870 wingmaster and have a goofy aftermark barrel. Its not rifled but its not smoothe bore. It says "special steel shot" on the side of the barrel. It has iron rifle sights on it. I mainly use it for turkey hunting and have put a few slugs through it. I never could get a good pattern but I blamed it on my junk scope, the iron sights were always as accurate as I thought could be for a shotgun. Anyways tonight I hunted my boss' land which is just crawling with deer. These does came out at 4 pm and I dropped one and went to shoot at the fawn and she just kind of trotted away but kept trying to lick the top of her back. I kept shooting as she just calmly walked off and never hit her again, never found any blood. My co-worker, and friend was sitting in another tower and said he would help look for blood as soon as the doe by him stepped out and gave him a shot. While I'm waiting MORE does come out and walk right up to the one I shot. I shoot again (I had 3 tags) and I have no clue how I missed. Same thing, it just bounded away a bit and I shot twice more when it stopped. The thing walked across the property line and stood in the brush for about 4 minutes and there wasn't a drop of blood where it was standing. I never found any blood or hair but these deer were never running when I shot or anything and the sights were always right on them. I was sitting in someone elses box stand and had a good rest. I usually hunt bigwoods with a .270 so I am new to this shotgun business. I am terribly disappointed in my shooting and wondering if any of it can be blamed on the gun or is it all my own error? I also noticed the one I did shoot the shot was in the shoulders and a bit high, not where I was aiming, but there was no exit wound. I am just most concerned that I maybe hit the other deer and just didn't recover them because they didn't drop and I looked where I could and found no sign of hitting them. Can someone explain in better depth shotgun hunting and maybe where some errors can be corrected? Last season I shot this gun at a piece of plywood from about 35-40yds and it was accurate. But I noticed tonight on a big further shots when I was aiming at the deer, there were big holes in the dirt below the deer, obviously the slug dropped and hit dirt there.

[adrenalin]

Sounds like you need to check your gun. I wouldnt shoot at anything else until you know its on. As far as shooting a shotgun verses a rifle obviously the rifle is going to be much more accurate and easy to shoot. If you only have irons I would set up just like your bowhunting with limited shooting capabilities.

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[BackWoodsHunter]

They are all relatively close shots, I wasn't just spraying lead and taking long risky shots. I will do some shooting tomorrow and see what happens I guess. I did notice based on the markings in the dirt that a lot of the shots just fell short of where I was aiming. If I go back out I will take the muzzleloader which is much more accurate. Just looking for more insight on hunting with a shotgun and slugs.

[Reflex011]

That's all i shoot is a shotgun. 20ga rifled barrel. The wrong bullets and they tumble out with as very inaccurate pattern at 50yds. I put a scope on and use copper sabots (expensive BUT the right slugs for the
gun) and i am confidant out to a 100yd hitting a 6 inch circle. Practice and the right equipment goes a long ways... Also go talk to a gun shop owner, I'm sure they would be willing to help.


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[dan]

1st off, shotguns are short distance weapons. Smooth bore and lead slugs most guns will start to drop rapidly after about 70 yards give or take a little. 2nd, it sounds like the gun barrel was made specifically for waterfowl based on the steel shot message, and might be tapered down which will throw off your accuracy...
3rd, every different type or brand of slug you shoot will shoot differently, and some by quite a bit. You need to test a few different types/brands and see which shoots best out of your gun.
4th, you need to throw some lead thru that thing before hunting with it, its a lot like bow hunting, you need to practice and know where the lead is going when you touch off at more than just 35 yards. Shoot the ranges you intend to hunt at, see how far your accurate, at what distance the drop occurs...
Good luck with it.

[BackWoodsHunter]

Thanks for the tips guys. I guess I didn't realize how much I had to match everything up. I had a few boxes of cheaper slugs and I shot a few out of the gun last season at a target with an alright group but I did not go in depth with my practice. I think the shotgun will stay home until I can get to the range with it and see what is up.


Dan, I thought the barrel markngs were odd too and that steel is for waterfowl hunting but it is a short barrel with iron, rifle style, sights on it, leading me to believe it is not for waterfowl. I was looking online for rifled slug barrels for the guns and there were others for sale with the same title as the one I have but I couldn't find any more details on them. For now I will just use the muzzleloader I think.

[BackWoodsHunter]

heres the one i did shoot

[adrenalin]

My dad has that same gun and With the right slugs I can tell you it is VERY accurate. I know he has killed over a dozen bucks with it. Some well over a hundred yards. He has a scope on it though. Last season we were out hunting for buck tags and he shot a doe in the marsh that he thought was about 80 yards out. When he went to look for it he couldnt find it for a while until he looked about 30 yards beyond where he thought it was standing. It was laying there dead. A 110 yard shot perfect double lung. He shoots rifled slugs made by federal. There are 2 different powder louds though. Same weight bullet but one is like 1200fps and the ones he shoots are 1600fps. He sights it in 2" high at 50yds and its dead on at 100yds. The gun is probably from the late 70's early 80's I would think, an 870 wingmaster.

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[BackWoodsHunter]

does he have the smoothe bore barrel on it?

[dan]

does he have the smoothe bore barrel on it?

He shoots rifled slugs made by federal.

If he is shooting rifled slugs, its a smooth bore.

[adrenalin]

does he have the smoothe bore barrel on it?

yes

[adrenalin]

Here are the 2 slugs, but you want the faster one: PB127RS
General Information:
Load No Caliber Shell Length
IN / MM Slug Weight
Ounces / Grains Bullet Style Brand Use Compare
PB127LRS 12 2 3/4 / 70 1 / 438 TRUBALL® Rifled Slug Vital-Shok® TruBall® Rifled Slug Remove
PB127RS 12 2 3/4 / 70 1 / 438 TRUBALL® Rifled Slug Vital-Shok® TruBall® Rifled Slug Remove


Ballistics Comparisons:
Velocity in Feet per Second
Load No Caliber Muzzle 25 Y 50 Y 75 Y 100 Y 125 Y
PB127LRS 12 1300 1147 1041 968 911 862
PB127RS 12 1600 1365 1180 1054 970 907



Energy in Foot Pounds
Load No Caliber Muzzle 25 Y 50 Y 75 Y 100 Y 125 Y
PB127LRS 12 1642 1277 1054 910 805 722
PB127RS 12 2487 1810 1353 1079 914 799



Wind Drift in Inches (at 10 MPH)
Load No Caliber 25 Y 50 Y 75 Y 100 Y 125 Y
PB127LRS 12 0.7 2.6 5.6 9.6 14.3
PB127RS 12 0.7 2.9 6.5 11.3 17.1



Average Range
Load No Caliber 25 Y 50 Y 75 Y 100 Y 125 Y
PB127LRS 12 2.4 3.7 3.0 -5.5
PB127RS 12 1.8 2.8 2.4 -4.6

[Dewey]

I was looking online for rifled slug barrels for the guns and there were others for sale with the same title as the one I have but I couldn't find any more details on them. For now I will just use the muzzleloader I think.

I bought a Hastings slug barrel for my 870 Wingmaster and am very happy with it. If you look around you can find them used for a good price. Here is one on Ebay........ http://www.ebay.com/itm/870-Remington-1 ... 3f1fe96c71

Mine has a scope mount on it and is very accurate at 100 yards.

[BackWoodsHunter]

does he have the smoothe bore barrel on it?

He shoots rifled slugs made by federal.

If he is shooting rifled slugs, its a smooth bore.

Thats what I thought, which is why I asked because he said the set up he has is the same as mine. The smoothe bore barrel for my wingmaster is a fixed full choke. I was reading cylinder or improved cylinder chokes are the best. Thanks for the info adrenalin on the slugs. I just picked up the faster shooting federals at farm n fleet for 4 bucks.

[Edcyclopedia]

I was looking online for rifled slug barrels for the guns and there were others for sale with the same title as the one I have but I couldn't find any more details on them. For now I will just use the muzzleloader I think.

I bought a Hastings slug barrel for my 870 Wingmaster and am very happy with it. If you look around you can find them used for a good price. Here is one on Ebay........ http://www.ebay.com/itm/870-Remington-1 ... 3f1fe96c71

Mine has a scope mount on it and is very accurate at 100 yards.

Great suggestion Dewey!