I'm pretty new to firing shotgun slugs. I've always been more of a rifle guy.
What are reasonable precision expectations/standards for slugs out of a smooth-bore shotgun with:
Brenneke slugs?
Foster style slugs?
Federal TruBall Deep Penetrator slugs?
At what distances do they no longer provide acceptable precision?
Thanks.
Last edited by warpedcamshaft; 09-12-2017 at 09:49 AM.
What's your definition of acceptable precision?
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IDPA SSP classification: Sharpshooter
F.A.S.T. classification: Intermediate
We found in Darryl Bolke's class that it varies widely with what sights you have on the gun. I would be hard pressed to make reliable defensive shots with my bead sighted 870 beyond 15 yards. A red dot made 25+ yards very accessible to everyone in the class who tried it.
David S.
Reliable hits in the -0 Zone of an IDPA target or A zone of an IPSC.Originally Posted by Tony1911
What's your definition of acceptable precision?
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The few loads I've tested so far... 50 yards was easy with ghost rings sights. Pushing the distance past that didn't go well for me.
Last edited by warpedcamshaft; 09-12-2017 at 10:06 AM.
This right here. Shotgun sighting systems, not slug accuracy, is often the limiting factor. An Aimpoint micro changes that.
Ghost rings don't produce optimal groups for many people.
Likes pretty much everything in every caliber.
Good info GJM, I know you shoot a lot of slugs. What do you expect from a Red Dot equipped smoothbore shotgun precision/distance wise?
I have a spare Aimpoint laying around I could throw on.
Last edited by warpedcamshaft; 09-12-2017 at 10:36 AM.
Back when I was assigned a desk on the JTTF, I was able to do well with standard slugs and a 14" entry barrel with a bead sight at 50 yards, shooting the FBI's shotgun qual. That's roughly in the -0 A Zone. Now, that's on the flat range, with minimal pressure (except for not wanting to look like a tool in front of my squad mates and some minimal time pressure). I can still do the same with our issued full power slugs with our 500s (bead sighted) at 25 yards during our quals, but I'd hate to do it on the run, in an awkward/compromised position, on a moving target, etc...
Apologies to OP for the thread drift, but how do the 500s work for you? I'm thinking about a 590a1 or a 500, and the main driver for the 590 is the tube magazine set up and how much easier it is to change springs and followers on the 590. I can't decide if that's worth ~$150 to me yet or not.
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With rifle type sights center mass hits at 100 yards are quite achievable and used to be part of our qualification process with the shotgun, with ghost ring sights (which I hate on a shotgun) maybe 50 yards. With the traditional brass bead front sight? maybe ten yards. This is all with Federal slug loads that have been our standard issue for as long as I can remember.
Last edited by Trooper224; 09-12-2017 at 11:12 AM.
We may lose and we may win, but we will never be here again.......
A long time ago, I ditched ghost ring sights, as they did not work well at distance for me. I preferred an aperture rear, with a tighter insert than a ghost ring for precision, and open rifle style sights for all around. The Aimpoint micro changed all that, and besides cost, there is no good reason now not to go red dot on a shotgun you expect to accurately fire slugs.
I zero at 25, am a little high at 50, with a second intersection at 75 yards. In times past with aperture sights, at 50 yards with Brenneke Classic Magnum slugs, I have shot three shot cloverleaf groups at 50 yards in a class setting. These days, I don't do much group shooting with slugs beyond 25 yard zeroing, as a concession to having torn a retina a few years back, but I routinely see and expect cloverleafs at 25 yards with Brennekes, using a micro. With just a front FO bead, at 25 yards I am happy with a six inch group -- so sights matter.
Likes pretty much everything in every caliber.
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