Slugs with screw in chokes???

[engle's-wilder]

Hey all,

I have had a cheapy 20 gauge O/U for awhile now, and have decided to make the switch to decent 12 gauge. I'm thinking along the lines of the BPS... But my real question I need answered before I can come to any conclusions is: Can I shoot slugs through a barrel that has screw in (in-vector or whatever they're called) chokes????

I would like a gun I can use for just about anything... from foul to deer to bear if need be. So I love the option of being able to shoot slugs If I ever need to from the same barrel as I am shooting birdshot.

Additionally, what choke is the cut off for slugs, or tightest I can go without destroying my muzzle?

And lastly, If I were to get a semi-auto, like say a Browning silver hunter or an 1100... could I shoot slugs through these?

Thanks a million guys! always appreciate the input!

 

[M ammo]

One way to check,,, buy some slugs,, cut the slug out of the case, and drop it down the barrel,,, with each different choke,,, if it drops it is good!

jim

 

[denster]

Actually you can shoot rifled slugs through any choke including full with no problems. Although you will likely get your best preformance from IC or mod.
Before anyone says it. No it will not blow the tubes out of the gun and no it will not hammer weld them into the barrel.

 

[50 cal]

I've hunted deer for over 20 years with rifled slugs through a modified choke in my 870 without any problems.

 

[chas08]

Denster is correct. There are even screw in rifled choke tubes that impart spin to the slugs as they travel through it. You can use a gun like that, for anything you described.

 

[Mr. T]

I have a Mossberg 835 and it specifically stated that the barrel could not handle firing slugs through the barrel. I have heard of "slug" chokes as well. Personally if the manufacturer state that you shouldn't do it, I personally think you should follow the manufacturer's recommendation...right? Does anyone else have a Mossberg that has fired slugs out of a choked barrel?

 

[DPris]

Dropping a loose slug down the barrel will tell you nothing.
Slugs expand to fill and seal, if they remained undersized all the way through the barrel you'd have a huge amount of blowby, velocity loss, and loss of efficiency.

The Mossberg is the only factory model I'm aware of where the gun maker advises against slugs.
And that's certainly not a prohibition with ALL Mossberg shotguns.
If the gun maker doesn't prohibit in YOUR SPECIFIC MODEL, and/or the aftermarket screw-in choke maker doesn't, don't worry about using slugs up to and including a FULL choke.
Denis

 

[Virginian]

the reason Mossberg advises against the use of slugs in the 835 is because the barrel is overbored, and accuracy will be lousy, not because it's going to hurt the barrel in any way. Hell, if 3-1/2" steel loads don't hurt it, what chance would a mere lead slug have?

 

[chas08]

if 3-1/2" steel loads don't hurt it, what chance would a mere lead slug have?

I read somewhere that the skirt of the foster style slug could separate from the main body of the slug in overbored barrels and stay in the barrel. This would result in a partially obstructed barrel. Not a good thing to have happen. The BPS the OP talked about isn't overbored, so no worries.

 

[M ammo]

Dropping the slug down the barrel gives you peace of mind.

I have a super tight turkey choke that,, you don't want to shoot a slug through,
but most chokes will be OK,
The slug may and may not expand, all slugs are not Pumpkin balls, most slugs still have some type of wad behind the slug, that catches, most of the gases,

I cast and load my slugs. I shoot them in 3 Gun matches. I Lyman 525Gr looks like a bit air gun pellet.
They load in a Win shot cup wad, and have been more accurate than most of the factory slugs I have tried.
They do not expand the shot cups seals it,

Jim

 

[monkyboy1975]

Yes you can. my 870 slug gun came with 2 chokes; I.C. and rifled.

 

[DPris]

Again- dropping a slug down the bore will tell you exactly nothing about whether it's "safe" to shoot that slug through that bore.

The idea that if it passes without being stopped by the choke it's safe, and that if it's stopped by the choke it's unsafe, is erroneous.

Hollow Foster types and Brennekes are deliberately designed to swage down in going through a choke. The plastic shoe on a saboted "slug" (bullet) is also compressible to safely run through a choke.
Tight turkey chokes (beyond FULL as noted above) are not a good idea, but FULL & looser are fine with commercial slugs of various types.

The hollow Fosters will expand slightly. I have some dissected slug shells here. One 12-gauge had a cardboard wad resting against it. That slug measures .729-.735", the wad measures .726"-.728". (Neither is perfectly round.)
Point is the wad is slightly smaller in diameter than the slug base.
One or the other will expand to at least some degree to seal.
The wad can compress fractionally to enlarge diameter, the soft slug skirt can also compress slightly under gas pressure from the wad pushing hard against it, and the most likely way for the lead material movement to go is outward, resulting in at least some diameter increase.

The two 20-gauge Fosters had grex between slug & cardboard wad. Compression of the grex under pressure from the wad can be expected to exert pressure inside the grex-filled hollow base, again resulting in at least some degree of outward expansion.

Solid Brennekes with attached wads use different types of wads, fiber & "plastic piston" types.
Two different Brenneke slugs here measure .730", with a couple thousandths variance in either direction when measured at different spots on their bases, since they're not perfectly round.
Plastic wad on one is apparently designed to expand by compression along its length, the other wad's rear section has its own hollow base that expands under gas pressures.

12-gauge shotgun bores are nominally .730". That's the so-called "spec" for the gauge. They can run tighter, many (especially the Browning & Winchester-marked shotguns now) are overbored either deliberately or otherwise larger than standard specs. Some can run as tight as .720", others as "loose" as .800".

Something in the slug load has to accomodate a wide variation in bore diameters, and while it may be largely the wad in the solid Brennekes that handles the oversized bore diameters, it's s different matter with the older Foster.

Both types will swage down in passing through a tight choke, that's what the rifling's there for.
Dropping one through the barrel gives zero indication of a given slug's safety in a given choke.

Peace of mind is a relative thing, not always based on reality.
Denis

 

[M ammo]

How many slugs do most people shoot? ever? probably not enough to mater.

I shoot about 200 slugs a year. that's only for 3 Gun matches. out of an M2 Benelli.

or I would never have any other reason to shoot them at all.


Jim

 

[B1gGr33n]

I've fired no less than 100 slugs through my Daly Maxi-Mag, mostly for target shooting to familiarize myself with them and find a solid performer. With a full choke, it would hold minute-of-deer at 75 yards at best, but it's capable up to 150 yards with IC.

Point is: Yes, you can do it. But accuracy may suffer.

 

[M ammo]

slugs are funny,,, you get a pretty good group,,, then ,, one flies off for no good reason,

I have talked to some Up-state NY hunters that can't use a rifle, they have some real good,, slug guns,, that can keep a group,, and shoot longer range.

Kind of cool how they adapt.

 

[kimbershot]

used to have a browning a5 with 26 invectors. installed a williams sight on the vent rib and would ding 6" squares with foster slugs at 100yards. killed a few deer with same combo--used imp. cyl. tube--no issues at all.