[rocinante]

Is it okay to shoot bird or buck shot or will the pellets damage the rifling?

[Dave McCracken]

Bad idea.

The rifling "Swirls" the shot and the pattern goes to Heck fast. Like inside 10 feet.

[Friendly, Don't Fire!]

this would be what some people might want, in a HD weapon.

When in doubt, get the loads you will be using and go out and shoot some large paper (opened-up newspaper will work, just a bit hard to see all the holes through the print) or cardboard at the distances you might encounter during a self-defense shot.

Perhaps across the distance of a room you will have the pattern you need.

As for lead shot damaging the steel rifling, I very much doubt it. Make sure you are not using any steel shot!

[foghornl]

Pellets won't damage the rifling, but you WILL get the famous "doughnut" pattern...BIG hole in the middle (no shot pieces) and pellets in a ring. Now, if you have 'un-buffered' shot, or ammo with wads without a shot cup, you will get a lot of lead build-up on the rifling.

[GRIZ22]

this would be what some people might want, in a HD weapon.


you WILL get the famous "doughnut" pattern

Using 00 buck in a Remington with rifled barrel you can miss a B27 target completely at 7 yds. At least when I tried it to see what it would do.

[rcmodel]

Folks spend big money at VangComp trying to get tighter buckshot patterns.
Not looser ones!

The theory is, since you have to aim a riotgun anyway to hit anything, you might as well get ALL the shot on target.

rcmodel

[jakemccoy]

this would be what some people might want, in a HD weapon.

When in doubt, get the loads you will be using and go out and shoot some large paper (opened-up newspaper will work, just a bit hard to see all the holes through the print) or cardboard at the distances you might encounter during a self-defense shot.

Perhaps across the distance of a room you will have the pattern you need.

I disagree. A gun is intended to hit where the gun is aimed. A shotgun bends the rules a bit by providing some spread that is controllable and predictable. The pattern of shot from a rifled barrel is not predictable. I have not heard reports of reliable patterns of shot from a rifled barrel. In a home invasion, you can't say, "OK, the rules are that the invader needs to be within 1 and 7 yards." That may not be the case. Perhaps there is something that you don't want to hit that's 20 feet to the left, maybe an occupied bedroom. Perhaps you need to hit the intruder at 20 yards. The home invasion will certainly not go down how you envision. You can only prepare for the unknown. You're severely limiting your options by using shot through a rifled barrel.

[Sinixstar]

If you wanted looser patterns - your better bet would be to go straight cylinder, and let it open up on it's own.

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Sure, no problem. (As mentioned, your results won't be good, but it won't hurt the gun).

[HB]

you will get a lot of lead build-up on the rifling
I've always heard this, but since the shot is in a plastic cup:confused:

[franconialocal]

Won't hurt the lands and grooves huh? I always pictured the shot (esp. 00 Buck) rocketing down the barrel and pitting, or at least wearing prematurely, the lands/grooves after some exposure to this (these bb's just rattling around inside.) I guess I'm not giving enough credit to forward velocity. I can see the lead being "softer" than the steel, but it seems like an awful way to tread a rifled barrel...but I guess I'm just a stickler.....