Mini Slugs for a Mini Shotgun - with Range Report

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22rimfiredude

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My order of Aguila Mini-Slugs arrived today (thanks drjones!), so here is a pic of them with my SMD 12:

SMD12withAmmo.jpg


I can fit 4+1 of the 1.5" Mini-Slugs into the SMD 12 or 2+1 of the 2 3/4" Winchester Slugs. They seem to cycle fine dry, but weather permitting I will go to the range tomorrow and see how they do.

According to the Aguila website, these slugs should do 1250 fps w 7/8 oz slug, while the Winchester shoots (as memory serves) 1400 fps w 1 oz slug. It would be interesting to chrony these different slugs through the shot bbl. I suppose the they will both shoot close enough to point of aim to be effective.

The SMD 12 is stock except for the sling plate and BFG breacher's sling from badboybeeson.

Cheers

S
 
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Pretty cool....At those velocities, you are throwing a 400gr "bullet" faster than a 44 Magnum can shoot a 300gr...

Depending on how the slugs are constructed, they could very well be a great compliment to the SMD 12..:)
 
This source says that they may need mods to work in an 870. Please give us a range report if you can.

12 GA Mini-Slug Aguila Box (20 rds)
$8.95
1 3/4" Minislug 12-ga shotgun shells. 7/8-oz (386-gr) slugs at 1250 fps. Low-recoil, a great choice for home defense. Aguila mini-slugs work well in Winchester 1300 and FN shotguns. Remingtons and Charles Dalys may require some elevator modification. Mossbergs require some elevator modification. I have had some success with this load in a Benelli Nova.
Click to expand...
 
I would take a whole whack of these shells if the availability and price were more in line with other brands. I imagine I am not the only one.
 
As promised, I was able to go to the BWA Range and test out the SMD 12 with the mini shells.

SMD12_Start_of_Session.jpg


Firstly I verified that the magazine can hold three 2 3/4" shells, so in the original post I was wrong.

When firing I fired from a distance of three long paces and aimed below the head of the centre prairie dog. I know that this seems a little strange using these tgts, but they were all I had. When firing, I used the pistol grip and used a modified weaver stance with the other hand through the front strap on the foregrip.

SMD12_Birdshot_00Buck.jpg


The left tgt was engaged with 4 bird shot rds and the one to the left with 5 x 2 3/4" 00 9 pellet buck rounds. Recoil with both was OK and shot a little above POI.

Next I used the slugs:

SMD12_bigslug_minislug.jpg


The tgt on the left was engaged (painfully) with the 2 3/4" 1oz slugs. Recoil was stout and I was frankly getting a little trigger shy by the fifth rd. As well extraction was sticky with one of the shells. The right tgt was engaged with the mini-slugs.

The difference was night and day! Recoil and noise was dramatically reduced with the mini-slugs. The SMD 12 ate them fine so long as the action was quickly and with authority. It was so much fun in fact, the I fired another four rounds. In all it was the best to shoot, IMHO, of all thge tested rounds.

Note that holes from the slugs are very clean, I believe this is due to the semi-wadcutter profile of the mini-slugs. As well, the mini-slugs shot above point of aim. My feeling is that mini-slugs burned all of their powder before exiting the bbl and achieved a higher velocity. I unfortunately do not have a chrony to prove this.

Here are the leftovers....which I did clean up.

SMD12_theend.jpg


Note that there seems to be carbon on the outside of the fired mini-slugs and not the longer 2 3/4" shells.

In closing, I believe that the main advantage of the mini-slugs is their lower recoil as opposed to the extra round capacity they afford the SMD 12. My feeling is the best way to carry this would be with a 2 3/4" or 3" 00 buck rd in the chamber and four mini-slugs in the mag. Of course, your mileage may vary.

Cheers

S
 
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