NEF Tracker II 20 gauge

[Stan in SC]

For awhile I have been wanting to shoot some 20 gauge slugs from a rifled barrel.Several years back I went thru a testing stage with a 12 gauge.Pretty good accuracy but a 20 gauge has the reputation of shooting flatter than a 12 gauge and more like a rifle.This ties in with my recent ventures into the world of 45/70 shooting.Big bore guns are fun.A 20 gauge if I remember correctly is equivalent to about .62 caliber.A 12 gauge is .72 caliber.
So last week when there was a rifled barrel NEF 20 gauge for sale on Gunboards I bought it.It arrived this past Thursday and is in like new shape.
It has rifle type sights.The bore looks great.I plan to buy at least two or three boxes of every type and manufacturer of 20 gauge slugs for testing.Every gun seems to have it's own preferences to ammunition.I'll find what this one does best with and stock up on that.Maybe next deer/hog season perhaps it will get a chance to shine.
If anyone has any experience on 20 gauge slugs please chime in.

Stan

[WmRoy]

I've never fired slugs............... used 00 buck but never slugs........... ;)

[Stan in SC]

I've killed several deer with slugs.They hit hard in 12 gauge.A .410 will wound but usually requires a finish off to the head with a pistol.

Stan

[Stan in SC]

Went to the range today.Only slugs I could find locally were the standard Forester types by Remington.Supposedly the 1 in 28 twist of this bore is better suited for sabot types as far as I have read.If that is true then when I get my order in of sabots I will have a really accurate shotgun because the five shot group today at 100 yards was 4 inches.Any one of the shots would have been a lethal hit on a deer.

[Stan in SC]

At the range today I tried five different brands and types of slugs including sabots.The Remington sabots were awful.The Winchester regular lead slugs in 2-3/4" and 3" were ok with a couple of flyers.The slugs loaded by an acquaintance were terrible.
After trying all the others I shot some more of the Remington cheapie Foster type lead slugs like I originally reported on and they were consistent and accurate.That's the load I will shoot in this shotgun.
Again I was surprised at the accuracy possible from a rifled 20 gauge single barrel with iron sights shooting the cheapest slugs you can buy.

Stan

[xpertgreg]

amazing what an inexpensive gun with inexpensive ammo can do in the hands of an experienced shooter ain't it? Glad you like the shotty! it kinda reminds me of the time I took the 91 argie out with the cheapest, ugliest, most corroded ammo in the state of GA. the old girl got Spuds' attention when she'd pop a clay at the 100 yard mark!

gw

[Stan in SC]

I did the comparison today at the range between the rifled 20 gauge and a smooth bore 12 gauge.Ammunition used in both was just plain old slugs.No sabots.
The 20 gauge clover leafed 3 shots at 25 yards and gave a 4" three shot group at 100 yards.This shotgun is a real pleasure to shoot.
The 12 gauge put three shots at 25 yards all over a 12"X14" cardboard.At 100 yards the first two shots were in the dirt short of the target.The next three were all over a 16"X33" piece of cardboard.I will NEVER EVER shoot another slug out of this shotgun.Even with 2-3/4" slugs the recoil of a 5-1/2# single barrel with no butt pad is BRUTAL.
My conclusion is that the rifled barrel and the good rifle type sights are a plus and add to the accuracy.Also a 20 gauge slug shoots almost flat like a rifle in trajectory while a 12 gauge is like a rainbow.

Stan