Rifled 12g. Which one to buy?

[luke777]

Morning all.
I'm looking at buying a rifled 12g. I have heaps of loading and casting components and want to explore the 12 bore.
I live in Australia so pumps and autos are off the table. H&R ultra slug hunters are very rare here.
I'm liking the accuracy reports from Savage 212 owners but worry a little about the vast numbers of reports of feeding issues. There's one for sale at a fair (for Australia) price.
I know nothing about the Henry, Mossberg and Browning guns that exist.
I'd love to hear your experiences.
I should mention I intend hunting with the gun. I'm fine with a single shot if that's the wise option but if I get a bolt repeater it must work as advertised or be able to be made to function without huge expense.
Thanks in advance for your insight.
Regards.
Luke

[Nobade]

It sounds like you have hit on all the available ones except expensive customs like the Tar-Hunt. I also feel that the 12 ga is a bit much unless you're going after water buffalo or similar and the 20ga is likely easier to deal with and get good accuracy from.

[Tatume]

I've owned and hunted with an H&R Ultraslug 12-bore rifle for years. It is very accurate. Although rare in Australia, it is worth the wait when you eventually find one.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

A single shot 12ga slug gun is just no fun. Better off with a 20ga

[Tatume]

A single shot 12ga slug gun is just no fun. Better off with a 20ga

I've heard people say this, and I admit that they do kick. You may be right about the 20 gauge. The gun is lighter too. I still prefer my 12-bore rifle.

[fordwannabe]

I have Savages in both 12 and 20. The 20 seems adequate for most things here in the eastern US…..however the 12 is devastating on deer. I use sabot with a 50 cal Barnes bullet in it. I have not experienced feeding issues with either but that’s just me. I have a leupold 4-10 on the 12 gauge.

[725]

If pumps and semi-autos are off the table, then single shots and bolts are your only option. That being the case, I would certainly urge you to try and find an H&R Ultra ~ 20 or 12. I have the Ultra and it's a pure joy. By its nature it is a heavy single shot, so recoil is somewhat mitigated. It is wonderfully accurate and built like a tank! Can't go wrong with the H&R.

[Tatume]

By its nature it is a heavy single shot, so recoil is somewhat mitigated. It is wonderfully accurate and built like a tank! Can't go wrong with the H&R.

The 12 gauge is build on a 10 gauge receiver. The weight does indeed mitigate some recoil, but the gun still kicks pretty stoutly. As I said above, I'm very fond of mine.

The single-shot action is not a handicap either. Once I was watching a deer in tall grass. He raised his head, I estimated the location of the shoulder and fired, he went down. I immediately dumped the empty and reloaded, he raised his head again, I fired again, he went down again. I walked to the spot, and there were two deer.

[FullTang]

I have 3 rifled slug guns (all 12 gauge single shots) so I'll give you my take on this. Ultra Slug Hunter is great, but very heavy---really soaks up the recoil and it's supremely accurate, but I'd hate to have to hump that thing around the woods. Scope is not optional, as there are no iron sights, so that's extra weight and expense. NEF Tracker II is the baby brother of the USH. It's a 5 pound elephant gun, and it kicks like a 5 pound elephant gun. But, it has nice iron sights and it's very easy to carry; so, if you use a lighter load it could be very practical. Last but not least, I have a Rossi single shot rifled 12 ga, with a ported barrel and synthetic stock. It's midway between the others in weight, and surprisingly nice. It has plastic-y fiber optic sights, and comes with a rail scope mount. I have a scope on mine and it's quite accurate. Between the porting and the synthetic stock, it's actually quite pleasant to shoot, too. And the trigger is the best of the 3, by far. I got it for $130 (US) lightly used not long ago, so it was quite a bargain. This made-in-Brazil gun might be easier to find in Australia than any of the American guns, but that's just a guess.

[725]

Speaking of recoil limits, I have installed a mercury recoil reducer in the stock of my 12 ga. Ultra H&R. Works so well, I forgot that it is, by nature, a real thumper. With the recoil reducer in place, recoil is not much of a problem anymore. I've used it for so many years I just plain forgot to mention.

[luke777]

Thanks everyone for your help and insight.

Regarding 20g:
In Australia 20g cartridges and reloading supplies are very hard to get and so I have never gone down that road. I’ll definitely be needing to stick to 12g despite the practicality of a 20 for pretty much everything bar a couple of species.

I will definitely make some enquiries about the Rossi thank you.

A friend in another state is selling a Browning A bolt with optic and muzzle brake. I know it’s history and that is has not been abused. I’d just need to clean up the sticky stock if I went that way.

There is a custom built 12 bore with all the loading gear just popped up near me. Greener GP action with a 32” Badger barrel. I need to impress on you how rare these builds are in Australia. The only issue is it’s much more expensive that I was budgeting for and it is not set up for an optic which I was kind of hoping for.
I will NEVER see another one for sale here I can almost guarantee that…. But money sure doesn’t grow on trees here at the moment…times are real tough …
It’s a dilemma folks!

[luke777]

I’m actually wondering how big of a job it would be to have a gunsmith fit mounts to the Greener in the future… they sure are a peach of a gun….

As an alternative , I wonder if an aperture or even tang sight is available to suit it? Now that would be fun…

[fjrdoc]

Henry also makes a single shot slug gun. I don't have any experience with it but I thought that I would put it out there.
https://www.henryusa.com/shotguns/si...arrel-shotgun/

[Zadokite]

I have been very happy with my new Winchester SXP and if I needed a slug gun...I would look at their rifled barrel models. Reasonably priced and as I said...I have been very happy with the quality of the win choke model I bought.

[barnabus]

Henry also makes a single shot slug gun. I don't have any experience with it but I thought that I would put it out there.
https://www.henryusa.com/shotguns/si...arrel-shotgun/

i bought a henry two weeks ago its a beautiful single shot rifled shotgun.working up loads to shoot next week

[luke777]

Thanks everyone. I'll see what I can come up with.