Deer hunter88
New member
Has anyone ever used a screw in rifle choke for shooting sabot slugs? I have thought about buying one but I'm not sure if it's worth the money or not.
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Rifle choke
- Thread starter Deer hunter88
- Start date
Deer hunter88
New member
I'm talking about sabot slugs designed for slug guns not the foster type slugs.Seems to me that a lead slug hitting some rifling at the end of the barrel would just strip the lead and not develop much spin.
I haven't researched it, just my thoughts.
big al hunter
New member
You would be far better off getting a single shot full rifled barrel. I have a TC Encore in 12ga. Shoots Hornady sabot slugs to 1 1/2 to 2" groups at 100 yds. I have been thinking about getting an H&R Ultra Slug Hunter in 20 ga. Heard good things about it. Last I checked they run just under $300.
KnightofCydonia
New member
How about Brenneke-style slugs in smooth vs rifled barrels?
As I recall, sabotted slugs require a fully rifled barrel. Rifled choke tubes were something the assorted manufacturers tried but didn't work well.
"...a 6" group at 100 yards..." Tell him to try another brand of ammo. Standard slugs out of a smooth bore with a cylinder choke will shoot better than that. 3" at 100 isn't unusual.
"...a 6" group at 100 yards..." Tell him to try another brand of ammo. Standard slugs out of a smooth bore with a cylinder choke will shoot better than that. 3" at 100 isn't unusual.
I'm Buckeye, suffered slugs for 50+ years of deer hunting. Was always after the
ultimate slug gun. I tried the rifled choke with both Sabots, Fosters & Brenneke.
Shot from both 870 & 1100. They were lousy. The 1100 & 870 smooth bore slug
barrels would both do 3" at 100yds(3x scopes) with Fosters, tad better with Brenneke. I know several others who tried rifle choke who had same results. The
Ithaca 87 rifled barrel slug gun was the most accurate out of the box gun on the
market, when it was still available. The Ithaca 37 Deer Slayer was one of the top
smooth bores too. Depending on what degree of accuracy you require for your
hunting situation, 0 to 100yds, most smooth bore guns with Foster slugs suffice.
I had them all and carried a Browning A5 that I cut down and installed sights
right up to when we got Rifle season. With any luck will never fire another slug.
ultimate slug gun. I tried the rifled choke with both Sabots, Fosters & Brenneke.
Shot from both 870 & 1100. They were lousy. The 1100 & 870 smooth bore slug
barrels would both do 3" at 100yds(3x scopes) with Fosters, tad better with Brenneke. I know several others who tried rifle choke who had same results. The
Ithaca 87 rifled barrel slug gun was the most accurate out of the box gun on the
market, when it was still available. The Ithaca 37 Deer Slayer was one of the top
smooth bores too. Depending on what degree of accuracy you require for your
hunting situation, 0 to 100yds, most smooth bore guns with Foster slugs suffice.
I had them all and carried a Browning A5 that I cut down and installed sights
right up to when we got Rifle season. With any luck will never fire another slug.
It was the indian, not the arrow in his case."...a 6" group at 100 yards..." Tell him to try another brand of ammo. Standard slugs out of a smooth bore with a cylinder choke will shoot better than that. 3" at 100 isn't unusual.
KnightofCydonia
New member
For smoothbore slug accuracy, does most of it come from the inherent bore diameters? I read that the Ithaca Deerslayers had a slightly tight diameter which made for better accuracy. Also, the new ones from Ohio have a fixed barrel.
Also, the new ones from Ohio have a fixed barrel.
What do you mean by "fixed barrel"?
bamaranger
New member
fickle things
No telling.....barrels, slug brand, and rifled choke tubes are all individual components. One might find a combination that shot better than a conventional Foster slug from a smooth bore gun....and you might not.
Given the affordability of Foster slugs, I think I'd rather experiment with a
couple brands of common slugs and choke arrangements, before I started shooting the more expensive sabot's. If your shooting iron sights, or heaven forbid, a bead, you might find that a Foster gives all you can get anyhow in terms of range and accuracy.
No telling.....barrels, slug brand, and rifled choke tubes are all individual components. One might find a combination that shot better than a conventional Foster slug from a smooth bore gun....and you might not.
Given the affordability of Foster slugs, I think I'd rather experiment with a
couple brands of common slugs and choke arrangements, before I started shooting the more expensive sabot's. If your shooting iron sights, or heaven forbid, a bead, you might find that a Foster gives all you can get anyhow in terms of range and accuracy.
Winchester Super-X BRI Sabot Slugs are one of the earliest sabot slug designs still on the market. The BRI hour glass shape predates rifled shotgun barrels and its long, weight forward sabot design has a record of responding well to rifled choke tubes.
This article examines the performance of this slug design:
https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2014/3/7/winchester-super-x-bri-sabot-slugs/
This article examines the performance of this slug design:
https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2014/3/7/winchester-super-x-bri-sabot-slugs/
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I'm not up on new Ithacas out of Ohio. The rifled Ithaca 87 came out in solid frame, barrel was not interchangeable. The 37 Deer Slayer did have a smaller dia bore than cylinder. I cut down a lot of older model shotguns and put sights on them. I found that Win 12s, 97s and FN Brn A5s had slightly smaller bore dia
than the newer model guns. I'm not sure but I think it had to do with the process modern shotgun barrels are made. I also found that when a newer model shotgun barrel is cut the bore is not centered in barrel. This is not uniform
on same model of gun no two are the same. If you wanted to make a short Turkey gun out of one of these guns the off center bore won't allow enough meat
to thread for chokes. The Win 25 and solid frame Hi standards were prized to
make into slug guns before rifled barrels. There was a lot of guys trying to come
up with the perfect slug gun back then. Slug matches were very popular and was
a year round thing. Opinions weren't made by guys who shot a occasional slug
or shot a couple boxes in deer season. Barrels were silver soldered, pinned and
special torque nuts made up. All this stuff ended when rifled barrels came out.
In most eastern woods hunting a good smooth bore with Foster slugs is good
for 100yds +.
than the newer model guns. I'm not sure but I think it had to do with the process modern shotgun barrels are made. I also found that when a newer model shotgun barrel is cut the bore is not centered in barrel. This is not uniform
on same model of gun no two are the same. If you wanted to make a short Turkey gun out of one of these guns the off center bore won't allow enough meat
to thread for chokes. The Win 25 and solid frame Hi standards were prized to
make into slug guns before rifled barrels. There was a lot of guys trying to come
up with the perfect slug gun back then. Slug matches were very popular and was
a year round thing. Opinions weren't made by guys who shot a occasional slug
or shot a couple boxes in deer season. Barrels were silver soldered, pinned and
special torque nuts made up. All this stuff ended when rifled barrels came out.
In most eastern woods hunting a good smooth bore with Foster slugs is good
for 100yds +.