shooting slugs and buckshot

kbuc · Apr 30, 2009

Is it ok to shoot rifled slugs out of a regular shotgun barrel?
What choke should be used for slugs and buckshot?

PhysicsGuy · Apr 30, 2009

Yes, that's what rifled slugs are designed for, but your barrel must not have any sort of choke design integrated into it, either removable or not. Even if you remove your choke I would advise against slugs due to the fact that it can damage the threading, unless you have a barrel with inset threading specifically for this purpose (benelli comes to mind)

NoAim · Apr 30, 2009

^^^ I disagree with the chokes.

If you have a fixed choke barrel, lead slugs are fine through everything up to a mod or IC choke. The lead just squeezes down a bit (it's pretty soft).

If you have a barrel with removable chokes, NEVER shoot anything without a choke in it. It WILL screw up the internal threads. That said, same advice as above.

Typically I've seen best performance with an open or IC choke on slugs. The less squeezing the less deformation and better accuracy.

Buckshot, you can typically shoot lead buck through any choke except for tighter than full.

Otherwise, "rifled slugs" are for smoothbore barrels (the rifling is on the slug rather than the barrel) while "sabot slugs" are for rifled barrels.

kbuc · Apr 30, 2009

So the barrel that came with my gun (28" with screw in chokes) would not work.
I need to get either a "smooth cylinder bore" or a rifled barrel?

PhysicsGuy · Apr 30, 2009

NoAim said:
^^^ I disagree.

If you have a fixed choke barrel, lead slugs are fine through everything up to a mod or IC choke. The lead just squeezes down a bit (it's pretty soft).

If you have a barrel with removable chokes, NEVER shoot anything without a choke in it. It WILL screw up the internal threads. That said, same advice as above.

Typically I've seen best performance with an open or IC choke on slugs. The less squeezing the less deformation and better accuracy.

Buckshot, you can typically shoot lead buck through any choke except for tighter than full.

You may be safe to shoot slugs through fixed chokes, I've never seen anyone crack a barrel doing it, but I know that all manufactures strongly advise against it. It might be due to pressure buildup when the slug starts getting "squished".

According to benelli, they designed their choke threads on the M4 to be able to run slugs without the choke, but I don't know if any other manufactures have adopted this type of threading.

kbuc said:
So the barrel that came with my gun (28" with screw in chokes) would not work.
I need to get either a "smooth cylinder bore" or a rifled barrel?

Yep, a smooth non screw in choke barrel is what you want. Idk if there would be any benefit of running rifled slugs in a rifled barrel. If you are using it for hunting, then get a rifled barrel and use saboted slugs, and if you're using it for defense, get a 18.5" smooth and use rifled slugs.

coctailer · Apr 30, 2009

NoAim said:
^^^ I disagree with the chokes.

If you have a barrel with removable chokes, NEVER shoot anything without a choke in it. It WILL screw up the internal threads.

They do it in Sporting Clays tournaments all the time with their $10,000 Kreighoffs.

I used to do it on occasion with my SC shotty. Didn't do anything to the threads.

It was only 4-6 rounds per week though.

ajf1 · Apr 30, 2009

Growing up in a statew where rifle hunt for deer is not allowed, I have used plenty of slugs through my 11-87 with the improved cycllider choke. Now my shotgun has the screw in chokes and I have not had any problems when switching out the chokes after shooting a few slugs and going back to bird chokes. Please note that I have not shot over a hundred slugs throught it, never needed to.

NoAim · Apr 30, 2009

coctailer said:
They do it in Sporting Clays tournaments all the time with their $10,000 Kreighoffs.

I used to do it on occasion with my SC shotty. Didn't do anything to the threads.

It was only 4-6 rounds per week though.

That would be birdshot. You start squirting lead slugs through it, it tends to fill in the threads.

NoAim · Apr 30, 2009

PhysicsGuy said:
You may be safe to shoot slugs through fixed chokes, I've never seen anyone crack a barrel doing it, but I know that all manufactures strongly advise against it. It might be due to pressure buildup when the slug starts getting "squished".

Really? Remington recommends you use an IC choke with slugs. <broken link removed>

IMPROVED CYLINDER CHOKE
Even less constriction than modified (approximately 50% of a shell's total pellets in a 30" circle at 40 yards). Ideal for close-in small game shooting, upland bird hunting (such as quail, grouse and pheasant) as well as hunting waterfowl close over decoys. Rifled slugs also perform very well from this choke.

We recommend an improved cylinder choke for shooting rifled slugs and a modified for shooting buckshot.

NoAim · Apr 30, 2009

kbuc said:
So the barrel that came with my gun (28" with screw in chokes) would not work.
I need to get either a "smooth cylinder bore" or a rifled barrel?

It will work.

PhysicsGuy · Apr 30, 2009

NoAim said:
Really? Remington recommends you use an IC choke with slugs. <broken link removed>

<broken link removed>

Hmm, maybe it must be manuals that advise against using slugs with full chokes, I just know I saw it in a manual somewhere, most likely a mossberg...

You're probably right though, I've just avoided doing it because I've been advised against it, but then again, I may have heard it from the wrong people.

rodell · May 1, 2009

PhysicsGuy said:
Hmm, maybe it must be manuals that advise against using slugs with full chokes, I just know I saw it in a manual somewhere, most likely a mossberg...

Full chokes are definitely ill-advised, modified or IC are fine, screw in or not.

I, too, grew up in a shotgun-slug area - we perfected it to an art form. Before the rifled barrel era, I used a Wingmaster with a 28" barrel and a modified choke. Lots of deer fell to that combination.

I finally ended up with an Ithaca Model 37 "Deerslayer" that had a much shorter rifled barrel. That and newer slugs was an awesome combination. Nothing like an ounce of lead to have "knockdown power".

Bob