Rifled Slug Recommendations for a Beretta 1201FP

nchunt101

nchunt101

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I stumbled across a trade in 20"Beretta 1201 FP with rifle sights that was cheap enough I couldn't pass up. If anyone has one what slugs are you using? I would like to avoid wasting a bunch of money and ammo to find a load the gun likes. I haven't used slugs much in the past but from what I have heard find a rifled slug that a gun likes can be an expensieve and painful process. Also what size groups can I expect at 100 yards?
 
nchunt101 said:
I stumbled across a trade in 20"Beretta 1201 FP with rifle sights that was cheap enough I couldn't pass up. If anyone has one what slugs are you using? I would like to avoid wasting a bunch of money and ammo to find a load the gun likes. I haven't used slugs much in the past but from what I have heard find a rifled slug that a gun likes can be an expensieve and painful process. Also what size groups can I expect at 100 yards?
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Smoothbore, yes?

concepthomes1 said:
I can't comment on a Beretta but I've used Remington Slugger in my 20 ga for years and enjoy "minute of deer" out to ~100 yds.

Maybe I'm lucky but it works for me. I use a 20" rifled open sight barrel on my 870 Express
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Rifled barrel, yes?

Here is my take,

Slugs have a place in smoothbore shotguns whether for defensive purposes or hunting, but you have to understand the limitations of the system. Don't think of it as a precision instrument. It is not and will not be a rifle, and if you enter into it with the mindset that you'll get rifle like accuracy you will likely be sorely disappointed. For smooth bore shooting "rifled" slugs think 50 yards as your effective range based on accuracy. Your effective range based on terminal performance is much farther, but your cone is big at 50 yards and even bigger at 100. 8" Vital zone on deer translates well to center mass hits on 2 legged predators. Break out some paper plates and a couple brands of slugs and see which ones stay on the plate at 50.

FWIW I've had the best and most consistent results with Brenneke KO and Federal Tru-Ball. That is in mostly Remington 870's, 11-87's and 1100's with smooth bores and either Cyl or IC choke. I've had a couple rifled chokes and not really cared for them. I've had a couple rifled barrels and, same...... 3-4" at 50 is good enough for me.
 
rantingredneck said:
Smoothbore, yes?



Rifled barrel, yes?

Here is my take,

Slugs have a place in smoothbore shotguns whether for defensive purposes or hunting, but you have to understand the limitations of the system. Don't think of it as a precision instrument. It is not and will not be a rifle, and if you enter into it with the mindset that you'll get rifle like accuracy you will likely be sorely disappointed. For smooth bore shooting "rifled" slugs think 50 yards as your effective range based on accuracy. Your effective range based on terminal performance is much farther, but your cone is big at 50 yards and even bigger at 100. 8" Vital zone on deer translates well to center mass hits on 2 legged predators. Break out some paper plates and a couple brands of slugs and see which ones stay on the plate at 50.

FWIW I've had the best and most consistent results with Brenneke KO and Federal Tru-Ball. That is in mostly Remington 870's, 11-87's and 1100's with smooth bores and either Cyl or IC choke. I've had a couple rifled chokes and not really cared for them. I've had a couple rifled barrels and, same...... 3-4" at 50 is good enough for me.
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The Beretta is a smooth bore gun. I had hoped that with the right slugs the Beretta would be capable of a 6-8" group at 100 yards. You are spot on about the paper dinner plates. When I was helping a friend with his guide business we had the clients shoot shoot at 100 yards to determine their ability and place them in appropriate stands.
 
concepthomes1 said:
I can't comment on a Beretta but I've used Remington Slugger in my 20 ga for years and enjoy "minute of deer" out to ~100 yds.

Maybe I'm lucky but it works for me. I use a 20" rifled open sight barrel on my 870 Express
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Thanks. I never messed with slugs much after getting my first deer rifle but have a piece of property that over the years has become surrounded by developments making rifles iffy in some places. I was actually shopping for a rifled barrel when I stumbled across the Beretta for about the same price.
 
6-8" at 100 MAY be doable. Just depends on the gun/load and the trigger nut honestly :).

The only answer is Ammo ($), Time, and Aspirin (shooting slugs from a rest typically sucks......)
 
nchunt101 said:
Thanks. I never messed with slugs much after getting my first deer rifle but have a piece of property that over the years has become surrounded by developments making rifles iffy in some places. I was actually shopping for a rifled barrel when I stumbled across the Beretta for about the same price.
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In the typically thick central NC woods that I hunt, if I can see it clearly enough to take a shot, it's typically within the effective range of a rifle sight/smoothbore shotgun. Not sure what part of the state you're in but here if I can see it, I can kill it with a Brenneke out of my 11-87.
 
rantingredneck said:
6-8" at 100 MAY be doable. Just depends on the gun/load and the trigger nut honestly :).

The only answer is Ammo ($), Time, and Aspirin (shooting slugs from a rest typically sucks......)
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I kind of thought that would be the answer. What are your thoughts on 2 3/4 vs 3" preformance wise? If possible I would like to start with 2 3/4" to save my shoulder.
 
Rifled slugs are cheap. Painful? Maybe.

Most of the 1201s that have popped up over the past year have been agency trade-ins.

Which means start with Federal 2 and 3/4 and go from there if they don't work how you want. Try Federal Hydrashok first then Truball. I like the Truball better but more agencies guns from that era were zeroed with the Hydrashok.

While it's simply my opinion I have never seen a need or appreciable advantage for 3" around here.
 
rantingredneck said:
In the typically thick central NC woods that I hunt, if I can see it clearly enough to take a shot, it's typically within the effective range of a rifle sight/smoothbore shotgun. Not sure what part of the state you're in but here if I can see it, I can kill it with a Brenneke out of my 11-87.
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Most of my shots will be within 40 yards but on the creek bottom 100 yard shots a possibility.
 
We have shot a lot of slugs here...a lot. Most all of my folks carry single barrels that are 18 1/2 with a round up and 5 in a cuff. I have a 12 inch 870 with rifle sights and a smooth bore that will hit a tractor disc, no matter who is shooting it , with great regularity, at 100 yards. I have seen open bore slug guns with scopes mounted that would shoot under 4 inch groups all day. Some so good I hesitate to print them.
A rifled barrel shotgun locks you in to that platform as a slug gun only. We shot one afternoon at an IPSC target at 10 short steps [mine] and never put 1 pellet of 00 on it. Stay with your smooth bore, Please. As to what shoots the best, sorry, it's gonna cost you $20-30 to find out. Oh and a hurting shoulder. It will be worth it.
 
Oh man, those are light little guns. The one I tried had some snap!

I predict pain in your future!
 
Thanks for all the input. I am going to start with Federal per @thrillhill reccomendation. I have the feeling this will be as fun as finding a Turkey load that patterned well in my Nova.
 
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One more quick note and I'll shut up......

Don't be afraid of using "low-recoil" slugs to hunt.

I've seen standard velocity (non-Brenneke) slugs not go through and through a big bodied Whitetail. Reason being that the lead is soft, range was short, and velocity was on the high side so it mushroomed well and didn't penetrate through to leave a bleeder on the backside. Not generally much of an issue because well-placed slugs don't allow deer to run terribly far anyway..... but.....

Low-recoil slugs drop the velocity 100-150fps. Drops the recoil a bit on the shooter too naturally, but the lower velocity results in more controlled, less violent expansion on soft slugs and allows a through and through more consistently.

That all seems counter intuitive but I've seen it happen more than sheer happenstance would suggest.

(Brenneke slugs are a little different as they are harder lead and tend to through and through regardless. I have had one or two hit bone and stay in the deer, but it's rare.)
 
BatteryOaksBilly said:
We have shot a lot of slugs here...a lot. Most all of my folks carry single barrels that are 18 1/2 with a round up and 5 in a cuff. I have a 12 inch 870 with rifle sights and a smooth bore that will hit a tractor disc, no matter who is shooting it , with great regularity, at 100 yards. I have seen open bore slug guns with scopes mounted that would shoot under 4 inch groups all day. Some so good I hesitate to print them.
A rifled barrel shotgun locks you in to that platform as a slug gun only. We shot one afternoon at an IPSC target at 10 short steps [mine] and never put 1 pellet of 00 on it. Stay with your smooth bore, Please. As to what shoots the best, sorry, it's gonna cost you $20-30 to find out. Oh and a hurting shoulder. It will be worth it.
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10-4. I originally thought it made sense to buy a dedicated slug barrel to use on one of the shotguns I allready own but the Beretta was about the same price as the Wingmaster barrels I was considering.
 
NKD said:
Oh man, those are light little guns. The one I tried had some snap!

I predict pain in your future!
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Not to worried about the recoil. In my younger and dumber days I shot cases of 3.5" #4 steel shot duck hunting as well as 3.5" buckshot when doing deer drives. I still shoot the 3.5" Winchester Supremes when turkey hunting (2 oz of #5 shot).
 
nchunt101 said:
Not to worried about the recoil. In my younger and dumber days I shot cases of 3.5" #4 steel shot duck hunting as well as 3.5" buckshot when doing deer drives. I still shoot the 3.5" Winchester Supremes when turkey hunting (2 oz of #5 shot).
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Yeah in my younger and dumber days I hunted with a Mossberg 835.....

I don't anymore.....lol
 
My go to slugs are Federal Truball 2 3/4” 1oz slugs. I haven’t really tested much past 50 yards but out of my old M1S90 w/ ghost rings I’d say 3-4” is about the average and I can ring the 12” gong at 100 yards pretty regular.
 
nchunt101 said:
Not to worried about the recoil. In my younger and dumber days I shot cases of 3.5" #4 steel shot duck hunting as well as 3.5" buckshot when doing deer drives. I still shoot the 3.5" Winchester Supremes when turkey hunting (2 oz of #5 shot).
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I was dumb in my younger days, too!

I just shot some 1600fps 1 oz the other day to sight in my new 3gun shotgun. It's light and off a bench it was......well, by some I mean two.

Not sure where they hit. After picking up my teeth I was done with those. Didn't bother me offhand as much but off the bench, I quickly considered an order of Fiochhi low recoils. In a match I probably wouldn't notice but sometimes you may have to shoot 10 or more.

I felt like a pussy, but it didn't seem like any 3 other guys there felt like shooting anymore than two either! And those 1201's are tiny. Have fun is all I can say!
 
Well I picked the gun up today and have to say it is a lot lighter and balanced than I was expecting. Off to shoot it this evening.
 
I have clamp on cantilever vent rib mount and a fixed 4x scope my 21" 870 12 ga. With a MOD choke it will hold 4"-6" at a 100 yards with the cheap Winchester rifled slugs. Remington and Federal slugs group around 8". An IMP CYL choke shoots similar with all the slugs but I stay with MOD since buckshot patterns best with it as a bonus....
 
I haven't read all of the responses.

What I know about slugs is pretty much all from 3-gun. My Beretta 1301 Comp, smoothbore 12ga, will put 1oz, 2 3/4", Remington Sluggers into the IDPA silhouette at 100 yards all day long. Without a rear sight and just an FO bead up front.

IC or MOD choke, same same.
 
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