SHOTGUN: shooting non-saboted slugs thru a rifled barrel

[Pace Maker]

I just got off the phone with a friend who is an avid shooter and he was talking to some guys from New York that have fully rifled barrel shotguns and shoot rifled slugs. Does this make any sense? I would think that the rifling in the slug would get fouled up by the rifling in the barrel. I would also think there would be a lot of lead fouling in the barrel. I'm far from a genius when it comes to shooting rifled shotguns, but I have tried just about every saboted slug out there to achieve the performance I've settled on. I've always shot sabot slugs thru my 12ga 11/87 remington shotgun and I have a particular slug that shoots very well for me (federal barnes expander 3"). I don't intend to switch because I'm not sure there is much room for improvement and I like the performance of the slugs on the game I hunt. But, having this discussion with my friend this morning made me think of what happens when you shoot a rifled lead slug, or even a non-rifled lead slug thru a rifled barrel? I would think the lead fouling would be heavy?
We use to have to hunt here (Massachusetts) with smoothbore's years back and we had some impressive groups at 50 yards with the Remington 1100 3" magnum guns shooting the 3" remington slugger slugs. We had a couple guns that would shoot a 5 shot group and pretty much all touch. But, when we stepped out to 100 it was like a different gun. Now with the sabots, and the rifled barrels it's a lot better. I can achieve 2 - 2 1/2" groups at 100 with the 11/87 and with the 1100 and the hastings rifled barrel about the same performance, although that gun shoots Winchester sabots best.
Thanks for any replies on this, as I can't imagine all that lead can be good for the rifling.
John

[slugman]

fully rifled barrel shotguns and shoot rifled slugs. Does this make any sense?

Rifled barrel & Rifled Slug ......seems to match and make sense.

[mlaubner]

Pace Maker,
You are right on the money. The lead fouling can and will affect accuracy. The real question is why anyone would spend the extra money on a fully rifled barrel and then cheap it up with foster type slugs. Kind of an counter productive. If you need or want to be cheap then save the extra money on the rifled barrel and just shoot the foster type slugs, or use a rifles choke tube in your smooth bore and shoot the fosters. Rifled barrels are meant to shoot sabots, period. This does not mean you can't shoot other slugs, but when you do you should really scrub the bore to remove the lead fouling before you shoot sabots thru it again. If you don't the lands and grooves start to become a moot point as they will begin to have little to no effect on the flight of the slug because they are full of lead and/or plastic.
I have a T/C encore in 20ga and have NEVER put anything but sabots thru it. I made that commitment when I bought the barrel and have never been let down by the combination...80yds, 3 shots= cloverleaf

Rifled barrel, and rifled slug does not make much sense, unless they like that shooting full bore slugs instead of saboted that makes the bullet width less. Sound to me they are tryign to get around the high dollar of sabot slugs.

Thier accuracy will hurt, and BC shoots down. But if thier shots are all under 40 or 50yards, doesn't make much difference.

Bottom like is sure lead fouling will be a problem, but hey clean it out. And with todays modern sabots, I believe they perform much better than a slug.

[BOWHUNTERCOP]

Your right on the money, the lead slugs will foul the rifleing cause bad groups. I use 2-3/4" Lightfields in my Remington 11-87, and I also get great groups at 100yds, and the performance on game is great. My smoothbore Ithaca Deerslayer loves the Brennekes. Sabot slugs, and rifled barrels are perfect for each other.

[semi]

so smooth barrel --- use rifled slugs. That is what i have been doing for years. I just had a friend ask me this question and i hesitated with the answer

rifled barrel - use sabot slugs.


correct??????

[Aught Six]

so smooth barrel --- use rifled slugs. That is what i have been doing for years. I just had a friend ask me this question and i hesitated with the answer

rifled barrel - use sabot slugs.


correct??????

Absolutely right in my book.

[uncle matt]

Pace Maker,

I would really recommend that you visit the www.brennekeusa.com website for clear, accurate answers regarding the shooting your initial question. It might be worthwhile reading for others, too.

To steer thru the site. Click "Enter", Click "PRODUCTS" where you will find a list of their offerings. Right below there's "FAQ's", click in there. There are several good questions in there.

But there's no doubt that leading will occur and as in any rifled barrel leading is something that you just be sure to clean up.

I find the 3" Super Gold Mags are extremely accurate from my H&R 12 (at the longer distances) and regular 2 3/4" fly great up to 100 yds. My son's H&R 20 is also an excellent shooter, we have never shot anything but Rem Copper Solids out of it cause we bought a ton of them @ a couple K-Marts on clearence for 4 or 5 bucks a box. He'll be shooting those forever.

One slug I am kinda intrested in trying in my 12 is those Lightfield IPS or EXP or something that everyone is talkin about. Supposed to have a much flatter tragectory at 125+. But real costly, too - I guess.

My 2 cents.

Uncle Matt (in IL)

[Trebark]

I've never heard anything bad about shooting rifled slugs through a rifle barrel. Before the sabots came around, the rifled barrel was the step up in accuracy for the foster slugs.
I went back to foster slugs from the high dollar sabots, and I can still get 2-3" groups at 100yards. Energy is higher with the fosters too. Federals have always worked well for me, but another guy at our club that has the same results with fosters/rifled barrel has great luck with Winchester.
Charlie

Hey trebark, where ya shooting. I got to see these 2" groups with the fosters. You might convert me