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Joined: 25 Nov 2006 Posts: 20 Location: South Carolina

I have hunted deer for many years and neglected small game hunting because I tought I have to do one or other. While sitting in treestand whole day I see all those squirels rabits and other game and feeling sorry that I am just sitting there waiting for deer. This year I told my self that I can have it both ways. I bought sweet little 28ga Bobwhite and loaded some 0.500" round ball slugs I bought from Balistic Product guys. I did not have as much fun hunting in many years. I get limit of squirels everytime I went hunting. I jumped few deer but knowing limitation of light round ball slug I did not take the shot. I have 2 16 gauge Nitro special Lefevers and I am thinking if it would be safe to shoot slugs from those guns. That would give me much more efective combination. Do you guys have any experience with slugs for 16 ga Lefevers? I would hate to damage them or worse. Will appreciate you info or opinion.

Member Joined: 18 Aug 2006 Posts: 114 Location: Tucson, AZ

I have a 16ga. L.C. Smith that is choked so tight that I would not use a slug in it! What are you chokes? Anything other than full or full++ (like my Elsie) would probably be OK. I used to shoot slugs out of an old 20ga, without a problem. Rolling Eyes

I have often thought about getting a cape gun or a drilling 'cause they allow you to shoot just about anything . But the hills I hunt here in california make heavy guns not so desirable. That's why I shoot a 28ga the first 1/3 of the season . I shoot the i6's when ever I hunt the flats and in the hills the last 2/3 of the season 'cause the birds jump 30+ yards out and the 28ga becomes a crippler at that distance . I never have shot slugs thru my lefever but since it's choked tight and tighter I never will. Check your chokes before you try it.

Actually, choke is mostly undesirable in a slug gun. A rather tight, parallel bore is better. The Ithaca model 37 Deerslayer versions were bored thus. the 12 gauge version had a 14 ga. bore nearer to .700 rather than the usual .725" to .730" bore. Most of these Deerslayers would shoot a standard Foster slug into a 2" or better group at 50 yards. It also shot a very nice I.C. pattern with shot. Apparently, higher pressure was not an issue, because the average 12 ga slug is closer to .690" and all the tighter bore did was allow the slug to obterate well enough to seal the bore and not deform from over expansion.

I've seen this same slug to bore diameter fit work in Remington 1100 and 870 smoothbored shotguns. The newer Remington 12 ga. foster slugs are about .728" in diameter while the Remington smooth bored slug barrels are closer to .725" with a very minor choke of a couple of points tapering down to the muzzle from about 6 inches back. My 1100 would keep all its Remington slugs in a 2" or better group if I cleaned out any lead build up after every three shots. I once shot a 1" center to center group of 10 shots from 65 yards by cleaning the bore carefully after every three rounds. This is unusal, but it proves that shooting a closely fitting slug helps a lot in the short run.

However, no unstabilized slug is guarenteed to travel straight much past 65 yards. Once they start to yaw, the effect just gets worse and they will veer off course rather quickly. This usually will start to take place at about 35-40 yards. This it why the occasional 100+ kill with a smoothbore is a fluke. Its just plain chance and not a certainty like with a well stabilized slug. Hence, the need for rifling for these longer ranges. However, 90% of deer taken in woods are shot inside of 50 yards. So a smoothbore will do the job just as well from a tree stand in the cover. Just make sure not to clip any twigs too close to the gun or that unstabilized slug will veer way off in a very few yards.

I've never had a chance to measure an Ithaca 16 ga. Deerslayer barrel, but
I'm betting the older ones probably go about .640"-.645". If so, then I'd suspect you could count on the same level of accuracy with 16 ga slugs which usually measure close to .640",. Plus, with shot, the gun would do for rabbit, grouse, and squirrel too. The rifle type open sights are also a big advantage for obvious reasons. I'd save the double guns for wingshooting, rabbits or squirrel.

Deer hunting is tough enough as it is. Wounding a deer is not like fringing a bird. Your dog isn't likely to run the deer down and bring it back. In fact, many places have laws against hunting deer with dogs like it used to be commonly done. Back in those times, buck shot and pumpkin balls were commonly loaded into double guns. But those days are mostly gone even in much of the South, and its better to shoot carefully in these modern times. Why take the added risk of leaving a deer to suffer and die a lingering death from an ill placed slug out of a double gun not set up for slugs. It just is not right in my opinion. Get a smoothbored slug gun if it suits your hunting style, or go with the rifled bore and a good scope for longer ranges out to 200 yards. These new slug barrels can shoot that far and keep them all in a 6" circle or better with good ammo.

16 GAUGE MAKES A GOOD POINT ABOUT MODERN BARRELS - THAT ARE NORMALLY RIFLED AND MADE SPECIFICALLY FOR SLUGS - LEFEVERS AT BEST ARE GONNA BE 50 YRS OLD - i AGREE THAT A TIGHTER CHOKE WILL IMPROVE ACCURACY IN A MODERN BBL BUT i WOULDN'T TRUST A SLUG IN AN 80 YEAR OLD GUN - ANY CHOKE ! WOULD YOU ?

Guest

Good Morning Gentlemen-I can understand the desire for versitility in a shotgun and how handy it would be to have one that would handle both shot and slugs with equal aplomb. However I just am at a loss to understand risking an older gun trying to get it to do something that may compromise it's condition, and yes I understand a lot of these older guns are hell for stout, but why push the curve. And yes I have read the article in Doublegun Journal about shooting proof loads in way old and not pristine condition doubles and how they weren't affected by the loads but Gosh why take a chance that just this once might be the one that lifts a rib or opened that choke a little more than what I wanted or maybe cracked the stock. There are way too many options out there for a very good pump gun or auto that have a barrel designed to do just that-shoot slugs. It seems to me it wouldn't be that hard to switch a round in the chamber from slug to shot or vice versa in a hurry. I think 16GaugeGuy and Padre Rich are exactly right in their conclusion, an older gun is stretched past what it can comfortably do when there are so many options available that do the job well, we live in a day and age when there are options for any pursuit we care to try, we are not trapped in "this is all I got and I gotta make it work".
Just a Thought
Chet