Can slugs ruin barrels?

[monotonous_iterancy]

I was told that slugs can ruin shotgun barrels. Is that true? I figured that if they wore them down or anything, they wouldn't sell them. Besides, most shotguns are smooth-bore, so what is there to harm?

 

[AI&P Tactical]

Nope. Slugs will not hurt your barrel. I was raise to not shoot slugs through a full choke barrel but many do that with no issue. I don't.

 

[Virginian]

As long as we are talking lead slugs, the answer is no. When I read about the people "reloading" factory shells with who knows what, I shudder, but then I think, "Hey, give Darwin a chance.".

 

[Jason_W]

It might not be a great idea to fire hard alloy slugs through a full choke or any slug through an extra full choke.

Also, firing slugs through an overbored barrel is a pretty bad idea.

 

[oneounceload]

Simple answer - NO

 

[rcmodel]

Forster slugs, and most all other slugs except sabot slugs used in rifled barrels, are smaller around then a full choke.

Totally impossible for them to hurt a barrel with any degree of choke up to at least Full.

Otherwise, they wouldn't still be making them since they were invented 1931.

rc

 

[Fred Fuller]

Steel vs. lead. Not likely to be a problem, unless you do something like plug a muzzle with mud and then try to shoot a slug through it. I've always been leery of shooting slugs through the various muzzle attachments that appear on some shotguns, like PolyChokes and Cutts Compensators, but that might be an over-reaction on my part. I've heard of improperly installed choke tubes or tubes with a dinged skirt being forcibly parted from the barrel and sent howling downrange by a slug, but have never seen it happen myself. Some companies warn against shooting slugs through their over-bored barrels - I'd follow their instructions on that one.

But for normal slugs of the proper gauge and hull length fired in a shotgun in good mechanical condition, no - damage to the barrel from shooting slugs is not going to happen. They were made for each other...

 

[JShirley]

The rifling on Foster slugs allows them to compress a bit if the choke is tighter than the slug. I still wouldn't fire through a full choke, if the slug maker advises not to.

John

 

[bushmaster1313]

Not sure if slugs ruin barrels but they can kill a garden:

 

[Skribs]

Clean off the slime and your barrel should be just fine (ba-dum-psh).

There are rifled slugs designed for use in smoothbore shotguns, and then sabots/non-rifled slugs which are designed for use in slug guns. Although I have shot sabots out of my smoothbore before without much incident.

 

[VAPOPO]

Yes they can if you use the wrong slug in the wrong barrel. The Remington copper solid has a well deserved reputation for destroying some of the lighter built rifled barrels Hastings in particular. However a foster style slug should pose no problems.

 

[RinkRat]

Common land and freshwater slugs no

But their cousin's, the sea slug, leave a salty-caustic slime behind, and if not cleaned off in due time, it will dissolve the bluing and rust your barrel

It is believed though, that a good coat of Hoppe's #9, left on the barrel, will, ward them off

 

[RMc]

There are certain commercially loaded full bore hard cast shotgun slugs, which are designed only for rifled barrels and should never be fired in choked smoothbores.

 

[27hand]

Rem copper solids

VAPOPO, Since I use Rem copper solids as my primary SG deer ammo, I have some concern here.

Is there anything documented that you can link.

The solids are encased in a plastic sleeve considerable smaller than the SG tubes so my question would be "how ?".

Any further info would be appreciated as Dick's Sporting Goods has these very slugs on sale now at $12.98 - $5.00 rebate. $7.98 is a good price on these even though the limit is 2 boxes.
I have been shooting these for 10 years or so out of an Ithaca Deerslayer 20" tube with no apparent problems, yet.

 

[eskimojoe201]

i got mossberg 500 20g i just worlding if i could run sabot slug out it and how far i could hit a deer withh it i got 24in riffled bore barrle on it

 

[robhof]

robhof

I've used saboted slugs for B/p out to 120yds in a fast twist barrel. For shotguns I would test them at 50yds out to 100yds and see if you can hold the groups to minute of deer at those ranges.

 

[SHR970]

Generally speaking: No...... but there is a notable exception.

The Mossberg 835 with a standard barrel has a warning to not use slugs stamped on the barrel. The barrels are backbored and have an internal diameter close to a 10 gauge going until you get closer to the muzzle. A foster slug could possibly misalign itself in the barrel enough to bulge it or worse. I would love to know what happened at the factory when they were first testing them that made them decide to put the warning on the gun.

 

[alsaqr]

The Remington copper solid has a well deserved reputation for destroying some of the lighter built rifled barrels Hastings in particular.

Bingo!!

The current Hastings (Verney-Carron) website has this warning:

Remington Ammunition is not recommended for use in Hastings Barrels. It has been reported that damage to the barrel can occur when customers used Remington Sabot Ammunition.

Hastings/Verney-Carron/KEBCO LLC will not be responsible for any damage incurred while using Remington sabot ammunition. Although the damage reported to date is to the barrel, this is no assurance that even more serious damage or injury could not occur. You are assuming all risks if you use Remington Sabot ammunition in Hastings barrels.

http://www.hastingsbarrel.com/

 

[Carl N. Brown]

12ga Mossberg 835 counterbored internally to about 10ga then overchoked for shotshells and turkey hunting. It is not conductive to accuracy with slugs.