Quick and stupid question about slugs.

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Cheeseybacon

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Quick and stupid question, folks. I know it's a big no-no to fire shot through a rifled barrel, but is it safe to fire slugs through a smoothbore barrel? I know the accuracy of shooting a slug through a smoothbore barrel is going to suck bigtime, but other than that is there any danger of damaging my barrel by doing so?
 
Just fine as long as the choke tube is IC or bigger and they are rifled slugs. Don't use a very constricted barrel otherwise you will blow it up.

The slugs are the rifling not the barrel.

I won't shoot sabots through a non-rifled barrel.

IE rifled slugs=smoothbore barrel
Sabot slugs=rifled barrel

Also rifled slugs out of a smoothbore barrel you can get some very good groups with them. 3" @ 50yards easily
 
"Just fine as long as the choke tube is IC or bigger and they are rifled slugs. Don't use a very constricted barrel otherwise you will blow it up."

Sorry, that's completely wrong.

You can shoot any STANDARD birdshot, buckshot, or slugs through any STANDARD choke from Cylinder Bore, to Full.

Where things get "iffy" is when shooting slugs or large buckshot through MORE than Full specialty chokes.
One reason for the rifled "fins" on Foster-type rifled slugs is to allow the slug to compress when passing through tighter chokes.

Cheeseybacon
"I know the accuracy of shooting a slug through a smooth bore barrel is going to suck bigtime"

That's also WRONG.

Rifled slugs are DESIGNED specifically to be shot through smooth bores, and rifled slugs are VERY accurate.
It's not at all unusual for a smooth bore slug gun to shoot 3 to 4 inch groups at 100 yards.
 
The 'rifling' on the slugs do little or nothing to spin the slug .Standard or 'rifled 'slugs for smoothbore and sabot slugs for rifled barrel or smoothbore with rifled choke.Shooting shot through a rifled barrel gives poor patterns as the spin on the shot spreads the shot.Also do not use steel shot on chokes not designed for it.
 
Cheeseybacon; Smoothbore slug accuracy does have it's drawbacks but if you match up a good round with your shotgun it's not so bad. You might need to buy a few boxes and find out, I also recomend cleaning the barrel every five rounds to help accuracy for one, and to get a better call on the next box. Ok you might be thinking this is going to pound your shoulder, a little. If you can get to a range bring a recoil pad, or perhaps while you shoot wear what you might jacket wise to help cushion the recoil. Know what works in a pinch is a thin pillow. The old saying goes something like no two shotguns will like the same ammo. There is some decent jazz on the shelf. One other option although more expensive for ammo is you can consider a rifled choke and sabbot ammo. You didn't mention what make you have but chances are the choke options are out there for it.
 
Thanks for the input folks, I learn something new everytime I get on here. I never knew there was such as thing as rifled and unrifled slugs. I was under the assumption that aside from gauge, a slug is a slug is a slug, but apparently that's not the case.

Anyway, I haven't bought any slugs yet, so I'll be sure to look for rifled ones. The only reason why I want to shoot slugs right now is because the public range that I go to at the moment does not allow multiple-projectile rounds, only slugs. The worst part is, I signed up for a membership at a local hunting/fishing club that has a really nice shotgun range almost 2 weeks ago, but the powers that be have yet to get off their rear ends and issue me a membership card. :cuss: Until that happens, I'm stuck with the public range and shooting nothing but slugs.

Right now I'm working with an older 12-gauge Remington 870. It has either an improved cylinder or modified choke, I forget which, but it's fixed and can't be changed around, which kinda sucks I suppose. Is that going to cause problems?
 
Many gun makers have gone to the Improved Cylinder choke for use with slugs and buckshot because of tighter patterns and groups.

Many people report better results with tighter chokes than that, so a Modified may well shoot great.

With shotguns, you have to experiment to find what ammo works best in YOUR gun.
Heavy-duty shotgun shooters will get a wide variety of brands and types of ammo and shoot them to find the ones that work best in their particular gun.

Guns are "picky" about ammo, and what works or doesn't work in someone else's gun may work or not work in yours.

Just buy some ammo and shoot it.
 
So is it safe to say that a slug can be fired through most smoothbore shotguns off the shelf at Wmart (for example)?

I've always wondered about that. It seems like you couldn't use any choke at all.
 
"a slug can be fired through most smooth-bore shotguns off the shelf at Wmart"

Yes.
The reason this works is, the rifled "fins" on the slug are soft lead and will compress, allowing the slug to pass through the choke safely.

True, accuracy is USUALLY (not always) better with more open chokes like the Improved Cylinder, but they are safe to shoot.
 
Just my experience with a 20ga semi auto using slugs, regular shotgun sights. At 50 yards I could put 2 touching and the third a inch away so yes I believe that rifled slugs from a shotgun can be accurate. It will depend on the ammo and gun, try different brands of ammo.
 
Slugs and smoothbores

I have been shooting slugs out of smoothbores for some 50 years. and have yet to run into any kind of a problem. It's true that a choke will affect accuracy and increase recoil, but I really doubt that there would be any danger. BTW, I just went out and tried my Browning BPS with the new Winchester Rack,aster slugs which they say you can fire out of both smooth and rifled barrels. I got a 1.5 inch group at 50 yards, about the same as out of my wife`s rifled Rem 870.
I`ve even fired slugs out of a muzzle-loding side by side 12. I could get minute-of-deer groups at 50 yds (4 in.)
 
Is it just me, or do slugs pack more of a wallop?
My shoulder is killing me...
Click to expand...

No it's not just you...It's just that you're a BIG GIRL!

Kidding, Kidding! 12 Gauge slugs are thumpers, there's no doubt about it! They kick more than my light 30-06 bolt gun, for sure.
 
It's a 3-year old thread, folks. It ought to be out of diapers and walking on its own now.

Start a new one if you want to discuss the topic instead of raising the dead, OK? 8^)

lpl
 
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