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I thought so and not to sound discouraging but good luck! I know how undersize many factory slugs are or at least were yet they still slugged up and gave very good accuracy ~ Winchester, Remington, Federal all plain old Foster style slugs and all shot well from both my Browning BPS and my old cut down Cooey single shot. I have as yet to get the same level of accuracy from home cast and loaded rounds.
I'll say again that I think consistency is EVERYTHING! The factories have total control over hulls, wads, slugs, powder and primer and can test umpteen things before they put it to market. While they aren't perfect and don't shoot well from every gun, factory Foster slug rounds have certainly shot well in my guns all the way to 100 yards which is where I judge consistency and accuracy. In my opinion it isn't hard to get decent accuracy out to 50+ yards, it is beyond that that inconsistencies take effect and accuracy becomes "iffy" for most slug and ball loads from smoothbore.
Certainly my experience anyway.
Longbow
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The main aim of this was only 50m accuracy or about 55 yards, it was about finding cheap and hard hitting ammunition for my pig trips.
I usually go through 200-400 rounds a trip in a good year and want to use the shotgun with a imp/cyl choke.
Buckshot in the thick stuff and slugs where it's a bit more open like waiting on a dam.
They will fit the bill for that task just fine, but like everything else it comes down to how far you can push things.
I also want to try some paper patched 240gn pills in the 44mag and maybe even in the 308win just to see how well they will go.
There's a lot of satisfaction in making your own pills and I'm not sure why, maybe it's a better connection with the ammunition that nakes the hunt a little more personal.
I'm also making some (or trying to anyway) cut down 303brit brass to 1.5" OAL to make some 44mag shotshells with a tad more grunt.
I'd love to take a bunny with those at 10-15 yards but I doubt 15yards will be possible.
It's all about having a little fun and being a little different.
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That's a lot of pig shooting! Or at least shooting at pigs!
50 yard hunting level accuracy isn't too hard to get with the right slug and components so you should be okay. I'd use the round balls though. I do like the big ol round balls!
I tried paper patching for my .44 mag. Marlin. Worked very well but I found it wasn't needed so didn't pursue it. It did work though and no feeding issue in the Marlin.
I had excellent results with the paper patching I did for my .308 but not so good with the .303's. however, I used the same 0.301" cast slug for the .303's and that makes it about 0.002" to 0.003" under bore diameter for .303 Lee Enfield. Generally the recommended diameter of the "core" is bore size to a little over bore size. I tried knurling them up to 0.304" and that helped but I really didn't spend much time at it. There are some good threads on paper patching for smokeless here if you search for them. These guys know what they are doing!
Good luck and enjoy!
Longbow
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Will do, seeing as I can only hunt deer with a single solid projectile here was my only real reason for working at it so hard, truth be told Buckshot and a turkey choke would probably be plenty enough for what I want on pigs.
The place I go is a bit over a million acres, the drought has hurt the pig numbers there and last trip I only got about 30-35 but in a good year shooting 100 or more is pretty easy.
But a university slug load for pigs and deer would be very handy as when I go fox shooting I often come across deer, last time I took the 22lr out I had a 30" stag feeding in a gully about 60 yards from me, man I wish I'd taken the 308 that day.
But if I can drop a slug in 12ga and know it's accurate then I won't have that problem again.
I got a young Sambar calf today with the dog while taking her for a walk that would have been perfect for the 12ga, 30m standing strait on with big old mum 60m up the hill, and that was in a spot I love to fox whistle.
While it would be much easier just to buy factory slugs for that sort of situation there is something about the thought of throwing something I made from scratch at them that feels so satisfying just thinking about it.
I got one big Hind at 40m with a 690 round ball from the coach gun and it definitely hit her had, so maybe your right about that.
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Bob: Where do you live? You don't sound like you're in the US cuz we don't have that many stags or hinds here.
Randy
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Australia, right in the heart of some great deer country, no season or bag limits either. :happy dance: