28ga Slug Barrel?

[BillTell]

Okay, so I like to think of myself as a "Pretty Knowledgeable" gun guy for the most part. While scrolling an auction site looking for something new for my Encore, I came across a couple 28 gauge rifled barrels... One has no sights at all, the other has only a front fiber optic sight...
1) I've never heard of a 28 ga slug (but looked it up and found one made by Brenneke)
2) What do you actually kill with this?
3) Why the lack of sights on a rifled barrel?
I'm sorry, I just don't get it... When there's so many other options out there, why use a rifled barrel with no sights, to shoot an obscurely rare projectile at what distance, to how large a target?
Is this a "Beautiful Thing" I just don't see in the proper context? Or is it someone with money to burn on a "Niche Toy" that really doesn't need to be... Please enlighten me...

 

[bearcreek]

I know of folks who deer hunt with .410's. A 28 gauge would be a step up. That's not to say that I'm an advocate of that, just that it does happen. No sights could mean that the intention is for it to be used with a receiver mounted optic.

 

[Jim Watson]

273 grains at 1450 fps.
About like a Ruger only .45 overload.

 

[kudu]

I picked up several boxes of Brenneke 28 gauge slugs at least 15 years ago to try out. Put them through two different shotguns, an 870, and an 1100. Best I could do with them group size through smooth bores was about 12" at fifty yards. Not too great. I built a bullet mold similar to a minie ball and put it into a wad and was able to shoot those a bit better, 8" or so at 50 yards. Just a shooting thing to experiment and play with 28 gauge shotguns. Never went beyond that. Still have several boxes of the Brenneke slugs on a shelf.

 

[22250Rem]

I always figured that I was "pretty knowledgeable" about things like shotgun slugs, too. Then I came across this thread and I've never heard of any 28 ga. slugs, either. I knew of .410 slugs but have only seen some once. The LGS had special ordered some for a customer and I saw them at the shop before the guy came in to get them. Based on Jim Watson's velocity & slug weight figures in post #3, I suppose they are feasible, but I'd limit it to only at bow or handgun range.

 

[BillTell]

I don't know... just seems like a waste to me. It's not legal to use on anything but small game, and at 14" long, one with no sights, and the other with only a fiber optic front sight, I just don't get it's use or intent. At least I understand a .410. It's a versatile gun. I think this is going down worse than a 357Sig... If it at least had a REAR sight as well, I'd understand... and the rifling is no friend to shot, so it's only a slug barrel that's too short and you can't aim past 5yds....

 

[earlthegoat2]

I have seen 28 ga slugs in the past but they were always fosters and/or full bore size non sabot slugs. Rifled barrels are really meant for sabots even if fosters can be shot accurately through them.

The lack of a sabot slug option makes the rifled barrel 28 ga a nonstarter.

 

[HB]

It's not legal to use on anything but small game.

When I lived in MO, any centerfire was legal for deer if it fired a single expanding projectile. .25 ACP from a Beretta was legal.

Were these made for an 870 or similar? Custom barrel blanks? I’ve never heard of a 28 gauge slug but people like to tinker.

 

[22250Rem]

In NY State, shotguns need to be 20 ga. or larger for deer hunting, and fire a single projectile, meaning buckshot is a no-no. I always wondered why (in my previous post), the LGS had to special order those .410 slugs? Perhaps the customer was going to another state or something.

I know of folks who deer hunt with .410's. A 28 gauge would be a step up

Any one here ever done that with 28 ga. slugs? Just curious as to how they perform; the smallest shotgun I have ever owned was a 20 ga. and I never did anything with it that required slugs.

 

[BillTell]

I saw two of these on Ebay. One was listed as a "custom". The other didn't specify, but I got the impression it was a factory TC. They are for the Thompson Encore. I stumbled across them looking for used Encore barrels... I've had a few barrels made for me by MGM for my Encore, but I don't get the "No Sights" thing... There's no advantage to rifling when shooting shot, and no advantage to slugs without a front AND rear sight IMHO.
Here's the link if you want to check it out...

#EB13 28ga Rifled Encore Barrel | eBay

Caliber-28ga Rifled. Look at photos. Built by Dave Van Horn. They may have minor handling and storage scratches or dings. No International Sales.

www.ebay.com

My first couple barrels from MGM ran about $500, and my last was about $750, and now you're looking closer to about $700 for a basic barrel, so I'm sure this wasn't cheap. If I WERE going to custom build one of these, I'd simply put a 5in. picatinny rail on the rear to mount a red dot.

 

[entropy]

In NY State, shotguns need to be 20 ga. or larger for deer hunting, and fire a single projectile, meaning buckshot is a no-no. I always wondered why (in my previous post), the LGS had to special order those .410 slugs? Perhaps the customer was going to another state or something.

Any one here ever done that with 28 ga. slugs? Just curious as to how they perform; the smallest shotgun I have ever owned was a 20 ga. and I never did anything with it that required slugs.

People use slugs in .410 for targets other than deer. A .410 slug is around .38 +P in power. If you have a .410, it is a viable defense round.

I've only shot bird shot from 28 gauges thus far. Maybe I'll pick up some 28 ga. Slugs and try them in the SKB 585 Combo I might be getting soon. I could try them in the 20 and .410 barrels, too.

 

[HB]

Very interesting. I imagine someone wanted a custom deer gun. 28 gauge would be comparable to a .54 cal muzzle loader with maxi balls or sabots.