Remington Copper Solid Slug Review

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Remington Copper Solid Slug Review:

I have been contemplating taking my Remington 11-97 Premier with a fully rifled slug barrel on a hunt to the farm I lease in Illinois. The only reason I would really consider it is that we will be doing some drives to try to thin the doe population down, at the insistence of the Farmer and some quick follow up shots might be in order.

I spent a lot of time and even more money trying every type slug I could find the first year we hunted there. I was pretty disappointed in the results I got at 100yds. Some could hardly hit an 8"x11 1/2" paper at that distance. Others tumbled through the air and went through the target sideways.

I settled on the Remington Copper solid as it produced the best accuracy in my particular gun at 100yds. The groups were in the 2 1/2" - 3" range. Not great but not terrible either. Of course that is only if you don't mind being limited to about 125-150 yds max. range.

Well, everything was smooth until I actually shot a deer with one of these things. Actually, I should say 3-4 of these things. This buck sucked them up like they we spit balls!

The first evening of the hunt I had climbed a cherry tree just off the corner of a long corn field that was about 650yds. long. Deer had been filtering into the field all afternoon but about 45 minutes before dark I spotted two big dark deer enter the far end of the field. I knew from their size and dark color they were both bucks but I could not make out what they had for horns for the longest time. Finally, they got just right and I was able to tell at least one was a shooter and larger than the other.

I knew my only hope for a shot was to climb down and try to put a sneak on them but it was going to have to be quick as light was fading fast. I jacked down the tree and dumped all my gear but the gun, glasses and a couple extra shells and beat it through the bottom to the edge of the field.

I had closed the distance about 200yds and now I could see the smaller deer was also a decent shooter.
It was dark enough that I decided to hunker over and shuffle down the tree line and hope I did not get picked off. There was just no time for a slow, stealthy approach. About half way down that side of the field there is a gap in the tree line that connects a smaller field to this one. Just before I reached that spot a doe walked out and slowly started to pick her way out into the field and never knew I was there. That was a stroke of good luck for me. The smaller buck saw her and started her way. He was clipping right along and in just a minute he was within a hundred yards. As he approached I could hardly believe how wide he was. I remember thinking, "man, that deer's horns are 2 feet wide!".

I had already got down so I could shoot off one knee and it was time to go to work. I leveled the scope on him and fired. The buck took off running, slightly quartering to me. I fired again as fast as I could and he stopped! He was standing there broadside at about 60yds with his head down? I held fire for just a minute thinking he was going to tip over any second but he just stood there. I decided I had better put another one in him and finish this.

I fired a third shot and the deer mule kicked and ran about 20yds and stopped again! Still on his feet but head hung low???? I thought, "What the hell!" About that time there was a truck coming out of the woods all the way across the next field on the adjoing farm and on the other side of the deer. There was no way I could shoot that far but wanted to wait until he cleared before I shot again.

I loaded my two backup rounds and waited for the guy to get out of his truck, open the gate, get back in, drive through, get back out, close the gate and drive off.

If you can even believe this.... The deer was still standing there! "I guess I'm gona have to shoot him again." Boom! I sent another copper solid down range. The deer took off running and made it about 60yds before his horns caught the dirt and he did an endo and piled up. It was quite a sight! Finally, he was on the ground. I still couldn't believe what had happened. I have never seen anything like it, before or since.

I ran out to the fallen buck and he was indeed wide, 22"+wide. He was a little weak on his right side compared to his left but a pretty nice buck none the less. He scored about 132 and would have been about 136 if he had not broke off a couple points.

Then I had to make an inspection to get to the bottom of the mystery of how that animal was able to take so many shots without going down. I was really thinking the gun must be off until I started finding each bullet entrance.

Two were text book.....one right behind the elbow, in the heart and one was upper shoulder, thru the paddle. The third was a paunch hit, probably the running shot and the reason he did not want to run to much. The fourth was just a graze across the point of the front shoulder that did not enter the body.

Copper Solids just do not expand!

All in all he was riddled with holes! The problem was simple, the copper solids just do not expand, period. The exit hole looked just like the entrance hole. No expansion means little energy delivered to the animal. It just punched a hole right thru and kept on smokin'.

Later, when I got back home I shot some more at my 100yd target and recovered them from the dirt back stop. They never even opened up and a couple looked like you could clean them up and put them back in a shell and shoot them again.  At the most, a couple had the forward side crushed in just a little.

Have a look at the pictures:    (pulled from dirt backstop at 100yds.)

Also note that they all impacted somewhat on the side.

I have since abandoned the shotgun for a Thompson Center Encore! It can shoot out to a distance that the shotgun can only dream about and is 2-3 times more accurate. Also, some of the newer muzzleload bullets are devastating on a deer. I have been shooting the Thompson Center Shockwave bullets in 200gr for quite a while now and they typically leave a blood trail that is as good or better than I have seen from anything, bar none! I will make a post as soon as I can with some pictures of some of the blood trails these Shockwaves make. That's on the rare occasion when the deer is not dropped in his tracks.

I probably don't need to actually say this but I don't recommend "Copper Solids"!  If you some experiences with them to share, send me a note and I'll add it to the post.

Good Huntin'
Larry S.

Photo by Capt. Rick Ruebel

Illinois 11pt, 132 0/8

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