Which slug for BPS with rifled barrel?

W

wjg686

New member
I've just returned from a frustrating trip to the range. I put a new Browning rifled barrel on my BPS (both 2 1/2-3" chamber) and set out to sight it in with a new Nikon 4-9x40 BDC scope. From a rest, it won't keep Hornady SST slugs within a 6 inch circle at 100 yards. My Rossi single-shot will do 2". I was sure that the 1 in 28" claimed twist would be enough to stabilize the Hornadys. Who has this setup, and which slugs work for you? I'm hoping to save my shoulder from a multiple-brand beating. Thanks in advance.

Bill
 
You just need to try several slugs to see what works in your barrel.
There's no magic "best".
Denis
 
Rifled barrel shotguns are designed for sabot slugs. I've heard the Browning shotguns can get better than 2" groups at 100 yds with rifled barrel and sabots. !
 
The SST is a saboted slug. And I'm glad to hear that this fine shotgun/barrel combo should be more accurate than I got with that slug. I was just hoping someone had already done the several-brand check with this gun. Thanks.

Bill
 
Try some Brenneke KO slugs. Those are one of the few non-sabot slugs that are OK to use in a rifled barrel. They are cheaper than sabot slugs too.
 
Rifled barrel shotguns are not designed for sabot slugs, since they were in use long before the current modern sabot came into widespread acceptance.
It'd be more accurate to say that sabots were designed for rifled barrels.

You can successfully shoot a number of different standard or non-saboted slugs in a rifled barrel, again people have been doing it for many years. It's just a matter of finding one that works well in an individual barrel.

Yes, you should get better accuracy with a sabot, but you're not restricted ONLY to expensive sabots.

Brennekes are excellent slugs.
Denis
 
I did a search on Brenneke KO slugs. They make a saboted version that a lot of people seem to like, and the price is definitely right. I'll take 'em out in the next few days and give them a try. Thanks very much for the tip!

Bill
 
Etem,
Sometimes that happens. :D

WJG,
You can get leading from a lead slug in both rifled and non-rifled bores.
The degree & amount depends on the bore, the slug type & hardness, and how much of them you shoot through the barrel at a session.

The standard hollow-based Foster type slugs expand in the bore and are quite soft, they can also vary in actual diameter from brand to brand.

Brenneckes are generally solid, and harder. They typically use an attached wad that can help scrub the bore a bit as the slug travels.

Denis
 
Rifled barrel shotguns are designed for sabot slugs. I've heard the Browning shotguns can get better than 2" groups at 100 yds with rifled barrel and sabots. !
Click to expand...

Correct. The weight forward design of the Foster or Brenneke keep he slug stablized. I don't think any amount of rifled bbl. will put enough spin on a standard slug to stabilize it. It can't, since the slug is less than bore diameter.

From my smoothbore Scattergun Tech 870, with rifle sights, I was able to cut group size in half by going to Federal TruBall slugs. From about 4" to 2" at 50yds. They come in full or reduced power versions and can be ordered thru Cabelas.

Rifled bbls. are at their best with Sabots.:cool:
 
"Standard" slugs expand to fit bore diameter, and they do achieve a spin rate from rifling. Fosters are hollowbased, as mentioned, and can expand or swage as needed in a given bore. Works exactly like the old Minie ball, which was hollowbased & undersized relative to the bore, and expanded to engage the rifling as gas pressures forced its base outward.

Brennekes also have sufficient diameter & rifling engagement to achieve spin.

People have been using rifled barrels with both types of slugs for many many years, and when everything matches up, including good glass, the combination can be quite accurate & very effective downrange, within its limitations.

Denis
 
Always thought that the purpose of the hollow base with soft lead was to expand enough to keep the slug from rattling down the bore. Since only the hollow portion expands, I'm surprised that there'd be enough engagement with the rifling to impart much spin.



On the other hand, I've not personally tried slugs in a rifled bbl. I'd be interested in observing how much in the way of rifling marks there are on a recovered slug.

Seems like the Brenneke would better take advantage of a rifled bbl. if, unlike smoothbores, rifled bbls. were of uniform diameter.
 
The function of the mostly hollow Foster slug is to allow whatever degree of expansion's needed, smoothbore or rifled bore. It was designed to adapt itself to a wide range of bore diameters, including rifling.
The shank expands sufficiently along its length to take the rifling. Again- just like an old Minie ball.
It also allows the slug (in conjunction with the "rifling" on the slug itself) to swage down enough to get through tighter chokes as needed.
Denis
 
Not Brennekes

I was able to find the Brenneke K.O. slugs without sabots, and went out to the range today. Same hole at 25 yards from a rest, all over the place at 50! They must not be fitting well in the bore. Oh, well, it's the revolver this year. I'll do some more tryouts after the season.

Bill
 
The Brenneke slugs vary, I've tried them in different guns where the KO might work best in one & the Black Magic Short Magnum might be most accurate in another.
Just like testing from brand to brand, you also have to test from Brenneke to Brenneke.
Denis
 
Best slug for BPS w/rifled barrel--found it

Bill...I have a BPS and this past fall bought a rifled barrel for it. (Hastings Paradox). I read about fantastic groupings at 200 yds with Hornady sabot slugs and so I bought six boxes and headed to the range. I used a gun rest and the 50 yard range to get my Nikon 1 X 5 scope sighted in. The problem was that I could never get a valid "group." Half of the slugs were "flyers". I gave up on the Hornadys and tried Winchester's sabots. Same result. I tried other high speed, long range sabots and got unreliable results too. I was very discouraged. Then, I turned to the slugger forums on the Internet for advice.

One person wrote that he had the same problem. He said that every barrel is different, every slug brand is different and there are even variations within models. You have to match the slug to the barrel. He then said that he had a BPS with a Hastings barrel and he described the same results as I had experienced. After much testing, he found two sabot slugs that worked best. These were "hybred" sabots and were slower than some (about 1500 FPS) but were very, very accurate. He found the Lightfield Hybred sabot and the Remington Buckhammer to be the most accurate.

I bought a few boxes of each and went back to the range. I tried the Lightfields first and at 50 yards, I put the first 5 slugs almost on top of each other. I got similar results from the Buckhammers but just a bit larger group. The hybred sabots don't shed their plastic skin and so their range is somewhat less but their accuracy is far superior to others for my barrel. I have total confidence hitting a deer at 125 yards with these hybred sabots and since my scope is sighted in at 100 yards, the sabot is only -3 inches at 125 yards and still exhibits very good groups.

I hope this information helps. I would be interested in learning your results if you try what I did.
 
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