New Hunter ... few questions
11-21-2007 | 04:09 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Fork Horn
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 362
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From: Warren, MI
New Hunter ... few questions
What are the advantages of buying a slug gun over buying a 12ga shotgun. My understanding is that a slug gun is a 12 ga with a riflled barrel that shots slugs. Can they shot buckshot? i also understand a 12 ga as in the remington 870 shots rifled slugs and shot. Finally.... Over and Unders and side by sides ... are they practical guns for deer hunting (mainly with slugs) or are they better for target shooting and birds.I mainly hunt with a bow, looking to cross over any help is appreciated, thanks in advance
11-21-2007 | 04:13 PM
#2
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,435
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From: Where the big deer are from, seminole county FL
RE: New Hunter ... few questions
ok well if you get a slug gun and its barrle is fully rifled you can only shoot slugs and you want to shoot sabots with fully rifled barrles, now with a normal smooth bore shotgun you would normally shoot rifled slugs and buckshot, DONT SHOOT BUCK SHOT IN THE FULLY RIFLED BARRLE it will ruin the rifling, and yes the SXS and over and under shotgun are better for birds but i am sure you could shoot slugs if there choke is right.
11-21-2007 | 08:29 PM
#3
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 158
Likes: 0
From: Sparta, MI
RE: New Hunter ... few questions
If you get a slug gun which is a rifled barrel then only use sabbot slugs because they are not rifled slugs. If you use rifled slugs in a rifled barrel then it will mess the rifle in your barrel up. If you buy a shotgun with a smooth bore then buy some rifled slugs and use a Mod choke tube. You can use buckshot in a smooth bore but not a rifled barrel. Last but not least, over and unders and side by sides are not good deer hunting guns. They are mainly for skeet shooting and bird hunting.
11-22-2007 | 07:30 AM
#4
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 5,293
Likes: 0
From: Blissfield MI USA
RE: New Hunter ... few questions
You can shoot rifled slugs out of a rifled barrel, won't ruin a thing (haven't we had like 10 posts saying this in the past week?) It will make a mess and you will have to spend some time scrubbing the lead out of the barrel. A few companies make rifled slugs for rifled barrels with either a special coating or a harder alloy lead to help reduce lead fouling.
The modern sabot loads have better ballistics though and are much cleaner to shoot. They can foul the barrel with plastic though so you still need to clean your gun with a good solvent to remove it.
Buckshot will not harm you rifled barrel either. Lead shot is much softer than your hardened steel barrel. Chances are it won't even foul it out unless you shoot a lot through it. The problem is there is no choke in your rifled barrel and because it is rifled it will tend to spin the shot as it leaves the barrel. These two combined lead to VERY poor patterns. They will be huge and have a large hole in the center. Nothing you would want to hunt with.
I don't know if they make them anymore but you can find smooth bore slug guns, basically just a smooth bore barrel with no choke and some rifle sights on them. Not as accurate as a rifled barrel though in most cases.
You could shoot a SxS or a O/U for deer hunting, I know some that do. You just have to make sure they have the appropriate chokes and see how well they shoot. SxS's have a tendency to cross paths at a certain distance from what I understand. Like one barrel will impact to the left and the other to the right. I wouldn't suggest either type when there are so many great single shots and pumps for less money that would work better.
Good luck,
Paul
The modern sabot loads have better ballistics though and are much cleaner to shoot. They can foul the barrel with plastic though so you still need to clean your gun with a good solvent to remove it.
Buckshot will not harm you rifled barrel either. Lead shot is much softer than your hardened steel barrel. Chances are it won't even foul it out unless you shoot a lot through it. The problem is there is no choke in your rifled barrel and because it is rifled it will tend to spin the shot as it leaves the barrel. These two combined lead to VERY poor patterns. They will be huge and have a large hole in the center. Nothing you would want to hunt with.
I don't know if they make them anymore but you can find smooth bore slug guns, basically just a smooth bore barrel with no choke and some rifle sights on them. Not as accurate as a rifled barrel though in most cases.
You could shoot a SxS or a O/U for deer hunting, I know some that do. You just have to make sure they have the appropriate chokes and see how well they shoot. SxS's have a tendency to cross paths at a certain distance from what I understand. Like one barrel will impact to the left and the other to the right. I wouldn't suggest either type when there are so many great single shots and pumps for less money that would work better.
Good luck,
Paul
11-22-2007 | 08:39 AM
#5
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,435
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From: Where the big deer are from, seminole county FL
RE: New Hunter ... few questions
paul they do still make smoothbore slug guns, but i disagree with the buckshot in the rifled barrle it might not hurt it but i still wouldnt try when the manual clearly says only shoot sabot slugs, i really wouldnt wanna try it. but your are right about the bad pattern cause it would twist then there is not choke so it would which ever way it wanted to.
11-22-2007 | 09:55 AM
#6
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,813
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From:
RE: New Hunter ... few questions
ORIGINAL: Paul L Mohr
You can shoot rifled slugs out of a rifled barrel, won't ruin a thing (haven't we had like 10 posts saying this in the past week?) It will make a mess and you will have to spend some time scrubbing the lead out of the barrel. A few companies make rifled slugs for rifled barrels with either a special coating or a harder alloy lead to help reduce lead fouling.
The modern sabot loads have better ballistics though and are much cleaner to shoot. They can foul the barrel with plastic though so you still need to clean your gun with a good solvent to remove it.
Buckshot will not harm you rifled barrel either. Lead shot is much softer than your hardened steel barrel. Chances are it won't even foul it out unless you shoot a lot through it. The problem is there is no choke in your rifled barrel and because it is rifled it will tend to spin the shot as it leaves the barrel. These two combined lead to VERY poor patterns. They will be huge and have a large hole in the center. Nothing you would want to hunt with.
I don't know if they make them anymore but you can find smooth bore slug guns, basically just a smooth bore barrel with no choke and some rifle sights on them. Not as accurate as a rifled barrel though in most cases.
You could shoot a SxS or a O/U for deer hunting, I know some that do. You just have to make sure they have the appropriate chokes and see how well they shoot. SxS's have a tendency to cross paths at a certain distance from what I understand. Like one barrel will impact to the left and the other to the right. I wouldn't suggest either type when there are so many great single shots and pumps for less money that would work better.
Good luck,
Paul
You can shoot rifled slugs out of a rifled barrel, won't ruin a thing (haven't we had like 10 posts saying this in the past week?) It will make a mess and you will have to spend some time scrubbing the lead out of the barrel. A few companies make rifled slugs for rifled barrels with either a special coating or a harder alloy lead to help reduce lead fouling.
The modern sabot loads have better ballistics though and are much cleaner to shoot. They can foul the barrel with plastic though so you still need to clean your gun with a good solvent to remove it.
Buckshot will not harm you rifled barrel either. Lead shot is much softer than your hardened steel barrel. Chances are it won't even foul it out unless you shoot a lot through it. The problem is there is no choke in your rifled barrel and because it is rifled it will tend to spin the shot as it leaves the barrel. These two combined lead to VERY poor patterns. They will be huge and have a large hole in the center. Nothing you would want to hunt with.
I don't know if they make them anymore but you can find smooth bore slug guns, basically just a smooth bore barrel with no choke and some rifle sights on them. Not as accurate as a rifled barrel though in most cases.
You could shoot a SxS or a O/U for deer hunting, I know some that do. You just have to make sure they have the appropriate chokes and see how well they shoot. SxS's have a tendency to cross paths at a certain distance from what I understand. Like one barrel will impact to the left and the other to the right. I wouldn't suggest either type when there are so many great single shots and pumps for less money that would work better.
Good luck,
Paul
I'm glad you got the right infoout there for the origional poster...
DM
11-23-2007 | 11:53 AM
#7
Giant Nontypical
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 6,270
Likes: 0
From: Texas - BUT NOW in Madison County, NY
RE: New Hunter ... few questions
ORIGINAL: millerhunter13
ok well if you get a slug gun and its barrle is fully rifled you can only shoot slugs and you want to shoot sabots with fully rifled barrles, now with a normal smooth bore shotgun you would normally shoot rifled slugs and buckshot, DONT SHOOT BUCK SHOT IN THE FULLY RIFLED BARRLE it will ruin the rifling, and yes the SXS and over and under shotgun are better for birds but i am sure you could shoot slugs if there choke is right.
ok well if you get a slug gun and its barrle is fully rifled you can only shoot slugs and you want to shoot sabots with fully rifled barrles, now with a normal smooth bore shotgun you would normally shoot rifled slugs and buckshot, DONT SHOOT BUCK SHOT IN THE FULLY RIFLED BARRLE it will ruin the rifling, and yes the SXS and over and under shotgun are better for birds but i am sure you could shoot slugs if there choke is right.
