Rifled slugs in a rifled bore?

[AJ Dual]

Just what the question states. I'm sure it's less than optimal, but for a quick function check, and to get familiarized with a new purchase, is there any safety hazard to using rifled slugs (for smoothbores) in a rifled slug bore?

A friend of mine just acquired a new Remington 870 slugger with a rifled barrel, and he'd like to test it at an indoor range's rifle bay. However, he only has rifled slugs for smoothbores on hand.

I would guess that accuracy might suffer, and the bore might lead up a bit faster if the slug rifling caused the bore rifling to cut a bit deeper than usual, but there'd be no safety issue with trying five or so rifled slugs out of a Rem 870 slug bore at a 25 yard indoor range just for familiarization with function and recoil.

However, that's just guessing and that's not good enough. I've been searching THR and the Internet at large, but it's a difficult search term to come up with.

All he's looking to do is poke a few holes at 25 yards for familiarization purposes. If all that's involved is a little extra elbow grease to clean, he'd rather save the money and use his existing slugs. If it's not a good idea for any reason, he won't do it.

Thoughts?

 

[kudu]

Should be no problem, just the leading problem in the rifling.

 

[Abby]

I recently did this for a while, as I was suffering from a severe case of confusion.

Of course, I couldn't figure out why my 870 20ga w/ the rifled barrel wasn't GROUPING. I mean, it was DEAD ON when I first got it and took it out. And when I returned from an extended trip and bought a few boxes of rifled slugs, all of a sudden it WASN'T.

Well, duh. After much frustration (target at 25 yards, Abby can't group. Target at 25 yards, Mr. Abby can't group, Abby and Mr. Abby stand around and swear at suddenly non-grouping slug gun...), I got on the phone with Abby's Dad.

"Hey, Dad...[explains problem]..."
"Okay, kid, I know this one. Buy sabots."

:banghead:

So I did (the Hornady ones that are like $10 for 5). Well, holy crap. One ragged hole at 25. Three very close holes at 50. No 100 available.

So, long story aside, to answer your question, rifled slugs in moderation won't HURT your rifled barrel (I probably put around 60-75 through in my period of confusion), but they won't give you a good sense of accuracy, either.

 

[Jack2427]

Simple answer: Rifled slugs for smooth bore, sabots for rifled bore. The rifling on the slug is essentially useless, it does NOT cause the slug to spin. The slug stays round end first(kind of) because of the weight bias in the slug. The front of the slug is "loaded" with most of the weight. Years ago I tried to discern the difference between rifled slugs, and simple balls of the same bore, there was just about none, at least in accuracy. There probably will be in terminal performance of the projectile, but at to accuracy, both balls and slugs kind of rattled down the bore. The theory of the rifled slug is that the hollow skirt of the slug will expand and seal the slug to the bore, thus enhancing the "rifling" performance of the slug-NOT. It does expand, but the rifling does not spin the slug.
Remember this ball/slug stuff assumes that the ball is a tight fit in the bore, either by use of the plastic cup or sizing of the ball. I guess the plastic wad "cup" kind of performs a sabot like function for the ball.
Sabot rounds are sized for rifled bores and do a really great job, I have a Browning A-Bolt rifled bore that will get really close to most rifles out to 100 yards in accuracy with sabot rounds.

 

[AJ Dual]

So it sounds to me like it won't hurt anything, or be unsafe, save perhaps a little extra leading . And accuracy will probably be in the toilet, even at 25 yards.

I'll pass that along to my friend, and give him a link to this thread.

Thanks for the input.

 

[Zero_DgZ]

The slug stays round end first(kind of) because of the weight bias in the slug.

To add to the badmitton birdie effect, some brands of rifled slugs (Wolf, for one) have shot cups that stay attached to the slug throughout its trip, acting like a set of flights.

Also notable is that the rifling won't catch the barrel much but it will catch the air, which in my experience causes the slug to rotate anyway.

(Experience gained by shooting at water, which I realize one should "never" do but I did it anyway. Interesting stuff.)

 

[asknight]

Well, the most dire risk that you are running is that if you do lead up your bore, you're going to noticably increase pressures and potentially cause a "BOOM" on the wrong end of the barrel. After all, the lead buildup is reducing your bore size.

 

[scout26]

You will get a lot of leading as the slugs have their twist one direction and the barrel is twisted in the other. Kinda "grinds" the lead "lands" off the slug.

YMMV.

I wouldn't do it, unless you reeeeeaaaaaallllllllyyyyyyy enjoy scrubing your barrel.

 

[Zoogster]

Also keep in mind that rifling is less durable than a smooth tube. So while normal foster slugs might not do more than excessively deposit lead in the rifling, some hardened bore size slugs designed for increased penetration for things like bears might damage your rifling, or at least cause excessive wear.

 

[HGUNHNTR]

Just use sabots, its cleaner, and ALOT more accurate, I am assumiing you want to hit your target...Right?

 

[pdowg881]

So will rifled slugs offer better performance than sabots in smoothbore. Because I can't figure out why the guys I know don't ever buy rifled slus. They shoot sabots from their smoothbores. They also complain that the sab ots are expensive. Wouldn't using rilfed slugs in a smoothbore both be cheaper and better performing?

 

[HGUNHNTR]

pdowg881, since a smoothbore doesn't have rifling, it relies in the slug to spin itself down the bbl (rifled slug) A sabot comes out of a smoothbore with no spin whatsoever, greatly reducing you accuracy, and increasing you cost! SHOOT RIFLED SLUGS IN A SMOOTHBORE< AND SABOTS IN A RIFLED BBL

 

[pdowg881]

Rifled slugs are cheaper too right? I assumed shooting sabots out of a smoothore is a waste when u can use cheaper rifled slugs, but the guys who introduced me to shotguns were using sabots in there smoothbores.

 

[HGUNHNTR]

Rifled Slugs are much cheaper, and will give you much better accuracy. Use as wide open choke as you can for best results. ie cylinder or Imp. Cyl
Good Luck