Can one safely shoot sabot slugs with modified choke?

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ccmaxwell

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Hi there,

I am looking for some advice from more experienced hunters: how safe is to shoot sabot slugs for smooth bore, with the modified choke?
I am talking about the Remington 870 Express Magnum

I got conflicting answers from 2 separate sources, and I would really appreciate your input.

Thank you,
Colin
 
ccmaxwell said:
Hi there,

I am looking for some advice from more experienced hunters: how safe is to shoot sabot slugs for smooth bore, with the modified choke?
I am talking about the Remington 870 Express Magnum

I got conflicting answers from 2 separate sources, and I would really appreciate your input.

Thank you,
Colin
Click to expand...

Sabot Slugs are designed to shoot through a fully rifled barrel or rifled choke tube. I don't believe they will work too well through a smoothbore...

Use "rifled slugs" and expect no more than 60 yards accuracy. (Ideally through a cyllinder bore, but I believe you can shoot them using a mod choke...

Lucky
 
LuckyStrike said:
Sabot Slugs are designed to shoot through a fully rifled barrel or rifled choke tube. I don't believe they will work too well through a smoothbore...

Use "rifled slugs" and expect no more than 60 yards accuracy. (Ideally through a cyllinder bore, but I believe you can shoot them using a mod choke...

Lucky
Click to expand...

Thank you Lucky - this I can confirm: at 50 m I was able to put all the slugs within a 4 inches grouping with the smooth barrel, no scope (and I am not a good shooter yet). My Rem 870 came as a combo, with a the smooth barrel and a modified choke. At the time I bought it I was assured the mod choke is quite alright for shooting anything from shots to slugs designed for smooth bore.

My doubt started from conversation with a friend, who knows many things about guns, who is also an engineer. He told me that shooting slugs through a smooth barrel is absolutely unsafe, and by doing that I put a lot of pressure on the barrel, with the imminent hazard of explosion, especially for a "cheap" (as per his own words) shotgun like Rem 870.

Hence my question to the gun nutz....

Thank you for sharing your opinion!
 
I don't know where your friend gets his info from but smooth bore shotguns have been shooting slugs for many years. Just use slugs designed for a smooth bore. They are sometimes called rifled but the grooves are actually there so the slugs will pass through most chokes safely. As far as the best choke for slugs goes the rule seems to be improved cylinder but you need to try your gun with the choke you intend to use and see how it preforms at the distance you expect to use it at. Just don't use slugs or sabots designed for rifled barrels.
 
Rifled slugs in smooth bores even with full choke with no problems. Hunters have been doing it for decades. Accuracy varies from gun to gun, but completely safe.
Sabot slugs in rifled barrels in order to impart spin to the bullet to give it the stability needed for accuracy.Rifled slugs do not need this due to nose heavy, hollow base design. (similar to a birdie used in badmington) The hollow base also allows the rifled slug to squeeze through the choke.
 
It's sad that your friend is an engineer as that doesn't say much about his profession.

A rifled slug is safe to shoot through any choke. The rifling on the slug is designed to compress as it travels through a choke. A sabot slug is not designed to constrict and can damage a choked barrel, other then a cylinder or rifled choke of course.
 
pharaoh2 said:
It's sad that your friend is an engineer as that doesn't say much about his profession.

A rifled slug is safe to shoot through any choke. The rifling on the slug is designed to compress as it travels through a choke. A sabot slug is not designed to constrict and can damage a choked barrel, other then a cylinder or rifled choke of course.
Click to expand...

Agree 100 percent. We'll have tell the OP to get a new friend ;)
 
Gents,

I would like to thank you very much for sharing from your experience and insight. I feel much better now shooting my Rem 870, which I believe is a great and yet affordable gun.

Have a great weekend!
Colin
 
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