Lead Issues

[DougW]

Went to the range today to confirm my zero on my Benelli M1Super 90 Tactical. The new Fiocci Reduced Recoil 1oz slugs would not cycle, they shoot so soft (could be that I was on a bench w/sand bags though). Shots were very erratic, with an 18" to 24" group at 100 yards.

I am not satisified with the shooting session, to say the least. When I started cleaning the Benelli, I was scraping a HUGE ammount of lead with a tornado brush from the barrel in front of the chamber and before and through the choke (modified, IC choke is worse). I mean, chunks of lead. I have shot reduced recoil slugs through other shot guns, but never with this much residual lead.

Have any of you guys had the same type of problem in general shooting slugs? Or should I junk the Benelli and shoot next weekend's match with the Maverick 88? Thanks for your input in advance!

(BTW, I do love the Benelli!)

 

[Youngster]

I find any type of Foster slug leads up the barrel of my 870 pretty good, the harder Brenneke style slugs seem to leave a lot less lead behind and clean up so much more easily.

 

[peck1234]

hmm, as far as I know, to get best results with slug you shouldn't use a choke, just a thought


give it a try...

 

[kingpin008]

Ditto that. I'm not smart about shotgunning by any stretch of the imagination, but I thought that chokes were for shot, and should be removed for times when you're using slugs. No?

 

[peck1234]

Yes..... exactly.....

 

[Youngster]

Any choke up to perhaps Modified is fine with slugs, and really most of the lead is going to be deposited down the sides of the barrel before it hits the choke.

 

[DaleCooper51]

I thought that chokes were for shot, and should be removed for times when you're using slugs. No?

Do not shoot a gun without its choke tubes. Thats a sure fire way to bugger up your barrel. Use a more open choke for shooting rifled slugs.

 

[plumberroy]

I hate to bust your bubble but brenneke's aren't any harder than regular foster slugs. I have one liberated from a load here and it stratches with a thumbnail easily so it is nearly pure lead

 

[Jorg Nysgerrig]

I thought that chokes were for shot, and should be removed for times when you're using slugs. No?

Shooting anything with your chokes removed is a rather bad idea.

Even though Dale said it too, it bears repeating.

 

[DougW]

The heaviest deposit of lead is in the first 12" of barrel, in front of the chamber. The choke tube is not an issue. With a clean barrel this shotgun will shoot a 4" 5 shot group with standard slugs all day (@100 yards). I am just a bit tired of getting the $#&* knocked out of my shoulder with standard slugs.

Back to the origional question, is heavy leading with reduced recoil slugs the norm?

 

[kingpin008]

Shooting anything with your chokes removed is a rather bad idea.

Huh. I realize that this is probably a ridiculously dumb question, but why?

 

[dispatch55126]

Huh. I realize that this is probably a ridiculously dumb question, but why?

You'll damage the choke threads. They are a very fine thread and any nick could make it difficult to fully thread the tube. That in turn can cause the cup to catch and bulge the barrel.

 

[627PCFan]

I actually found a use for Remoil, give it a shot down the tube between every 2 shots, it helps minimize leading in my SBE 2. Otherwise i get alot of lead smears just head of the chamber.

 

[dispatch55126]

Fill a bucket with mineral spirits so the first 3" of the barrel sits in the spirits. Then scrub back and forth a few times with a tornado brush. Every time you dip the brush in the spirits, it'll wash the lead off. It takes me 3 minutes to scrub the lead out.

Afterwards, strain the spirits with a mesh filter or cheese cloth and save the spirits for next time.

 

[Youngster]

I hate to bust your bubble but brenneke's aren't any harder than regular foster slugs. I have one liberated from a load here and it stratches with a thumbnail easily so it is nearly pure lead

It may depend on the brand but as all the Brenneke style slugs I've seen were relatively hard, you could still dint most of them with your fingernail but they weren't dead soft like the Fosters. My barrel certainly notices the diffence, after running Brennekes all it takes is a quick scrub instead of a lead mining operation.

 

[kingpin008]

You'll damage the choke threads. They are a very fine thread and any nick could make it difficult to fully thread the tube. That in turn can cause the cup to catch and bulge the barrel.

Gotcha. Thanks for the explanation, Dispatch!

 

[DougW]

Thanks dispatch55126. I have the barrel clean now, but I will go ahead and do the "scrub" you described. I have to shoot around 50 rounds of slugs this Saturday, so we shall see what happens. Thanks to everyone for contributing.

 

[dispatch55126]

Another thing I like about the mineral spirits is that it keeps the brush lubed so it doesn't take much effort, wipes clean afterwards and is cheap for when you need to replace it...which I still haven't needed to do.

 

[xanderzuk]

Read Your Benelli Manual

While I'm not saying that shooting slugs is impossible from the chokes you mentioned, if you read your Benelli manual, it specifically states not to shoot slugs out of any choke other than a "cylinder" choke.

I also specifically asked customer service, and the representative literally (seriously) begged me not to shoot slugs out of anything other than a "cylinder" choke.

You should be able to buy one online for anywhere between $25-$40

For what its worth, I hope that might help your problem.

 

[loosecannon]

I have seen law enforcement low recoil buckshot labeled on the package as "semi-automatic" or "pump"--the implication being that the first one had more recoil to work the action. I saw this on Hornady ammo.

I suggest you try another brand.