12ga for elk

[HuntInWild88]

Anyone have input on a 12gauge slug or 20gauge slug on elk? What would be the max effective range that you would feel comfortable with.
I'm looking at either the savage 212 or 220

 

[hunterjmj]

Never had the need but I do know some people that use them in a weapons restricted area with luck.

 

[rclouse79]

I got the 220 and love it. It shoots very accurate groups. It kicks similar to a .270 and based on what I could find it’s terminal performance is on par with a 12 gauge with a fraction of the recoil. I have not shot a 12 gauge slug, and after talking to my neighbor I plan to keep it that way. He said he fired one shot and sold the gun after the bruise on his cheek went away. I know some might call me soft, but I prefer to demonstrate my manliness in other ways.

 

[eightyeight mag]

Here in Wa state 12 gauge and 10 gauge slugs must be used for elk if going the shotgun route.

 

[ElkArcher918]

I got the 220 and love it. It shoots very accurate groups. It kicks similar to a .270 and based on what I could find it’s terminal performance is on par with a 12 gauge with a fraction of the recoil. I have not shot a 12 gauge slug, and after talking to my neighbor I plan to keep it that way. He said he fired one shot and sold the gun after the bruise on his cheek went away. I know some might call me soft, but I prefer to demonstrate my manliness in other ways.

When I lived back East I used the 220 for whitetails. Loaded with Remington 20 ga. 3" Accutips. Killed lots of deer out to 150 yds. I would recommend putting a good compact scope (2-7×33 or 3-10×40) and keep your shots inside 125 yds. for elk. The gun points and handles very well, manageable recoil. Never shot the 212 12 ga., probably just a heavier slug and more recoil.

 

[SirChooCH]

Look into Hornady SST slugs or else the Remington Accutips. I shoot the SSTs due to price and have shot whitetails out to 120 yards which is basically the max for my pump 870. HEAVY recoil but gets the job done in shotgun only area. Neighbor shoots them a bit further with his Savage 220, for some reason I think the 20 is more accurate than the 12...? Maybe a ballistics expert would explain but I have heard that mentioned before.

 

[Laramie]

Anyone have input on a 12gauge slug or 20gauge slug on elk? What would be the max effective range that you would feel comfortable with.
I'm looking at either the savage 212 or 220

Similar performance to a muzzleloader. Keep shots close as suggested above and avoid extreme angle shots.

 

[Salmonchaser]

Been a long time since I checked regs, Oregon required a 12ga. As noted by a previous post I’d treat it like a muzzle loader.

 

[DanimalW]

Slugs hit hard. Just don’t have the flat trajectory of a rifle. I would think your max distance is going to be determined by how far you can shoot accurately at the range.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

My $.02 as a hunter from Iowa where we were limited to slugs or muzzleloaders until straight wall pistol rounds were approved a few years back.

IME, 12 gauge slugs have significant recoil and range sessions can be brutal. Skip the 3" rounds as they do not significantly improve ballistics and just kick even harder. Ballistics are decent for sabot rounds to 125, but full caliber slugs shoot rainbows. That being said, full caliber slugs like those manufactured by Brenneke punch huge entry and exit holes and deposit a ton of energy. If you're hunting thick aspen or black timber where ranges are limited, these would be a good option. My brother dropped a big CO cow from a ladder stand near Craig, CO, with a scoped Ithaca Deerslayer at 50 yards. She never knew what hit her.

If you have to use shotguns and ranges are longer, I agree with others that suggested the 20 gauge rounds. The savage 220 is a great platform for these longer range slugs, and recoil is much more manageable. There are several good options out there and the Federal Premium Copper sabots are a good starting point.

 

[Get-n-birdy]

Good question, curious if they pass through or not?

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

Good question, curious if they pass through or not?

Depends on a lot of factors, but full caliber slugs very often pass through whitetails with holes you can actually "see through" the animal. The cow elk my brother shot at 50 yards was a pass through, but the distance was short and the hit was broadside through the lungs. Fortunately didn't smash through any large bones or ribs on the far side, so exit hole was slightly larger than caliber.

IME, sabot slugs perform roughly the same as muzzleloader rounds, and they often pass through whitetails at ranges 125 and less unless shoulder hit. I had good luck with Hornady SST in 12 gauge, and I believe they were either 225 or 250 grain. As with any rifle, find one that shoots good in your weapon.

 

[Get-n-birdy]

Depends on a lot of factors, but full caliber slugs very often pass through whitetails with holes you can actually "see through" the animal. The cow elk my brother shot at 50 yards was a pass through, but the distance was short and the hit was broadside through the lungs. Fortunately didn't smash through any large bones or ribs on the far side, so exit hole was slightly larger than caliber.

IME, sabot slugs perform roughly the same as muzzleloader rounds, and they often pass through whitetails at ranges 125 and less unless shoulder hit. I had good luck with Hornady SST in 12 gauge, and I believe they were either 225 or 250 grain. As with any rifle, find one that shoots good in your weapon.

Thanks! Good to know on the 50 yard shot pass through and no bones hit on your brother's cow. We've shot slugs through whitetails and the exit holes are impressive.

 

[Jack321]

12 ga slugs will stop a charging bear. A 12 ga slug packs a wallop. I use them for deer in my state as because my state doesn't allow rifles. I've tried several different kinds of ammo out of my rifled barrel. I lost/wounded several deer with SSTs, all being full broadside shots. One SST I recovered completely pancaked so I ditched the SST and have been using Federal Barnes sabots and have a lot better results. Using the Barnes I've had half dollar size holes on thru-n-thru shots on white tails. Bang, flop. Can be flat out devastating.

I wouldn't hesitate to use one on an elk out to 100-125 yds using the Barnes bullet from Federal. Like the guys said above--treat it like a muzzleloader and you should be just fine.

I recommend a decent 2-7 power scope. I personally use the Burris Drop Time 2-7x33 because the slash marks line up perfectly with Remington 11-87. Longest shot I've ever connected on was a coyote at 143 yds and a doe at 152 yds. Doe dropped less than 10 yds from where I shot her.

 

[Button]

I’ve shot a couple animals with 12ga slugs. I trust it to stop anything in North America. Range is limited but packs a punch. Find a slug that shoots accurate for your gun.

 

[Fordguy]

I lived in a limited firearm zone for roughly 35 years, shotgun only for deer. If you go with a sabot, terminal performance and weight will have a lot to do with success on elk. Seems like a pretty obvious statement right? Whitetails, if it was accurate it worked fine at any range out to 175 yards or so. Lightfield hybrid sabots and commander IDS were both accurate and heavy. If you compare weights you'll find that the 12 and 20 ga hybrid sabots are (or used to be) heavier than almost any other sabot option. Another quality was that the lead they used was harder compared to some other slugs I compared them to. It was pretty common to have a complete pass through (with the commander IDS) even at longer ranges. With the 12, I don't think I've ever had a deer stop the slug. Occasionally there were fragments in the animal, but the majority of the slug would pass through and leave a very large hole even on shoulders.
Accuracy with the lightfields from a nef ultra slug gun was exceptional. Typically 2 inches at 100, sometimes less.
If you're recoil shy, weight your gun until it makes a difference.

With the 12 ga lightfield and enough practice 200 should be doable on elk. Avoid shoulders, a lung/rib shot is ideal. *edit- just found an old chart for lightfield commander IDS- it shows them as suitable for elk at 200 in 3" and 3.5"- if you can still find them for sale.

Do some penetration tests before hand at the ranges you want to shoot, and compare the results to rounds more commonly used for elk. I make panels from pallet wood and fill them with sand-each panel holds 3.5" of sand. It gives you a general idea of what the round will punch through when fired from varying distances.

 

[rclouse79]

12 ga slugs will stop a charging bear. A 12 ga slug packs a wallop. I use them for deer in my state as because my state doesn't allow rifles. I've tried several different kinds of ammo out of my rifled barrel. I lost/wounded several deer with SSTs, all being full broadside shots. One SST I recovered completely pancaked so I ditched the SST and have been using Federal Barnes sabots and have a lot better results. Using the Barnes I've had half dollar size holes on thru-n-thru shots on white tails. Bang, flop. Can be flat out devastating.

I wouldn't hesitate to use one on an elk out to 100-125 yds using the Barnes bullet from Federal. Like the guys said above--treat it like a muzzleloader and you should be just fine.

I recommend a decent 2-7 power scope. I personally use the Burris Drop Time 2-7x33 because the slash marks line up perfectly with Remington 11-87. Longest shot I've ever connected on was a coyote at 143 yds and a doe at 152 yds. Doe dropped less than 10 yds from where I shot her.

I have 14 Barnes 20 gauge slugs. The first shot was touching the bullseye at 100 yards so I called it good. Based on one shot they have the same point of impact as my accutips. My plan is to use the accutips for deer or antelope and the Barnes for elk. I would love to shoot some groups with the Barnes but is seems they no longer exist. I look every time I go in a sporting goods store and check online every week or so. It has been about nine months with nada.

 

[Fordguy]

Well scratch that, i just checked the lightfield website to check 12 ga energy at 100 and 200and it says they no longer make hunting ammunition. That's very unfortunate, they were my go-to for shotgun hunting.

 

[Jack321]

I have 14 Barnes 20 gauge slugs. The first shot was touching the bullseye at 100 yards so I called it good. Based on one shot they have the same point of impact as my accutips. My plan is to use the accutips for deer or antelope and the Barnes for elk. I would love to shoot some groups with the Barnes but is seems they no longer exist. I look every time I go in a sporting goods store and check online every week or so. It has been about nine months with nada.

Might be able to find some online somewhere. I haven't checked in a while as I have enough to get me through this ammo shortage. Quick search on GunBroker and I found at least one guy selling some.

 

[BDRam16]

Not sure on the regs where you will be hunting, but add my name to the list of 220F/Accutip combo users.

It’s an amazing slug gun and I’ve never had any issues with the accutips.