Shotshell in a Slug Gun?

[Bri-Dog]

I have come across a nice older Wingmaster with a 20" rifled slug barrel . I want to help my brother turn it into a HD gun. I'm sure he will never have any interest in shooting slugs. Will shooting shotshell be affected by the barrel rifling?

I don't care if it will affect its ability to ever shoot slugs again effectively, only if it will affect its shotshell patterning to the level required for an HD gun?

Appreciate your help

 

[benelli12]

I think that if you get the shotgun shells with the plastic wads, I believe that the lead shot would never touch the barrel, because of how the wad carries the pellets. I think you would be fine shooting those, but Im not sure, someone else would probably know.

 

[TrapperReady]

The rifling spins the shotcup and everything in it. Patterns typically open up quite a bit... more than most people want. IMO, smoothbore is the way to go.

 

[Starter52]

I'm with Trapper. I would sell that valuable rifled barrel and pick up a common unrifled one, and use the extra $$$ to buy buckshot shells.

 

[Bri-Dog]

Thanks for the quick replies. Just the info I was looking for, and I really like the idea of selling off one barrel to fund the purchse of another.

 

[GRIZ22]

Shotshells in my 870 rifled barrel open up so fast the pattern is useless past 5-7 yds. Get a smooth tube.

 

[Zero_DgZ]

The rifling spins the shot cup like a centrifuge and you wind up with a pattern that looks like an expanding doughnut - safest place for the target to stand is right where the gun is aimed. Think of it like shooting ratshot out of a rifled pistol barrel but on a larger scale.

 

[Kimber1911_06238]

ditto...sell the rifled barrel, you should be able to buy a smoothbore for less $

 

[foghornl]

Unless you want to use the "sabot slugs", yes sell/trade that barrel or outright buy one without rifling.

If you have buckshot without a plastic 'wad cup', such as Selleir & Bellot or Wolf, the shot will get grossly deformed by the rifling, and lead up the barrel a lot very quickly. Shotshells with the 'wad cup' spin the shot column due to the rifling, and gives you a way too rapidly expanding 'doughnut' pattern. I have verified these for myself.