I have not got alot of experience with slug shooting . I have been reading up about it but it is all alittle confusing. The thought of round balls intrigues me. Does anyone have experience in rolling your own slug loads? What is your favorite recipe?
Shooting round ball slugs.
- Thread starter joey.45
- Start date
Blastattack
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Winnipeg MB
An 11/16" hardened steel ball bearing makes a very potent, high-velocity armor piercing "slug" and seems to have decent accuracy. Beyond that, I can't see what benefit a lead ball would have over a conventional bullet shaped slug.
hi joey
about 5 years ago i purchased 2 12 ga. keyed slug moulds made by lee along with a cheap 12 ga. rifled shotgun by H&R...poured 7/8 oz. slugs from wheel weights...they go all the way through a 10" poplar and 4" into the one behind at 20'...there is no distortion of the slug whatsoever...and produces a 6" group at 100 yards...best loads were using AA cases, Unique powder, HCD 18 wads, OS12 cards
never used round balls though
about 5 years ago i purchased 2 12 ga. keyed slug moulds made by lee along with a cheap 12 ga. rifled shotgun by H&R...poured 7/8 oz. slugs from wheel weights...they go all the way through a 10" poplar and 4" into the one behind at 20'...there is no distortion of the slug whatsoever...and produces a 6" group at 100 yards...best loads were using AA cases, Unique powder, HCD 18 wads, OS12 cards
never used round balls though
It also makes a split barrel if fired through any shotgun barrel with a tighter choke than the ball bearing.
Lead was, and with the exception of steel shot, continues to be the material of choice for shotgun projectiles. The reasons for lead are many, but the most important are density and malleability. Density because energy retention is desirable. Malleability because the barrels need to be harder than what is fired through them. Metals that deform more easily allow for the use of more elastic steels in the construction of the barrels.
However, whereas barrels can fairly easily be made for steel shot, they cannot for hardened steel ball bearings.
Cylinder bore is the only safe choke for this very bad idea.
Last edited:
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Hhhhmmm, notice that any military that issues 'high velocity armor piercing ammo' for the most part are equipped with pointy penetrators chucked at higher velocities then most modern shotguns can generate. And a lead ball has tremendous terminal effect within it's effective range on live targets.
Food for thought.....
