Rifled slugs in smooth barrel

[butcherboy]

i have a Rem 870 express with 28inch smooth barrel. i was told i can shoot rifled slugs in it with an open choke. is this true? or do i have to use smooth bore slugs? any help would be great.

 

[Tim the student]

Rifled or sabot slugs will be safe to shoot in it, but you will not see an improvement in accuracy with the sabots.

Any choke is safe, but a looser one like IC will likely shoot better.

 

[Caliper_Mi]

"Rifled" slugs are intended for use in smooth bore barrels. Their construction is designed that they are stable without having spin.

Don't waste the money on the sabot slugs unless you have a rifled barrel or at least a rifled choke. The sabot slugs are shaped like a rifle bullet and require spin to stabilize.

 

[stonecoldy]

I have a 870 Remington Express 12 gauge, first year offered if I remember correctly, in the 21" barrel with the Remchoke system. All I have ever fired through it were Foster-style slugs since it's a smoothbore barrel. I tried IC and Mod chokes with Remington 2/34" Slugger loads with it, both shot pretty well, no discernable difference at 50-100 yards. They plopped in with deer-of-ribcage accuracy. If you're looking for hunting accuracy, run a variety through it,to see what it prefers (painful as that sounds). Federal Tru-balls did well also, Winchester it was picky about.

 

[W.E.G.]

Rifled slugs are for smoothbore shotguns.



Police trade-in Smith and Wesson smoothbore with rifle sights.

 

[T.R.]

I have a sawed off barrel for my Mossberg 500. Local smith cut down a 28 inch barrel for me to 18.5 inches. With plain FEDERAL slug ammo, I can keep three shots into a 6 inch circle at 35 yards. Not very impressive. In contrast, I know an older hunter in Beaver County that has slain dozens of whitetails with his Ithaca 37 which is factory designed for Foster type slugs. He has toppled deer as far away as 100 yards or so with his deadly slug gun.

My crossbow shoots bolts far more accurately than my Mossberg with "shorty" barrel.

But this shorty barrel is great for running rabbits. Pattern is wide and fairly evenly distributed using high base 7 1/2 shot.

TR

 

[Yarddog]

Rifled slugs have Rifled raised grooves to spin in a smooth bore Just my 2cnts ; )
Y/D