The game laws in Iowa did not permit the use of sabots. Maybe they're more consistent. I also had (still have, actually) a Rem 870 with 20" smoothbore barrel and rifled choke. With that combination I would not have attempted shots beyond 100 yards under ANY circumstances. Just not precise enough, despite the fact that I spent a lot of time at the range and tried many different loads.

Are you using a fully-rifled barell? What kind of gun? Count yourself either very lucky or an extraordinarily gifted shot if you can keep slugs within 5" at 200 yards! No one I've ever known could do that with their guns.

I heard some good things about the new remington "buckhammer" slugs. They are not sabots and you probobly can use them don. The company designed them for riffled barrels and they will expand to 1". Have not tried them myself though. I will be looking into them next year.

I am sure there is more then one setup that will do what I have claimed, but in my case it was a friends Browning BPS stalker 3" 12 gage with cantilever fully rifled slug barrel with a 2-6x32? scope (don't remember the exact specifications on the scope) The ammunition was Federal's Barnes Sabot slugs. These groups were shot over sandbags so weather or not you can do it in the field is up to the shooter. When you live in a state where you are not allow to use a rifle for deer you would be amazed how hard these Ohio deer hunters will work to make their shotguns shoot like a rifle.

mcb

Iowa didn't allow sabots and also didn't allow scopes, so I was working with open sights. I'm sure the combination makes a big difference.

On the other hand, I took three deer in the four years I lived in Iowa, so it wasn't a great handicap.