How much can be done with smoothbore slugs?

[Classical Liberal]

How good is precision and power compared with real rifled slugs?

I saw some pretty cool tests over at The Box 'O Truth where they demolish bullet resistant glass (which resists .223 and 7.62x39, mind you) with a 12ga slugs, so it would seem they have plenty of power at short range.

I am mostly interested in using slugs at 100 meters or, as a kind of "rifle" until I can afford a proper one. Is that even realistic, though?

 

[Preacherman]

You'll need to "pattern" the slugs in your shotgun to see which is most accurate for you: but I've found that I can get all the accuracy I need out of a smoothbore barrel, out to 100-125 yards. My choice is the Rottweil Brenneke slug, which gives me 4" groups at 100 yards from a 20" Remington 870 IC smoothbore barrel with rifle sights.

Rifled barrels tend to produce higher velocities (because the slugs are lighter), and claim greater accuracy, but this again depends on the individual slug's performance in that particular barrel. I've seen claims of 10" groups at 200 yards with some brands of slug, but having never tried them myself, I couldn't say if this is realistic or not.

 

[DougW]

Works for me!

My Benelli M1 with the modified choke shooting Winchester Ranger Tactical low recoil 1oz slugs will do 4" at 100 yards all day long. I consider it my "up close and personal" tactical weapon.

 

[redneck2]

You'll need to "pattern" the slugs in your shotgun to see which is most accurate for you:

I'd 2nd that. I've had shotguns that will shoot right along with rifles (smoothbore with Federal slugs), and some that literally wouldn't hit a 5 gallon bucket at 30 yards.

IF you have a smoothbore with no choke, and IF it's a good one, they can be great. I've got a friend that has 5 deer in the Indiana record book. They have all been taken with a 20 gauge 1100 smoothbore, some at incredible ranges. If you find that magic combination, your limiting factor will be sights (bead) rather than the accuracy of the firearm.

That said, the quickest way to accuracy is a rifled barrel. My 870 will shoot tennis ball sized groups or smaller at 125 yards with sabots.

 

[caliber729]

Classic Lib, Like most have already said, with a good smoothbore, you can get some decent groups at a 100 yards, 4-5" groups. A rifled barrel with some of the high end sabot rounds will definitely get you more range and sometimes better accuracy.

I used to own a fully rifled barrel with cantilever scope mount. It was producing about 3-4" groups at 100 yds. I sold it because I was getting nearly the same groups size out of my smoothbore. Perhaps it was my barrel, maybe it was me, but in the end I decided I didn't need the rifled barrel. To each his own.

One downside to the smoothbore shooting foster type slugs is the lack of range. The trajectory gets rather steep if you try to hit much beyond 100 yds. The rifled barrels with the sabot round will surely get you to 150 yds.

Also, because velocity drops so fast for the smoothbore foster slugs, your energy will drop as well. "demolishing bullet resistant glass" may be possible up close, but you will definitely have different results at the longer ranges.

 

[danurve]

Yes generaly smoothbore slugs are ment for sub 100 yard targets.
I have gutted - cleaned - processed tons of whitetail taken with smoothbore slugs, it's not rocket science if the shooter does their job they take deer.
I would also agree that all slugs are not created equal, meaning you need to try a few brands to find what your gun 'takes to".

 

[Carl N. Brown]

How much can be done with smoothbore slugs?
How good is precision and power compared with real rifled slugs?

OK, I am confused. Commonly "Rifled Slug" usually refers to Foster slugs
or "lead badmitton birdies" (as I call them) that have superficial "rifling"
cast or swaged into the skirt. The rifling has little or no effect and any
stability in the round is purely from the aerodynamic shape; these are
fired from smoothbore barrels, cylinder or improved cylinder.

There are twelve gauge slug guns with rifled barrels usually used with
saboted rounds, which do spin stabilize the slug like a true rifle.
These are legal due to a "sporting purpose" exemption to the definition
of destructive device DD in the National Firearms Act NFA; otherwise,
rifled shotguns would be legally classed with anti-tank rifles and cannon.

I presume by Rifled Slug Classical Liberal is referring to slugs for
rifled barrels, and by smoothbore slug he is referring to slugs like
the Foster or Brenekke rifled slugs for smoothbore barrels.

This was my result from my Savage 24 .30-30 over 12 gauge combo gun
with Winchester SuperX 1 oz. Foster slugs, at 60 yards 55 meters.
Since the longest clear range on my uncles property in Bear Hollow is
65 yards, this is reasonable accuracy.