# Deer hunting with my single shot NEF 12g



## Jared

I really want a Mossberg .308 rifle, and they're not that expensive. But, since times are lean and I've got a 12g, I was wondering how a rifled slug would do in it. Are they very accurate? I know my best bet would be to just go buy a box and shoot, but I'm asking anyway. I've never shot anything with a smooth bore before, so I'm leery. Plus, I'm not sure there's anywhere on my gun to mount a scope. I haven't looked yet. 
Jared


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## swamp man

You're just gonna' have to give it a try, man.
Rifled slugs and some sabots can be quite accuarte out of a smoothbore, at least by shotgun standards. One brand might work well with your shotty, while another brand is all over the place.
How much accuracy do you need, as in, how far do you plan to shoot?....If it's real close in, you might be better off with buckshot, especially if it turns out that you can't mount a sighting system.
You can usually get rifled slugs and sabots in five-packs. You might wanna' pick up a few varieties, and do some experimenting.


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## K-9

There isn't an easy way to mount a scope on a NEF 12 gauge single shot. But with that said Swamp man is right, go buy a box of slugs and give it a try. It has been my experience with bead sighted shotguns and slugs that most will do fine out to about 50 yards or so as long as you take the time to learn where they hit and take your time aiming. Don't let that discourage you though becasue if you place your stand correctly you can get shots at less than that easily. Keep in mind there are literally thousands of deer killed each year by archers at much less than 50 yards and often at less than 50 feet. Hope this helps


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## big rockpile

I've killed hundreds of Deer with Slugs.Just using the Bead.But I prefer 20ga. but thats just me.

big rockpile


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## Jared

Luckily, my dad has 50 acres that I can hunt on, and a guy at work who's obssessed with hunting showed me a good place for a food plot. Since it's private land I can build a stand as close as I need it and leave it year 'round so the deer get used to it. That way I don't have to shoot so far out.
jared


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE

I shoot a 12ga 30 inch mod choke remingtion with winchester rifled slugs i like the box of 15 for 6 bucks 

i can with just a bead at a bench hit a paper dinner plate at 100 yard fairly consistanly 

every shotgun i have ever tried a lot of them ithica, rem ,win ,moss ,stevens ,nef ,berreta ,stoger ,traditions , smith wesson and some old store brand guns was able to do this at 50 yard for sure that is where many shots are any way

the nice part about shooting a deer with a 12ga is they go down with almost anything in the rib cage ,sholder or neck 

if you drop them running cross the field they will fold and roll head over heals 

but if you wanted to spen a few bucks you could buy the ultra slugger barrel for your nef and put a scope on it then 200 yard shots become possable 400 with the new 20 ga 3 1/2 inch slugs 


even the old slug barrels were smooth bores they just had rifle sights i used one on a deer this last fall it had a 1.5 power scope i shot a doe in the neck she went down right away but looked like she was trying to get up so i shot her again i just made the hole bigger the second shot was touching the first after we finished the drive and i walked up and took a look we decided it was just nerves making her kick and put the head up


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## hunter63

How new is the shot gun? Might have holes for a mounting rail.
Or if: Quote for NEF
"Additional barrels may be added to firearms of our manufacture since 1987 only, with a serial number that begins with N or H. We do not install additional barrels on any other manufacturerâs firearms" 

Check out part number 014 available thru NEF/H&R "barrel accessory program" $62.00 for a rifled 12 ga bull, with scope mount.
http://www.hr1871.com/Support/accessoryProgram.aspx

Bought one for my 20ga, shoot the best with Winchester rifled slugs.

I also have an old H&R 12 ga smooth bore, that came as a "slug gun" with peep sight and front blade sight, open bore choke (none).
That one shoot best with Brennecke rifled slugs.


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## tamsam

First make sure it is safe for slugs. If it is full choke I wouldn't shoot them but others may say different. JMO / Good luck, Sam


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## JJ Grandits

OK, first off. No way in h&ll are you going to make any kind of shot at 200 to 400 yds with a slug. Yes they will travel up to a mile but they drop like a brick. At 400 yds you would probably have to aim 6 ft above your target. lets say you sight in at 200 yds and a Deer appears 40 yds away. The odds are you'll plow the dirt in front of it. Some smooth bores shoot slugs well and some don't. The only way you could tell is to shoot some slugs. A box of 5 will let you know how your doing. Five boxes of 5 will help you zero in on your target. Figure 50 yds as your max for any kind of accuracy. My Ithica 37 (smoothbore) has rifle sights and will hit a playing card at 50 yds. I have NEVER shot a Deer that far away. I hunt heavy cover and most of my shots are at 10 to 20 yds. Just practice till your confident to make a clean shot. If it's not a good shot, it's no shot. Remember, you only have one, make it count.


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## hunter63

Most people can't even see 400 yrds, let along hit anything, even with a rifle.

Yeah, I know, I gonna hear, "well I can put it's eye out at 400 yrds with a .22" and you probably can. This statement wasn't for you.

I talking "MOST" people (me) included.

Good advice, to keep it with-in 100 yds, and a 12 ga or 20 ga, for that matter, will kill it deader than snot.


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## Murray in ME

You've gotten a lot of good advice so far. I've used a single shot 12 guage with slugs for years. Works great within reasonable range. For me, for example, with just bead sight 50 yards is an easy shot. 75 is comfortable and 100 can be done but it's really pushing it. What you need to do, as several people have already mentioned is get some slugs and practice. Try as many different ones as you can because different brands, slug weight ect. can have a big affect on accuracy. You need to practice enough to find out what is an effective range for your skill level. I'd say that the longest distance that you can keep 4 of 5 shots on a standard size paper plate should be your maximum range. It's like shooting with any other type of weapon, if you do your part by practising enough to be effective and don't push range limitations, the gun will get the job done. It's the person behind the gun rather than the gun that matters. Good hunting.


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## Ed Norman

I screwed a rifled barrel on a Greener Martini and mounted a red dot scope once. Found out it liked Hornady XTP slugs and stocked up on them. I wouldn't shoot it much over 75 yards because the red dot sight is the limiting factor. But up close it kills deer real good. Shot a running whitetail once and it just relaxed in mid stride and tumbled.

I've always had great luck with buckshot in heavy cover. I've tried 4, 1, 0, and 00. I always liked 1 the best.


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## Guest

Since your livin right close to the state line will you be hunting in Arkansas or Oklahoma? A good place for a lot of deer is at the Arkansas Baptist Assembly. That is if you can sneak in and out undetected.


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## Steve L.

JJ Grandits said:


> ...lets say you sight in at 200 yds and a Deer appears 40 yds away. The odds are you'll plow the dirt in front of it...


 Just a point of correction. 

With a 200 yard zero, your slug will be *above* the line of sight from about 10 yards *all the way* out to 200 (_by definition_). Maximun mid-range rise would be at about 80 to 90 yards, and be close to two feet *over* line of sight. At 40 yards, you might make a hit on a deer, but it'd be _high_, not low. (All numbers are guesstimates, didn't do the math.)

Most slugs have trajectories that are close to those of .22 rimfire bullets. I sight my slug guns at 75- 80 yards. This gives me a point blank range of over 100 yards.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE

JJ Grandits said:


> OK, first off. No way in h&ll are you going to make any kind of shot at 200 to 400 yds with a slug. Yes they will travel up to a mile but they drop like a brick. At 400 yds you would probably have to aim 6 ft above your target. lets say you sight in at 200 yds and a Deer appears 40 yds away. The odds are you'll plow the dirt in front of it. Some smooth bores shoot slugs well and some don't. The only way you could tell is to shoot some slugs. A box of 5 will let you know how your doing. Five boxes of 5 will help you zero in on your target. Figure 50 yds as your max for any kind of accuracy. My Ithica 37 (smoothbore) has rifle sights and will hit a playing card at 50 yds. I have NEVER shot a Deer that far away. I hunt heavy cover and most of my shots are at 10 to 20 yds. Just practice till your confident to make a clean shot. If it's not a good shot, it's no shot. Remember, you only have one, make it count.



15 years ago i would have agreed with you but we have had some major advancments in poth bullet and slug technology 

first was the modern bolt action slug gun ,the ithica deer slayer 2 both having rifled barrels perminitly afixed to the reciver with quality rifled barrels 
included in this is the NEF ultra slugger 

next was the saboted slug using a smaller projectile saboted in plastic saboting material to get a better gas seal and hight presures than possable before 

then the 3 and 3 1/2 inch slugs play in 

pair off a 3 1/2 slug with a lighter weight projectile meaning go from a 1oz slug to a 300 gr or 400gr projectile saboted to get increased speed and a high rate of twist to keep it accurate and on target and the modern slug gun is complete and ready to be shot 

hornady sst slugs claim sub 2 inch groups from a 300gr saboted projectile from a 2 3/4 inch shell at 100 yards with a 0.0 drop and -6.7 inch drop at 200yd 
http://www.hornady.com/shop/?page=shop/search2&keyword=slug


as stated before i personaly use the 2 3/4 win superx rifled slugs from a 30 inch smoot bore mod choke and have taken deer at 100 yards but most around 50-75 

if you don't plan on shooting over a hundred don't spend the mony but there are a lot of places that where you want to reach out and touchem as they sneak out of the fence line but are restricted to using a shotgun


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## Jared

r.h. in okla. said:


> Since your livin right close to the state line will you be hunting in Arkansas or Oklahoma? A good place for a lot of deer is at the Arkansas Baptist Assembly. That is if you can sneak in and out undetected.



That sounds sneaky and illegal. My old pastor is preaching down there, but since the Baptist Assoc, owns it, I'm not sure who I'd ask. Also, I'm not sure if it's in city limits or not. Either way, I've never deer hunted before, so I'll stick to dad's place. I'm sure if I build a blind and let them get used to it, I can get pretty close. I grew up going to that farm every weekend for most of my life. I know where the deer come out of the woods at and where they feed. I paid attention because dad always griped that they were eating his cow's grass and desperately wanted people to kill all the deer. Too bad i wasn't into hunting then. I'll stick with my 12g and a close range for now. If I don't kill one, oh well. I've got 32 years so far without killing one and the sun still seems to come up every day. I'm not a trophy hunter (but a big rack would sure be cool) and I'm not a food hunter (even though I'll eat what I kill). I'm hunting to learn how to do it so someday I can build a small cabin and try this whole mountain man thing for a summer or so. Dad's got a huge 2.5 acre pond that he keeps stocked with bass, catfish, bluegill and perch. So I've learned to fish and clean fish, too. Thanks for all the advice. I think I'll seriously look into the accessory barrel program, even though I can't afford it right now. If anybody wants to talk about the kinds of things I'm dreaming of, feel free to send me a message. I'll take all the advice I can get.
Jared


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## hunter63

Any one that uses the NEF/H&R SS shot gun w/ slugs to hunt with knows that to me, it is the hardest hitting gun I own.
Short story: (probably told it before, so humor me, slow day).


Bought the H&R 12 ga, for shotgun deer season.(1970's) 
Cyl bore, peep site/front blade (like a rifle). 
Back then, the forearm was just pressed on to a clip under the barrel.( They now have a screw, good thing!) 

So, bought some Brenneke slugs, (supposed to be the "hot set up at the time), and out to the range we go.
Still the best load so far. 

Set up my target @15yds just to see how it shot. Loaded it up, aimed and pulled the trigger. 

It kicked up, pulled the forearm off the barrel, thumb sticking out, caught my nail on my eyebrow, cut it open. 
From the recoil, didn't realize I had pushed the break button after the shot, so with the forearm in my left hand, when the gun came down,(no forearm) the barrel fell off at my feet. 

It was laying on the ground, smoke coming out both ends. 
Forearm in my left hand, stock and action in my right, blood running down my eyes. 
I thought it had blown up! 
After I gathered what was left of my self, checked the target and found that I had drilled 10x. 

Only gun I own the makes it a toss-up, who gets up first, you, or what you shot at! ( still have it) 
P.S. Not your "stop sign gun")


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## JJ Grandits

Steve L., you are absolutely right. Darn brain farts. The point is that a shotgun will never give you rifle performance. Especially a smoothbore. It is a relatively close range firearm that hits like a freight train coming out of a tunnel. This is why I love shotguns. New improvements in ballistics have been amazing but a shotgun is still a shotgun. If I had to own only one firearm it would be a 12ga pumpgun, overall it gives the best odds for whatever I want to do.


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## Steve L.

You know, JJ, when I re-read your post yesterday afternoon, it occurred to me that you might have meant 400 yards when you typed 40. I've made a lot typos, myself. In that case, you're absolutely right.


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## Steve L.

IN my post (#14) above, I mentioned that, with a 75 yard zero, a slug gun would have a point blank range of over 100 yards. While that's true, it's only a little over 100 (maybe 110?), and group size from most smooth bores will be out in the 8" to 12" range at that distance. I try to keep my shots under 80 yards, even when using a rifled barrel with a scope. I've made hits over 100 yards, but those shots are iffy. 



hunter63 said:


> Any one that uses the NEF/H&R SS shot gun w/ slugs to hunt with knows that to me, it is the hardest hitting gun I own.


 Yep, those standard weight NEF's can sure beat you up.

I've got one that's set up with a 12ga rifled, scoped barrel, and a scoped 30-06 barrel. I can only shoot the '06 about 5 times before I'm ready to give up. 

Nice to guns to carry, though.


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## swamp man

Jared said:


> That sounds sneaky and illegal. My old pastor is preaching down there, but since the Baptist Assoc, owns it, I'm not sure who I'd ask. Also, I'm not sure if it's in city limits or not. Either way, I've never deer hunted before, so I'll stick to dad's place. I'm sure if I build a blind and let them get used to it, I can get pretty close. I grew up going to that farm every weekend for most of my life. I know where the deer come out of the woods at and where they feed. I paid attention because dad always griped that they were eating his cow's grass and desperately wanted people to kill all the deer. Too bad i wasn't into hunting then. I'll stick with my 12g and a close range for now. If I don't kill one, oh well. I've got 32 years so far without killing one and the sun still seems to come up every day. I'm not a trophy hunter (but a big rack would sure be cool) and I'm not a food hunter (even though I'll eat what I kill). I'm hunting to learn how to do it so someday I can build a small cabin and try this whole mountain man thing for a summer or so. Dad's got a huge 2.5 acre pond that he keeps stocked with bass, catfish, bluegill and perch. So I've learned to fish and clean fish, too. Thanks for all the advice. I think I'll seriously look into the accessory barrel program, even though I can't afford it right now. If anybody wants to talk about the kinds of things I'm dreaming of, feel free to send me a message. I'll take all the advice I can get.
> Jared


 Congrats on your new...er...."education".....Good for you!
Sounds like you're off to a good start, what with knowing the patterns the deer are using. Finding where the'yre going, and how/when they're gettin' there can be the tough part.....once you've got that much figured out, shootin' one ain't all that hard.
Just a coupla' tips.......If you can use an elevated stand, do so. If not, really, really be meticulous in constructing your blind. Take note of the tendencies of wind direction on your huntin' spot, as obvoiusly, you'll wanna' be downwind of the tasty critters....the wind will tattle on you quicker than anything else.
If you're dressing and skinning the deer out yourself, have your stuff together beforehand....knives, saws, buckets, a place to work, etc. It's not ABSOLUTELY necessary, but if you haven't done it before, it sure helps to have someone experienced around to help you do it.
Ya might ask around your area about how best to handle your venison before butchering.....it can make a huge difference in the flavor, but standard practice varies in different areas/climates. It may be too warm in your area to hang and age a carcass. Thats the case where I live, so I generally just rinse the meat best I can with fresh water, quarter it, and pack it in ice in a cooler or two, changing out to fresh ice every day for a few days.....works pretty good.
Practice your shooting, keep your shots inside of your comfort range, and you'll be grillin' up some backstraps in no time. Good huntin'.


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## Jared

swamp man said:


> Congrats on your new...er...."education".....Good for you!
> Sounds like you're off to a good start, what with knowing the patterns the deer are using. Finding where the'yre going, and how/when they're gettin' there can be the tough part.....once you've got that much figured out, shootin' one ain't all that hard.
> Just a coupla' tips.......If you can use an elevated stand, do so. If not, really, really be meticulous in constructing your blind. Take note of the tendencies of wind direction on your huntin' spot, as obvoiusly, you'll wanna' be downwind of the tasty critters....the wind will tattle on you quicker than anything else.
> If you're dressing and skinning the deer out yourself, have your stuff together beforehand....knives, saws, buckets, a place to work, etc. It's not ABSOLUTELY necessary, but if you haven't done it before, it sure helps to have someone experienced around to help you do it.
> Ya might ask around your area about how best to handle your venison before butchering.....it can make a huge difference in the flavor, but standard practice varies in different areas/climates. It may be too warm in your area to hang and age a carcass. Thats the case where I live, so I generally just rinse the meat best I can with fresh water, quarter it, and pack it in ice in a cooler or two, changing out to fresh ice every day for a few days.....works pretty good.
> Practice your shooting, keep your shots inside of your comfort range, and you'll be grillin' up some backstraps in no time. Good huntin'.


The first time I go, I'll probably take my brother with me. He's been hunting since he was 11 or so, I just started recently. At dad's farm, there's a 32x40 shop that we can work in to stay out of the wind and hang the deer up with a come-a-long. Right beside that is my brother's trailer that the family kind of uses as a weekend getaway now that he's married and lives with his wife. So, I've got a brother to help, a shop to slaughter in and a house with a fridge to store meat in. All I need is a dead deer!
Jared


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## Beef11

I have a NEF 12 gauge that i have killed three deer with (in Idaho its 1 deer a year). I have shot rifled slugs through the thing but it was real inconsistent at anything over 50 yards. We had a 410 there and it was solid up to about 75 yards. I've shot buckshot but it is easy to ruin alot of meat with. In short my NEF 12 works but i don't like it and won't use it again.


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