Slugs in a Winchester Model 97?
 

I have a family heirloom in the form of a Winchester Model 97 12 ga. shotgun circa 1956. Says 2 3/4" & "full" on barrel. Which slugs would you recommend using in this weapon? It's a smooth bore of course.
The last thing I want to do Is damage this in any way. My father-in-law left it to me in his will.
I've not shot slugs since I was a kid and am not familiar with the effective range of the newer ammo.

I would not recommend any rifled slug in a full choke barrel, especially an old one like a mod 97. Buy a modern shotgun with a rifled barrel that was meant to shoot slugs. Yes I know rifled slugs and pumpkin balls were used in shotguns before rifled barrels but they really were not all that effective.

The only slugs I would recommend for that barrel would be a Brennekey type slug and even that would be questionable out of a full choke barrel diameter. Those old 97's had fairly good steel in their barrels but as Oldtimr stated, slugs in it would be questionable to say the least.

Problem is, this will be a one time hunt where weapons with "limited range" must be used. I have the shotguns and don't need more. Besides, I think If I were going to buy. . . I'd get a muzzle loader. I could use it elsewhere. What does a rifled slug do to a full choke?

Would one of sabot type slugs be easier on it?

You wont get any accuracy at all with a sabot out of a smooth bore. With full bore slugs the fins on the slug are angled to give it some spin. Not nearly as much that is really needed but the Brennekey slugs are engineered for smooth bore shooting. Those fins also collapse under the pressure to go through your bore. But a full choke will cause a lot of stress on the end of your barrel. Your barrel may or may not get damaged, more than likely not, but it still isn't a recommendation I would make. Just from a safety point of view. As far as accuracy goes, the old man had an old Charles Daly field gun smooth bore that he screwed a modified choke on for punkin balls. Out to 75 yards he could easily keep it in around 7 inches. Not too bad of accuracy for what it was. He dropped quite a few deer with that setup. All I can tell you is give a box of Brennekey's a try. If you don't broom the muzzle of your barrel then you should be fine. As far as accuracy goes, that's going to be a coin toss really.

Thanks. Kind of a crap shoot.

I live in slug country. Hundreds of thousands of lead "foster"-type slugs have been shot out of hundreds of thousands of shotguns with full chokes with no effect whatsoever on the choke. The fosters were designed to be shot out of any barrel. While the accuracy may not be anything to write home about, there will be no damage to the gun. Saboted slugs are designed to be shot out of cylinder-bore or rifled barrels and are another matter.

shoot it, expect to hit a paper plate at 75 yards and be happy

Thanks WI guys! I can also use my bow . . . but I don't have a 75 yard pin! Any one "foster"-type slugs work better than another?
Good help everyone.