Slug Question

[Sulaco]

I picked up a Mossy 500 combo the other day. It came with a bird barrel and a deer barrel. The deer barrel is smoothbore with rifle sights. I want to shoot slugs in it. Which ones should I be looking at? I picked up some cheap ones (sabot) to play with. Will non-rifled slugs work ok in a smoothbore? What about the rifled slugs? Thanks. Oh, it's a 12ga.

 

[Tom C.]

Slugs

I believe the general rule is: Foster slugs (so-called rifled slugs) for smooth bore barrels, Sabot slugs for rifled barrels. There are, of course, exceptions to this general rule.
I have threaded my old Remington Model 11 for removable choke tubes. It shoots Foster slugs very nicely from the IC choke and shoots some sabot slugs ok through the rifled choke tube.
If you want to use the sabot slugs, consider having the barrel threaded for Tru-choke removable chokes and get a rifled choke tube.

 

[Al Thompson]

I've used the 870 version (rifle sights, smooth bore) for several years. The sabot slugs are for rifled barrels, the rifled slugs are for smooth bores.

Tom has a good point about the rifled choke tubes. I've used the plain barrel and rifled slugs with great sucess.

 

[cool45auto]

Good question. I want to get a Mossberg pistol grip shotgun for home defense. From what I've read I can shoot slugs thru it as long as it has a smooth bore and I use rifled slugs-is that right?

 

[Al Thompson]

With a smooth bore, you can use any slug - the sabots simply won't be accurate. With a rifled barrel, the sabots will be much more accurate, but the rifled slugs will not and any shot cartridge will be a huge "O" shape due to the spinning.

Two points:

Unless you live in the country, slugs are not the primary ammo of choice for HD. Too much penetration.

Pistol grip only shotguns are specialty guns - most of us old timers have BTDT. Very few (0?) use them today. Pistol grip with a stock (think AR-15) is a matter of taste.

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