Sow's Ear to Silk Purse Part II

[David LaPell]

I got my bolt action shotgun back from the gunsmith today. I picked this Mossberg 190 16 gauge up for $50. It had some ugly polychoke on the end of the barrel, so I had the barrel trimmed back to 20 inches and the rifle sights added. This is my new wet weather deer gun.

 

[David LaPell]

I got my bolt action shotgun back from the gunsmith today. I picked this Mossberg 190 16 gauge up for $50. It had some ugly polychoke on the end of the barrel, so I had the barrel trimmed back to 20 inches and the rifle sights added. This is my new wet weather deer gun.

 

[Smithfan]

Woohoo, that looks lie a fun project! Thanks for posting with picture!

Have you shot it yet, and how is the accuracy out to 75 to 100 yards?

Also, and this is a serious question, is a 16 gauge slug accurate and powerful enough for deer, and out to what range?

I'm curious, because living out here in the far west, open country shots are more typical and common than close-in, heavy woods shots, so I have no experience with shotgun slugs.

Bill

 

[zercool]

Originally posted by Smithfan:
Woohoo, that looks lie a fun project! Thanks for posting with picture!

Have you shot it yet, and how is the accuracy out to 75 to 100 yards?

Also, and this is a serious question, is a 16 gauge slug accurate and powerful enough for deer, and out to what range?

I'm curious, because living out here in the far west, open country shots are more typical and common than close-in, heavy woods shots, so I have no experience with shotgun slugs.

Bill

16ga is absolutely enough punch for a deer. A lot of folks around here use 20ga because they're plenty of power and a lot less kick than a 12ga.

A quick check at Midway shows Brenneke making a 16ga 1oz slug at 1580fps and Federal with a 4/5oz at 1600fps ... arguably, that's more zip than most 12ga slugs.

Range - they're not flat-shooting cartridges. A good rifled sabot with a good shooter is a 150yd gun, max. Really, under 75yd is where shotguns reign supreme - because they are devastating. I've shot eight or so deer in my life, so I'm not a super-experienced hunter, but of those, seven were with a 12ga slug ... and only one of those ran, about 100yd across an open field. The one I took with my .270 ran about 100yd in thick weedy brush - that was a pain to track.

Most of the 12ga shots just ... drop. I'd expect similar performance from a 16 or 20 with good shot placement.

Dave - very nice deer gun you've got there. Williams sights?

 

[David LaPell]

Yep, the rear sights are Williams. I haven't shot it yet, waiting to do that tomorrow. My last buck was a 6 pointer that i shot with an Ithaca 37 Deerslayer in 16 gauge. I hit him about broadside at 25 yards or so. The slug shredded his vitals and busted the opposite side shoulder. He ran about 20 yards and dropped. My uncle killed a few deer with that 16 gauge, he said none ever got out of his sight before they dropped.

 

[Frizzman]

That's a nice looking slug gun. It should be a good deal killer at smoothbore range. being in Eastern Virginia, I have hunted deer with a slug gun more than with any other type of gun. They will do the job if the shooter does his/hers.

 

[orion1]

That gun with the polychoke was my first deer gun. My Dad bought it used for $40.00. It was missing one of the two plastic indicators for the position of the safety. Killed one deer with it. Traded it in somewhere along the line. Wish I still had it for nostalgic reasons

 

[pbslinger]

I suppose a slug gun needs no choke, so trimming off the choked area just makes it a better slug gun?