12ga for elk

[HuntInWild88]

So the area is a "short range weapons" area.
I'm very familiar with black powder as I grew up in Indiana. I have muzzle loaders that I could be used in the area. I know the bullets I used on white tails just basically drilled holes right through them. Often leaving them to run 50-100yards, even with double lounge shots. Was worried about doing the same on elk and having them run even farther. Also being that the area is pretty dry and desert I'm a little worried about using the old smoke pole setting a blaze.
I was really hoping a slug would pack a little more punch than the muzzle loader.
Obviously accuracy is a number one concern so as long as I'm accurate would yall say 200yards is max but reasonable?

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

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.

I had great luck with the 12 gauge Lightfield Hybrid EXPs, and the reason I didn't mention them is because they aren't manufactured any longer. However, I agree with you that they were both accurate and devastating. I once shot a mature 145" Iowa whitetail at a trot during a drive and although the shot was poor, the slug shattered the pelvis and severed the femoral artery. The buck dropped his rear end immediately and expired in seconds.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

So the area is a "short range weapons" area.
I'm very familiar with black powder as I grew up in Indiana. I have muzzle loaders that I could be used in the area. I know the bullets I used on white tails just basically drilled holes right through them. Often leaving them to run 50-100yards, even with double lounge shots. Was worried about doing the same on elk and having them run even farther. Also being that the area is pretty dry and desert I'm a little worried about using the old smoke pole setting a blaze.
I was really hoping a slug would pack a little more punch than the muzzle loader.
Obviously accuracy is a number one concern so as long as I'm accurate would yall say 200yards is max but reasonable?

I experienced this several times and you're wise to be concerned about elk performance. Blood trails can be very poor in these scenarios, and without snow it can be difficult tracking.

I eventually found a 100% lead sabot (260 gr Extreme Elite) from Precision Rifle (Precision Rifle Custom Muzzleloader Bullets) that performs fantastic on whitetails; delivering massive exit holes and good blood trails if they don't drop on the spot. They have bullets designed specifically for elk too.

 

[Jack321]

So the area is a "short range weapons" area.
I'm very familiar with black powder as I grew up in Indiana. I have muzzle loaders that I could be used in the area. I know the bullets I used on white tails just basically drilled holes right through them. Often leaving them to run 50-100yards, even with double lounge shots. Was worried about doing the same on elk and having them run even farther. Also being that the area is pretty dry and desert I'm a little worried about using the old smoke pole setting a blaze.
I was really hoping a slug would pack a little more punch than the muzzle loader.
Obviously accuracy is a number one concern so as long as I'm accurate would yall say 200yards is max but reasonable?

I would honestly check with ballistics charts for slugs. Most "experts" say that 1500 ft/lbs of energy is the minimum fatally kill an elk. I use this as a benchmark for my rifles, I'd think that you'd be wise to check those charts out for slugs. I believe that guys can kill them effectively with "old school" mountain men type muzzleloaders, modern bullets, powder and components will also do the job, but I just don't know at what range. I'd consult the ballistics charts.

 

[WCB]

Growing up shooting slug guns I would recommend going the 20 Gauge route. get the 220 and either AccuTip or Federal Trophy Copper. As long as your accuracy is there 150-175 yards should not be an issue. Probably be hard to find slugs right now as main production will be starting in a month or so.

 

[DEGdog]

Look at the Barnes or Hornady monoflex loads. SST are accurate but blow up even on whitetails, so I’d be leery of them on elk. I’ve had good luck with the Barnes in my slug gun (12 gauge, 2.75) and muzzleloader. I’d say 150 yards max and ideally more like 125.