Rifled Slug Expansion...

KBintheSLC · Oct 26, 2009

I thought I would share this impressive result of a slug "test" I did this weekend. It is phone book season around here, and the "game" is plentiful. The ammo was a Winchester Super-X, 2.75" 1 oz. HP Rifled Slug. The box states that it is loaded to 1600 fps... and judging by the stout recoil, I am betting that is pretty close to true.

The gun was a Remington 870 Express Magnum with an 18.5" choke-free, smooth-bore barrel. The medium was a yellow pages and a white pages (back to back) soaked to the core in water. The shot was fired at 3 meters.

Here is the exit wound...

...and just to give you some perspective of how big the hole really is, here is a picture of the same phone book setup that was shot with 7.62x39 JSP (Left), and JHP (Right).

As you can see, the slug dwarfs the relatively nasty bite of the AK round by quite a bit. I always knew slugs hit hard, but never knew the extent until now. :evil:

THE DARK KNIGHT · Oct 26, 2009

If I were to send you two different rounds of buckshot, would you run a test and post pics for me? I could throw in a few bucks for your time.

I'd like to see a wet phone book shot at 15 yards with regular Federal 00 buckshot, and wet phone book shot at 15 yars with Federal Flite-Control buckshot.

sbarkowski · Oct 26, 2009

Wet phone books hard to come by in your area? lol

THE DARK KNIGHT · Oct 26, 2009

Wet phone books hard to come by in your area? lol

No, but places to take a wet phone book and shoot it are.

Tim the student · Oct 26, 2009

Ouch!! No wonder the deer drop like they got a sledge hammer between the eyes.

KBintheSLC · Oct 26, 2009

If I were to send you two different rounds of buckshot, would you run a test and post pics for me? I could throw in a few bucks for your time.

I'd like to see a wet phone book shot at 15 yards with regular Federal 00 buckshot, and wet phone book shot at 15 yars with Federal Flite-Control buckshot.

I might have some of the Federal 00 Buck laying around... I'll have to check. If not, I would be happy to test that for you. That being said, I am betting that the results will be a bit different since its not an expanding projectile. You will likely be left with 9 or 12 nice little holes in the front, and 9 or 12 slightly bigger holes in the back.

Check out this website... he does some cool tests on various firearms. If you still want some help testing your ammo, just PM me and we can work something out.

http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot3.htm

THE DARK KNIGHT · Oct 26, 2009

Yeah i haven't been able to find anything of the Flite-Control buckshot on that site vs. anything. I'll PM you.

Fred Fuller · Oct 27, 2009

The soft lead Foster style slugs really do expand a lot. Sometimes TOO much, if what you really need is penetration.

Far as I'm concerned, a 12 ga. slug starts out big enough- I don't need it to expand any more. I shoot slugs because I need penetration, not expansion. I'll stick with the Brennekes, they do what I want a slug to do.

lpl

KBintheSLC · Oct 27, 2009

You make a good point Lee. I think that for hunting, I would rather have less/no expansion. But for defensive use at home, it would be nice to deliver all of that massive energy surplus into the human target. I can only imagine that the results of an expanding slug would be utterly devastating on a human torso.

RevolvingGarbage · Oct 27, 2009

Shot a can of orange Faygo soda with a 1oz slug out of my Pardner Pump 2 days ago.

Atomized it

Fred Fuller · Oct 27, 2009

Problem is, a soft lead slug will also deliver all that energy/expansion into the LaZBoy or the refrigerator, if the BG is hiding behind it and shooting at you. Brennekes will turn a lot of "cover" into "concealment."

Other thing is, the KOs I like best show up on sale even cheaper than Foster type slugs, from time to time.

lpl

AcceptableUserName · Oct 27, 2009

kb, im in salt lake as well. where have you been getting the win slugs? theyre great and walmart used to stock em cheap. 8.97 for 15

KBintheSLC · Oct 27, 2009

kb, im in salt lake as well. where have you been getting the win slugs? theyre great and walmart used to stock em cheap. 8.97 for 15

I had a pretty good stock of them from Wally World that I acquired pre-Obama. However, I was just in the WalMart on 1300s and 300w yesterday, and amazingly they had some 5-packs on the shelf for about 3.15/box. I limited myself to only 3 boxes and there were maybe 6-7 left. If you are fast and really lucky you may be able to snatch a few. Also, Gallensons downtown had a nice selection of slugs this week... not as cheap as WalMart, but still not too bad.

Pony Express · Oct 27, 2009

I'll stick with the Brennekes, they do what I want a slug to do.

I like the way you think. Brennekes sit next to my 870 for HD.

Dee · Oct 27, 2009

Next time save a coffee can and fill it up with water and hit it with one of those slugs, those are a lot of fun, nice explosion of water about 30 feet high. By comparison it's not the same effect at all when the can is shot by my .45, it just leaks water.

Grizfire · Oct 27, 2009

what do you mean by choke-free? I thought doing this may damage your threads. Or do you mean you used a cylinder sized choke?

AcceptableUserName · Oct 27, 2009

"I had a pretty good stock of them from Wally World that I acquired pre-Obama. However, I was just in the WalMart on 1300s and 300w yesterday, and amazingly they had some 5-packs on the shelf for about 3.15/box. I limited myself to only 3 boxes and there were maybe 6-7 left. If you are fast and really lucky you may be able to snatch a few. Also, Gallensons downtown had a nice selection of slugs this week... not as cheap as WalMart, but still not too bad."

thanks man. Honestly I don't really buy ammo from anywhere except Wally and Cabelas. Ammo's terrible here. Probably worse than most places. I'm trying to stock up on the cheaper slugs like the Remington sluggers for solid and these Winchesters for hollow point.

KBintheSLC · Oct 28, 2009

what do you mean by choke-free? I thought doing this may damage your threads. Or do you mean you used a cylinder sized choke?

choke-free = no choke
Not all shotgun barrels are threaded for a choke.

Ammo's terrible here.

I feel your pain... Utah has suffered from a "hoarding" mentality long before the ammo crunch became a factor. Some of the basements I have seen around here appear ready to endure WWIII.

AcceptableUserName · Oct 28, 2009

For sure. I think a lot of it religion based. LDS views have a strong family preparedness mentality, which is okay. Better than rampant crime. I think that explains a lot of it. Cabelas has some pretty good prices and availability. I got some White Box .45 hollow points 230 gr 50 for 29.99

plenty of 9's as well. I was surprised they had any.

the buckshot though, was ridiculous! 9.99 for 3" 00 Federal Vital. A few eekks back they had sellier and bellot no. 1 buck 10 for 3.99 or something. every once in awhile they have some barnburner deals. it's a long drive, but worth it. I think they had some win slugs too.

Dave McCracken · Oct 28, 2009

Anything that arrives at the target 3/4" wide needs little expansion.

Rifled slugs recovered from deer show typical expansion into a silver dollar sized disc.

Brenekkes show less expansion and beaucoup penetration. I shot one yearling in the left shoulder at close range(Sub 15 yards) and found the slug in the right hindquarter where it had broken the bone.

On deer sized game, there's no ineffective 12 gauge slugs.

KBintheSLC · Oct 29, 2009

Next time save a coffee can and fill it up with water and hit it with one of those slugs, those are a lot of fun, nice explosion of water about 30 feet high.

Last summer, I shot a plastic milk gallon full of red Jello gelatin with one of these same slugs... needless to say, it was awesome. Like something out of a zombie movie.

On deer sized game, there's no ineffective 12 gauge slugs.

Well said.

xm21 · Oct 29, 2009

I shot a deer in the neck with a 20 gauge Remington Slugger 3/4 ounce slug and the slug did not leave an exit wound.I was 18 steps away from the deer and it fell right where it was shot.When I skinned and butchered the deer I found no piece of lead larger than a BB,the slug had completely exploded.

DBR · Oct 30, 2009

For defensive use Federal Tactical Low Recoil foster type slugs penetrate about 13" and expand to 1 1/4". I use them in my HD shotgun because I don't want to worry about stray pellets on longer shots. My HD situation is not typical.

Jack2427 · Oct 31, 2009

For real penetration I use sabot rounds in either my A-Bolt rifled barrel, or an 870 I have set up with a rifled barrel. The Winchester copper rounds seem to really get through about anything you might encounter, and we are talking about a .50 caliber slug here.
I really like slugs of all types, they make a SG into a really versatile weapon, hunting or defense. I have yet to see any beast, 2 or 4 legged, get up and walk away from a solid hit with a 12 gauge slug.
My latest project is turning a Browning BPS 10 gauge into a tactical weapon. I have the barrel down to 19", and just got the synthetic stock on(just could not bear to scratch the nice wood it came with), and I am thinking about sights. I have been shooting the slugs with a big front bead with pretty good results out to 50 yards. Buckshot is awsome, a load of 0000 buck will get your attention-on both ends of the gun, particularly the 3.5" mags.

Dave McCracken · Oct 31, 2009

IIRC, fellow mod and author Larry Corriea did a BPS 10 makeover before falling in lust with the Saiga, Jack.

Of course, he's big enough to eat apples off my head and I'm a behemoth.

If you're up to it, though a 10 gauge pump is a fearsome waepon.

Rifled Slug Expansion...

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