1st Slug Gun Purchased

KillerKeaton · February 24, 2011, 10:29 PM

Ok......Just got home from buying a Remington 870 Express 20"bbl Fully rifled, the gander mountian i bought it from was fresh out of slugs, so i went to wally world, when i noticed all they had was rifled slugs....dam.....
Once i made my way home i decided to order some sabots off the computer, and wow, they arent cheap, im thinking of shooting rifled slugs out of it anyways, but am wondering about accuracy loss, and if it's a waste of a good barrel.
I wonder if i could sell this barrel or trade it for a smoothebore with sights (If they even make one). I just cant beleive the shortage of sabots in my area, or their price.
So what shold i do? Shoot rifled slugs out of it and call'er good, or try to swap barrels, and have the capability of shooting cheap ammo that is availible in my area? Looking for some input from people who know much more than me (which doesnt take too much).

GDCooper · February 24, 2011, 10:49 PM

help us out, what is you intended use or uses for your new purchase?

pabuckslayer08 · February 25, 2011, 06:39 AM

You have the rifles barrel thats new so I would just bite my lip and spend the money on sabots. Rifled sabots shoot best in smooth bores and also they have no where near the accuracy of sabots. They make some sabots around 8 bucks a box is the cheapest all the way up to 20 bucks a box. I personally like the Federals that run 15 a box

BANG · February 25, 2011, 08:59 AM

Some of the Brenneke slugs seem promishing in performance and low cost. I have purchased some but have not shot them yet. Prices average about $7 per box of 5 from internet suppliers. Many of their slugs can be used in both smoothbore and rifled barrels and some are saboted for rifled barrels only.

DPris · February 25, 2011, 12:48 PM

Don't understand why you think you can't shoot rifled slugs through your slug gun. What accuracy loss? Why a waste of a good barrel?
Also don't understand your surprise at the cost of saboted rounds.
What exactly were you planning to shoot in the gun? Nothing?
Denis

Carne Frio · February 25, 2011, 01:20 PM

Congratulations on your new gun ! Don't worry too much
about firing any kind of slugs out of a rifled slug barrel.
This link to The Box'o Truth will set you straight.

http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot46.htm

hogdogs · February 25, 2011, 01:25 PM

Yeah, buying without research can be terribly expensive. As for shooting rifled slugs from it... Leading of the grooves is going to occur. Also, I think the diameter of the plastic sabot is intended to fit real snug so as to get gripped in the grooves. I think from a safety aspect, rifled slugs are going to fit less tight since the makers expect some folks to end up shooting them out of a full choke.

Brent

hogdogs · February 25, 2011, 01:28 PM

BTW, You have two options regarding cheaper shooting... You can keep this barrel for long distance slug hunting with them high dollar $abot loads and buy a smooth barrel for general purpose use...

Or you can sell this "LNIB" rifled barrel for a few bucks less than new proce and just buy the smoothbore barrel and a few boxes of better priced ammo... Super X slugs sell for $9-12 bucks for 15 rounds

Brent

nefprotector · February 25, 2011, 02:01 PM

The Elcheapo WalMArt stuff shoots just as good.

DPris · February 25, 2011, 02:03 PM

HD,
Some leading will occur with rifled slugs, how much depends on the condition of the rifling & which type of slugs are used.
Brennekes are solid & harder than hollow Fosters, and should produce less lead buildup.

There is no "safety aspect" in shooting sabots over lead, the lead in a hollow Foster expands to whatever the bore diameter is & constricts as necessary in passing through a choke.
The Brennekes are a tight enough fit & also swage down as needed in going through a choke.

People have been shooting various forms of lead slugs through rifled bores for decades.

Choke compatibility is the entire reason for the "rifling" on lead slugs, of either type, in allowing that swage-down in various chokes.

KK,
What did you buy that gun to do?
Hunting? Defense? Plinking?
Presumably for hunting, in which case I doubt lead buildup will be a problem since you probably won't be shooting it all that much. Just thoroughly clean the bore, Brownells has several products that can help.

There's no need to trade any part of it off, or buy a smoothbore barrel.
If you're going to hunt with it, just do it, and lead slugs should be sufficiently accurate in the thing if you don't want to spend the money for saboted loads.
Denis

pabuckslayer08 · February 25, 2011, 06:20 PM

DPris is right on everything he said, however you will just be better off with sabots. The rifled slugs are ok and are safe to fire with no issues but there range greatly drops past 75 yards or so. 75 yards with a 4 inch group is pretty good, with sabots that 4 inch group can be true at 175.

KillerKeaton · February 26, 2011, 05:22 PM

Ok.........I bought the gun primarily for plinking, but it will also be taken with me for the occasional deer that likes to pop out up close (75yrds or less, way less). Ammo: I can buy 15 remington/winchester rifled slugs for 8$ at all my local ammo places, BUT i just bought the only 5 boxes(25rds) of sabots withing my driving range for 50 and some change, I like shooting lots and lots of rounds, but 2$ a squeeze is something new for me.........Maybe i'll get off my butt and go outside and shoot the 25 i've got, and see how much it punishes my shoulder

pabuckslayer08 · February 26, 2011, 05:40 PM

For within 75 like you want the slugs will do you but now that you shoot some sabots and see that they are much like a big rifle you will have trouble switching over to the slugs.

J A · February 26, 2011, 05:48 PM

Don't shoot them seated at a bench. Ouch! Standing with support of the gun is the least painful with my 12 ga.
I tried shooting the non sabot slugs through a rifled 870 barrel. It took hours to get the lead out of the rifling. Won't do that again on a bet.

DPris · February 26, 2011, 10:59 PM

How did you go about it?
Shouldn't take that long.
Denis

J A · February 27, 2011, 09:54 AM

The usual shotgun cleaning stuff. Brass brush and every bore cleaner on my bench. Hoppes, Shooter's Choice, Sweet's and CLP. It eventually came out but took a lot of elbow grease.
It was my son's gun. I had no idea he was shooting the lead slugs until we went to clean it after his range trip. I don't remember the number rounds but it was not that many.

DPris · February 27, 2011, 01:52 PM

My experience with rifled bores is limited to an FNH SLP and an H&R Slugger.
In both cases I fired several lead slugs of both types through & had no problem getting the rifling clean.

Brennekes should reduce the leading tendency.
They should also help hone the rifling over a period of time, further reducing lead buildup.

Denis

buymore · February 27, 2011, 02:24 PM

I have found that shooting rifled slugs in a rifled barrel does lead up, but it seems like the more I shoot the better the groups get! I usually dont clean until time to put it away! Same theory as my match .22's. I only clean the action and chamber. Most shooters will fire off fouling shots to "season" a barrel before a match, so why not the same idea for hunting?

J A · February 27, 2011, 05:58 PM

I think I have the same gun I bought two years ago. Bought it from Scheels. Mine is the laminated stock model. It has the monte carlo stock that gets me up into the scope a little better. I had a scoped Express barrel already on hand and mounted it. I really like the way it shoots and looks. Two whitetail with it the first season.

February 24, 2011, 10:29 PM	#1
KillerKeaton Member Join Date: January 1, 2007 Posts: 33	1st Slug Gun Purchased Ok......Just got home from buying a Remington 870 Express 20"bbl Fully rifled, the gander mountian i bought it from was fresh out of slugs, so i went to wally world, when i noticed all they had was rifled slugs....dam..... Once i made my way home i decided to order some sabots off the computer, and wow, they arent cheap, im thinking of shooting rifled slugs out of it anyways, but am wondering about accuracy loss, and if it's a waste of a good barrel. I wonder if i could sell this barrel or trade it for a smoothebore with sights (If they even make one). I just cant beleive the shortage of sabots in my area, or their price. So what shold i do? Shoot rifled slugs out of it and call'er good, or try to swap barrels, and have the capability of shooting cheap ammo that is availible in my area? Looking for some input from people who know much more than me (which doesnt take too much).

February 26, 2011, 05:22 PM	#12
KillerKeaton Member Join Date: January 1, 2007 Posts: 33	Sorry for the delayed reply..... Ok.........I bought the gun primarily for plinking, but it will also be taken with me for the occasional deer that likes to pop out up close (75yrds or less, way less). Ammo: I can buy 15 remington/winchester rifled slugs for 8$ at all my local ammo places, BUT i just bought the only 5 boxes(25rds) of sabots withing my driving range for 50 and some change, I like shooting lots and lots of rounds, but 2$ a squeeze is something new for me.........Maybe i'll get off my butt and go outside and shoot the 25 i've got, and see how much it punishes my shoulder

February 26, 2011, 05:48 PM	#14
J A Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 2009 Location: The Hawkeye State Posts: 191	A tip Don't shoot them seated at a bench. Ouch! Standing with support of the gun is the least painful with my 12 ga. I tried shooting the non sabot slugs through a rifled 870 barrel. It took hours to get the lead out of the rifling. Won't do that again on a bet.

February 27, 2011, 09:54 AM	#16
J A Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 2009 Location: The Hawkeye State Posts: 191	DPris The usual shotgun cleaning stuff. Brass brush and every bore cleaner on my bench. Hoppes, Shooter's Choice, Sweet's and CLP. It eventually came out but took a lot of elbow grease. It was my son's gun. I had no idea he was shooting the lead slugs until we went to clean it after his range trip. I don't remember the number rounds but it was not that many.

February 27, 2011, 05:58 PM	#19
J A Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 2009 Location: The Hawkeye State Posts: 191	Range report yet? I think I have the same gun I bought two years ago. Bought it from Scheels. Mine is the laminated stock model. It has the monte carlo stock that gets me up into the scope a little better. I had a scoped Express barrel already on hand and mounted it. I really like the way it shoots and looks. Two whitetail with it the first season.

February 24, 2011, 10:49 PM	#2
GDCooper Member Join Date: February 17, 2011 Posts: 68	help us out, what is you intended use or uses for your new purchase?

February 25, 2011, 06:39 AM	#3
pabuckslayer08 Senior Member Join Date: December 18, 2010 Location: South Central Pa Posts: 692	You have the rifles barrel thats new so I would just bite my lip and spend the money on sabots. Rifled sabots shoot best in smooth bores and also they have no where near the accuracy of sabots. They make some sabots around 8 bucks a box is the cheapest all the way up to 20 bucks a box. I personally like the Federals that run 15 a box

February 25, 2011, 08:59 AM	#4
BANG Member Join Date: March 13, 2010 Location: PA Posts: 69	Some of the Brenneke slugs seem promishing in performance and low cost. I have purchased some but have not shot them yet. Prices average about $7 per box of 5 from internet suppliers. Many of their slugs can be used in both smoothbore and rifled barrels and some are saboted for rifled barrels only.

February 25, 2011, 12:48 PM	#5
DPris Member Emeritus Join Date: August 19, 2004 Posts: 7,133	Don't understand why you think you can't shoot rifled slugs through your slug gun. What accuracy loss? Why a waste of a good barrel? Also don't understand your surprise at the cost of saboted rounds. What exactly were you planning to shoot in the gun? Nothing? Denis

February 25, 2011, 01:20 PM	#6
Carne Frio Senior Member Join Date: August 28, 2008 Location: Near Fairbanks Alaska Posts: 829	Congratulations on your new gun ! Don't worry too much about firing any kind of slugs out of a rifled slug barrel. This link to The Box'o Truth will set you straight. http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot46.htm

February 25, 2011, 01:25 PM	#7
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	Yeah, buying without research can be terribly expensive. As for shooting rifled slugs from it... Leading of the grooves is going to occur. Also, I think the diameter of the plastic sabot is intended to fit real snug so as to get gripped in the grooves. I think from a safety aspect, rifled slugs are going to fit less tight since the makers expect some folks to end up shooting them out of a full choke. Brent

February 25, 2011, 01:28 PM	#8
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	BTW, You have two options regarding cheaper shooting... You can keep this barrel for long distance slug hunting with them high dollar $abot loads and buy a smooth barrel for general purpose use... Or you can sell this "LNIB" rifled barrel for a few bucks less than new proce and just buy the smoothbore barrel and a few boxes of better priced ammo... Super X slugs sell for $9-12 bucks for 15 rounds Brent

February 25, 2011, 02:01 PM	#9
nefprotector Junior member Join Date: December 3, 2009 Location: SE Alabama Posts: 701	The Elcheapo WalMArt stuff shoots just as good.

February 25, 2011, 02:03 PM	#10
DPris Member Emeritus Join Date: August 19, 2004 Posts: 7,133	HD, Some leading will occur with rifled slugs, how much depends on the condition of the rifling & which type of slugs are used. Brennekes are solid & harder than hollow Fosters, and should produce less lead buildup. There is no "safety aspect" in shooting sabots over lead, the lead in a hollow Foster expands to whatever the bore diameter is & constricts as necessary in passing through a choke. The Brennekes are a tight enough fit & also swage down as needed in going through a choke. People have been shooting various forms of lead slugs through rifled bores for decades. Choke compatibility is the entire reason for the "rifling" on lead slugs, of either type, in allowing that swage-down in various chokes. KK, What did you buy that gun to do? Hunting? Defense? Plinking? Presumably for hunting, in which case I doubt lead buildup will be a problem since you probably won't be shooting it all that much. Just thoroughly clean the bore, Brownells has several products that can help. There's no need to trade any part of it off, or buy a smoothbore barrel. If you're going to hunt with it, just do it, and lead slugs should be sufficiently accurate in the thing if you don't want to spend the money for saboted loads. Denis

February 25, 2011, 06:20 PM	#11
pabuckslayer08 Senior Member Join Date: December 18, 2010 Location: South Central Pa Posts: 692	DPris is right on everything he said, however you will just be better off with sabots. The rifled slugs are ok and are safe to fire with no issues but there range greatly drops past 75 yards or so. 75 yards with a 4 inch group is pretty good, with sabots that 4 inch group can be true at 175.

February 26, 2011, 05:40 PM	#13
pabuckslayer08 Senior Member Join Date: December 18, 2010 Location: South Central Pa Posts: 692	For within 75 like you want the slugs will do you but now that you shoot some sabots and see that they are much like a big rifle you will have trouble switching over to the slugs.

February 26, 2011, 10:59 PM	#15
DPris Member Emeritus Join Date: August 19, 2004 Posts: 7,133	How did you go about it? Shouldn't take that long. Denis

February 27, 2011, 01:52 PM	#17
DPris Member Emeritus Join Date: August 19, 2004 Posts: 7,133	My experience with rifled bores is limited to an FNH SLP and an H&R Slugger. In both cases I fired several lead slugs of both types through & had no problem getting the rifling clean. Brennekes should reduce the leading tendency. They should also help hone the rifling over a period of time, further reducing lead buildup. Denis

February 27, 2011, 02:24 PM	#18
buymore Senior Member Join Date: February 3, 2007 Location: NE Ohio Posts: 257	I have found that shooting rifled slugs in a rifled barrel does lead up, but it seems like the more I shoot the better the groups get! I usually dont clean until time to put it away! Same theory as my match .22's. I only clean the action and chamber. Most shooters will fire off fouling shots to "season" a barrel before a match, so why not the same idea for hunting?