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Post by snowman366 on Jul 14, 2010 3:57:36 GMT -5
Hello...,
I have an early-1980's vintage Model 37 Ithaca Deerslayer with the 18-inch rifle-sighted slug barrel. The inside diameter of the barrel, at the muzzle, mikes something like .706-inch. It's the "police" version of the Deerslayer and has done a really superb job on whitetail deer using plain jane 12-gauge Winchester Foster slugs for many years.
I wanted to ask if it's okay to use the hardened alloy Brenneke 1 and 1/8-ounce "Classic Magnum" slugs, or the new, heavier 1 and 1/4-ounce Brenneke "Green Lightning" slugs through my Deerslayer. I've heard that there are guys who have been shooting Brenneke's through Ithaca Deerslayers for years with no trouble. But I don't personally know any of them.
I know Foster slugs size down as they exit a Deerslayer's slug choked barrel, but they're supposedly a lot softer than the Brenneke's. Maybe I'm needlessly worrying, but I wanted to ask someone who has experience. I may need to use this shotgun for bear protection on an extended trip to Alaska, and the friends I have there recommend Brenneke's for the job.
Thanks
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Post by dbd870 on Jul 14, 2010 4:39:43 GMT -5
.729 is no choke so you are choked down .023. This falls inbetween MOD & IMP/MOD. Looking at Brenneke's website unless it's a slug that was designed for a rfiled barrel you can use any choke.
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Post by hornharvester on Jul 14, 2010 12:21:55 GMT -5
I agree with Dave. If they are made for smooth bore barrels you should have no trouble in that gun. Make sure you check them for accuracy before your trip. They might shoot a different point of impact than your other slugs. h.h.
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Post by huxbux on Jul 14, 2010 13:35:59 GMT -5
Assuming they haven't changed the design since my slug hunting days (why change whats worked well for 110 years?) the fins on the outside of the slug will allow it to be swaged down safely when it exits your barrel. The Brenneke design is a solid lead slug as opposed to the hollow design of the Foster type, translating to much better penetration. I suspect this is the reason for the recommendation regarding bears. I used them extensively for many years in the 2¾" short magnum loading by Rottweil. They were devastating on deer out to 100 yds. from my 870 smoothbore and held the tightest grouping of any slug I tried from that gun. I don't know of anyone who's tried them from a rifled barrel.
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Post by snowman366 on Jul 15, 2010 4:27:04 GMT -5
Okay...somebody told me that (I believe it was) Dixie slugs recommended that their slug NOT be fired from any shotgun with a choke due to the brinell hardness rating. But Dixie heat-treats their slugs, from what I hear. Brenneke slugs are 3 to 3.5% antimony but I don't think they're heat treated. also, I'm not sure if Dixie slugs have the flutes on the outside like Brenneke and Fosters do.
In any event, I'll try some Brenneke slugs and see how they do. I had a friend, who's since passed away, who was an ardent hunter. He used a Deerslayer like mine and I swear he said he used Brenneke's. I was figuring there'd be a fellow Deerslayer user here on the board who had some experience with the Brenneke slugs. Anyway...thanks so much for everyone's time and advice.
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Post by hornharvester on Jul 15, 2010 21:48:14 GMT -5
I have a smooth bore 20ga semi auto IMP cylinder i shoot Breneke's in and it holds 3" group at 75 yrds with open sights. h.h.
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Post by schoolmaster on Jul 15, 2010 23:10:27 GMT -5
My go to hunting gun for years was an Ithaca deerslayer with a smooth bore 26 inch barrel. All I shot was Brenneke 2 and 3/4 inch short magnums in it. It put big holes in deer and through and through penetration. The fins on the slugs left lead the length of the barrel so they weren't too hard. At one time Ithaca made a slug gun that had "Brenneke Special" stamped on the barrel. My gun would keep 5 shots on a cartridge box at 100 yards. My farthest kill was an 8 pointer at 150 yards. When the rifled barrels came out I just had to have one and traded off the Ithaca. As I remember it had considerable recoil but it hit like a hammer.
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Post by snowman366 on Jul 16, 2010 3:26:40 GMT -5
Great...thanks for the info!
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Post by hornharvester on Jul 16, 2010 10:19:46 GMT -5
Their website says you can use any choke with the slugs you are asking about. h.h.
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Post by parson on Jul 16, 2010 13:03:58 GMT -5
My experience has been that, as with most types of firearms, each shotgun is kind of a law unto itself. I had a Browning auto 5 20 gauge with a modified bbl that would shoot the old foster type slugs with great accuracy out to about 75 yards. And, I've had some rifled bbls that were extremely finicky about what type of slug they would shoot.
Those Brennekes shouldn't be any problem, as far as safely shooting them; knowing how accurate they will be will require shootin' a few.
Good luck with finding an accurate load. Hope you nail one (or two) this year.
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Post by snowman366 on Jul 16, 2010 20:40:45 GMT -5
You're very kind...thank you. I appreciate everyone's patience and advice. From what my friends tell me, any legitimate bear "protection" application will involve shooting at about 30 yards, so I ought to be fine.
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Post by snowman366 on Jul 22, 2010 13:34:50 GMT -5
A friend steered me to Les Hovencamp, a gunsmith in New York state, who had worked for Ithaca for 28 years. Mr. Hovencamp told me that Brenneke's are no problem in the Deerslayer barrels. thanks to everyone here for helping me with your advice.
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