As I read this it bought back to conversations I had with my dad about shotguns when I was 14, he explained it all to me after he bought me an Ithaca featherlight 12 gauge pump with a deerslayer barrel for Christmas the year before ... and it was smooth bore improved cylinder.

Knew a LOT of hunters in the PNW that used slug guns exclusively for western cascade hunting. Damn effective. Even against larger, dangerous game.