What's the scoop on slugs?

[Dave R]

I'm not sure I have the facts on when slugs can/cannot be used in a shotgun. I consider this all heresay and would like to get the straight scoop.

There are two main kinds of slugs, saboted slugs and lead (rifled) slugs like Brenneke's, right?

I heard that saboted slugs should NOT be fired through any choke. Apparently they are less forgiving that lead solids. Can anyone confirm?

I have also heard that modified is the tightest choke you should use for lead slugs. Others have told me you can safely shoot lead slugs through a full choke, but its likely to be less accurate. Can anyone confirm?

Also, I thought saboted slugs should only be used in rifled (shotgun) barrels. Otherwise, they won't spin. Lead slugs have the grooves which give them spin in a smoothbore.

Do I have this slug thing straight, or have I mangled the matrix of possibilities?

 

[labgrade]

You just about covered the bases.

Coupla different types of "just lead" slugs. One is the Brenneke which maintains its wadding affixed & attached out the barrel. I haven't seen all flavors of 'em, but the 1 oz slug I'm currently using is sorta semi-hollow towards the base. They seem to be "more solid" thatn:

The "badmitten birdie"-type which is very hollow in comparison to the Brennekes. Much more weight-forward with a fairly solid front end, but very hollow towards the rear. Think these are called Forester/Foster(?) slugs ....

On no box of these type slugs have I ever seen a warning that says "don't shoot through XX choke." I've seen the "badmitten" type shot through full choke with no apparent damage, but couldn't comment on accuracy. Personally, the cut-off at mod choke works for me.

These type can be shot quite accuractely out of a smoothbore. Some have "rifling" imprinted deeply into the slug itself which supposedly grabs the air which imparts a rifling spin once out the barrel.

Different types of sabot slugs too.

There's the wasp-waisted kind that are usually .50 cal & elongated. Their sabot is in two mating halves, split lengthwise. & the "pistol caliber"-type that uses a .45 (or so) cal pistol bullet with a sabot that is like the old Remington Accelerator round - sorta like a shot cup but quit a bit thicker.

These get their best accuracy/stabilization out of, at the least, a rifling choke tube, but much better with a full rifled barrel. I did some pretty impressive groups with the older BRI sabot (wasp-waist) out of an IC smoothbore.

Seems these would be harder to sawg down through a tighter choke because of the sabot being less maleable than the lead - I dunno. You'd think the rifling itself would be tighter than a full choke, but not fully around the whole slug .... but, the only "warnings" i"ve seen on the "pistol caliber" slugs was not to shoot out of a non-rifled bore.

I'm typed out ....

 

[Dave McC]

There's few absolutes with slugs, darn it. Two of the tightest 100 yd groups I ever saw were from a bead sighted,full choke, 16 gauge, Model 97 Winchester. Cloverleafs. Go figure...

Few shotguns do their best work with slugs with more than a Modified choke, and mostly open is better. Non rifled bbls do best, generally, with the Brennekes and the older Forster type slugs. Rifled bbls, divers sabots do best.

The "Rifling" on some slugs does little to spin the projectile. More cogently, they swage down going through the bore and give a good seal.

My two slug shooters are set up similarily. Both are 870s, one is chokeless and one has a rifled tube in for deer season. The 100 yd difference in groups so far has been 3/4" in favor of the tubed gun. I've never owned a fully rifled slug shooter,but have shot a NEF with sabots and scope. The thing is quite accurate, my best group ran less than 3" at 100 yds. All take deer under field conditions with alacrity.

A coupla opinions on slugs....

One, there's no ineffective slugs, at least in 12 gauge.

Two,the spindle type sabots are wondrous accurate but don't seem to be quite as fast at downing deer. We've recovered all or nearly all of them, but we had to trail further.

Three,the most accurate 12 ga RIFLE is still a shorter range weapon than a 300 Mag, or even the venerable 30-30. Most slug shooters can group within 4 or 5" at 50 yards, and that's plenty accurate if your usual shot opp comes at 30 yards or less. Mine do, YMMV.

Four, my guess is the maximum HUMANE distance for slugs is about 125 yards with the best slug gun out there. The human factor is still the biggest element in a hit or miss.

Some time ago I proposed that the practical range of any hunter/equipment is the distance that the shots stay on a 5" paper saucer under field conditions. I still think that's a good limit.

In summation, use sabots in fully rifled bores, Brennekes and Forsters in smoothbores and those with rifled choke tubes, and be willing to do some bench testing to find the best combination with either. Good luck....