12 Ga Slug vs 50 cal Muzzleloader Smackdown Plus

[OnHoPr]

Never killed a deer with a slug before. All my deer have been with rifle, mzzldr, and pistolas. About 5 or 6 years ago I got a slugster barrel for my 835 since I decided to try the shotgun zone because of the deer population in the rifle zone near where I used to hunt. So, I did some internet browsing and you know a lot of internet info for a newbie can be BS. So, I bought a bunch of foster style slugs and went to the range. I did not have a particularly great time and when I went to clean the gun, HEY there was no rifling for the first 12" of barrel. It was all lead, yaozzzer. Hey that was 4 days with a drill and a few brushes. I still use them for 2 or 3 shots at the 25 yd line before I go to the 50 yd line with the saboted ammo.

I have heard some great things about the 12 ga slug at under the 100 yd mark as well as the 50 cal conicals. I never shot a deer with a conical, just PRBs and saboted projectiles. They have ran less after the shot with the PRB, though the Lee 240 gr RN does pretty good as well, nothing over 50 yd run. Better than the other packaged stuff @ the LGS.

Since the short range foster slug has its smackdown stories I had an idear about taming the leading in a rifled barrel. I put a bunch of very soft lube, beewax, deer tallow, and tranny fluid together. I then press form it on top of the foster slug as shown in the pic bellow. Back on the 4th of July Mr Sciatic and bad disc finally allowed me to go to the range. I shot 4 rounds to see if there was bad leading from the Truball slugs. The pic bellow shows the patches with Shooter's Choice Copper Remover. Ed's Red may have been better for the lead fowling. But, there were only a few half pin head flakes. So, I could probably get a box or 5 shots before a 10 ga bronze brush and bore cleaner with patch would need a few strokes to get the flake lead out before build up. I have to do the same with sabot ammo to get the plastic fowling out to keep accuracy up to par.

Attachment 179472

I don't know what the problem is with loading pics. I loaded this one and had a couple more in the 200 to 350 Kb range and they won't load. Anyways there was very little flaking on the patch with the slugs lubed like the slug on the left. So, if you felt like you needed a 12 ga slug smackdown at close range through a rifled barrel without to much leading, give it a try. Then I loaded this pic below. jezzzzzzz

So, the slug below is a 50 cal 438 gr Pb HP going 1500 fps and is good for a couple of hundred yds very close to any of the 50 cal mzzldr big conicals. The Truball Foster above is 1 oz and doing 1600 fps. Mr Sciatic and Mr Bad Disc don't want to drag or cart a deer to far and I might be hunting close to road, steep incline, marshy stuff, or private and need the smackdown. The deer will be stop and go on the move in hardwoods ridges with elderberry thickets and most generally 75 yds or closer. I know the sabot slug will penetrate more, but I will try to keep a little more conservative and keep the raking shots a little more broadside for center mass boiler room shots. So what say you on the two different types of ammo for a better percentage of less running after the shot?

[uncle dino]

I'd pick the one most accurate, both are 1 oz, and both likely to pass through at 75 yards or less. After 35 years of hunting in southern Michigan shotgun only zone, I only remember recovering a slug once. That was a front on shot. Pulled it out of a hind quarter. Sometimes they run a little, sometimes they drop. Depends more on the deer, Either one would be a good choice. D

[tomme boy]

NONE of them are going to kill like a 1 oz Foster slug. I have killed deer with just about everything. While I like my muzzle loaders, the foster slugs just put the smack down on them. Largest rifle was a 3006 with 165gr BT and I feel the slugs transfer more energy than the others. IF YOU do your part anyway. The amount of cavitation and the actual size of the hole helps.