12 gauge slugs

**hjay1968** · January 9th, 2009, 01:36 PM

I hunt in Allegheny County in Pa. I use a 12 gauge with rifled slugs. I'm having a problem with accuracy. I was wondering if its better to use a smooth barrel or a rifled barrel? I'm thinking that a rifled barrel with rifled slugs is defeating the purpose of the rifled slug. Am I correct?

**bt-99** · January 9th, 2009, 01:40 PM

Rifled barrels are way more accurate with both slugs and sabots, at least in my shotgun.

**NineseveN** · January 9th, 2009, 01:47 PM

Originally Posted by hjay1968

I hunt in Allegheny County in Pa. I use a 12 gauge with rifled slugs. I'm having a problem with accuracy. I was wondering if its better to use a smooth barrel or a rifled barrel? I'm thinking that a rifled barrel with rifled slugs is defeating the purpose of the rifled slug. Am I correct?

Rifled barrels generally perform better with Sabot slugs. Rifled slugs are generally made for smoothbore barrels. Rifled slugs have some sort of stabilizing mechanism that imparts spin (or at least, is supposed to impart spin) to make up for the lack of rifling in a smoothbore barrel. Sabot slugs running in rifled barrels allow the rifling to do what it is meant to do, again, impart spin to stabilized the projectile. However, rifled barrels, as noted above, will often be more accurate with either type than smoothbore barrels will be, but you have to really check your gun. Shotguns aren't made with the same tolerances as rifles for the most part, so you'll have individual guns with different results with the same ammunition or ammunition type.

**Qtrborecrazy** · January 9th, 2009, 06:08 PM

If I`m reading your post correctly your using rifled slugs in a rifled barrel. Rifled slugs are made for smooth bore barrels and sabot slugs are made for RIFLED barrels. You are correct when you say that one defeats the other when it comes to rifled slug in a rifled barrel. I use a winchester 1300 pump rifled barrel and I must say it likes 2 3/4 inch shells better than 3 inch. I use Federal Expanders (barnes slug) in mine and they are accurate, 2 1/2 inches at 100 yards. I bought Hornady SST slugs going to try them when it warms up.

Qtrborecrazy

**Brown-Bear** · January 9th, 2009, 10:17 PM

Originally Posted by Qtrborecrazy

If I`m reading your post correctly your using rifled slugs in a rifled barrel. Rifled slugs are made for smooth bore barrels and sabot slugs are made for RIFLED barrels. You are correct when you say that one defeats the other when it comes to rifled slug in a rifled barrel. I use a winchester 1300 pump rifled barrel and I must say it likes 2 3/4 inch shells better than 3 inch. I use Federal Expanders (barnes slug) in mine and they are accurate, 2 1/2 inches at 100 yards. I bought Hornady SST slugs going to try them when it warms up.
Qtrborecrazy

Bold is mine. You will not be disappointed.

**deafsmithco** · January 10th, 2009, 03:08 PM

Since this topic comes up from time to time the girl friend took a few pictures of "rifled" slugs shot from a Remington rifled slug barrel. If you think about it, what chance do the soft lead fins have against a steel barrel, rifled or smooth? In the pictures, the engraving from the barrel can be seen along with what is left of the "rifling" on the slug. I haven't tried Brenneke slugs and can't comment on them.

When we bought the Hasting barrels 20 plus years ago, we kept shooting Winchester or Federal foster type slugs because the Remingtons in those days were horrible. A few years ago I went to the SST's but when I run out I may go back to foster type because of the price of the SST's. The accuracy is great as is the trajectory. So far the results on deer with the SST's has been spectacular and I have enough to last a few years.

Any way don't worry about using fosters in a rifled barrel, I've even used them in a TC87 that had an extra full screw in choke.

The fosters probably wont shoot as well as a sabot and you need to figure out what amount of accuracy is acceptable to you. Sure you will get some leading, you get it in a smooth bore too.

If you are using a scope, unless the barrel has a solid hook up with the receiver, I think a short heavy cantilever base mount is best. A receiver mounted scope with a barrel set up like the Remington's use will change point of impact when the barrel is taken off and put back on. Just changing the torque on the end cap can change POI.

A good trigger helps, both off the bench and in the woods.

When you find a load that you like go back to the shop and buy as much of that lot number as you can. I bought a new case of Winchester fosters one time and shot them with the last 2 boxes of the old lot. Keeping them separate, but firing them alternatively, I ended up with 2 separate groups, a foot apart.

I have stayed too long and said too much but I hope some of this helps.