Will a rifled slug harm a rifled barrel?
 

I don't care about having to clean a leadded barrel as a result, I just wanna make sure I won't harm the rifling itslef. If you're wondering why I wanna do it, it's because the sabot slugs that my Slumaster likes are $3/shot (the price came down $1.50/shot over last year's price!). Last year I used irons only but this season I'm gonna put glass on the thing. The rifled slugs will be used just to get close before zeroing it in with the good stuff. Yes I know about boresighting. :)

Your rifled barrel will not be damaged in any way by the use of rifled slugs.

damaged no, lost of accuracy yes, cause the soft lead will fill in the rifling you will need to clean it ASAP

As long as you clean it out, you'll be good. The rifling is alot harder than the lead. So, it won't damage it. Good luck.
-Jake

I have a slugmaster. It likes Brenneke KO Sabots and Winchester BRI style sabots very well. I have enough to shoot this year. Went to D icks the other day, saw Federal Fusion slugs for $9.99. They are rated for 1600 FPS, and should shoot well in the Slugmaster. I have not shot them but I'll probably be going to them next year.

I would not mess around with rifled slugs. Here's last year's Slugmaster buck. No monster, but he looked good the day I spotted him bedded right next to the tree I planned to stand by for a while on a stillhunt.

Attachment 12490

Hey.... That's one fine buck!! Congrats!!

I would rather clean anything than heavily lead barrels. Even heavily copper fouled.

Leading in a barrel usually only takes place when you use a high velocity load / followed by a lead load or vs verse...

Back in the day - 50 or more years ago, people made their own bullets and fired them out of their high power rifles such as a 30-06.
The home made bullets did not harm the barrel as long as you didn't try to use gilded bullets. The gilded bullets had more velocity and would heat up the lead deposits in the barrel and would cause pressure buildup issues.

As long as you only used lead or copper jacketed bullets and not both - it did not matter which you used and would not harm the barrel.

A sabot slug has a plastic jacket and is only against the slug as a shim to take up the space in the barrel. Just think of it as shooting a 20 gauge slug out of a `12 gauge barrel. The plastic will leave a small deposit of plastic in the barrel but nothing to be worried about.

Every time you shoot a shotgun shell - there is a plastic wad that travels behind the shot that pushes the shot down the barrel.
Its only job is to take up a space between the powder and the shot and to seal the explosion so the powder can propel the shot down the barrel. If there was no wad - it would just be like firing off a M 1000 inside of your shotgun barrel.

You don't have to spend a half a hour cleaning out a shotgun barrel so you can go between shooting sabots and slugs.
A squirt of foaming bore cleaner would probably clean it for you good enough if you was really worried about it.

How long does it take to squirt some foaming bore cleaner down a shot gun barrel and swab it out with a piece of old cotton tee shirt?