Category Archives: DSG Pump Action Guns

TarHunt built its first prototype slug gun in 1987 and began the manufacture of our first production model in 1990. Between that time and the present the one factor that has become the most evident is that our guns are not magic for the shooter.

Yes, our slug guns will shoot 1 inch groups, but only if the shooter…

  • Can find a good lot of slug ammunition;
  • Has a good rest to shoot off of and has spent the time necessary to learn how to shoot well off of it;
  • Can find a telescope that will continue to work for more than 100 rounds.  Most slug gun shooters cannot tell when a scope has gone bad;
  • It is an excepted practice that rifles are zeroed (sighted-in) at 100 yards and then checked at 200 and 300 yards ONLY because of their higher velocity.  However, Slug/guns (under 1800fps) need to be zeroed at 50 yards to remove all but a 2% chance of having any left or right turned into the scope. Then check your point of impact at 100 and 150 yards if you must, but if you then turn the adjusters again, all you are doing in turning in the wind for the day. As slug accuracy moves us ever closer to 200yd hunting accuracy, it becomes more important than ever to have the gun zeroed LEFT & RIGHT. If you try and use a 100 yard zero; your actual zero could be off as much as 1-foot at 100yds and over 2-feet at 200yds during the fall winds of hunting season;
  • The amount of drop is constant on this planet so you drop can be easily be calculated how high above your aiming point that the group needs to form at 50 yards for whatever yardage you wish to zero the gun at, without a false reading from the wind;
  • Will spend the time to learn the intricacies of shooting slugs at 100 yards. For example, AT 100 YARDS, a 10 mph crosswind moves a slug 5 to 6 inches at 100 yards.  A tail wind causes the impact point of a slug to move up so it looks like it is shooting flatter then it really is, a head wind will move the impact point down more then what the drop is supposed to be.  It is evident then, that slug movement of 5 to 7 inches at 100 yards is not uncommon. To take this even a step further, a 15 to 17 mph cross wind, typical of what one might encounter during a November/December deer hunt, will move a slug 9 to 11 inches at 100 yards, near 24 inches at 150 yards, an even 30 inches at 200 yards;
  • Remembers to always use a range-finder prior to taking any shot longer than 125 yards;

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Between hunting seasons and shooting sessions seal your unused slugs in a zip lock bag and pack them in a sealed ammo box.  Store the cooler in an area of your home where the humidity is as low as possible and the temperature stays between 50 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit year-round.  The more stable you keep the temperature of your slugs, the better they will shoot. When stored properly, slugs will shoot reliably even after 15 years.

After the season any ammo that was exposed to above normal dampness— Remove the ammo from the boxes. Let the ammo and the box exposed to the warm dry air in your home during the months of Jan & Feb. The low humidity present in most homes over those two months will remove all the moisture that was absorbed, by the powder, while hunting. Remember slugs are open ended, they are not sealed like the rounds used to hunt waterfowl, turkeys, etc.

Place the ammo back into the box, place the box in a zip-lock bag (the smaller the bag the better). Now placed the sealed bags in a seal able type ammo storage box, Styrofoam cooler, and keep the box where it is cool and dry.

Unless you open the plastic bag, the ammo will last 10 to 15 years. Next year if you use them, do not open the bag unless you are going to fire them. The extra rounds you carry hunting can just as easy stay in the bag, in your pocket as not. This drying out procedure can be done more that once

Randy,I am thinking about sending you my 870 wingmaster for your DSG conversion. Problem is is that it is a 2 3/4. I would like to make it 3″ if possible. Can you do this along with the rest of the conversion? Thanks

Although it is possable to change a 2 3/4″ 870 Wingmaster to handle the 3″ rounds, it is not cost effecent. It requires replacing the ejector and this part is securely ribbed to the inter wall of the action. The heads of the ribbits must be ground off on the outside of the action, a new 3″ ejector ribbed in place, the action smooth off and repolished and then the entire gun must be reblued. The cost is within a few dollors of buying a new 3″ Express magnum. The chambered length must always match the model of the receiver. 2 3/4″ for the Wingmaster 3″ for the Wimgmaster Mag. 3″ for all Express mag.

I currently have a Remington 870 Express 12GA shotgun that I would like to convert to a Designated Slug Gun. Your site lists an 870 customer conversion (right-hand) for $525, plus shipping. It also list a DSG Express Standard (right-hand) for a significantly higher price ($830). Does my gun qualify for the 870 customer conversion price or because it’s an 870 express does that mean I have to pay the higher price to convert it to a DSG? Sorry for the confusion. Mike

Mike, The $525.00 price is the cost for the basic DSG12 conversion to your 870. The $995.00 price is for the basic standard DSG12 conversion done on a new Express that we provide, with NO upgrades included in that price.

I see that you use the Remington 870 shotgun and no other brand, is this because you feel that the 870 is better than a Mossberg 500 or some other reason. Also please explain why you use a bolt action on the TarHunt shotguns. R. B. Lott

Rich,
The main issue is, why would you want to put $515.00 conversion into a $175.00 shot gun?

You need to read the FAQ section of the web site under the most asked question about the bolt action RSG 12 gauge slug gun. All the answers are on the website!
Also, the DSG section under TarHunt guns would help you understand why we use only the 870 Rem.

Questions: 570-784-6368 (9AM-3PM week days).

Hi Randy, I know as a company you guys cannot afford to have the tools to make all shotguns into DSG conversion. My question is are you guys capable of turning my Mossberg 500A pump 12 Gauge chambered for 2 3/4 and 3″ shells into a DSG? My receiver is already tapped for a scope I just need my barrel permanently affixed to the receiver. If you can do this, how much would it cost? Thanks for the help! Al

Al

Sorry, We only do the full TarHunt DSG conversions to the 870 Rem. Pump gun, we don’t even do the semi-autos from Rem.
We never made parts for the Mossberg guns because very few people would put a $500.00 conversion on a gun that costs just over $225.00 dollars.
Call me and I will discuss your options.
Randy

Hi Randy, I own a Remington 11-87 shotgun. I know that you guys cannot do a full conversion on a semi-auto due to the gas rings, etc. but could you guys do a trigger job and maybe replace the barrel with one of your custom barrels? Thanks for your input! Al.

Al,
We can do a trigger job and we can do a process called pining  the barrel.
A method of taking most of the vibration out of the barrel while it is going off.
Is this an iron sighted barrel or a barrel using a cantilever scope mount?
Randy

I have a year old Remington 870 with rifled barrel and Nikon Slugmaster scope. It is a good shooter but would like to increase my range out to 200 yards. Do you offer a conversion for this and if so is that a possibility?

We do a fixed barrel conversion to the 870 Rem. We take your gun and fit a block of steel into the receiver. Then we fit and thread a new heavy wall barrel into that steel block, thus making a 12ga pump rifle out of an 870 shotgun.
We then drill and tap the top of the receiver and mount the scope where it belongs for best accuracy.
It costs 525.00 and takes anywhere from 2 to 10 weeks depending on bluing and machine time.

You can count the so called 200 yd slugs (on one hand) that are capable of delivering 1000ft/lbs of energy at 200 yards. Because of wind drift and rainbow trajectories at that distances most shooters cannot force themselves to hold off the deer as much as 4 ft.

Those shots are more good luck than management.

Randy