OK guys my brother has shot around the idea of tree rat hunting and maybe deer hunting with me he said something about getting a shotgun.
I told him since i was buying a muzzle loader he could use mine and if he wanted he could go buy a rifled barrel because they are more accurate and he couldget out a little farther.
I looked the barrels are near the cost of a new Mossberg rifledslug gun.

If he went and bought a rifled slug gun could he shoot #7 bird shot or maybe 6 for tree rats and maybe a rabbit or two. What effect will the rifling have on the shot and the shot have on the barrel

also he is about 120 pound would a 20 ga be better or should i just drop him behind the 12 ga with some light loads to see how he handles it before he buys a slug gun or drops a 3 inch slug down the 12 ga

Is 20 ga ok for deer if so how far out

I would not shoot shot down a rifled barrel. It might not cause damage but why take the chance.
If he can handle 12 gauge slugs let him use it. If he is going to get a 20 gauge look into a combo barrel deal. One gun two barrels.

First it will not hurt the gun shooting shot down a rifled barrel but the lead will foul up the rifling and effect accuracy even with just one shot. As for him shooting a 12 gauge taht is up to him and what he can handle. I would let him shoot it a few times and see what he thinks. A 20 is plenty for deer out to 100 yards. Also you DO NOT need to shoot a 3" slug for deer. 2 3/4" rounds were used for years and people never had a problem with them. When eh dose get a gun get a combo with both barrels. They are not that mcuh more and are very useful. I have a Mossberg 835 combo and love it.

If he's going to buy a gun, buy a combo with a smooth bore and rifled barrel. Best of both worlds.

You won't hurt the rifling unless maybe you shoot a ton of steel shot through it, however it is a complete waste of time and money because there is no choke in a rifled gun. The pattern will suck and be huge because of the lack of choke and the shot tends to spin as it leaves the barrel which spreads it out and leaves a hole in the center of the pattern. It will completely useless for any type of hunting using shot.

Paul

LIke already posted, shooting shot through a rifled slug barrel isnt going to hurt it other than getting alot of plastic fouling from the the modern wads used today. The rifling is going to act like a spreader choke simular to a Briley choke I use in some sporting events. It is going to impart a twist/spin on the wad thus spreading the shot as soon as it exits the barrel. You should be able to cover the average man sized target at 5 yards with it.

The same can be said with shooting the .410 shotshell in the rifled barrel of the Taurus Judge, it works well at close ranges only.

Whats cool about shooting buckshot or bird shot down a rifled barrel, is it assures you will miss your target and probably not hit em with one pellet.

Years ago, I tried buckshot down a rifled barrel, and it made the biggest perfect donut pattern you ever seen at20 yards. No hits in the inside whatsoever, but round pattern about 6ft wide.

big country is right .rifled bbls.are for single projectiles only.smoothbore slug bbls. are cyl or imp. cyl choke make fine rabbit and upland bird guns,if you can get use to shooting over the iron sights.squirrels are tough i generally use a 20ga. 23/4 .full choke 5or6 shot.no offense intended in va.squirrels are way too fine a game animal and too fine eatin to be refered to as "tree rats'.GOOD LUCK,SAFETY ALWAYS!

thats ok sorry if i offended you by saying it seems thats what everyone on here says so i just went with the rest.