I was told( oh boy) that the ballistics of a 20 gauge rifled barrel slug gun are superior to that of a 12 gauge.

Apples to apples other than the gauge.

 

Anybody have anything to offer about this?

"Apples to apples a 20 will travel further, straighter, faster( million dollar man?) than a 12."

 

That's why I'm asking.

 

 

The common opinion is that with the new sabot slugs on the market, you dont need the 12 ga recoil to do the job. 12 ga wont make it any more dead.

The common opinion is that with the new sabot slugs on the market, you dont need the 12 ga recoil to do the job. 12 ga wont make it any more dead.

 

^^^^^THIS^^^^

 

May I add that all of the rounds of either gauge will go right through the deer, so once again shot placement has more to do with over-all performance than anything else.

 

It is interesting to note that even the lowly 20 ga. has vastly more power than is needed, since more deer in the US have been taken with the puny 150 grain .30-30 cartridge than any other and that it has a lot less wallop and started it's life over a century ago loaded with a mere 30 grains of black powder (a pistol charge).

 

Nobody going into the woods with a 20 ga. is under-gunned. Several friends of mine hunt with flintlocks firing .50 or .54 caliber patched round balls, and anything over .45 in the right hunter's hands is good out to at least 75 yards.

All things being equal, a 12ga slug has more powder behind it and will have more range. That being said, the minimal extra range that the 12ga provides is rarely worth the extra heft and recoil. I currently use a 12ga USH, but if I were to buy again, it would be a 20ga.

Both are good today. (Reminds me of the almost 90-year old argument about "which is better; the .270 or .30-06?")

20 gauge slug is more predictable than a 12 gauge slug.

12 or 20, if you hit it with a slug, its going down..