Shotgun slug question
 

I recently was trying out the new hornady 12 guage slugs that I have read great reviews on. I started at 25 yards to see were I was on the paper and afterthe first shot I notice a large horizontal hole on the paper. After several shots and the same results I stated to think that the slug was tumbling at close distances. I shot at 50 and 75 and found theusual small bullet hole that you would expect to see. Any thoughts. Does the hornaday incorporate a sabotinside the shot gun shell and that was still attached at 25 yards?

RE: Shotgun slug question
 

You very well might have been pushing the sabot thru the paper at 25 yards just behind the actual slug. You say you shot at 50 and 75 yards too. Was that just a total of three shots? You are speaking of a rifled barrel, right?

RE: Shotgun slug question
 

With those slugs through a rifled barrel, I know of a lot of guys sighting in out at 150 yards. Did you try any shots this far? I'm thinking of using those myself and wanted to know what you thought.

RE: Shotgun slug question
 

I hope ur using a rifled barrel. Let me know what ya find because i'm looking to try something new in my 870 with a rifled barrel.

RE: Shotgun slug question
 

I would say it was your sabot going thru the target. If it was stable at longer distances it would be up close as well. If your bullet was tumbling that close you wouldnt' get very good accuracy further out.

Out of curiousity what type of gun are you using and what sort of groups?

Originally they were considered a bit of a let down, but know I am hearing better reports. I may have to try them in my H&R, it doesn't seem to like any of the faster loadings though. I am seriously considering hand loading slugs.

Paul

RE: Shotgun slug question
 

I don't know about the hornaday's. I've never shot them but the Winchester BRI will throw sabot at 25 yrds and hit target sometimes. I use Winchester Platinum and they shoot great out of my riffled barrel, and probabl;y second are the copper solids from Remington.They say to shoot several brands of slugs out of your gun to see which one you gun likes.

RE: Shotgun slug question
 

Another big consideration is the gauge of the slugs tested. Some offerings are great in 20 gauge and so-so in 12 gauge. Mostly due to the specific rifling rates.

It might almost seem intresting as to why slug manufacturers don't post any recommended rate of rifling. Almost. If there's no recommendation, anyone and everyone will purchase them with certainly mixed results.

12 gauge rifled slug barrels typically have rates of around 1-in-34" (Tar-Hunt being the odd rate of 1-in-28". 20 gauges run around 1-in-24".

RE: Shotgun slug question
 

I shotBRI Sabot'sthru Mossberg 500since before Winchester bought Ballistic Research Institute in the 80's.The Mossberg 500 is the shot gun that they use to test their loads.

I started shooting the WinBRI's in a BRNA-5 with a Hastings Paradox Barrel about 12yrs ago and have no problems up to150yds.

RE: Shotgun slug question
 

has anyone shot the new federals with the barnes expander sabot I bought some but haven't tried them yet they look very mean.

RE: Shotgun slug question
 

it was most likely the sabot hitting the target at that range...

by the way, Indy... i am shooting these out of my 870 with a rifled barrel and im shooting 1 inch groups at 50 yards with rifle sights. ill see if i can post a pic.

RE: Shotgun slug question
 

here is the pic i was talking about.... hope everyone else get the same performance.

RE: Shotgun slug question
 

yeah man, Ive had the sabot visually land up to 200 feet from where I was standing, and thats with winchester AND remington saboted slugs. always shoot a saboted slug through a rifled barrel unless you want something thats WAY LESS accurate than a thousand year old slingshot lol. Those things just dont work in a smooth bore.

RE: Shotgun slug question
 

Sorry I should have include the following Remington 11-87 12 guage rifled. AKA "vegimatic"I did not shoot out farther than the 75 yards and I got about the same group as the lightfields.I have shot the 2 3/4 lightfields for several years with excellent results thru the gun. With deer season fastly approaching I won't be changing but theidea of shooting flat out to 200 yards with a shot gun is intriguing, that's the info that Hornaday has been forecasting for the slug. Still love the loader so who knows what I will carry next week. Shoot straight

RE: Shotgun slug question
 

I've seen the sabots stay in the air out past 30 yards.
If it's good at 50, you're fine. The slug would not restabilize if it tumbled early.

RE: Shotgun slug question
 

I use the Federal Barnes Expanders, 2 3/4 and 3. Both seem accurate through a Mossy 500 w/ rifled barrel at least around 75 yards w/ rifled barrel.

How exactly does a sabot work? I thought that was the term for the sabot, but you guys are making it seem like something different. Just curious.

RE: Shotgun slug question
 

Jay the actual bullet is encapsulated in what is basically a plastic cup. When fired the plastic cup (with the bullet in it) travels down the barrel for approximately .0013333 - .0010000 seconds in shotguns with ammo rated 1500-2000 fps. In this time the plastic cup (sabot) is fitted tightly against the rifled sides of the barrel and the twisted rifling (roughly 1 full twist in anywhere from 24 - 36") gets the sabot and enclosed bullet spinning. It is this spinning that actually stabilizes the round. The sabot picks up air around the edges and peels it back, opening it much like a flower blooms until it falls off the back of the actual bullet.

The only sabot round I know of which acts a little differently is Lightfield's IDS slugs which peel the sabot upon impact.

IDS = Impact Discarding Sabot.

Hope this clears things up. If it has, allow me attempt to get you confused all over again. I don't shoot sabot-slugs thru my rifled slug gun.

Now let me confuse you

RE: Shotgun slug question
 

Yes, that does help. Thanks for the clarification, except on the point that you don't use sabots in your rifled barrel. I was told to ONLY use sabots in rifled barrels and rifled slugs in smooth barrels. Something about fouling the barrel and accuracy.

Why don't you subscribe to this theory?

RE: Shotgun slug question
 

I tried out the SST's this past weekend, and I was not impressed at all. First was my wifes 1100 with cantilever bbl. Groups at 50 yards averaged 3". At 100 yards they averaged right around 5", and I had two that keyholed. My Mossberg 695 grouped them 3" and 50, and 4.5" at 100. Sub 2" groups at 100 yards my foot! In contrast, the lightfield Hybreds group 2" at 100 with the 1100, and the Lightfield Commander IDS's group 2.5" at 100 out of the 695. Our twist rates are 1:35 I believe, and these lighter slugs need a faster twist. I think I read somewhere that the optimal twist was 1:24, but I could be wrong on that.

RE: Shotgun slug question
 

I get similar pictures from above. Possibly even tighter. I shoot the Winchester Platinum Gold Salbot's 2 3/4's. 1900fps. I use a Browning BPS with a rifled barrel. Hands down the best slug I have ever used. Here is a story for you from last year. I had a nice 12pt walk out on me first thing in the morning last year. So early that in fact I had not had all the windows open in my tower blind. He was about 50yrds away. I had all of the other windows open except the one to the east, where he came from. I had a Tinks 69 sent bomb out in front of my stand, which is where I was hopping he would head. I waited and waited but no luck. He then turned broadside and headed back into the woods. I knew I would not have this chance again. So I pulled up and put in in my scope. (Keep in mind the window is still closed.) I figured I would have to shoot out my plexi-glass window to have a shot at him. I fired and dropped him in one shot righ in his tracks. After it was all over I realized that I did not figure in the off set of my scope and the barrel being so close to my blind. I actually shot a hole through the window, through the 1/4 in wood wall and staight into the big guy. Dropped him in his tracks. Pretty amazing for the bullet to maintain the energy and accuracy with all this interference. I'll post pictures of it when I get home.

Also, another thing I found. I was testing the 2 3/4 vs the 3in slugs from winchester. The 3in were faster, but the accuracy was crap. I recomend keeping the FPS on a slug under 2000 FPS .