slugs through what chokes

J

johnwilliamson062

Moderator
At some point in time I heard throwing slugs out of a full choke barrel was a bad idea. Better to use cylinder or improved. All my shotguns have accuchoke, so I just went with the info and didn't worry about it. Have a buddy who wants to hunt with his grandfather Model 37 Winchester single shot which has a full choke.

Is this slugs through a full choke is a bad idea thing based in any fact?
 
I wouldnt chance it with a full choke. The end of barrels since theyre threaded, including chokes, are thin and constriction of the barrel that much with a full choke might be risking it. I hear of people shooting slugs out of full chokes, but I wouldnt.

Stay with IC or something not as constrictive as full.
 
Any choke but full choke will work fine is my rule of thumb.

Tight squeeze can deform some slugs but most will work fine with the full choke, some will even be more accurate with the full choke. I have never heard of any shotgun being damaged shooting slugs through them. I just don't do it because of the possibility that my particular slug may not like that full choke on that particular barrel.

The caveat is they can tear off the plastic case off a sabot slug and ruin accuracy and slugs are notorious for not being standard dimensions. For that reason I use an IC or IM choke and can shoot turkey with shot and deer with slugs from the same gun without worrying about it. Rifled slug barrels are best used with sabot's, personally I don't see any difference between my slug barrels and my smooth bore barrels using Brenneke or Foster type slugs.

Mixed message here I know and sorry about that but your friend won't know unless he tries it. I have an old 12 gauge that throws slugs all over the place and beyond 25 yards it would be an unlucky deer that would get hit. I have three others that will group 4"-6" at 100 yards depending on what flavor of slug I am shooting in it. If he does try it I suggest finding Foster type slugs, they are soft and a bit more accurate and under 60 yards the deer won't know the difference.
 
Most I know used IC or IM chokes for slugs.
Would seem that repeated slug shooting through a full choke would be very hard on the choke.
 
Only time there is an issue throwing slugs through a full choke is when you are firing 'specialty' slugs meaning things extra hard like dixie slugs. regular run of the mill foster slugs will be fine safety wise but may not be the most accurate out of a full choke. In any case you dont want to fire sabot slugs out of a smooth bore barrel. again not a safety concern, an accuracy one.
 
Yes but will shooting foster slugs prematurely 'shoot-out' the full choke?
Click to expand...
No! Regular foster slugs are not a particularly hardened form of lead... They may be "dead soft" IIRC. The fact that slugs are not jacketed nor very high speed mitigates the risk of eroding the barrels or chokes.
Brent
 
Slugs are designed to compress going through a choke, that's what the rifling is for. They should go through a full choke with no problem at all.
 
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