Accuracy of rifled slugs -Sabot, etc.
- Thread starter copeland
- Start date
darkshadow
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- OH Ontario, OH NO!
Yeah I got that a week ago, sign up for the emails if you have not already.
I would like to see the test between sabot slugs in a fully rifled barrel and a rifled choke.
I would like to see the test between sabot slugs in a fully rifled barrel and a rifled choke.
Great experiment. Here is the conclusion for those using dialup (copied directly from link)
Lessons learned:
1. Sabot slugs in a rifled barrel are very accurate.
2. Shooting sabot slugs through a smooth bore is a waste of money. They will "work" but accuracy suffers and there is no reason to spend the extra money for sabot slugs if you are going to shoot them through a smooth bore. Besides, if they are not flying straight and nose-first, they will not expand as designed.
3. Different shotguns "like" different loads. Just like rifles and pistols. You must try different loads to find what your gun "likes".
4. Shooting a non-sabot rifled slug through a rifled barrel can cause them to shoot into very nice groups.
5. When we got home and cleaned the rifled barrel, the five non-sabot, rifled slugs had not really deposited any lead that we could notice. The barrel cleaned-up sparkling clean very easily.
6. It's fun to shoot stuff.
Lessons learned:
1. Sabot slugs in a rifled barrel are very accurate.
2. Shooting sabot slugs through a smooth bore is a waste of money. They will "work" but accuracy suffers and there is no reason to spend the extra money for sabot slugs if you are going to shoot them through a smooth bore. Besides, if they are not flying straight and nose-first, they will not expand as designed.
3. Different shotguns "like" different loads. Just like rifles and pistols. You must try different loads to find what your gun "likes".
4. Shooting a non-sabot rifled slug through a rifled barrel can cause them to shoot into very nice groups.
5. When we got home and cleaned the rifled barrel, the five non-sabot, rifled slugs had not really deposited any lead that we could notice. The barrel cleaned-up sparkling clean very easily.
6. It's fun to shoot stuff.
we always shoot rifled slug threw our rifled barrels when first lining them up after putting a scope on. Surprizingly they group pretty well. I could hit a 4" circle every shot at 75 yards with remington sluggers. Sabots are still better grouping, they really excel after 100 yards compaired to the rifled slugs.
- Location
- Kitchener, ON
I did a test with a Browning Invector Plus rifled choke tube a while back and the results are linked below. I was concerned about accuracy since the only slugs that I had tried previously were through a smooth bore and disapointing to say the least. For me, this is the way to go.
(add a "w" to complete the link)
ww.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=197292
Interesting. My 14" Valtro PM5 with ghost ring launches 3" Winchester magnum rifled slugs into a 9" group at 100 yards quite well, thats with the cylinder bore ported barrel. Fun for the first 5 shots before the concussion trips the migraine breakers!
Wild_Thing
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- In the thick of it!
You can always swap a rifled barrel on your 500 to shoot sabots.
Important to know. The "rifled" part of Rifled Slugs, is the bars that stand proud of the surface, that are meant to be easier to compress as they go through the choke on a choked shotgun barrel, not that they will start to spin, if shot from a smooth bore.
With a scoped, rifled barrel, you should get groups that are pretty close to as good as you can get with a regular hunting rifle.
And yup, shooting sabots through a smoothbore is an expensive waste of ones money!
I didn't flip through the whole range test, but if he shot the groups I saw, with a bead sight, he'll get meat.
Cheers
Trev
With a scoped, rifled barrel, you should get groups that are pretty close to as good as you can get with a regular hunting rifle.
And yup, shooting sabots through a smoothbore is an expensive waste of ones money!
I didn't flip through the whole range test, but if he shot the groups I saw, with a bead sight, he'll get meat.
Cheers
Trev
If you ask me, the sabots are always a waste of money. I would prefer shooting fosters through a rifled barrel than sabots.
Rifled Barrel= expense once and benefit forever
Sabots= expense is ongoing and benefit burned in 1/100th second.
The only benefit from sabots are the nice bullet designs like the copper solid that give better penetration. In this case, like hunting swamp donkey in Middle Ontario, it would arguably make sense to buy a single box for 5 seasons of moose. Maybe one box for practice.
As for me I'll be sticking with Fosters, and hope to soon be casting my own.
Rifled Barrel= expense once and benefit forever
Sabots= expense is ongoing and benefit burned in 1/100th second.
The only benefit from sabots are the nice bullet designs like the copper solid that give better penetration. In this case, like hunting swamp donkey in Middle Ontario, it would arguably make sense to buy a single box for 5 seasons of moose. Maybe one box for practice.
As for me I'll be sticking with Fosters, and hope to soon be casting my own.
Interesting discussion here. Its my first season when I actually hunted with my shotgun
and filled the freezer. Smoothbore 20G with 20" barrel. With red dot scope that I mounted
on to receiver it delivers about 6" at 100 yard, just enough to have all holes on paper.
I never thought better accuracy would be possible. In fact I was near extatic when I hit
paperclip at 40 yards. I had to shim barrel a little so it stays
solidly attached.
and filled the freezer. Smoothbore 20G with 20" barrel. With red dot scope that I mounted
on to receiver it delivers about 6" at 100 yard, just enough to have all holes on paper.
I never thought better accuracy would be possible. In fact I was near extatic when I hit
paperclip at 40 yards. I had to shim barrel a little so it stays
solidly attached.
I just tested out my 870 with rifled barrel and cantalevered scope mount on the weekend with Hornday saboted ammo (300gr SST's). It shoots a 2" groups at 100 yards. According to the box, if set for 2.5" high at 100 it will zero at 150 yards and shoot 6" low at 200 yards. That's pretty impressive for a shotshell. I clearly underestimated what you can do with a rifled shotgun barrel. On a budget, this could easily replace many rifles.
I wouldn't blame anyone for being skeptical. I was expecting 4"-6". I'd like to hear from others as to their experience with sabots in rifled shotgun barrels. According to Chuck Hawkes review of the 870 with rifled barrel, he quotes Remington as somewhere saying it will deliver 2.5" 5 shot groups. I'm now a believer.
Can anyone tell me the best place to get a rifled barrel with cantilever mount for an 870. I don't really want to buy a new shotgun but I am having trouble finding a barrel only.
Interesting info here by the way. I have been trying to find out about the pros and cons of rifled slugs and sabots, etc.
Interesting info here by the way. I have been trying to find out about the pros and cons of rifled slugs and sabots, etc.
Rifled barrels with cantilever are listed in the Cabella's Canada catalogue. Both Remington and others make them for the 870. Can't tell you whether they have stock or not. You might want to check with some of the sponsors, they might have a better price than Cabellas.
