Ammunition Overview

• Although shotguns are traditionally used to spray a load of shot over a large area, making a target easier to hit, shotgun shells containing shot are not appropriate for deer hunting and are usually forbidden by law for use in hunting large game. Shotgun shells containing just two or three large pieces of shot (commonly known as "buckshot") are effective for hunting deer, but their use is generally prohibited. Although regulations differ from state to state, the slug--a single metal projectile encased in a shotgun shell--is generally the only legal and effective type of shotgun ammunition for deer hunting.
  
  

Slugs

• Slug shotgun ammunition is available in two varieties. Sabot-type slugs feature a slug encased within a larger metal casing, which falls away from the interior slug during flight or on impact. Nonsabot-type slugs, or traditional slugs, are simply large projectiles sized to fit the bore of the gun.
  
  

Barrel Overview

• Shotguns traditionally have a smooth-bore barrels, meaning that the interior is smooth. Rifles, on the other hand, are equipped with rifled barrels, which have a spiraled grooved interior. The groove of a rifled barrel spins the projectile as it leaves the barrel, promoting greater projectile accuracy and distance.
  
  

Shotgun Barrels

• Today, shotgun barrels are available in traditional smooth-bore, a smooth-bore barrel with a screw-in rifled choke, and a full-length rifled barrel. If you have a rifled barrel, select a sabot-type slug, which is designed to spin in flight. However, even an ordinary nonsabot slug will attain greater accuracy and distance when used with a rifled barrel. If you are using a traditional smooth-bore barrel, stick with the traditional nonsabot slug. The additional casing of the sabot-type slug does not perform as well as a traditional slug when fired from a smooth-bore barrel.
  
  

Accuracy and Range

• The traditional shotgun sight--a single bead on the end of the barrel--is not sufficient for properly aiming a slug. Rifle-style sights are available for shotguns and will greatly increase accuracy. However, remember that shotguns, even with rifled barrels and rifle-style sights, still have limited range. Do not attempt a shot at deer that are more than 50 yards away. If you stay within the proper range of your shotgun, you will have a much greater degree of success.