Feedback Wanted - 20 Gauge Lightfields 2 3/4"

[buckfever1974]

Hey guys.

 

My daughter shot a doe on Saturday using the 20 gauge Lightfields in 2 3/4".  My daughter noticed right away that there was no exit wound based on the way the doe had piled up.  It was only a 30 yard shot so I was also surprised.  When I was cleaning the deer out, I came upon a fragment of the bullet between the hide and the rib cage on the impact side of the deer.  Now it could have fallen there during the process of cleaning but still.  

 

I don't shoot enough deer with slugs so I'm wondering if this is a catostrophic failure on the impact of the bullet or is this expected.  Personally I would think at the distance she was shooting and because I didn't see any impact to bone as near as I could tell, it should have blown through.  The deer only ran 40-50 yards because she had hit the heart and the blood trail was massive but still a bit concerning considering what it may not be able to do on a bigger deers shoulder.

 

Thoughts?  I use these shells in my 12 gauge and I don't recall ever having had a problem at longer distances.

 

We also saw pieces of chewed corn in the wound and on the ground but no impact to the stomach.  Thought that was odd considering where she hit in but can only imagine that maybe the shards of bullet impacted the esophogus or something.

Edited November 21, 2016 by buckfever1974

[vdep217]

Personally with a slug or any bullet I do not want a pass threw I want that bullet to transfer all of its energy into the deer

[BCsaw]

Elkman uses Lightfields

[mattg1500]

I pisted this in the savage 220 thread. I use lightfields in my 12ga and they group great, so when i got my 220 i used them. They shot very good. I shot a 7 at 50yds and he kept eating like he wasnt hit. I hit him again and he ran a bit then stopped so i hit him again and he dropped. All 3 were behind the shoulder and mushroomed flat. No exit hole but i figured they pancaked good and shoulda killed. After that i went to the accutips in 3in and dropped a doe in her tracks. For my 12 i will keep lightfields but my 20 will only get accutips

[jerseyhunter]

Always loved Lightfields in my 12 ga, even stopped using copper solids due to the pass threw. An arrow kills by hemorrhage, a bullet kills by shock.

[LittleM]

My son shoots them out of his Mossberg 20 gauge.  Killed one bear and quite a few deer.  On the deer, we recover mushroomed slugs just under the skin on the opposite side of the shot more often than not.  Animals he shoots rarely run more than 20 yards.

[MTH]

I've seen Lightfields fail time and again and will not use them for that same reason. My daughter shot them out of her 20 gauge 870 when she first started hunting because they are soft on recoil, but after two deer were hit at less than 25 yards and neither one went down without a follow up shot, I stopped buying them and actually gave the ones I had away and swapped that gun out to accutips. I hunted with the lightfields and her 20 gauge one late season because mine scope on my gun fell prey to a foot in the back of the truck during 6-day drives. I had a buck close to 15 yards and I placed the cross hairs right on his brisket and pulled the trigger, the buck ran 125 yards before another stander downed it....after review, the slug never penetrated the breast....It was logged in the meat an inch under the skin.......That's a huge fail as far as I'm concerned...

[Nomad]

I've seen Lightfields fail time and again and will not use them for that same reason. My daughter shot them out of her 20 gauge 870 when she first started hunting because they are soft on recoil, but after two deer were hit at less than 25 yards and neither one went down without a follow up shot, I stopped buying them and actually gave the ones I had away and swapped that gun out to accutips. I hunted with the lightfields and her 20 gauge one late season because mine scope on my gun fell prey to a foot in the back of the truck during 6-day drives. I had a buck close to 15 yards and I placed the cross hairs right on his brisket and pulled the trigger, the buck ran 125 yards before another stander downed it....after review, the slug never penetrated the breast....It was logged in the meat an inch under the skin.......That's a huge fail as far as I'm concerned...

That's awful.  I have had good luck with them on rib cage shots, but had them break up on spine hits, which still dropped the deer.

[Devil Horns]

I use Hornady SST low recoil slugs out of my son's 20 gauge Bantam. I shot a doe with this setup and my son shot a doe. I dropped mine on the spot at 70 yds and my son heart shot one that went about 30 yds. Very accurate and easy on the shoulder. Have had good luck so far and would recommend the SST's.

[BHC]

Lightfields are excellent flying slugs, they do hit hard but they often don't mushroom like you want, much better options out there. I firmly believe in 3" shells in the 20ga. Lightfields when they first came they where top notch, but not in today's high tech slug world.

[buckfever1974]

Lightfields are excellent flying slugs, they do hit hard but they often don't mushroom like you want, much better options out there. I firmly believe in 3" shells in the 20ga. Lightfields when they first came they where top notch, but not in today's high tech slug world.

This is for a 12 year old girl that weight 70-80 lbs.

 

Truth be told I had it sighted in for 50 yards with acutips.  When she missed her 8 I went to the range at lunchtime and it was hitting 2" low or so at 25-30.  I had 3 boxed of lightfields and only 8 rounds of Acutips so I shot the lightfields and they were almost right on at 30 which is teh range the blind is set up for.  I made a couple small adjustments and the lightfields were dead on.  It worked out.  I just have to see if I am going back to Acutips but if I do I have to make an adjustment to zero at 30 or so.

Edited November 21, 2016 by buckfever1974

[BHC]

3" 20ga slugs with multiple warm layers of clothing and jacket won't notice a difference

[megavites]

I bought the Lightfields two years ago based on user input, but field results were different. Had a 100 yd shot fall flat and skip in the snow.

Switched to 3" Accutips and wouldn't hesitate to take a 120yd shot out of my H&R Ultra

Edited November 22, 2016 by megavites

[BHC]

Lightfields for the most part fly and group well within 100 yards but drop like a brick after that

[Bucndoe]

1- the deer is dead so consider it job done and change the loads if not happy going forward.

2- a deer's stomach consists of four chambers, so a fragment of the round may have hit it inside after impact not in the site of the wound.

3- let the shooter shoot the gun before being finished sighting it in. Everyone's eyes and body mechanics are different. It may be on for one, but off for another. A 70-80 pound12 year old girl will certainly hold, fire, and absorb recoil much different than a full grown man

Edited November 22, 2016 by Bucndoe