First off this question is directed at those who have actually hunted with a shotgun in shotgun only areas at one time, and have knowledge of the actual range of a 12 guage slug.

Someone asked me the other day a question that got me to have to think a bit.

This guy I know has a chance to get on a small lease approx 200 acres, and the landowner is leaning toward bow only because there are two houses nearby on the opposite adjoining property.

The property has a creek running through it and pretty heavily brushed with trees along the creek.

If you stood in the middle of the place the houses would be approx 600 yards in opposite directions as the crow flies.

He said he might consider allowing shotguns with slugs, so here's the question.

Would a 300 yard buffer be enough between a blind and the houses?

Naturally you would position the stand so that you wouldn't have a shot in that direction which is common sense, but to make the landowner feel good about it, I think 300 would be a fair distance for safety taking into consideration you wouldn't position the stand to have a shot in their direction.

Naturally the landowner will have to bless the stands, but just to maybe help his cause on where he might want to get an idea on where to position his stands.

300 enough, what say you?

300 yards would be ample room. Most shots with slugs are usually taken at eye-level and shooting downward or at least parallel. The rate of bullet drop on a shotgun slug, should put it in the ground far short of the 300 yards....plus any brush will take it down more rapidly.

Of course the major problem, will be the neighbors hearing gunshots coming from your hunting area! They may not be too comfortable with that arrangement and will look for some reason to have it stopped!

Not too worried about them hearing shots as there is a large game ranch just to the south.

Also these are farm houses and there was hunting there a couple years before and those farm houses belong to relatives of the guy that owns the hunting land, so he's looking out for family.

I told him to go with the 300 yard buffer just to be safe.

We've hosted two youth hunts the last two years at Lake Waco, and we could only use shotguns/slugs. Before the hunts, we demonstrated the accuaracy and distance for the kids. Realisticly, 100 yard shots were about at the maximum accurate distance, but only with lots of practice; however, we did not allow any shots beyond 50 yards.

Make the shooter use an elevated blind. Any shot at game will be downward, thus safe.

max range on a shotgun with a slug depends on which barrel you use
If your using a smooth barrel id say 75yds with any accuracy (using inp cil choke best)
Now if your useing a rifle barrel with scope you can 120yds mybe 140yds
I know from experience coming from a state thats all you could use in gun season

Between full, mod, and improved what's the best for slugs?

inproved is best

I have a mossberg 500 fully rifled adn I shoot the hornandy sst sabot slugs which have extreme accuracy and the range is crazy. I am dead on at 150 and 6.7 inches low at 200, beyond that I dont have a clue. See ballistics at hornady website.

Dead on with my old
Sears & Roebuck slug gun at 150 and starts to drop after that w/ 3 1/2 " slugs

I killed my 1st four deer with 20ga slugs. In my smooth bore rem 870 with brenneke slugs and only the bead for a sight I had decent accuracy out to at 80 - 90yards no problem. I never took a shot at a deer out past 60yds though. All DRT. I personally think all public land hunting should be shotgun or bow only. Both are effective and should be somewhat safer.

To answer your question; 300yds is, IMHO, plenty of room.

I don't know if a slug will drop 5-6 feet in 300 yards though. Sabots seem not to drop much at all in 1/2 that distance. I agree..Elevation and proper blind placement would help this equation.