Sluggin’ Bucks Better

Shotgun slugs for deer hunting seem to conjure up images of a bygone era, when folks clad in red-and-black wool clothing lugged hump-backed scatterguns into the woods and shivered on stumps while waiting for a buck.

But even today, slugs remain relevant—especially if you live or hunt in states that require their use during gun-deer seasons. And although modern slugs far outperform their seemingly clunky predecessors, producing extremely tight groups at distances to 100 yards or farther, it’s probably safe to say that many folks don’t put too much thought into maximizing the performance of their slug gun.

That can be a mistake. Just ask Daniel Compton, product lane director for Federal, which offers several shotgun slug loads in the TruBall Rifled Slug, TruBall Deep Penetrator Rifled Slug and Trophy Copper Sabot lines. He says the basic tenets of marksmanship apply when shooting a slug gun or rifle, but those guns have subtle differences that can affect performance.

Important Points

“One tip most people do not realize is a rifle bullet has more pressure and velocity behind it, so its time spent in the barrel is minimal,” he says. “A shotgun slug is moving slower, so it takes longer to travel down the barrel. This is all a matter of microseconds but it does have an effect on accuracy.”

High-speed photography shows that when fired, the barrel of a slug gun begins to move before the slug leaves the bore. So, it stands to reason that how you hold and fire the gun will affect accuracy.

“To ensure a consistent group or point of impact, I have found that holding down pressure on the fore-end against a rest gives me the best results,” Compton says. “If I shoot a group with no or minimal downward pressure, the groups will open up, and the point of impact typically shifts up in time with the barrel rising more.”

That holds true for all styles of slugs, including sabots, which are encased in a plastic cylinder and then fitted inside the shell, and rifled slugs, which include Brenneke (European) and the familiar Foster-style designs. Whatever style of slug you choose, Compton says, it pays to know the scenario you’re in and shoot your gun accordingly for the situation.

“If you primarily shoot out of a box blind and have a solid rest, sight your gun in off a rest, and then find out what happens if you shoot free-hand or with no fore-end pressure,” he says. “It may only be a few inches, but they add up over distance.”

Compton also says that extra range time adds another benefit: Familiarity with your gun and load, plus the security of knowing where your shot will hit when you’re staring down a good buck.

“Ultimately, it’s about confidence in your shot and knowing how your equipment is going to perform,” he says.