Shootgun Sabot Slug Review

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Shootgun Sabot Slug Review

The Slugs I selected for testing are as follows:

1. Winchester Partition Gold - 2 3/4", 385 gr,
2. Remington Copper Solid - 3", 1 oz.
3. Hornady SST - 2 3/4", 300 gr.
4. Federal Vital-Shock-Barns Expander Tipped Slug - 2 3/4", 3/4" oz.

If you have not priced any of this type ammo lately, you are in for a shock! These rounds come in a box of only (5) and are $13-$15+ a box! Unbelievable! That's about $60 of ammo in these (4) boxes.
Use them sparingly!

I got a call from my huntin' buddy, Capt. Rick Friday. He had borrowed my range to try the new Hornady's in his Remington 870 with a worked over trigger and a fully rifled Hastings slug barrel. He reported the accuracy was terrible! He couldn't keep (3) shots on a 8 1/2"x11" paper at 100yds.

As I mentioned in my last post, I have been contemplating taking my Remington 11-97 Premier on a hunt to the farm we 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 and some quick follow up shots might be in order.

I have been through this all before but I decided I would like to try some of the latest "Sabot Slugs" designed to be shot through a fully rifled barrel to see if there is any new ammo on the market with better performance than I got in previous testing. The barrel on my 11-87 is a Remington Barrel with a built-in cantilevered scope mount. I robbed a scope off another rifle for the testing and set up the bench at 100 yards.

(The shooting bench is some of Capt. Ricky's handy work)

"Lead Sled" Rest!

Remington:

I started with the Remington Copper solids. The first shot was on the paper high right. I made a scope adjust and sent (3) more rounds down range. No other scope adjustments were made during the testing. I had over compensated a little and the group was a little low left but a very respectable 1 3/4" group. That's pretty much as good as it gets for a shotgun. Unfortunately, I have found the performance of the bullet itself to be poor. See my more in depth report on these here: Remington Copper Solid Slug Review

Remington Copper Solids, 100yds, 1 3/4" group! (Remington 11-87 Premier)

Winchester:

Next up was the Winchester Slug. I had some tumbling issues with these the last time I tested them but they all struck the target square this time around. They came in #2 in the accuracy department but it was a little beyond acceptable with a (3) shot group of 3 3/4". That leaves a little to be desired. The bullet did show some decent expansion in the back stop.

Winchester Partition Gold, 3 3/4" group, 100 yds. 

Federal:

I was really looking forward to seeing how these babies would perform, Boy were they a disappointment! These things were so far off it was incredible. I fired (3) shots and none landed on the 24"X36" paper!! I could not even find where (2) of them went. The third hit the left edge of the pallet real low, over 24" from P.O.A. (point of aim).

I adjusted aim to the nail head at the very top/right of the pallet and the bullet impacted  level, 24" left for approx. a 20-24" group? Don't ask me. I was really pulling for the Federals. I expect the ballistic tip bullet would prove to have some good results on a deer. With the accuracy I got I think I would be better off with a sling shot.

Hornady:

The Hornady slugs were my last hope. This is also a ballistic tip bullet. I have had such great results in my T/C Shockwave bullets with ballistic tips I was hoping this one or the Federal would have the accuracy I was looking for. Unfortunately, this one came in #3 in the accuracy department with a (4) shot, 8", 100yd. group. Disappointing to say the least. One other thing I noticed is that the bullet rattles around a little in the sabot? This could be some of the accuracy issue if the sabot is not gripping the bullet to impart the spin from the rifling.

Hornady, SST, 8" group, 100yds

The other half of the equation is bullet performance or expansion. As noted in my first post on the copper solids, they performed poorly in this category and exhibited no deformation or expansion after passing thru a pallet and into a dirt backstop. It seems clear to me that the bullet is not designed with long, I should say, medium range performance in mind but 100yds is a short shot in the mid west.

The other three showed moderate tip expansion with complete retention of the core. The Hornady's opened up very nicely and the best of the four bullets tested. Too bad they came up short on the accuracy department.

Unfortunately, the results I got from all this and the money spent may not help you to much. From my experience, shotguns are very finicky when it comes to ammo types and all are individuals. Even if you have the same gun I shot, you will likely get different results. 

Hopefully you'll have some luck finding an accurate shell before you work all the way to the far end of the list.

Good Luck,

Larry S. 

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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