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How to Sight In Your Slug Shotgun
Shotgun slugs have become faster and more accurate than ever, but they are, nevertheless, big chunks of lead driven at low velocities. In other words, they’re slow, they kick, and they drift in the wind. You need to take all three into account to successfully sight in your shotgun.
[1] Distance: Shoot at 50 yards. Due to their low velocity, slugs drift in the wind more than you may think. Even a 10-mph crosswind can move a slug 5 to 6 inches over 100 yards. If you sight your gun in 2 to 21⁄2 inches high at 50 yards, you’ll be dead on or just a little low at 100, depending on which slug you’re using.
[2] Recoil: Pad up. Heavy projectiles produce heavy recoil. It’s hard to do a good job sighting in when you’re getting hurt. A Lead Sled or other type of weighted rest makes slug shooting practically painless. Or put a sandbag or padded gun case between your shoulder and the butt.
[3] Technique: Hang on. Hold the fore-end tightly with your front hand when you shoot from the bench. Slugs have a long “barrel time” and are still traveling down the barrel as the gun recoils up and (in rifled guns) to the left. If you don’t hang on here, the gun may print as much as 5 to 6 inches high and to the left of where it will shoot when you hold it normally in the field.
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Comments (15)
While Lead Sled and sand bags are great, don't overlook PAST Recoil Shield! A Remington .270 Mountain rifle USED to almost bring tears to my eyes until I bought and used the PAST shield! It is a whole lot cheaper and convient than the Lead Slead, and worn under shirt or jacket, you can let people believe that you are a Real Tough guy!
Step 4: Shoot Off hand. It may well pattern in a different spot. Adjust sights as desired.
I didn't know that about the 3rd thing, even thought I hang on. I just got another slug gun and will use these techniques.
While Bourjaily shoots and knows more. I would carefully check his 2 or 2.5 inch at 50 yards sight-in at longer ranges. He must be thinking of modern Sabot Slug Loads, but he didn't say. There is a lot of difference in some slug loads. Foster Slug Load's are seldom a 100 yard load, and would not shoot the same as much faster more streamlined Sabot Loads.
Buck@score-your-hunting.com
Anybody try using holographic sights on a shotgun. Shooting from a bench I shot pretty good groups at 50 yd. but when I shot off hand all the shots were low. Just wondering if anybody had the same problem or any suggestion.
JHawes
My guess would be form. Assuming you read point three. Think about how you held the gun both times. I think your rest could also affect it. I think guns can bounce off of hard unforgiving rests.
The a good rest is always best....but don't forget breath control and trigger squeeze...shotgun are notoriously sloppy, at least mine is..controlling a long trigger break is a skill most riflemen don't have to learn, but it will make or break the slug shooter....good hunting, and greetings from Kuwait !
Also check your scope's eye relief or you could get scope cuts that will make you look like Dave Petzel....
I didn't know about number 3. Good advice.
wow a .270 almost brought you to tears suck it up i shoot my 30-06 with no recoil mad and a metal but plate and thats nothing and im a small guy
i agree with fawnBleat. a .270 is nothing. im 15 and ive shot my .270 10 rounds at a time with a thin recoil pad and a t-shirt. and he must be talking about sabot slugs, because id never take a shot past 50 yards with the brenneke rifled slugs that i use. granted, i bagged my first deer with them, but past 65 yards or so, the groups start to open up and the energy drops fast.
I got a "Limbsaver" recoil pad. It works great.I use Remmington Buckhammers and shoot 4" patterns without too much trouble. God Bless, Big Dee
I am sorry I left out the distance. I am new at this 4" patterns @ 100 yds. God Bless, Big dee
Most slugguns will shoot one brand of slugs better than any others so take a variety of slugs to the range. also some slugs kick harder than others. at a recent trip to the range i shot rem corelocked ultra and hornady sst slugs. The remington slugs kicked a lot harder and caused the action on my gun to hang up.I also use a limbsaver slip on recoil pad and it does help. Most shot gun stocks on older guns are too low and you may need to put a cheek pad on it to raise your head to scope level. Also, use a quality shotgun scope, they are made to take heavy recoil and are parallax free at 50 yds.
this is very helpful to me for gun season
Post a Comment
While Lead Sled and sand bags are great, don't overlook PAST Recoil Shield! A Remington .270 Mountain rifle USED to almost bring tears to my eyes until I bought and used the PAST shield! It is a whole lot cheaper and convient than the Lead Slead, and worn under shirt or jacket, you can let people believe that you are a Real Tough guy!
Step 4: Shoot Off hand. It may well pattern in a different spot. Adjust sights as desired.
The a good rest is always best....but don't forget breath control and trigger squeeze...shotgun are notoriously sloppy, at least mine is..controlling a long trigger break is a skill most riflemen don't have to learn, but it will make or break the slug shooter....good hunting, and greetings from Kuwait !
Also check your scope's eye relief or you could get scope cuts that will make you look like Dave Petzel....
this is very helpful to me for gun season
I didn't know that about the 3rd thing, even thought I hang on. I just got another slug gun and will use these techniques.
While Bourjaily shoots and knows more. I would carefully check his 2 or 2.5 inch at 50 yards sight-in at longer ranges. He must be thinking of modern Sabot Slug Loads, but he didn't say. There is a lot of difference in some slug loads. Foster Slug Load's are seldom a 100 yard load, and would not shoot the same as much faster more streamlined Sabot Loads.
Buck@score-your-hunting.com
Anybody try using holographic sights on a shotgun. Shooting from a bench I shot pretty good groups at 50 yd. but when I shot off hand all the shots were low. Just wondering if anybody had the same problem or any suggestion.
JHawes
My guess would be form. Assuming you read point three. Think about how you held the gun both times. I think your rest could also affect it. I think guns can bounce off of hard unforgiving rests.
I didn't know about number 3. Good advice.
wow a .270 almost brought you to tears suck it up i shoot my 30-06 with no recoil mad and a metal but plate and thats nothing and im a small guy
i agree with fawnBleat. a .270 is nothing. im 15 and ive shot my .270 10 rounds at a time with a thin recoil pad and a t-shirt. and he must be talking about sabot slugs, because id never take a shot past 50 yards with the brenneke rifled slugs that i use. granted, i bagged my first deer with them, but past 65 yards or so, the groups start to open up and the energy drops fast.
I got a "Limbsaver" recoil pad. It works great.I use Remmington Buckhammers and shoot 4" patterns without too much trouble. God Bless, Big Dee
I am sorry I left out the distance. I am new at this 4" patterns @ 100 yds. God Bless, Big dee
Most slugguns will shoot one brand of slugs better than any others so take a variety of slugs to the range. also some slugs kick harder than others. at a recent trip to the range i shot rem corelocked ultra and hornady sst slugs. The remington slugs kicked a lot harder and caused the action on my gun to hang up.I also use a limbsaver slip on recoil pad and it does help. Most shot gun stocks on older guns are too low and you may need to put a cheek pad on it to raise your head to scope level. Also, use a quality shotgun scope, they are made to take heavy recoil and are parallax free at 50 yds.
Post a Comment