Newb slug gun questions. (YEY)

[Mike Oxbig]

I recently purchased a Benelli Nova Camo W/26” barrel for turkey waterfowl and some skeet.
I have been invited to a hunt this year for deer in the shotty season. I am in no way going to attempt to shoot buck shot so I need a good slug set up.
My understanding of slugs is that they are loose enough to fire through a full choke! Seems to me that it would be very sloppy in the barrel and not all too accurate if that IS the case.

Question #1
Is there such thing as rifled slugs meant to perfectly fit cylinder bore?
If so my gun will do fine.

#2
Are slug (rifled) barrels any smaller than cylinder bore to tighten up on these loose fitting slugs?
If so I’ll either buy a dedicated slug gun or grab a rifled barrel and scope for mine.

Thanks Fellas.
Mike

 

[Wendell]

Buy some rifled slugs, grab some sandbags, and get ye to a range.

You'll be pleasantly surprised. The slugs aren't loose. Generalizations about this choke/ that choke won't shoot are bogus. Many rifled slugs will shoot as well from some smoothbores as sabots shoot from some rifled barrels. Some don't.
Try it and see.

Don't forget lots of sandbags.

And (your choice of) medication for headache.

 

[Big Guy]

With a fully rifled barrel you should use the new sabot style slugs, the sabot fills the barrel and takes the rifling to give the projectile the stabalizing spin. for a non rifled barrel you use the foster style slugs they have rifling grouves on them to try and spin the slug once its out of the barrel, they are also weight forward to act as a badmitton bird for stabilization.
I have had good accuracy with challenger brand of slugs.
They and Brenke have a plastic wad screwed into the rear of the slug to fill the bore and aid accuracy.

 

[TDC]

I recommed you do not shoot slugs through a shotgun with external or thread in choke tubes while using a full choke. You run the risk of removing your choke tube without tools. With a choke that is factory integrated in the barrel, have at her!

I agree with Wendel and big guy. With a smooth bore shoot rifled slugs, with a rifled slug barrel use sabot slugs.

TDC

 

[Cletus]

Try different brands of slugs of course, but also try different chokes as well. Some dont like the extra forcing at the end. I have "not bad" groupings with the challenger, but others on here dont like the performance on game. So I will try the brenneke as well. If you dont come up with a recipe of what works or you are not happy with groups, then of course the rifled barrel and scope are an option. Thats the combo that opened my eyes when first starting shooting slugs, was how the groups tightend right up.

 

[Big Guy]

Another option is an extended rifled choke tube. Its almost as good as a fully rifled barrel . Several years ago an outdoor magazine did a test with fully rifled, extended choke tubes and reg lenght rifled tubes. The fully rifled barrel was the best set up followed closley by the extended rifled choke tubes. The regular length rifled choke tubes couldn't impart enough spin and were the worst of the bunch.

 

[BIGREDD]

I recommed you do not shoot slugs through a shotgun with external or thread in choke tubes while using a full choke. You run the risk of removing your choke tube without tools. With a choke that is factory integrated in the barrel, have at her!

I agree with Wendel and big guy. With a smooth bore shoot rifled slugs, with a rifled slug barrel use sabot slugs.

TDC

If I understand your post correctly you are saying that you can blow a factory screw in full choke out of the barrel by using factory made slugs....
This is simply not true... all factory slugs (rifled and sabots)are made to safely pass through regular factory full chokes.... period.

 

[BIGREDD]

I recently purchased a Benelli Nova Camo W/26” barrel for turkey waterfowl and some skeet.
I have been invited to a hunt this year for deer in the shotty season. I am in no way going to attempt to shoot buck shot so I need a good slug set up.
My understanding of slugs is that they are loose enough to fire through a full choke! Seems to me that it would be very sloppy in the barrel and not all too accurate if that IS the case.

Question #1
Is there such thing as rifled slugs meant to perfectly fit cylinder bore?
If so my gun will do fine.

#2
Are slug (rifled) barrels any smaller than cylinder bore to tighten up on these loose fitting slugs?
If so I’ll either buy a dedicated slug gun or grab a rifled barrel and scope for mine.

Thanks Fellas.
Mike

Question #1 Brenneke slugs will shoot 4 MOA at 100 yards through your Gun with the I/C choke tube and a good set of fibre optic sights! With a 5" or longer rifled choke tube and Remington Buckhammers you will likely be able to shoot 6 inch groups out to 150 with practice. Thats minute of deer no problem!

Question #2 Rifled barrels are still 12 gauge but with rifling and shoot sabots or rifled slugs with much greater accuracy and range than smootbores!They make a Rifled slug barrel for your gun... it is one of the best made.. cantilevered 24" 1:28 ROT! With one of these and good glass you will have a very accurate slug rig that would be deadly on deer to 150-200 yards.
Come out to the range with the boys and I'll show you what all three configurations can do with all the different slugs...

 

[Mike Oxbig]

Thanks for all the info guys! Sure have a bit of testing to do in the near future. It really is great to have this site to pose questions and get experienced feedback rather than take a buddies word for something, run out and buy it, and having it dissapoint you.

BigRed I actually thought about calling you with this question but what the heck do you know about shot guns anyway? Pm me with all the slugs I should pick up and I’ll bring em next time I pass by. I am quite excited to try each setup out and see how each shoots.

I had all my wisdom teeth viciously ripped outa my head yesterday so it'll be a good 2 weeks before I put the butt of any gun in my shoulder let alone eat anything solid.
So i'm just sittin here eating pain killers like smarties watching the weekend pass me by in the hammock. ***Seriously the next person that throws a steak in thier BBQ and the wind blows my way is getting my first practice slug through thier fukin propane tank.

See you fellas and thanks for the help!
Mike

 

[Cletus]

Good call on Bigredd there Mike. I have seen ALOT of posts on slug guns from Bigredd. When he talks, I listen! Judging by his posts, if there is one man that sounds like he has tested EVERYTHING on the market, he has. He has given me valueble info in the past and I have marked his words. Now I am a happy slug gun shooter.

 

[fat tony]

Hey Bigredd, I bought a Remington barrel for my 870 a while ago, the 20 inch version with the rem-chokes, one of them was improved cylinder the other was a rifled choke tube, same length as the ic choke tube. What's the good of the rifled tube? Is it for foster slugs? Would it lead badly, or maybe it's designed for the buckhammer slugs? Regards FT.