TC Pro Hunter .50 ML vs 20 ga slug performance?

[Bcowette]

So this year I've got the chance to shotgun hunt a farm that I've bow and muzzle load for years. I already have a pro hunter 50 cal ML and that is legal to use during shotgun. I've got the itch to buy a 20 ga slug barrel but am wondering if I will be giving up performance as far as range and accuracy. I have some potential 200 yard shots.

If accuracy and performance at range are equal I'll probably buy the slug barrel just for the less hassel and more reliability.

I'd be shooting the expensive remington or federal tipped copper Barnes in the 1900 fps range.

 

[Lxhuntinpa]

I have killed deer with both. I personally see no difference in performance. I shoot Remington Accutip slugs and TC shockwaves out of my ML. For distance I prefer the ML. For overall ease of use I prefer the slug gun. Haven't touched the ML in years

 

[TauPhi111]

terminal performance will be about the same with both. If you have longer shots, I'd stick with the inline. Slug guns can be picky, especially ones that are just an interchangeable barrel. In my experience hunting PA and OH, I've not seen a pump slug gun group well at 200 ever. In my experience, they're good out to 100 or 150 if yours is particularly accurate. If you're already wanting to add a slug gun to your arsenal, go for it and see if it can group at 200 (no promise it does with those 2 loads you mention). If you are getting it just for this hunt, I'd save the money and either upgrade your glass or spend the money practicing with the gun. I just got an el cheapo inline this year and come firearms season in OH this year I'll likely be taking that with a scope over my 12 gauge 870 with rifled barrel and red dot.

 

[Bcowette]

To be clear not talking about getting a new gun just a new pro hunter slug barrel for my existing gun.

 

[rclouse79]

Don’t watch any videos on a savage 220. I made that mistake and now I have a brand new one sitting at the gun shop waiting for the right scope rings to come in.

 

[Bcowette]

I actually haven't been that impressed with the Savage videos I have watched. My muzzle loader holds 1 inch groups. I've yet to actually see a savage 220 that shoots like that. All I hear is how great they shoot then I watch videos of people spraying 4 inch groups at 100.

 

[rayporter]

i have hunted a slug gun state all my 71 years and most of that with a 20 ga. for a while i had an h and r 12 slugster which was the best killer i ever owned but it was a murderous thing to shoot.

with big slugs the 20 ga kills just fine. with the newer sabots it kills ok when compared to a 12. that is to say not much gets away but the days of shooting a running buck up the tailpipe with a 12 and having it crumble on the spot are gone.

a ML will out range either and with the right bullet kill about like either.

i have a 20Ga barrel for an encore and it is not quite what i think it should be. just a hundred yd gun and then groups get real big. i did help a neighbor sight in a savage and it was ok. maybe just under 3 inches at 100y. probably could have called it 2,5 in which is quite good enough.

for ohio i now use a marlin 45-70. the first time i pulled the trigger in the field 2 deer dropped.

i want to add that choosing your slugs is very important. if you dont have a slug that will perform accuracy is playing second fiddle. full bore slugs in a 20 are awesome, some sabots are pretty anemic.[ dont expand]
if lightefields shoot in your gun they are a great choice. i am not impressed with accutips expansion.

the same can be said for the ML. choose well. not all slugs perform.

 

[Bcowette]

As far as slug for either ML or 20ga slug (if I go that route) I wont shoot anything but Barnes. I spend way too much time and money on hunting to try and save $3 per shot on a bullet that doesn't work. Barnes work. Period.

 

[davescarp]

man depending on what sabots/bullets you are using the ballistics are pretty damn similar. 250ish grain bullet going around 1800-1900 fps. The advantage of the muzzleloader is you can really fine tune the load, adjust the sabot etc. to accurize. My TC omega shoots lights out. just bought a savage 220 because buying new guns is fun.

 

[brownie9582]

Inside 100 yards I would doubt you notice much of a difference. Outside of 100 yards IME the muzzleloader will far outshine the slug gun.

 

[davescarp]

As far as slug for either ML or 20ga slug (if I go that route) I wont shoot anything but Barnes. I spend way too much time and money on hunting to try and save $3 per shot on a bullet that doesn't work. Barnes work. Period.

I shoot Barnes TEZ out of teh Omega and it's a winner. super accurate and dead nutz lethal.

 

[Bcowette]

So at this point I think I'm sticking with the muzzle. I'm getting 2030 fps from a 250 gr MZ expander which blows away anything from a 20 gauge slug. I think what I'll do is keep the muzzle for the stands I have where 200+ yard shots exsist and maybe I'll pick up a nice semi auto for the spots tight in the woods or walking around.

 

[rayporter]

good plan---------bout like mine.

 

[Shraggs]

Yep that’s what I would do, and do

omega with ez sabots is a killer to 250 so far, groups snot 1.75

my 12 gauge Remington 870 with rifled barrel (pinned fir accuracy) actually groups under an inch. Fir this, Remington coppers edict are great killers.

hunting 3 states in shotgun zones, I completely agree that MZ have greater lethal range. Slug gun In my experience 150 ish.

 

[Bcowette]

Do you have the 870 super slug with fluted heavy barrel? I'm considering one of those.

 

[Wapiti1]

I have a 20ga Mossberg 500 with the rifled slug barrel. Very accurate setup with the right sabots. I haven't used it since Nosler stopped making the 260gr .45 cal Partition and Winchester stopped loading them. That was a deer hammer. Like others have stated, it wasn't good past about 150 yards. It launched the 260's at 1800fps. Good setup if you need fast shots and wanted a lightweight gun.

In my Savage MZ, I only shoot 300 grain Parkers. Used to be Hornady SST 300 gr. I got tired of the 250 gr bullets not passing through and leaving lead all over. I launch the 300's at 1980fps with either BH209 or smokeless (I love smokeless). That is money out to 300 yards. I tried Barnes in it and never could find a load as accurate as the Parker or Hornady.

Jeremy

 

[Bcowette]

Well I ended up picking up a Winchester Sx4 cantilever buck in 12 gauge and I just topped it off with a Trijicon 2.5-12x42 scope. I bought a bunch of the 3" Remington accutips which are 385 grains at 1900 fps. Based on the ballistics of the slugs I don't see why they wouldn't be every bit as good long range as the muzzle loader? Am I way off in thinking this assuming my gun shoots them accurately?

 

[Desk Jockey]

Well I ended up picking up a Winchester Sx4 cantilever buck in 12 gauge and I just topped it off with a Trijicon 2.5-12x42 scope. I bought a bunch of the 3" Remington accutips which are 385 grains at 1900 fps. Based on the ballistics of the slugs I don't see why they wouldn't be every bit as good long range as the muzzle loader? Am I way off in thinking this assuming my gun shoots them accurately?

test them. I was close to securing access to hunt a nice chunk of land that was shotgun only a couple of years ago. I thought about a bolt slug gun but decided to use and existing 870 and I worked up a slug set up on a Cantilever remington barrel With a 3x9. I bought a bunch of those accutips and I couldn’t get a group I liked. 6-8 inches at 50 yards. In fairness, the trigger sucked - gritty and heavy - so I ordered a replacement. The hunt fell through and i has run out of accutips, so I mothballed the project before testing The new trigger set up.

between the barrel and new trigger I had a lot of money in that 870. If I were doing it again I would buy a savage and be done with it.

 

[Bcowette]

Anyone shoot the Hornady superformance or SST slugs? I like the flatter trajectory.