Conference vmsnet::hunting$note:hunting

    Hi Merlin,
    
    Sighting in a shotgun is the same as a rifle.
    
    You can use the quick and dirty one shot sight in which works like this:
    
       - set up target at 25 yds
       - firmly sandbag/rest the shotgun on bench
       - take care to fire dead center in the bull, use cross hair on the
         bull usually helps
       - * without moving the shotgun * put cross hair on center bull and
         move crosshairs over to the hole dead center with scope
         adjustments
       - if all went well you are sighted in perfectly at 25 yds
    
    You now can fire another one to check your work or can look at
    the ballistic chart for the load at 100 yds, make recommended
    adjustment to elevation and fire at 100 yds and adjust.
    
    I don't remember the trajectory of the Copper Solid between 25
    and 100 yds.  You may not want to adjust the scope after the 25 yd
    adjustment checks out.
    
    This is definitely a 100 yd shooting combo.
    
    The standard rifled slugs - Fosters foul your rifling something awful
    and will do nothing for your efforts to sight in the sabots.
    
    Have Fun,
    Steve
    

    
    
      Merlin,
    
       I use a mossberg 500 with the trophy slug barrel, the previous reply
    will work fine for sighting it in.
    
        the one thing that caught my attention was your statement that this
    set up is for your boy, how big is he? is this the first time for him
    shooting a large caliber gun? I know my shotgun with 2.75" shells give
    me a pretty good bounce, the breneke 2.75" mags really bounce me and
    the 3"mags i shot are just plain miserable to shoot. i am 6' ~170 lbs
    so this set up isnt pushing around a small person. 
         One word of caution is watch out for that scope! they make a nasty 
    cut if it catches ya. 
    
        I have my gun sighted in at 1.5" high at 80 yards, i am in the kill
    zone from 25 yards to 125 yards, of the 4 or 5 deer i have taken with
    this setup all have been less than 60 yards. which i think
    statistically you will find that your average shot at eastern whitetail
    deer is ~60 yards. 100 yards is alot farther in the woods than people
    estimate. one other thing is if your dead set on using sabots you may
    have to try several brands, my gun doesnt shoot them well at all, as a
    matter a fact the sabots hit the target sideways, and it didnt matter 
    which brand i used.
       I started out by going to several shops, bought 1 box of each 12 ga
    slugs they carried, by the time that was done i had about 15 boxs of
    shells, I set up a 6'X6' piece of cardboard at 80 yards put on a 3"
    bullseye and started shooting each box of 5, in the end i had the best
    group with the winchester 2.75" 1 oz hollow point slugs. that group had
    all 5 just about touching each other. all the others grouped ok but not
    like the winchesters did.
    
      hope this helps.
    
                   Lee
    

    
    	I'll second the "might kick like a mule". I tried shooting 3"
    slugs out of my Mossberg pump, ONCE. My shoulder was hurting for
    a week. On my gun, the kick between a 2.75 and 3" shell is dramatic.
    
    Ron

    
    I'll second the question about using 3" shells. You really don't need
    them for that package. I went through the whole realm of trying all
    different types of slugs and each shot a little different from the gun.
    
    Remington seems to have the largest diameter slug on the market. I
    would start out with their "Slugger" ammo and get a tight group at
    25 yards. Once complete then move on to the Copper Sabots and make an
    adjustment of 1- 1/2" high of the bull. This should keep you right in
    the money at 100 yards.
    
                                                        Guy

    re: the kick of the 3" mags
    
     Oh, good. I thought it was me. It's one thing to take a shot at a
    deer- you hardly even notice the recoil. But to sight a gun in? By the
    3rd one my shoulder is sore and I'm thinking about the kick at least as
    much as the target. And I've got an autoloader, besides. You still take
    a pounding.

    Merlin;
    
    I agree with the other notes on the 3" issue.  a) It really does make a
    difference, and b) it's not necessary to go to that extreme.  I've had
    a rifled barrel on a Winchester pump for 3 years now, and I typically
    use Federal Sabots or Winchesters.  It's not a problem to get 2" to 3"
    groupings at 125 yards.  I've taken 7 deer with it so far, and I've yet
    to wish I had more fire power; it's just not necessary.
    
    With regards to sighting in, I also concur with one of the previous
    responses in that if you use non-sabot slugs you're going to experience
    two things: 1) The standard slugs don't shoot at all like a Sabot,
    therefore it's like practicing your backhand in tennis with a bowling
    ball, and 2) it sure will foul your barrel.  Due to the fact that your
    ultimate goal is to use sabots, I wouldn't dream of putting any undue
    wear and tear on the rifling, just let the plastic do the trick.  Hope
    you and your boy have a great season together!
    
    My two cents (Cdn. funds)
    
    Rick
                                                  

Thanks for all of the input thus far.

re: .2
    
>>        the one thing that caught my attention was your statement that this
>>    set up is for your boy, how big is he? 

	6' 4", 210lbs, 17 yrs old - he should be able to handle the kick.

It sounds like it's not a good idea to shoot cheap lead slugs and then try 
hunting with the Sabot slugs, so it sounds like I'm going to have to 
'bite the bullit' and buy enough Sabot slugs to sight in.  I think though
that the method in .1 will help minimize the amount of ammo I need for 
sighting though.  It also sounds like the 3" shells are overkill.  I've got
some already, but I'll try to replace them with 2 3/4" shells.

Anxious to get out and give it a shot.

Merlin