new to shotguns and slug rounds?

[Paul82]

I am pretty new to shotguns just got a 12g. I was wondering about rifled barrels and non rifled barrels, my 12g isnt rifled its just smoooth all the down. can this shoot a slug or no? ( I dont think so ) I dont want to get hurt shooting wrong ammo through a shotgun. I have birdshot and buckshot 00 but I dont know anything on slug rounds

 

[AcceptableUserName]

yes, but get a rifled slug. itll be much much more accurate.

rifled barrel - non rifled or "sabot" slug
smoothbore - rifled slug

 

[Paul82]

I thought you wouldnt want a rifled slug for non rifled barrel? wouldnt you want a non rifled slug for a non rifled barrel(smooth) ???

then again what do I know....

 

[zhyla]

"Rifled" slugs are slugs with rifling. They have rifling on them to make them twist as they go down the barrel. You wouldn't use them in a rifled barrel because the rifling would conflict.

 

[AcceptableUserName]

another episode of threadstarters who argue with advice. more at 9, stay tuned.

 

[troyboy94]

no sabots

 

[Paul82]

ok so I can use 'Rifled slugs" in my shotgun(smooth bore, no rifle barrel) ??

 

[-v-]

Rifled barrels are designed for shooting sabboted slugs for the most part, and a few other solid mass non-rifled projectiles. A sabboted slug is fairly similar to what you might load into a black-powder rifle.

The rifled in "rifled slug" refers to raised notches on the periphery of the slug that are meant to impart a spin on the slug while its going down the barrel. Think the revers of normal rifling, where there's a smooth bullet and rifled barrel in a rifled slug its the bullet that is rifled and the bore is smooth.

The rifling may also serves the role of reducing projectile to barrel friction, potentially increasing velocity and also allows the slug easier passage through a choke, since less material has to be moved to clear.

 

[Paul82]

[/quote]another episode of threadstarters who argue with advice. more at 9, stay tuned.[/quote]

I am not argueing its just I want safty before I put some different round into my gun, There are nasty people on the internet that sometimes give bad advice and want YOU to get hurt. That is why I ask for other options all the time.

 

[Paul82]

Thanks everyone for the advice.

 

[AcceptableUserName]

You want RIFLED slugs for your SMOOTHEBORE shotgun. The rifling is what will give it accuracy coming out of the smoothe barrel.

 

[GunnerShotz]

Yes, you can ...... and yes, you should!

 

[Fred Fuller]

There are nasty people on the internet that sometimes give bad advice and want YOU to get hurt.

Paul82,

This is not your little brother's Internet. This is THR. We don't play those games here, and anyone who tries it gets shown the door. We won't even put up with excessive snarkiness, most of the time. 8^) You can get different opinions here, and arguments, good advice and bad advice. But not a lot of dangerous advice gets by both the staff and the membership here.

It's fine to shoot ANY commercially available slug load in your shotgun, so long as the gun itself is safe to shoot with modern shotshells, and you properly match the length of the shells you buy to the length of the chamber. It doesn't matter if you shoot rifled slugs, or sabots, or even if you shoot EXTREME SHOCK! unobtanium slugs in it (no, I'm not kidding- but don't waste your money on exploding pants advertising - http://www.extremeshockusa.com/ ).

But your best bet for a smoothbore barrel is going to be rifled slugs. If your dealer has them, try Brenneke KO slugs (not the sabots)- they're usually less expensive, and have worked very well in every shotgun I've ever tried them in.

Sabot slugs are for RIFLED barrels, and usually cost a bunch more than plain old Foster type or Brenneke rifled slugs. You won't hurt anything (except your wallet) shooting sabot slugs in a smoothbore barrel, but you probably won't get very good accuracy results either.

And a couple of hints: Don't bench rest a shotgun with slugs like it was a rifle, shoot it standing from a padded rest. Shooting slugs is no picnic, it's a good way to build in a flinch from recoil if you don't have your shotgun form and gun mount correct.

Stay safe,

lpl

 

[zhyla]

Lee, can you clarify what you mean by "shoot it standing from a padded rest"? I got the standing part but what's this padding thing? I don't plan on shooting slugs much but I bought a few just to try.

 

[DPris]

"Rifling" on slugs is not there to impart spin and accuracy, it's there to allow the slug to swage down if necessary in passing through various chokes and keep pressures low.
It also does not "conflict" with rifling in a rifled shotgun barrel.
Those are two old myths that refuse to die, but they ARE myths.

Rifled slugs will generally produce at least fractionally better accuracy in a rifled bore that does create a spin for improved stability.

Although sabots do work better through rifled tubes (it's what they were designed for), you can still get surprising accuracy from them through a smoothbore.

Neither type of slug will hurt either type of barrel, but you may get more carbon, lead, and plastic residue left behind in a rifled barrel.

Denis

 

[Fred Fuller]

zhyla,

Any time you're shooting from a rest- horizontal or vertical- the gun shouldn't be rested against a hard surface. If that's done, the gun will tend to 'shoot away' from the rest. In other words, the point of impact won't reflect the actual point of aim at the time the shot broke, the POI will be shifted in the opposite direction of the rest.

Just resting your support hand against the post or whatever you're using for a rest should be enough padding.

hth,

lpl