Hi all,

My cousin has been having trouble with WMD’s (Wildlife of Mass Destruction... CA blacktail deer) tearing up his mandarin orchards so he got a depredation permit from Fish & Game for two deer. Because his orchards border on built up areas (not complete suburbia, yet, more like “ranchettes”), Fish & Game said that high powered rifles are out, .22s or shotguns only... our opinion is that .22 is asking for trouble (and not as much fun in the carnage department), so he's asked me blast them with my Mossberg 590 using rifled slugs.

All my deer hunting has been with a .308, I’ve never hunted with slugs before. For those of you that have, can you recommend particular 12 gauge slug ammo as being better than any other, performance-wise on small deer at close range?

Also, is there any reason not to use Federal's low-recoil tactical slug loads?

I see no need to use 3” rounds because these deer are tiny, and they’ll be close, although I may try out a 3” buckshot round for the heck of it if I can sneak within 10-15 yards (which should be a piece of cake).

Thanks for your advice!

Backcountry

Back, Any 12 gauge shotgun slug that you gun shoots well will do fine. But I agree if you can get close and the deer are small I would try buckshot, if it were me I would try a .410 slug just to see how it works. MIKE.

Aim, I am getting to that point in my life that I just want to try different things. On huntamerica.com there were several guys that have their kids use the .410 for their first deer gun. Check the Mossberg web site, they came out with a .410 slug gun this year in both regular and youth model! There must be something to this but I have never done it. Winchester also brought back .410 buckshot this year. I bought several boxes but have not shot it yet. MIKE.

No need for 3" shells, 2 3/4" work fine. I might suggest Lightfield sabots. They give me excellent accuracy out of a rifled barrel. 100 yds 2", 50 yds 1". A 410 may work alright but if you can handle the lead use a 12 gauge. You want to kill it, not wound it and have 2 of its buddies drag it off. You owe it to the animal. You will probaly get best rsults with a rifle barrel or at the very least a rifled choke. Good shooting.

I was always under the impression that a .410 slug was not allowed in many "Slug" only states due to fact it was too close to being an actual rifle caliber and actually shot to far and flat.

I could be wrong?

I won't be depredating these deer with a .410 because I don't own a .410.

Also, I took a look at the relevant CA Fish & Game code (CA F&G 4180.5) regarding deer depredation, and buckshot is disallowed... slugs only.

I've decided to use what I already know shoots well in my shotgun, Federal Classic 2 3/4" 1oz. hp slugs.

The shoot will probably take place within the next 10-20 days... I'll update this thread with results (and maybe pics too) after 'operation anti-WMD'.

Cheers, Backcountry

Aim, The Winchester .410 shells have three 000 buck pellets per shell. Let's be careful with this what we need shit! Le's not confuse the issue! MIKE.

the long and short of shotgun slugs:
IMHO the copper super bullets do not perform well unless you have a quartering shot going thru substantial bone.  Up to 50 yards you will see no functional difference between " cheapo foster types" and the expensive sabot type slugs.  My personal fevorite right now is the Federal premium sabot.  It is a lead hourglass projectile kinda like the wincghester BRI.  In my browning BPS it groups about 3" at 50 yards with open sights. I know people who shoot brenneke and love them.  Winchester BRI is a good load.  I would not waiste my money on the Barnes Federals, you will not see a difference unless it is a frontal quartering shot. Copper solids seem to punch straight thru without expanding on rib shots for me. stick with 2-3/4", watch your backdrop, as slugs can still go 1/4-1/2 mile.  You have to try it in your gun though.  Up close you can't beat the energy of .72 caliber fosters, a good hit will almost certainly knock a blacktail on its ass in its tracks.  At longer range, you will like the Sabots.  Scopes are optional, I never liked shooting at moving targets with a scope.  I party hunt with a shotgun, so moving shots are common.  kinda like shooting clays with slugs.... have fun.

I have taken a deer with Federal Low Recoil tactical slugs. Worked nice in My Benelli. Im sure they would work good in your Mossberg.

28......., I have had a different experience with the Remington copper solids. I use them in my fully rifled barrels and so does my brother. We shoot a lot of deer on here on Long Island with slugs and the copper solids knock the deer on their ass but you are right they do pass thru the deer but then again so does my 30-06. I also use open sights on deer drives which is how we hunt them here on Long Island but we have several guys including my brother who shoot moving, and I mean moving deer with scopes and both eyes open. Last year I used a smooth bore barrel and the Remington sluggers, much cheaper when you miss. I have seen deer shot with 10, 12, 16, 20 gauge slugs, sabots, fosters, 3", 2 3/4",  and they all work good if you hit them right. MIKE.  

The copper solids and the Barnes expanders definitely still do the job.  I knocked a 150 class 10 point whitetail buck down with 1 shot thru the brisket using a barnes expander.  He dropped in his tracks.  The same drive a respectable 8 pointer took 3 of 5 thru the ribs and never even flinched, but fell over dead about 40 yards after the last shot. I think all 5 of those were copper solids. Later that day a 140 class 8 pointer fell to another single shot thru the front shoulder quartering in from a premium sabot.(had a bunch of mixed ammo I was using).  I shoot  BPS Game gun barrel, 5" rifled tube and the best open slug sights I have ever used.  Just like anything it is more placement than energy.  Deer can be a tough animal to kill.  A heart lung shot can still be a couple a hundred yard track job.  I have shot a lot of whitetails with shotgun slugs, the most impressive hits have been thru the front shoulder where the bullet can get a hold of something.  The hardest part is finding a system for lead that works for you.  I see lead different than most people, but when I am in sync I don't miss often.

28......, This year I am going to try a rifled choke tube with a tru-glo front sight only. I just sent for a Remington rifled choke tube on Ebay, only 13.08 plus shipping. It is the short flush model. I might try the extended model if one shows up on Ebay. I shoot a lot of skeet so I want to try some instinct shooting without the rear sight. I just joined a club that has the running boar target range so I will be able to practice. My brother shoots with a scope, both eyes open and see's the deer on both sides of the scope. I tried but no luck yet. I bought a Remington 1100 with a fully rifled cantilever barrel but have not fitted it with a scope yet. I do ok with the regular open sights but missed a really good one three years ago. Here on Long Island the shotgun season is in January so most of the deer have dropped their racks. We shoot our racks in November upstate New York with rifles. MIKE.