Slugs in shotguns

[Guest Jack Brickhouse]

My father and I both recently acquired new auto shotguns. I purchased a Mossberg 930 Field 28"($517). Dad bought a Remmy a 1100 G3 26"($900). We both plan on using these for busting clays. It's very educational comparing the two guns. The 930 kicks harder. :-)

Anyhow, can we shoot rifled slugs in these guns without changing the barrels? The salesman told Dad that he could not shoot slugs in his 1100. Dad wants the ability to shoot slugs in case a bear gets to close to the house. I like slugs because... well because they leave big holes.

[Rightwinger]

What chokes do each shotgun come with? I'll assume your Dad's is modified or full factory since the salesman said not to shoot slugs.

Generally, I was always told that you want a cylinder choke barrel or choke if it allows them to be swapped out in order to shoot slugs. Cylinder meaning basically a straight tube with no narrowing near the muzzle. Modified is iffy and full chokes will be dangerous as you are shooting a bigger projectile than the diameter of the barrel.

Shotgun Slugs

[Guest Jcochran88]

Also if the barrel is not riffled I would use sabot slugs.

[Oh Shoot]

Also if the barrel is not riffled I would use sabot slugs.

It's the opposite.

Shoot sabot slugs in rifled barrels.

Shoot rifled slugs in smooth barrels.

Most advice says that modified chokes and looser are okay for slugs.

You probably won't find an actual "cylinder bore" choke, but you can use improved cylinder.

- OS

[Guest Jcochran88]

It's the opposite.

Shoot sabot slugs in rifled barrels.

Shoot rifled slugs in smooth barrels.

Most advice says that modified chokes and looser are okay for slugs.

You probably won't find an actual "cylinder bore" choke, but you can use improved cylinder.

- OS

Really? I will have to try this. Always thought that the rifled slugs had to have rifling to work correctly.

[Guest 10mm4me]

Really? I will have to try this. Always thought that the rifled slugs had to have rifling to work correctly.

No. Do you use rifled bullets in a pistol or rifle? Rifled slugs in smoothbore, sabots in rifled slug barrel. My post sounds sarcastic but that is not my intent. Just making a comparison.

[Rightwinger]

How would you get the rifling already imprinted on the slug to match up the rifling in the barrel? A smooth (sabot) round gets it spin from the rifling. A rifled slug provides it's own spin in a smooth barrel.

And like the author in that article posted, I never understood why a long gun with a rifled barrel that happens to shoot 500 grain bullets from a shot gun shell gets to be classified a shot gun. It's a big rifle! Fodder for some other topic.

Edited February 10, 2010 by Rightwinger

[Guest Jcochran88]

No. Do you use rifled bullets in a pistol or rifle? Rifled slugs in smoothbore, sabots in rifled slug barrel. My post sounds sarcastic but that is not my intent. Just making a comparison.

Makes sense.

[Guest CrazyLincoln]

And like the author in that article posted, I never understood why a long gun with a rifled barrel that happens to shoot 500 grain bullets from a shot gun shell gets to be classified a shot gun. It's a big rifle! Fodder for some other topic.

Shhhh! Don't tell the ATF! Otherwise they may make you register it as a DD

[Rightwinger]

Yeah, I should delete that. No sense edumacating the gubment.

[Wingshooter]

Fortunately, both of those guns have interchangeable chokes, so you can shoot the slugs with the right choke. I have an older 1100 that has a fixed full choke - that severely limits my ammo choices (no steel, no slugs for my gun).

[Hozzie]

I would spend the money on a rifled barrel and stick with Sabot's. Then just change back to the factory barrel for target shooting. No sense in messing up the chokes, even if on accident.

[enfield]

. . . A rifled slug provides it's own spin in a smooth barrel. . . .

That's the theory at least, but we're drifting off-topic here.

[MCSCOTT]

It should also be noted that it may not be because of the choke at all. Some 12ga shotgun barrels are overbored to reduce recoil, and you're not suppose to shoot slugs in those because they say they can turn and get lodged in the barrel.

[Warbird]

It should also be noted that it may not be because of the choke at all. Some 12ga shotgun barrels are overbored to reduce recoil, and you're not suppose to shoot slugs in those because they say they can turn and get lodged in the barrel.

Correct, you shouldn't shoot a slug out of anything but a cylinder choke and sporting clays shotguns are typically overbored and you shouldn't shoot slugs out of those either.

[mikegideon]

I would spend the money on a rifled barrel and stick with Sabot's. Then just change back to the factory barrel for target shooting. No sense in messing up the chokes, even if on accident.

What hozzie said. Sabots are more accurate too. The rifled barrels for my 870 come with iron sights too.

[Oh Shoot]

Correct, you shouldn't shoot a slug out of anything but a cylinder choke ...

Well, Remington doesn't even make a cylinder bore Rem Choke for 870s or Wingmaster.

I have never read that anyone has blown up or even stretched a barrel shooting rifled slugs through improved cylinder or modified chokes. Matter of fact, I never found any real credible claim that even full choke with rifled slugs damaged a barrel. Main complaint is that any tighter than modified may affect accuracy as the slug will deform.

I'd posit that if it were dangerous to shoot them through tight chokes, there would be all kinds of warnings on ammo boxes and barrels.

... and sporting clays shotguns are typically overbored and you shouldn't shoot slugs out of those either.

Could be, I don't know anything about those type barrels.

Are there warnings on the barrels or in the product manuals?

- OS

[Wingshooter]

Well, Remington doesn't even make a cylinder bore Rem Choke for 870s or Wingmaster.

I have never read that anyone has blown up or even stretched a barrel shooting rifled slugs through improved cylinder or modified chokes. Matter of fact, I never found any real credible claim that even full choke with rifled slugs damaged a barrel. Main complaint is that any tighter than modified may affect accuracy as the slug will deform.

I'd posit that if it were dangerous to shoot them through tight chokes, there would be all kinds of warnings on ammo boxes and barrels.

Could be, I don't know anything about those type barrels.

Are there warnings on the barrels or in the product manuals?

- OS

My granfather shot slugs through his fixed full choke Remmy for years with no problems. I killed a dear with a slug from his full choke 1100 once. I have other shotguns to shoot slugs with now, so I don't chance it. It never hurt me or my grandfather.

[Guest c.a.s.]

Actually, there isn't even any kind of IDEA that a rifled slug produces any kind of spin. It stabilizes itself like a shuttlecock, with a lighter back end and a heavier front end. The rifling on the slug is just there so it can swag down in size.

[Oh Shoot]

Actually, there isn't even any kind of IDEA that a rifled slug produces any kind of spin. It stabilizes itself like a shuttlecock, with a lighter back end and a heavier front end. The rifling on the slug is just there so it can swag down in size.

Yep, the "rifling" on slug is really a misnomer.

- OS

[Wingshooter]

The lead slug is softer than the steel barrel, so it should deform before the barrel. Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't that why shooting steel shot from a full choke that is not designed for steel is bad - the steel shot may be harder than the steel bbl causing the bbl to deform before the pellets.

I have also put steel shot through my 1100 fixed full choke before I knew any better. No visible damage there either, but I have since stopped doing that.

[Guest Jack Brickhouse]

Thanks. That why the saleman told Dad he could not shoot slugs because his 1100 is overboard.

[Oh Shoot]

Here is an explanation of why not to shoot foster (rifled) slugs in an overbored barrel that seems knowledgeable. It uses Mossberg as example. Note it's not that the slug can "turn".

Also, even if safety wasn't a concern, accuracy would be terrible.

-----------

"Foster slug dangerous in overbore!

Mossberg 835 overbore barrels are near 10 gauge in the overbore ahead of the chamber.

Foster slugs are hollow based pure lead nose heavy thimbles.

No wad is capable of expanding to seal such an extreme overbore. ( .775 vs .730 )

Gas blow by is normal for this shotgun and contributes to a lower felt recoil.

If propellant gas gets into the hollow base of a foster type slug, the expanding lead may blow through leaving a lead ring in the barrel.

Such a lead ring constitutes a barrel obstruction that can cause a burst barrel with the next shot fired!"

----------------

I looked at Mossberg manual online, and it does indeed state:

"835® models are designated to fre 12 gauge 2-3/4â€, 3â€, or 3-1/2†factory loaded ammunition.

Do not fre slugs of any type (single projectile ammunition) through the overbored 835 Accu-Mag barrel.

This barrel is designated to shoot lead or steel pellet shot loads only. Use

only 835 barrels designated specifcally for slug shooting."

- OS

[Warbird]

We perhaps should be clear when we talk of chokes. There are really two types of chokes and when I have been referring to them it has been as choke tubes. The second kind of choke is a fixed choke. On a fixed choke gun you might get away with it, especially in older shotguns, up to modified. Personally I wouldn't go tighter than IC or M. For me I use cylinder, and most who I know do as well, with the exception of a couple of caveats.

Modern choke tubed guns are going to be thinner at the muzzle especially with threaded ends, but the barrels are tapered in steel as well. In the end I don't think it is necessarily dangerous, but more of a heightened chance of damaging the muzzle, the choke itself or the threads using tight chokes. And yes for many manufacturers they do say so in the manual, though I would never claim they all do.

That all said, there are manufacturers of chokes who make chokes specifically for slugs just as there are ones for steel shot.

I cannot say I utilize slugs much at all. The only time I use them I have a rifled O/U, one barrel is slug, that I use only for hunting in places where I cannot use a rifle, or sometimes on hogs.

Edited February 12, 2010 by Warbird

[Oh Shoot]

... On a fixed choke gun you might get away with it, especially in older shotguns, up to modified. Personally I wouldn't go tighter than IC or IM. ...

Lost me on the logic here.

Improved Modified is tighter than modified, three steps tighter than Improved Cylinder.

- OS