slugs throuh smooth barrel?

[J270]

Can you use slugs in a smooth barrel, and if you can what choke do you use

[ligonierbill]

Sure. Use an open choke like IC. I had an 870 with a 20" IC choke barrel that would hold about 3" at 100.

[idek]

Just be sure you're using rifled slugs, including the domed "Foster" style or some Brenneke brand slugs. These are nose heavy and that's what keeps them stable in flight.

Technically you can shoot sabot slugs out of a smooth barrel, but sabots are designed to spin like a rifle bullet and will not be stable without a rifled barrel.

There are slugs, such as Lightfield Hybreds, that perform best in rifled barrels, but an attached plastic wad drags behind the slug (like a badminton birdie) and keeps them stable out of smoothbores as well.

As ligonierbill noted, IC is generally recommended for rifled slugs, but other chokes can work. The rifling on rifled slugs compresses as the slug goes down the barrel, and it will simply compress a little more or less depending on which choke you pick.

Rifled choke tubes offer some rifling at the end of the barrel. They are advertised to stabilize some of the slower sabots (I've heard people mention Winchester BRI) or improve performance with Hybreds or similar ammo. Many people don't think rifled tubes really make a difference and would rather go with a fully rifled barrel or just stick with regular chokes.

[JWT]

Even with rifled slugs don't expect great accuracy with a smooth bore.

[jmr40]

You don't want to use one of the extra full turkey tubes, and will probably get poor results with a full choke. Most of the time best accuracy is achieved with IC or cylinder choke, but you never know. Some guys report better accuracy with modified and I've read of some using full choke well. Just have to experiment.

I don't shoot a lot of slugs, but with a smooth bore rifle sighted barrel have managed to keep 3 shots around 4" at 100 yards, around 2" at 50 yards. If using just a bead accuracy won't be nearly as good, but I figure I could hit a deer sized target at 100 if I had to.

[Water-Man]

I've used Brenneke KO slugs with a modified choke. Worked fine.

[Bennyfatsack]

I've had a lot of success using federal rifled slugs in my chiappa lever action 28" smooth bore barrel with removablechokes with the tightest choke it comes with, my gunsmith assures me this is ok, and I've fired 100 or so through hunting wiljd boars with great knock down only shot out to 60m though and at that range with bead sight aiming 10" over target I wouldn't go much more

[Blindstitch]

Depending on the gun you should look at the manufactures recommendation if possible.

I think the Mossberg 500 accuchoke system said improved modified.

[mete]

The "rifling" on rofled slugs are not ther for accuracy. They permit the slugs to be fired on different chokes safely !

[44 AMP]

Standard factory choke on a smooth bore "slug" barrel is none. Cylinder bore.

Standard advice (for generations) is that slugs work best from a cylinder bore. Now, we are talking the traditional Foster type "rifled: slugs and smooth bores here, not more modern designs or rifled barrels.

True that slugs are NOT spun by their "rifling" and stay on target because they are point heavy, like a dart.

The "rifling" on the slug is not for spin, it is there to allow the slug to compress and pass through ANY choke without serious deformation or damage to the gun. SO, you can shoot slugs through any choke, but you usually get the best results (accuracy) from the most open bore. Usually.

Considering smooth bore and only a bead for a sight, "accuracy" from a regular shotgun is not impressive, but minute of deer at 40-60yards is something most will do.

Rifled bores, with rifle style sights give the dedicated slug gun advantages, which translates to more easily usable range, generally.

[Sharkbite]

With Foster style slugs... My Bennelli M1 shoots the tightest groups with the Modified tube in it.

Thats perfect cause it has good buckshot pattens with that tube as well

[Water-Man]

44 AMP,

What's your definition of a smoothbore slug barrel?

[idek]

44 AMP,

What's your definition of a smoothbore slug barrel?

I'm not 44 AMP, but I'd assume he's referring to smoothbore barrels or smoothbore guns that come with rifle sights rather than a bead.

[44 AMP]

.. smoothbore barrels or smoothbore guns that come with rifle sights rather than a bead.

I am 44AMP, and idek got it in one.

For decades before they began rifling slug barrels all the major makers sold "slug guns" or "slug barrels" for guns with changeable barrels. These were all smooth bore, cylinder choke, and had rifle sights. The usual length was 20".

Once the popularity of rifled slug barrels took hold, less and less of the traditional smoothbore slug barrels got sold.

Slug guns (rifle sighted smoothbores) have been with us a long time. Rifled slug guns are a fairly new innovation (within the last 40 years, perhaps a bit less).

Other than on the used rack, you don't see many smoothbore slug barrels these days. Another gun you don't see often these days is the "goose gun". Budget grade bolt actions with 30, 32, and even 36" barrels. Smoothbore, 12ga.

[Doyle]

Another gun you don't see often these days is the "goose gun". Budget grade bolt actions with 30, 32, and even 36" barrels. Smoothbore, 12ga.

At least there is a reasonable use for a smoothbore slug barrel.

[Water-Man]

44 AMP,

OK. I understand what you're saying. Just wanted some folks to understand that they could get a smoothbore barrel with a choke.

[Dreaming100Straight]

I don't know how well it works, but if your barrel accepts screw in chokes, can't you get a rifled choke?

[Brian Pfleuger]

Originally Posted by 44 AMP

Slug guns (rifle sighted smoothbores) have been with us a long time. Rifled slug guns are a fairly new innovation (within the last 40 years, perhaps a bit less).

Yes indeed, and those rifled barrel guns didn't get "popular" (or even legal) in some places until the last 10 years or less. Maybe still aren't in some places, I don't know for sure.

Even now, they only maintain a foot-hold because rifles are illegal for deer in some places. That's why I put "popular" in quotes. They very quickly become UNpopular when rifles are allowed.

[Water-Man]

^^I can remember, back in the 60s, Canandaigua being one of those places.^^

[Brian Pfleuger]

Yes, the entire southern half of NY was slugs only until quite recently. The county where my dad's camp is only allowed rifles 2 years ago. Some counties I hunt are still slug only. Or handgun, which is typical anti-hunting/gun genius. I can hunt with my 15" Encore Pro Hunter in 7-08 but not with a 7-08 (or any other) rifle.

[Doyle]

I don't know how well it works, but if your barrel accepts screw in chokes, can't you get a rifled choke?

A rifled choke is a marketing ploy designed to separate a shooter from his money. I've yet to see one actually improve accuracy.

[jeager106]

Being an Ohio deer hunter for over 50 years and restricted pretty much to
the s.g. & slugs some of us'ns who strived to make the smoothbore & rifled slugs shoot with better accuracy came up with some solutions to the lack of accuracy.
I'm going back a lot of decades for this.
Keys:
Sights. Not just a bead front.
No double barrel s.g. They won't regulate a slug from each barrel nearly well
enough.
Scope is a good idea, but at least rifle sights.
Cyl or I/C seems to work best but some do well with a mod choke.
Rifled choke tubes didn't do much for us & we tried a bunch of 'em.
Keep the barrel to receiver tight even if shiming must be used.
Keep the barrel clean of lead deposites from the soft rifled slugs.
(we even learned how to lube the slug inside the hull)
With the above tricks we could get at least 3" at 75 yards with almost any s.g. predominantly the 870 and Mossy 500. Some Browning A-5/s were remarkable.
Every barrel by different makers seems to prefer certain ammo.
We did best with Win. & Brenneke K.O. in 2 3/4" loads. Sometimes we could get 3" and better at 100 yards making the smoothbore with rifled slugs a viable 100 yard deer getter.
Of course, back then, our group of deer hunters went through cases of slugs in the pursuit of accuracy. There were 5 of us that had our shotguns drilled & taped for scope mounts. Now they come that way.
We've gone through the rifled barrel & expensive sabot ammo also often with little accuracy gain. All ammo & barrel specific of course.
Ohio is going to proper rifles this fall in certain calibers so I'm done getting beat to death with 12 bore slugs.
Now I can get beat to death with my 45-70.

[bamaranger]

Yeah, sights and ammo preference.

The simple bead comes up very short in delivering consistent slug hits.

[darkgael]

Another option that works well - handloader's proposition only - is to load lead round balls (LRBs) into standard hulls. with proper wads, these shoot nicely out to at least 50 yards (as far as I have tested them). 12 gauge .715 LRBs atop a BPI Light brush wad and gas seals.
I have an old Savage 430 O/U with barrels at 22".....a poor man's double rifle.

[BlackWorksInc]

I have been running mainly rifled slugs (Fiocchi 7/8 Ounce Exacta Aero Slugs as my go-to range round) through my UTAS UTS-15's smooth bore for a couple years, probably going on a couple thousand now. Its been fairly accurate at about 50yds and I even plinked some plates at 100yds (but that's probably more out of sheer luck than anything on my part.) I'm running their "Tactical Choke" (its just a vented choke set to cylinder bore) and haven't run into any significant issues.

I used the factory iron sights and am now using some MagPul MBUS GenII flip-up sights that I dialed in (yes yes, I can hear some of you grumbling about that "tacti-cool stuff" I left the bead sight on my Beretta AL2-12 alone )