[Jedi_7.62]

I have a Winchester 12 ga. I use for Deer hunting. I want to know if it would damage my rifled barrel if I were to use say a #8 once in a while for fooling around. NOT HUNTING.

Thanks for advice.

[pmbiker]

While I don't think it will do damage to your barrel, your patters will be HUGE:what:
The rifling will get some of the shot spinning and rotating inside the barrel and after it exits it will scatter.

[kudu]

You will also tend to get a lot of plastic buildup in the rifling grooves of the barrel, not a major problem but one you should be aware of. As pmbiker said it will open up the patterns severely but no damage to the barrel.

[C.R.Sam]

Try it. Gonna have some cleanup to do afterwards but I don't think you going to shoot very many.

Check the pattern.
Likely that to hit the broadside of a barn, you will have to shoot from the inside of said barn and aim at an end.

Sam

[goon]

So if a guy was to take a short rifled barrel and shoot No. 4 buck out of it...
Is it likely that he would end up with that famed "sawed-off" effect?
Or would he just get a bunch of holes in things he didn't aim at?

[C.R.Sam]

Or would he just get a bunch of holes in things he didn't aim at?

Mostly.

The short barreled "sawed off" guns are for ease of handling and concealment.

Sam

[Coronach]

That "famed" sawed-off effect is mostly seen in Hollywood.

Mike