Questions on Sabot Slugs....

exoduster16 · September 22, 2005, 10:25 AM

My question is: Can you fire sabot slugs through a smoothbore shotgun without ruining the barrel?

FrontSight · September 22, 2005, 10:37 AM

Definitely, but it's best to use an Improved Cylinder choke or a rifled choke; don't use a full choke. They aren't reallly designed for smoothbores, tho, better accuracy with rifled barrel...

exoduster16 · September 22, 2005, 11:07 AM

So....They won't crack, split, or otherwise weaken your barrel? The owner at a local gun shop told me that I HAD to have a FULLY-RIFLED barrel in order to shoot them. If I didn't then it would (as he put it) "explode" my smoothbore.
Thanks for the info.

50 shooter · September 22, 2005, 12:33 PM

You can shoot them but they'll come out of the barrel and tumble. You need a rifled barrel to spin them so that they stablize.

How he came to the conclusion that they'll explode is beyond me, the sabot rides down the barrel with the slug in it. When it comes out of the end of the barrel the sabot falls off and the slug keeps going.

exoduster16 · September 22, 2005, 12:44 PM

So I would be able to shoot rounds like Remingtons Coppersolid and Buckhammer. Oh and Hornady's SST Slugs? Thanks for answering my many questions!

I just wouldn't be able to fire them very accurately? I've always wanted to see how Remington Coppersolids would do to a watermelon! hehehe.... I just don't want to mess my up gun. That would really suck! But the way my local gunshop owner explained it was something about the pressure of the slug firing would be contained behind the slug and push so hard on the barrel that it crack or split the barrel. He said he had guy do it and it ruined his barrel. So I'm just a little confused, I guess. I don't see how the he would be right because I can fire Foster style slugs alright. Oh and how come the boxes of the Remmy Coppersolids and Hornady SST slugs it says not use them in smoothbore guns? Is this just because of the accuracy factor? I would be shooting rather close range so that really isn't a factor to me. Thanks again for putting up with my questions!

exoduster16 · September 22, 2005, 01:02 PM

I just called Remington Customer Service. The guy I got was really informative and helpful. He said that no it wouldn't do anything harmful to the barrel or my gun, just that they wouldn't be accurate without some sort of rifling to stabilize them.Dealing Remington's Customer Service was a rather pleasurable experience, no run arounds or anything, just straight forward answers. I like that.

Thanks for putting up with me and my questions! I know I'm full of them.

50 shooter · September 22, 2005, 01:13 PM

I fired a box of the Rem. copper solids out of my Benelli, still works fine. Wanted to see what they would do when fired at steel plates, most hit sideways and left a big copper splash.

I was more impressed with rifled slugs when I put a hole through 1/8" thick angle iron. Also cracked an engine block with a rifled slug, engine was out of the car and on the ground.

exoduster16 · September 22, 2005, 01:24 PM

I'm looking to do about the same. It's alot of fun just to see what a slug will do to something. That and I like keep the neighbors alert with the noise. Most of the time we'll compete just to see whose louder. Hands down, I win.

Bonstrosity · September 22, 2005, 01:30 PM

Try some rifled slugs, a rifled choke usually gets expensive. The rifleing on the slug helps it spin and stablize

exoduster16 · September 22, 2005, 01:42 PM

I've used the Foster-styled slugs before. I swear by the Federal Tru-Ball slugs. Those things are awesome! Any other slug just doesn't compare to these. The Remington Slugger sluge I've used just drop way to fast. The Federals hold very nicely at 100 yards. Maybe an inch in drop. Don't remember exactly, but they work wonders.

50 shooter · September 22, 2005, 02:52 PM

Try JB welding a steel ball bearing to one of the hollow point type slugs, a small one that just fills the HP.

Move up from the 2 3/4" to 3" mag slugs, they beat the crap out of you over time but they sure are fun when they hit.

Clayfish · September 22, 2005, 02:59 PM

Quote:

How he came to the conclusion that they'll explode is beyond me,

He came to that conclusion because he wanted to sell a rifled bbl. I trust MOST gun dealers as far as I can throw them.

exoduster16 · September 22, 2005, 03:35 PM

Ball-Bearing in an HP....sounds like fun. What kind of damage do they do? As far as the dealer goes....I've gone to his shop many times and he hasn't screwed me....yet. I figured I would ask here because of his phrase "might explode your barrel" didn't sound right to me. Every since then I've kind of had doubts about using sabots through smoothbore guns. Thanks again for the answers. I guess I'll be out this weekend putting holes in things with slugs hehehehehe.....hope the neighbors can keep up. LOL

September 22, 2005, 10:25 AM	#1
exoduster16 Senior Member Join Date: July 27, 2005 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 148	Questions on Sabot Slugs.... My question is: Can you fire sabot slugs through a smoothbore shotgun without ruining the barrel?

September 22, 2005, 12:33 PM	#4
50 shooter Senior Member Join Date: August 6, 2002 Location: SoCal PRK Posts: 1,026	You can shoot them but they'll come out of the barrel and tumble. You need a rifled barrel to spin them so that they stablize. How he came to the conclusion that they'll explode is beyond me, the sabot rides down the barrel with the slug in it. When it comes out of the end of the barrel the sabot falls off and the slug keeps going. __________________ I see the world thru bloodshot eyes Streets filled with blood from distant lies The dogs of war never compromise, No time for rearranging.

September 22, 2005, 01:13 PM	#7
50 shooter Senior Member Join Date: August 6, 2002 Location: SoCal PRK Posts: 1,026	I fired a box of the Rem. copper solids out of my Benelli, still works fine. Wanted to see what they would do when fired at steel plates, most hit sideways and left a big copper splash. I was more impressed with rifled slugs when I put a hole through 1/8" thick angle iron. Also cracked an engine block with a rifled slug, engine was out of the car and on the ground. __________________ I see the world thru bloodshot eyes Streets filled with blood from distant lies The dogs of war never compromise, No time for rearranging.

September 22, 2005, 02:52 PM	#11
50 shooter Senior Member Join Date: August 6, 2002 Location: SoCal PRK Posts: 1,026	Try JB welding a steel ball bearing to one of the hollow point type slugs, a small one that just fills the HP. Move up from the 2 3/4" to 3" mag slugs, they beat the crap out of you over time but they sure are fun when they hit. __________________ I see the world thru bloodshot eyes Streets filled with blood from distant lies The dogs of war never compromise, No time for rearranging.

September 22, 2005, 10:37 AM	#2
FrontSight Senior Member Join Date: September 9, 2005 Posts: 1,712	Definitely, but it's best to use an Improved Cylinder choke or a rifled choke; don't use a full choke. They aren't reallly designed for smoothbores, tho, better accuracy with rifled barrel...

September 22, 2005, 11:07 AM	#3
exoduster16 Senior Member Join Date: July 27, 2005 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 148	So....They won't crack, split, or otherwise weaken your barrel? The owner at a local gun shop told me that I HAD to have a FULLY-RIFLED barrel in order to shoot them. If I didn't then it would (as he put it) "explode" my smoothbore. Thanks for the info.

September 22, 2005, 12:44 PM	#5
exoduster16 Senior Member Join Date: July 27, 2005 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 148	So I would be able to shoot rounds like Remingtons Coppersolid and Buckhammer. Oh and Hornady's SST Slugs? Thanks for answering my many questions! I just wouldn't be able to fire them very accurately? I've always wanted to see how Remington Coppersolids would do to a watermelon! hehehe.... I just don't want to mess my up gun. That would really suck! But the way my local gunshop owner explained it was something about the pressure of the slug firing would be contained behind the slug and push so hard on the barrel that it crack or split the barrel. He said he had guy do it and it ruined his barrel. So I'm just a little confused, I guess. I don't see how the he would be right because I can fire Foster style slugs alright. Oh and how come the boxes of the Remmy Coppersolids and Hornady SST slugs it says not use them in smoothbore guns? Is this just because of the accuracy factor? I would be shooting rather close range so that really isn't a factor to me. Thanks again for putting up with my questions!

September 22, 2005, 01:02 PM	#6
exoduster16 Senior Member Join Date: July 27, 2005 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 148	I just called Remington Customer Service. The guy I got was really informative and helpful. He said that no it wouldn't do anything harmful to the barrel or my gun, just that they wouldn't be accurate without some sort of rifling to stabilize them.Dealing Remington's Customer Service was a rather pleasurable experience, no run arounds or anything, just straight forward answers. I like that. Thanks for putting up with me and my questions! I know I'm full of them.

September 22, 2005, 01:24 PM	#8
exoduster16 Senior Member Join Date: July 27, 2005 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 148	I'm looking to do about the same. It's alot of fun just to see what a slug will do to something. That and I like keep the neighbors alert with the noise. Most of the time we'll compete just to see whose louder. Hands down, I win.

September 22, 2005, 01:30 PM	#9
Bonstrosity Senior Member Join Date: August 27, 2005 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 322	Try some rifled slugs, a rifled choke usually gets expensive. The rifleing on the slug helps it spin and stablize

September 22, 2005, 01:42 PM	#10
exoduster16 Senior Member Join Date: July 27, 2005 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 148	I've used the Foster-styled slugs before. I swear by the Federal Tru-Ball slugs. Those things are awesome! Any other slug just doesn't compare to these. The Remington Slugger sluge I've used just drop way to fast. The Federals hold very nicely at 100 yards. Maybe an inch in drop. Don't remember exactly, but they work wonders.

September 22, 2005, 03:35 PM	#13
exoduster16 Senior Member Join Date: July 27, 2005 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 148	Ball-Bearing in an HP....sounds like fun. What kind of damage do they do? As far as the dealer goes....I've gone to his shop many times and he hasn't screwed me....yet. I figured I would ask here because of his phrase "might explode your barrel" didn't sound right to me. Every since then I've kind of had doubts about using sabots through smoothbore guns. Thanks again for the answers. I guess I'll be out this weekend putting holes in things with slugs hehehehehe.....hope the neighbors can keep up. LOL