Defensive sabot slugs for rifled barrel?

ctdonath · December 19, 2000, 10:43 AM

Any suggestions for what 12 guage sabot slugs to use in a rifled barrel (18.5") for defense? Not bird/buck/exotic shot, just sabot slugs (long story).

Federal Premium Sabot Slugs are grabbing my attention, but at about $1.40 each I'm hard-pressed to justify them.

I finally noticed (RTFM...) that Mossberg discourages use of "rifled slugs" in rifled bores and recommends sabots instead.

mjcitra · December 19, 2000, 11:32 AM

Thats the problem with Sabot slugs they are way too expensive. I have fired them and while they increase your accuracy from a distance I can't really see where they are all that useful to justify the cost. But it really seems useless when your talking about using them for defense (home?). If an intruder breaks in he/she will most likely be a few feet away. How could you possibly miss and how would the Sabot slug help? I don't really know of any that are less than about a buck a shot.

BTW I live in NY and I didn't know the law distinguished between rifled shotguns and shotguns. I will read the entire thing when I have a chance.

ctdonath · December 19, 2000, 12:54 PM

Mossberg recommends only using sabots (can someone elaborate on that?). I also want to maximize usable distance; the gun will join the "bug-out bag" in the car, so may be called on for more than room-sized distances.

(Fair warning: the article is mind-numbing, due to wierdness of NY law.)

kerth · December 20, 2000, 07:50 AM

If you reload try Lee's or Lyman's cast slugs. Haven't tried the Lyman but have had excellent results with the 1 oz Lee. With the Lee you use a WAA12 wad as a sabot, works very well in the two rifled barrels (mossberg and remington) I've experimented with. For modest up front costs of mold and lead furnace you can start loading slugs for little more than trap/skeet load cost.

kerth

dundee · December 23, 2000, 11:27 PM

soft lead slugs (foster style) work just fine in rifled barrels -----for the first few rounds. After that you will need to spend some serious time cleaning the lead out of the rifling. The sabot slugs are protected from the rifling by the plastic and work fine from a rifled barrel.
I haven't tried the sabots from a regular smooth barrel, from what I read without rifling to give them spin they are not accurate. Some designs are better at smooth barrels than others, but why bother shooting expensive ammo out of a smooth barre?

December 19, 2000, 10:43 AM	#1
ctdonath Senior Member Join Date: April 11, 1999 Posts: 1,904	Any suggestions for what 12 guage sabot slugs to use in a rifled barrel (18.5") for defense? Not bird/buck/exotic shot, just sabot slugs (long story). Federal Premium Sabot Slugs are grabbing my attention, but at about $1.40 each I'm hard-pressed to justify them. I finally noticed (RTFM...) that Mossberg discourages use of "rifled slugs" in rifled bores and recommends sabots instead.

December 19, 2000, 11:32 AM	#2
mjcitra Member Join Date: December 6, 2000 Posts: 39	Thats the problem with Sabot slugs they are way too expensive. I have fired them and while they increase your accuracy from a distance I can't really see where they are all that useful to justify the cost. But it really seems useless when your talking about using them for defense (home?). If an intruder breaks in he/she will most likely be a few feet away. How could you possibly miss and how would the Sabot slug help? I don't really know of any that are less than about a buck a shot. BTW I live in NY and I didn't know the law distinguished between rifled shotguns and shotguns. I will read the entire thing when I have a chance.

December 19, 2000, 12:54 PM	#3
ctdonath Senior Member Join Date: April 11, 1999 Posts: 1,904	Mossberg recommends only using sabots (can someone elaborate on that?). I also want to maximize usable distance; the gun will join the "bug-out bag" in the car, so may be called on for more than room-sized distances. (Fair warning: the article is mind-numbing, due to wierdness of NY law.)

December 20, 2000, 07:50 AM	#4
kerth Senior Member Join Date: November 29, 2000 Location: Huntsville, Alabama Posts: 130	If you reload try Lee's or Lyman's cast slugs. Haven't tried the Lyman but have had excellent results with the 1 oz Lee. With the Lee you use a WAA12 wad as a sabot, works very well in the two rifled barrels (mossberg and remington) I've experimented with. For modest up front costs of mold and lead furnace you can start loading slugs for little more than trap/skeet load cost. kerth

December 23, 2000, 11:27 PM	#5
dundee Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 1998 Location: mytown,mi,usa Posts: 162	soft lead slugs (foster style) work just fine in rifled barrels -----for the first few rounds. After that you will need to spend some serious time cleaning the lead out of the rifling. The sabot slugs are protected from the rifling by the plastic and work fine from a rifled barrel. I haven't tried the sabots from a regular smooth barrel, from what I read without rifling to give them spin they are not accurate. Some designs are better at smooth barrels than others, but why bother shooting expensive ammo out of a smooth barre?