# Who is buying all the shotgun slugs?



## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

I just got to thinking the other day that almost any sporting goods store with a decent supply of ammo I go to sells shotgun slugs. Many Wal-Marts seem to have them too. It got me wondering who is actually buying all these slugs out here. Utah doesn't have any shotgun specific big game seasons. I know that during any legal weapon big game hunts people could use shotguns with slugs if they wanted to but I've never met anyone that does and I would have to assume that only a very small percentage of people would actually choose to do this. But obviously people out here are buying shotgun slugs or all these places wouldn't be carrying them. So who is buying them and what do they use them for? I guess I am responsible for the purchase of one box of shotgun slugs during the last 12 or 13 years or so. When I was 18 or thereabouts I bought a 5 round pack of slugs from Wal-Mart just for gits and shiggles and took them out and blasted some holes in some juniper trees. I set up a target of a turkey head, paced off about 50 yards and took a shot at it. I was surprised to see that I hit the turkey dead center in the middle of the neck. It was cool to see that my old bird slayer 870 could double as a big game rifle without any modifications if I kept my shots limited to archery distance.


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## Nambaster (Nov 15, 2007)

There are 2 hunts that I can recall that required shotgun, archery, or muzzy last year. One in Box Elder and the other in Monroe. I would think that a shotgun would be more effective than a muzzy depending on how you set it up. When it comes to killing our domestic beef cows nothing devastates them faster than buck shot... Unfortunately a slug would probably penetrate too deeply.


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## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

Nambaster said:


> There are 2 hunts that I can recall that required shotgun, archery, or muzzy last year. One in Box Elder and the other in Monroe. I would think that a shotgun would be more effective than a muzzy depending on how you set it up. When it comes to killing our domestic beef cows nothing devastates them faster than buck shot... Unfortunately a slug would probably penetrate too deeply.


I would assume that a lot of Utah hunters have muzzle loaders and very few have shotguns with rifled barrels and scope mounts or sights. Maybe a few use shotguns on those hunts you mentioned, but I dunno. I've never heard of people using buckshot for for dispatching livestock but I would guess that it would work pretty good at point blank range as you have seen yourself. A .22lr to the dome always does the trick when we have to put a sheep down.


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## Airborne (May 29, 2009)

I wrote an article for the Chukar Foundation newsletter a few months ago. I will post it up for you concerning another use for slugs in this state. I will post in in another topic under upland game, it's called 'Sluggin Coyotes'


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

I think they use them on tv's out by the noll on the west side of the lake


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## bowgy (Oct 10, 2007)

Mostly self defense and self defense training for me.

Front Sight Firearms Training Institute has a tactical shot gun class and you shoot 75 to 100 rounds of slugs, a few more 00 buck and 200 t0 300 round of low base rounds. It is quite a fun class. I usually keep a case of each on hand so I have them for a class.


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## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

colorcountrygunner said:


> I would assume that a lot of Utah hunters have muzzle loaders and very few have shotguns with rifled barrels and scope mounts or sights. Maybe a few use shotguns on those hunts you mentioned, but I dunno. I've never heard of people using buckshot for for dispatching livestock but I would guess that it would work pretty good at point blank range as you have seen yourself. A .22lr to the dome always does the trick when we have to put a sheep down.


I worked for a Scandinavian butcher when I was in HS who was too cheap to use 22's on sheep. He made me cut their throats. Only got to use the 22 on mean steers and hogs. I bet I've cut the throats of a thousand critters. I will never do it again. I can afford 22 shells. I wonder if that old codger is still alive sometimes.

As far as slugs, I only buy them for jokes. Take the Boy Scouts skeet shooting and throw a slug in for the third shot.......pure viewing enjoyment.-----SS


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## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

Springville Shooter said:


> I worked for a Scandinavian butcher when I was in HS who was too cheap to use 22's on sheep. He made me cut their throats. Only got to use the 22 on mean steers and hogs. I bet I've cut the throats of a thousand critters. I will never do it again. I can afford 22 shells. I wonder if that old codger is still alive sometimes.
> 
> As far as slugs, I only buy them for jokes. Take the Boy Scouts skeet shooting and throw a slug in for the third shot.......pure viewing enjoyment.-----SS


Haha I bet a 12 gauge slug really takes those scrawny little adolescent boy scouts for a ride. Yeah, I know what you mean. I absolutely hate having to cut the throat of an animal. It feels so gruesome and grisly. A simple shot to the head just feels a lot more merciful to me. That guy must have been so tight he squeaked when he walked. When I was in high school I could buy .22lr at 2 cents a round and I'm only 30 years old. I would imagine when you were in high school they may have been even cheaper. How much money could he have been saving?!


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

We used a .22 to "stun" a cow, hog or a sheep, not to kill it outright. Hopefully the animal was brain dead but it's heart was still pumping so when we cut it's throat it would bleed out. That is the proper way to dispatch an animal to butcher.

.


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## Jedidiah (Oct 10, 2014)

I'd say slugs are good for home defense, but I have to say this is my favorite home defense round now:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...=qh87DmMGUFvEK4NQ2GQeOQ&bvm=bv.85970519,d.cGU

Look what it does to the block of clay at 2:20....and no pellet or fragments to tear up your drywall!


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## Afishnado (Sep 18, 2007)

3-Gun competitors. :mrgreen:


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