can you shoot shot out of rifled slug barrel?

navdoc · September 12, 1999, 10:09 PM

I was out shopping this weekend and came across what I think is a good price on a Mossberg Mariner at $229. However the barrel is a rifled slug barrel with integral scope mount. Can I shoot anything besides slugs and sabots out of it or do you have to get an additional barrel for it to be able to shoot shot? If you do, where can you get barrels and how easy are they to change? Thank You!

Cat · September 12, 1999, 11:28 PM

I'll try parts of these questions.

You can generally shoot shot, slugs, and sabots out of either a smooth bore or a rifled barrel.
However-
With a rifled barrel, rifled slugs and shot don't do so well. Shot patterns usually get blown real wide with very little shot in the middle of the pattern. Slugs often go in various different directions than sabots do.

In a smooth bore slug barrel, sabots shoot real high and keyhole for my guns because there is no rifling to stablize them, and they are traveling faster with a completely different ballistic coefficient than lead slugs, which stablize by there design and construction in smoothbore barrels.
Rifled slugs usually do better in a smoothbore barrel with little (I. C.) or no choke. Sometime a particular barrel will shoot better with a little more choke. I have never personally seen a full choke barrel that handled rifled slugs very accuratly. That doesn't mean that no full choke will do well with rifled slugs, I just haven't seen one yet.

My read on the situation is to use sabots in rifled barrels and rifled slugs in smooth bore barrels. But if your shoulder will handle it, try all types and brands of slugs off the bench to see what your guns will do. Then you will be looking for a gas gun for sure.
Cat

navdoc · September 13, 1999, 12:41 AM

thanks for the help!

Big Bunny · September 14, 1999, 10:35 PM

Checking.

------------------
***Big Bunny***

Big Bunny · September 14, 1999, 10:49 PM

Yes, I agree.
While my expereience with rifled shot is only with #11 .22lr ratshot, I have researched it quite well with pattern boards and shot counts at various (short)ranges and I agree a "blown" pattern results from firing shot in a rifled barrel.
All this means to me is to aim off a bit at close ranges for snakes and mice and rats -but for you it would be more serious.
I suggest buying a second gun or buy a shot-only barrel for the pumper and slide herin when needed(if you can on yours, my 12GA is a Winchester and it is very easy) especially at that initial low price !!
Slugs should be great. I can get a rifled choke but a patched home-cast 1oz slug(no choke) with gas seal only wad and 30gn of 800X Hi-score goes really well out to 50m @1,400FPS.
But the recoil is savage!
Hope you get it, sounds a good buy.

------------------
***Big Bunny***

September 12, 1999, 10:09 PM	#1
navdoc Member Join Date: August 30, 1999 Posts: 23	I was out shopping this weekend and came across what I think is a good price on a Mossberg Mariner at $229. However the barrel is a rifled slug barrel with integral scope mount. Can I shoot anything besides slugs and sabots out of it or do you have to get an additional barrel for it to be able to shoot shot? If you do, where can you get barrels and how easy are they to change? Thank You!

September 12, 1999, 11:28 PM	#2
Cat Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 1999 Location: Ohio, USA Posts: 467	I'll try parts of these questions. You can generally shoot shot, slugs, and sabots out of either a smooth bore or a rifled barrel. However- With a rifled barrel, rifled slugs and shot don't do so well. Shot patterns usually get blown real wide with very little shot in the middle of the pattern. Slugs often go in various different directions than sabots do. In a smooth bore slug barrel, sabots shoot real high and keyhole for my guns because there is no rifling to stablize them, and they are traveling faster with a completely different ballistic coefficient than lead slugs, which stablize by there design and construction in smoothbore barrels. Rifled slugs usually do better in a smoothbore barrel with little (I. C.) or no choke. Sometime a particular barrel will shoot better with a little more choke. I have never personally seen a full choke barrel that handled rifled slugs very accuratly. That doesn't mean that no full choke will do well with rifled slugs, I just haven't seen one yet. My read on the situation is to use sabots in rifled barrels and rifled slugs in smooth bore barrels. But if your shoulder will handle it, try all types and brands of slugs off the bench to see what your guns will do. Then you will be looking for a gas gun for sure. Cat

September 13, 1999, 12:41 AM	#3
navdoc Member Join Date: August 30, 1999 Posts: 23	thanks for the help!

September 14, 1999, 10:35 PM	#4
Big Bunny Senior Member Join Date: August 9, 1999 Location: New South Wales - Australia Posts: 605	Checking. ------------------ *Big Bunny*

September 14, 1999, 10:49 PM	#5
Big Bunny Senior Member Join Date: August 9, 1999 Location: New South Wales - Australia Posts: 605	Yes, I agree. While my expereience with rifled shot is only with #11 .22lr ratshot, I have researched it quite well with pattern boards and shot counts at various (short)ranges and I agree a "blown" pattern results from firing shot in a rifled barrel. All this means to me is to aim off a bit at close ranges for snakes and mice and rats -but for you it would be more serious. I suggest buying a second gun or buy a shot-only barrel for the pumper and slide herin when needed(if you can on yours, my 12GA is a Winchester and it is very easy) especially at that initial low price !! Slugs should be great. I can get a rifled choke but a patched home-cast 1oz slug(no choke) with gas seal only wad and 30gn of 800X Hi-score goes really well out to 50m @1,400FPS. But the recoil is savage! Hope you get it, sounds a good buy. ------------------ *Big Bunny*