Does anyone use a 12ga or 10ga with a slug to deal with wounded animals?

It seems like a 1 oz slug out of a quick handling 12ga would do alot of damage? Charging buff?

I think most clients would simply use what's in the hand. A P.H. might have a tracker go back to the bakkie for something but if you're on a dg hunt you better have a more capable centerfire in your hands. If you are close enough a shotgun slug is effective but doesnt have the penetration of a .375 and up. Not a situation i would advocate for a shotgun.

Maybe lion, leopard, (or tiger). IIRC @Hunter-Habib posted articles or mentioned his use of using shotgun slugs on begal tigers before he retired or before India banned hunting.

Perhaps a croc on land if you could get within range.

Elephant, hippo, rhino, and buff I would stick with a proper rifle cartridge.

Just my 2 cents.

Hornedfrogbbq said:

It seems like a 1 oz slug out of a quick handling 12ga would do alot of damage? Charging buff?

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No.

A 1 ounce slug weighs 437 grains. Bigger frontal area, lower sectional density, much lower velocity of 1,200-1,400 fps vs. a 500 grain bullet .45 caliber bullet at 2,150-2,400 fps. It’s not even close. Penetration from a shotgun shooting slugs sucks compared to a proper medium to heavy caliber rifle bullet.

The only case I can see for using a shotgun on DG follow-up would be a 12 guage shotgun shooting 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 ounce loads of TSS 2’s at around 1,300. That’d do massive damage to a leopard. In all other cases a heavy rifle beginning with a 4 is the proper answer.

DLSJR said:

No.

A 1 ounce slug weighs 437 grains. Bigger frontal area, lower sectional density, much lower velocity of 1,200-1,400 fps vs. a 500 grain bullet .45 caliber bullet at 2,150-2,400 fps. It’s not even close. Penetration from a shotgun shooting slugs sucks compared to a proper medium to heavy caliber rifle bullet.

The only case I can see for using a shotgun on DG follow-up would be a 12 guage shotgun shooting 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 ounce loads of TSS 2’s at around 1,300. That’d do massive damage to a leopard. In all other cases a heavy rifle beginning with a 4 is the proper answer.

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It would depend on what slugs the hunter is using. Same as for rifle and pistol bullets.

Hmmm....velocity?.....probably need to get the archery members here on the forum to chime in on what their bow weight, draw length, arrow weight, and velocities their arrows travel at.

Need to ask the same of handgun hunters as to caliber and velocities there bullets are traveling to kill cape buffalo.

Oh, wait. I tested a Leigh high Extreme Penetrator, Using my .44 Magnum Research BFR on my first cape buffalo. Key word is Tested. The buff was already dead from using my 375H&H.

The 300 grain Leigh high Extreme Penetrator had a velocity of IIRC around 1600+/- fps out of my ~4-5/8 inch revolver.

The bullet penetrated through the chest cavity and spine lodging under the skin.

My factory 3" 1 oz and 7/8 oz rifled slugs I use for deer hunting have respective velocities ranging from 1600+ to 1880+ fps.

It's not the just velocity.

So yeah, I will agree with you it's more about the delivery of foot pounds of energy for proper penetration to reach the vitals.

Are there slugs that could do the job on a cape buffalo?
Good possibility.
Can a shotgun slug be produced to work on cape buffalo?
Good possibility.

But why use a shotgun?
When there are so many proper rifle and handgun calibers and bullets already on the market to do the job?

Ridge Runner said:

It would depend on what slugs the hunter is using. Same as for rifle and pistol bullets.

Hmmm....velocity?.....probably need to get the archery members here on the forum what their bow weight, draw length, arrow weight, and velocities their arrows travel at.

My factory 3" 1 oz and 7/8 oz rifled slugs I use for deer hunting have respective velocities ranging from 1600+ to 1880+ fps.

It's not the just velocity.

But I will agree with you it's more so the delivery of foot pounds of energy for proper penetration to reach the vitals.

Are there slugs that could do the job on a cape buffalo?
Good possibility.
Can a shotgun slug be produced to work on cape buffalo?
Good possibility.

But why?
When there are so many proper rifle and handgun calibers and bullets already on the market to do the job?

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Try it and let me know how it works out for you.

As to the comparison between a shotgun slug and a sharp broad head tipped arrow, that’s a really bad comparison since a broad head slices it’s way through and a slug is simply brute force. The two are not a valid comparison at all.

And trying to justify how a shotgun slug is any kind of buffalo tool is a great reason to give me your personal information information so I can buy a term life policy on you before you go field test it. I’m guessing I could fund most of my hunting for the rest of my life on that bet.

Number 1 Buckshot on Leopard maybe. Slugs don’t have sectional density for any thick skin game. Lion way too muscular for shotty.

I use a shotty loaded with Federal freight trains in moose/sheep/bear camp. Why? Because it’s better than nothing. And it’s what someone with way more experience than me taught me to do.

In truth I’d use it to clear the way to my .338 or .375. Both of which are far more effective than a slug filled shotgun.

I hope never to put a PH in a situation where he had to go to a shotty to unfoul my poor work. Especially on a buffalo? No way.

Slugs work for pigs, wouldn’t trust them on something that will consider you a snack or wear you as nail polish
The only thing that I have shot with a slug is a fox that had three legs, was effective at 50 feet and turned it into a three legged bag of jelly
Gumpy

DLSJR said:

Try it and let me know how it works out for you.

As to the comparison between a shotgun slug and a sharp broad head tipped arrow, that’s a really bad comparison since a broad head slices it’s way through and a slug is simply brute force. The two are not a valid comparison at all.

And trying to justify how a shotgun slug is any kind of buffalo tool is a great reason to give me your personal information information so I can buy a term life policy on you before you go field test it. I’m guessing I could fund most of my hunting for the rest of my life on that bet.

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You brought up low velocity as being ineffective into the conversation. That slugs have too low of velocity, which yes, a 2-3/4 inch slugs do have a lower velocities than a 3 inch. You should have compared closer to like velocities. ie slugs to handgun velocities and using a properly designed slug vs a standard lead slug.

Nah, read to many of your comments to even remotely consider you to be any type of benefactor to my demise.

You backed tracked a bit going to shotgun using TSS on leopard. And back to using the right caliber with a proper bullet for the animal.

Hornedfrogbbq said:

It seems like a 1 oz slug out of a quick handling 12ga would do alot of damage? Charging buff?

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When you stated "wounded animals" I envisioned a coup de grace on an eland, etc. But for thick skinned DG? No, No, no where near rifle velocity/energy/penetration. Stay with what you brung to the dance.

As to @Hornedfrogbbq 's question.

If hunting birds or tiny ten with a shotgun in an area where DG is present and thinking of slugs as an effective emergency response to a charging animal. Forget about slugs and hope the PH is carrying the just in case; stopping rifle.

Ridge Runner said:

As to @Hornedfrogbbq 's question.

If hunting birds or tiny ten with a shotgun in an area where DG is present and thinking of slugs as an effective emergency response to a charging animal. Forget about slugs and hope the PH is carrying the just in case; stopping rifle.

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The very unfortunate death a couple weeks ago bears this out. No rifle for the hunter or PH, both were carrying shotguns. It may not have mattered if a rifle had been present but with only shotguns, they had no chance at all.

Hornedfrogbbq said:

It seems like a 1 oz slug out of a quick handling 12ga would do alot of damage? Charging buff?

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Brenneke slugs out of a shortened sxs 12ga is perfect medicine for wounded leopard.....so is a 12ga/9.3×74R in an over and under combination.....

For wounded buffalo follow up it would be suicide.....

There are many kinds of shotgun slugs. The only ones I would recommend would be full copper sabot slugs but you need a rifled barrel to shoot them accurately.

If I were to employ shotgun slugs against a wounded leopard, which until this thread I hadn’t thought about it, it would be these:

Schüler Jumbo said:

If I were to employ shotgun slugs against a wounded leopard, which until this thread I hadn’t thought about it, it would be these:

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Interesting design
Gumpy

Hornedfrogbbq said:

It seems like a 1 oz slug out of a quick handling 12ga would do alot of damage? Charging buff?

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That seems like a bold, bold approach.

The British thought this question through over a hundred years ago when they developed the Paradox designs. They were created as an all purpose firearm for British officers and colonial administrators on their way to Africa or the Raj. My William Evans is 2.5" chambered gun shoots 740 gr (1.7 ounce) lead bullets into 2.5 - 3-inch 4-shot groups at 100 yards, and lovely modified patterns of No. 6 shot at 40. I took it to Namibia a number of years ago and rolled two warthog for leopard bait and built a small mountain of sandgrouse at the same waterhole one afternoon. It would be fine on a cat. I would never dream of starting or trying to finish an engagement with a buffalo using it.

I thought "[pump] Shotguns & Leopards" went "hand in hand" SOLELY & SPECIFICALLY for the follow up stalk should the animal survive the initial rifle round. Then again this is pure hearsay no actual facts to point out where this "belief" of mine came from outside of "I must of read/heard/seen it a few times over from various resources that led me to believe this common thought"...