12-gauge slug at 2,700 FPS

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workinwifdakids

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Can we get a 1 oz slug to travel 2,700FPS in a standard 12-gauge shotgun without putting life or property in danger?

A 180-grain 30.06 round travelling 2713 fps at muzzle delivers 2942 ft. lbs. of energy.
A 438-grain (1oz) slug travelling 1700 fps at muzzle delivers 2810 ft. lbs. of energy.

I see the 30.06 is headed downrange at a 60% faster rate than the slug, which accounts for the similar energy dump. Basically, it's a wash. Now, if you could fling the slug at speeds approaching that of the 30.06, it would produce over 7,000 ft. lbs. of energy. For comparison, the 375 H&H hovers above 4,000 ft. lbs. at the muzzle.
 
Winchester advertises a 2,000fps 12 guage slug as does hornady. These are from rifled slug barrels. In smooth bore winchester has an advertised 1850fps slug. Those are the fastest slugs I know of. I wonder what kind of muzzle energy these produce?
 
A 438-grain (1oz) slug at 2,000FPS produced about 3,890 foot-pounds at muzzle. Now we're getting somewhere. Thanks, BTW - I didn't know about those two rounds.
 
Since pressure is what the gun makers worry about, I suspect they don't make any kind of 400gr plus projectile go at 2700 fps cause the pressures would go through the roof.

400 gr at 2700 is .458 WM velocity/weight and that's 50,000 CUP for a .458 rifle. Scatterguns go 10,000 CUP or so.

I see no way to reach that in any normal pump, auto, lever, or single shot unless you use a Mauser action and brass cases (and even then, I'd make sure my medical coverage was at max before firing such a load.)
 
If it WERE possible to drive a 400 gr slug at 2700 fps the recoil factor in an 8 pound shotgun would exceed 60 pounds of recoil. Not something I would want to try.
 
Eight pound? Ruger, a 18 inch Mossie 500 weighs something like 7 pounds at the most... ouch.. I suspect it might break a sholder cause 400 at 2700 isn't to shy of what a .50 BMG gets (600gr at 2600) from a 100 lb gun!
 
Well Deaf, a 7 pound Mossberg would yield around 70 pounds of recoil. A 30 caliber gun shooting a 200gr bullet at 2700fps would yield around 22 pounds of recoil just for comparison
 
What weight for the 30?

All I can say is I've shot single shot H&R 12 guages with slugs and It's a very unplesant thing to do. The worst was a Mossburge 18 inch 12 with 3 inch magnum buckshot. I couldn't even last the five round box!

I think I'll give this 2700 fps slug stuff a miss.
 
Just Google up "recoil calculations" and it will bring you to a site where you can insert any weights of gun, slug, powers and velocities. Have some fun.
 
The closest I have seen to what you are asking is the 3" Remington Buckhammer loads.
"The 3-incher is a 1500 fps, 1 1/8-ounce thunderclap that generates 3,232 ft.-lbs. at the muzzle"
http://www.nrapublications.org/tah/Slugs.asp

I've fired the 2 3/4, and while the first few were very accurate, after a couple, my accuracy dropped off a lot due to flinch. They Hurt. I'm not afraid of recoil, but these wear on you FAST. It got to be no fun after a short time.
 
You realise 1500 fps for basicly a 500 grain bullet for a gun weighs 1/2 of what a .458 elephant rifle weights is gonna kick. The .458 drives a 500 grain slug at 2200 fps. But we are talking a 10 to 12 lb gun!

So no wonder it kicked bad. It was WORSE than an elephant rifle. About like 460 Weatherby! And I bet the recoil pad on that shotgun wasn't very thick.

I'd flinch to!
 
Lightfild sell a 12 GAUGE 3 inch Slug of 600 grains at 1700Ft/sec.
Total Energy of 3850 FtLbs!
Any other shell over that energy?
 
Lightfild sell a 12 GAUGE 3 inch Slug of 600 grains at 1700Ft/sec.
Total Energy of 3850 FtLbs!
Any other shell over that energy?
Click to expand...

The question is still why?

A 300 or 338 WM can match that with less than 1/2 the recoil, (about 30-35 ft lbs vs over 70 ft lbs). In addition the rifle rounds will beat the 12 ga slugs penetration by a sizeable margin. Plus no one shoots anything at the muzzle. Get the range much beyond 50 yards and even 30-06 beats it with 1/3 the recoil. A 437 gr .720 caliber slug slows down REAL fast.

Move up to 375 or 458 mag and you beat those numbers by 1000 ft lbs and still have about 40% less recoil.
 
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