Rifled slug question...

[SRGBV]

Does the choke of a shotgun make a difference as far as a rifled slug is concerned?(Is it safe to use a slug in a full choke gun?).

Thanks, Steve

[gearchecker]

Chokes are used to tighten up the shot groups when shooting round shot. I was told never to shoot slugs through a choked barrel.
Right or wrong, it's certainly not going to affect your accuracy if you pull the choke out for your slugs.
If your shotgun has an adjustable choke you can usually open it up to a no-choke position. I had a Remington 1100 with a non removable adjustable choke. It had a mark on it for shooting slugs.
Regards,
Gregory

[SRGBV]

Gregory-

What about barrels that are permanently factory choked?

Steve

[Injunbro]

I lived in the north country when I was a teenager & we hunted deer w/ rifled slugs. The slug is still smaller than a full choke so theres no danger. My full choked Ithaca accounted for a couple of nice whitetails. Safe? Sure. Accurate? Well.... up to 40-50 yards.

[Charlie686]

I would contact the customer service dept. of the shotguns manufacture or talk with a good gunsmith. IMHO I would just get a new barrel designed for slug use or purchase a shotgun designed for slugs. Lots of good one out there these days and most have rifled barrels,a plus for greater accuracy.

[gearchecker]

SRG,
I'm hoping Injunbro answered that question.
I'd assume if it's permanently choked it has to be safe to use slugs, unless it's specifically mentioned in the gun manual or on the barrel not to. I'm not much of a shotgun guy for the most part, I have a few. The one I hunted with, had a rifled barrel for slugs, so I never gave it much thought. My brother had a Marlin Goose gun and was told never to shoot slugs from it, for fear it would blow out the barrel.
That's about my level of expertise on shotguns. None of the shotguns I have currently have chokes on them.

Gregory

[Waidmann]

Danger, no. Pleasant appropriate or effective? I have a Browning Sweet Sixteen and two barrels. With the Improved Cylinder I can from the bench shoot the short side of a soda can at 50 yds. With the Modified you need to stand them up. Anecdotally I believe the IC is as good as Skeet or Bore. I have yet to see a vent ribbed barrel throw a slug well. Full tends to be unpleasant and less accurate.

The bottom line buy some slugs and shoot. If the results are not satisfactory don't take it to the field.

My brother who lives in Delaware and often hunts in New Jersey has a Remington 1100 with a Hastings rifled barrel complete with cantilevered mount, topped by a Leupold scope. He buys .50 caliber Remington sabot slugs by the case. Within 150 yards its his!

[DocZeus]

I'm not a "shotgun guy" either, but I've used them quite a bit over the years. I never got on the "rifled barrel/Sabot round" bandwagon, too expensive for my occasional use of slugs....

Most manufacturers of shells say that the best performance for rifled slugs (NOT Sabot rounds) will be from an Improved Cylinder choke in a smoothbore barrel.....One of my favorite Deer-hunting shotguns is a shorter-barreled (21") Remington 870 "Turkey Gun", in 12-Gauge, with screw-in "RemChoke" tubes. With standard Remington rifled slugs, and an I.C. choke tube installed, I can print 3" or less groups at better than 75 yards....That Bead Sight doesn't lend itself to pinpoint accuracy, but close enough to "get the job done" for Deer-sized game.

I grabbed a box of Remington 2-3/4" 12 Gauge Slugs off the shelf in my garage, scanned it in, and highlighted their recommendations for shooting through Shotgun Chokes in red:



Good Deer/Large Game round, and very effective against hard barriers, i.e. car doors.....

Some of the "Good Ole Boys" around these parts make their own "Hillbilly Deer Slugs", by "ringing out" a plastic 12-Gauge shell with a pocket knife, causing the WHOLE FRONT PART OF THE SHELL, shot and wad-cup included, to fly down the bore....they hit with DEVASTATING results, but I HAVE seen more than a FEW "burst barrels" from this practice, usually shooting through too-tight (Modified, Full) of a choke.

That's ONE instance where "If it don't fit, FORCE It" will NOT work.

DocZeus
AKA
David

[banger]

Hadn't thought of "ringing" a 12 in years -- used to do it when I was a kid -- also would shoot 45 Colt through a .410 . . .

I still have a collection of various slugs, some with plastic fins affixed, some round balls, some elongated, rifled slugs, etc . . .

For a while I was into shotgun slugging, even to the point of silvering front and rear rifle sights on my old Savage 220.

[tpd223]

Foster slugs are basically a hollow lead projectile, they are made to swage down when fired through choked barrels.