Remington 12 gauge Buckhammers 1.25oz

[SJB358]

Well, I finally was able to recover one of these slugs. I think I have been shooting them since around 2000 or so? I stumbled onto them by accident really. I run a 11-87 Special Purpose with the older style Cantilever mount on it. I think it was the first year they put them out. It is a smoothbore with a rifled choke tube in it. It doesn't really shoot sabots well at all, but it really did great with plain old 4.99 Remington Slugger 2.75 Magnum 1oz loads. Well, I came home, on leave and it right before deer season. I couldn't find a single box of slugs for it. Well, the store had some Buckhammers, so I decided to try them. Said they would work and were made for smoothbores. Well, they were EXCELLENT in accuracy. It isn't a rifle at all, but at 100 yards, I can touch three shots. Probably a 2" group or maybe larger, but still, really good for a slug gun. I went on to kill a bunch of deer with these slugs, and my Lord, IF there is a blood trail, it is always 4ft wide, with a wadcutter like perfect hole in and out. Most of the time, deer never moved, but if they did, Ray Charles could feel how slippery the ground was with blood. I have just been tickled pink with them..

Well, back around 04-05 NY went to Rifles allowed in my home county, so I went to the Whelen, and didn't mess around too much with the shotgun till I moved to Va.

Well, I pulled out the gun, made sure it was still zeroed (it was) and went hunting. Killed quite a few deer last year and the year before with it. All deer died FAST.

Well, finally, this past Saturday, I was able to catch one of these slugs. It was pulled out from right in front of a ham, balled up under the hide. Not sure what it weighs yet, spent Sunday butchering deer, but NOW I understand the wide and beautiful blood trails..





The red circle is where the slug was found, under the skin, after traversing the buck.



Here is the buck I found the slug in..



I also found another one, my buddy's brother used on a doe at 10 yards. Looks the same, with a perfect piece of the corner sheared off (probably the front leg that was hammered).. It is missing the tail section, but again, that deer just collapsed.

Oh, FYI, Remington, in their infinite wisdom discontinued this awesome slug. Luckily, my old friend Winchester makes just about the same thing that shoots better in their Rackmaster slug. I was able to secure about 7-8 boxes of these, so they will keep me hunting for awhile, but the Rackmaster shoots just as well, and should act just the same.

 

[DrMike]

That is a hammer, for sure. That amount of frontal area and mass at shotgun generated velocities would make for a terrific blow to anything getting in front of that slug. Good post, Scotty. Pity that Remington saw fit to discontinue the load. You have to wonder what data induced them to discontinue.

 

[SJB358]

Hard tellin Mike. I am not surprised though. It was too good of a slug to keep around. They shoot EXCELLENT in smoothbore shotguns, which, I would bet, are still in use alot more than rifled. Plus, I am of the opinion, the old school Foster's and Buckhammer full bore slugs kill really well in the under 100 yard scenario's most often seen in the Eastern woods.

Oh, they are advertised at 1550FPS at the muzzle. Feels like 1550FPS at the buttstock as well when you press the trigger on my 11-87 as well..

 

[JD338]

Scotty,

Nice catch buddy on a dandy buck!

JD338

 

[SJB358]

Scotty,

Nice catch buddy on a dandy buck!

JD338

Jim, did you get any of the Rackmaster's yet?

Also, a plain old Improved Cylinder with the Remington Slugger 2.75 1oz (either Magnums or standards) shoots really well in my 11-87 SuperMag.. Might be something to try in your 870.

 

[truck driver]

With all the Bullet companies offering jacketed slugs for sabots for shot guns and everyone wanting them to shoot like rifles probably a good reason.
Back when the county I live in went half shotgun and half rifle I bought a Mossburg 500 for my son and I used my Muzzleloader, The Mossburg was fully rifled and would lead like crazy with slugs and was only accurate with the first 3 rounds and then would sling lead every where. Using sabots helped but still wasn't what I was looking for. The next year I bought a Browning BPS with a deer hunter barrel, it had a 4" rifled slug tube and they claimed rifle accuracy to 100yds with premium slugs and would shoot under 1" at 100yds with 2 3/4" Winchester and Federal Lead Sabots. The trick with the BPS was that the barrel fits into a dove tail in the top of the receiver and you only hand tighten the barrel nut firmly. over tighten and groups would change.

Scotty the guys with the Remington's, Mossbergs either pump or auto would have the receiver and barrel drilled and tap to put a locking screw in to lock the barrel in place and then they would shoot very good with light pressure on the barrel nut. This might help you to get better groups out of the 11-87.
Nice Va. Buck and two beautiful children.

 

[Guy Miner]

Congrats Scotty - on another good hunt!

Guy

 

[SJB358]

Scotty the guys with the Remington's, Mossbergs either pump or auto would have the receiver and barrel drilled and tap to put a locking screw in to lock the barrel in place and then they would shoot very good with light pressure on the barrel nut. This might help you to get better groups out of the 11-87.
Nice Va. Buck and two beautiful children.

Thanks buddy, my barrel is bolted to the receiver via the cantilever actually. Mine was the long floppy one Remington initially put on their slug guns. I bent it one morning while climbing out of treestand when my pant leg went over the scope and I stepped down. Bent that thing into an L shape :lol:

After that, at the ripe old age of 14, I knew it wasn't a great design. Had my local smith drill and tap the receiver and pin that cantilever down to the receiver.

It shoots like a CHAMP now. I believe any inaccuracy is me, as the recoil is the most substantial I have ever squeezed the trigger on. It may not hurt, but it moves me... :grin:

 

[SJB358]

Congrats Scotty - on another good hunt!

Guy

Thank you Guy. Appreciate it.

 

[FOTIS]

OH MY!

 

[gerry]

That thing performed perfectly, too bad they stopped making them.

 

[JD338]

Scotty,

Nice catch buddy on a dandy buck!

JD338

Jim, did you get any of the Rackmaster's yet?

Also, a plain old Improved Cylinder with the Remington Slugger 2.75 1oz (either Magnums or standards) shoots really well in my 11-87 SuperMag.. Might be something to try in your 870.

Scotty,

I haven't found any yet. I'm still looking.
I plan on trying them on the late doe season.

JD338

 

[truck driver]

Scotty the guys with the Remington's, Mossbergs either pump or auto would have the receiver and barrel drilled and tap to put a locking screw in to lock the barrel in place and then they would shoot very good with light pressure on the barrel nut. This might help you to get better groups out of the 11-87.
Nice Va. Buck and two beautiful children.

Thanks buddy, my barrel is bolted to the receiver via the cantilever actually. Mine was the long floppy one Remington initially put on their slug guns. I bent it one morning while climbing out of treestand when my pant leg went over the scope and I stepped down. Bent that thing into an L shape :lol:

After that, at the ripe old age of 14, I knew it wasn't a great design. Had my local smith drill and tap the receiver and pin that cantilever down to the receiver.

It shoots like a CHAMP now. I believe any inaccuracy is me, as the recoil is the most substantial I have ever squeezed the trigger on. It may not hurt, but it moves me... :grin:

Try shooting them from a pump action. I had to replace the factory pad on my Browning and it is the only gun I own that has ever broke a scope. So now I shoot it with open sights.

 

[cloverleaf]

Tried them in my rifled barrel "Mooseberg" 500. They were supposed to work there too. For me they shot a 6in. group at 50yds. To be honest after the first shot I was scared to pick the gun up. Glad they work for you but those things hammer on both ends! Attached wads are supposed to help w/ accuracy. Works for you.... CL

 

[CatskillCrawler]

I've never heard of a recovered slug! Nice catch. They do blow deer up for sure. Killed many WTs with the shoulder bruisers. Always hated sighting them in as you were bound to catch a scope in the brow as you leaned over a bench. I used to wear a stocking cap folded over twice to soften the blow. Don't miss them one bit. I had the best results from a rifled barrel with Lightfield Hybrid EXP Sabots. From a
smooth bore the Sliggers seemed to hold their own. Never saw the Buckhammed or Rackmasters but I've avoided looking in the direction of the slug racks in the stores.

Nice Va buck!

 

[SJB358]

This is why I love the Buckhammers so much on deer..

Beware, they are sorta graphic, but I wanted to show the difference in certain types of slugs..

Impact site





Further down









You can see the deer if you look towards the middle back of the picture





Final location....



Total travel, about 30-35 yards I guess.. He wasn't going anywhere real fast. He was just outta site where he crashed, but this was a 35 yard shot. Kinda surprised he went that far, but he did and it is easy to follow spoor like this..



The slug entered the brisket at an angle and was recovered just in front of the opposite ham, just at the end of the ribs. Was lodged in the rib meat and I was able to nick the hide and pull the slug.







I tell ya, it makes me a little sad I can't go and buy some more of them! Although regular foster type slugs do the same sorta damage, these are very accurate in my 11-87..

 

[.280 Remington]

Now that's a blood trail that Stevie Wonder could have followed!

 

[JD338]

Impressive Scotty.
I just don't understand why Remington would discontinue the Buck Hammer slug.
The blood trail is amazing.

JD338

 

[DrMike]

Now, that's the way it is done! Good job, Scotty.

 

[remmy1187]

It is a shame Remington dropped the buckhammers, they were by far the most accurate slug out of my Hastings slug barrel and they are absolutely lethal on deer, proof is in your blood trail.