Shot through rifled slug barrels?

[rdelliott]

So I was browsing through chuckhawks.com earlier, and came across the following article on rifled slug barrels: h t t p :// w w w.chuckhawks.com/more_slug_guns.htm

The author claims that he gets effective (as in lethal to what he shoots at, which is all that really counts) results firing shotshells through the rifled barrel on a Remington 870 Deer Gun.

This startled me, because I had read somewhere that firing shot through a rifled barrel tended to produce donut patterns; the rifling imparted spin to the shot, so that it spun outwards.

And I'd also heard that shot would damage the rifling (although why contact with a no.6 lead pellet would chew up the rifling more than contact with a 1-oz. slug is beyond me).

Can anybody point me to some hard information on this? By hard information I mean non-anecdotal, non-"everybody knows that...", back up by actual testing and experience, preferably with photos of patterns?

The reason I ask is that frankly, I like the way my 870 Super Mag feels, handles, and carries with the slug barrel, more than it does with the wing barrel, and I also really like the express sights on the slug barrel. If there's little practical difference in how shot shoots through the rifled barrel, I might just leave the slug barrel on it all the time.

Thanks.

 

[RAYE]

Good question, I'd like to know too.

 

[Quiet]

Well, if you already HAVE both barrels, why don't you try comparing the patterns on some craft paper and posting the results?

 

[rdelliott]

Well, if you already HAVE both barrels, why don't you try comparing the patterns on some craft paper and posting the results?

Two reasons: it's pissing a mix of rain and wet snow at the moment, and I'm kind of concerned about the stories of shot wrecking the rifling.

It the weather improves any this weekend and I can get some reassurance that the shot won't trash my rifled barrel, I'm going to do exactly that

 

[canadian hunter312]

i dont see how shooting shot through the rifled barrel could damage anything since there is only plastic touching the rifling...the same as when you shoot a sabot.

btw...lead cant damage the rifling...look at rifles. they use copper jacketed bullets or .22s have just lead. how many rounds do .22 rifles get before ya need a new barrel? lol has anyone lived that long before?

i might just head out today and try it out. thing is though i dont have a cylinder choke so it wouldnt be an accurate test. most open choke i have is IC. but if i get out i will still take pics and post em here along with anythign interesting i found.

 

[toxic]

I don't have concrete answers but here's my train of thought...

The rifled slugs that I shoot are sabot slugs so the lead never actually comes in contact with the rifling.

Perhaps the inner diameter of a slug barrel is smaller thus constricting the shot to a point where it may damage the rifling groves?

I would assume that steel shot would be much harder on the barrel than lead - maybe that's why they say no shot in a rifled barrel.

Maybe the initial shock of even lead shot hitting the rifling in the barrel as it comes out of the shell causes damage as it is a lot of energy hitting on one small point.

Just my thoughts...

 

[Big JD-From the hills]

I wouldn't think lead shot, especialy target loads would damage the rifling one bit. It may foul it with lead, but that would be the the worst that could happen I think. There are 22lr shotshell cartriges that are shot through rifled barrels... patern seems pritty uniform, but fiarly large to me.

My guess is that the no shot warning is just a blanket statement to cover there asses... just incase someone gets the idea to shoot steel through it. Though steel shot is failry soft also.

 

[thebuckhunter]

I don't think it would be a problem, nor would it damage the rifling. The shot is encased in a plastic shot cup that releases the shot AFTER it leaves the barrel. I'm not sure what the results would be, but damage is very unlikely.

-Jason

 

[rdelliott]

i dont see how shooting shot through the rifled barrel could damage anything since there is only plastic touching the rifling...the same as when you shoot a sabot.

btw...lead cant damage the rifling...look at rifles. they use copper jacketed bullets or .22s have just lead. how many rounds do .22 rifles get before ya need a new barrel? lol has anyone lived that long before?

i might just head out today and try it out. thing is though i dont have a cylinder choke so it wouldnt be an accurate test. most open choke i have is IC. but if i get out i will still take pics and post em here along with anythign interesting i found.

Please do .

I'm thinking of trying the following setup:

Large silhouette targets.

Ranges: 5, 15, and 30 meters

Cylinder and Modified chokes, and Rifled Slug barrel.

No.8 target and 00 Buck shells.

That'd require 18 targets by my count, six at each range increment.

Plan would be to take my Marine Magnum (18" cylinder bore), shoot one no. 8, label the target, take a picture, put up the next target, repeat with one 00 shell, and repeat the process with my 870 Super Mag with the wing barrel and Modified choke, then back out to the next range increment. That'd take twelve targets all told.

Then, swap barrels on the Super Mag, and go back and shoot one no. 8, label the target, take a picture, put up the next target, repeat with one 00 shell, and then back out to the next range increment. That should take another six targets.

I figure that should give us a reasonably good idea of how the shot behaves.

Unfortunately, the forecast for tomorrow calls for more rain and there's a high wind warning in effect. I'll have to try for next weekend.

 

[bobc]

It wont work

or at reast it wont work well, My buddie had a single shot rifled slug gun years ago he thought the short length would make it great for rabbit hunting, I belive it was an H&R or a NEF around 20'' barrel with rifle sights. after missing around 3 bunnies we set up some pop cans and from 25 feet you could barely hit them 1 or 2 pellets from #6 shot ,but when I shot them with my 870 20'' smoth bore at 25feet there was very little left of the cans, We did come to the conclusion that the spinning shot caused a doughnut shaped pattern . It would do in a pinch ie you see a partridge or bunny while deer hunting, but if you want to keep it short I would recomend getting a rem 20'' rifle sight IC smoth bore slug barrel I love mine , I also saw a 20'' vent rib rem choke barrel at a gun show a few years back, that would be a handy barrel also. If you try shot in your rifled barrel make shure you dont get a build up of plastic in the rifeling. Just my 2 cents.
Bob C

 

[300Spartans]

I have tried sending Federal 00 buckshot down range through the 20" rifled slug barrel on my 870. At 15 yards I found one pellet placed where I wanted it, one pellet on the edge of the paper and the others nowhere in sight. I repeated with Winchester 00 and basically a similar story. If I am hunting with the slug barrel I only use slugs. I have a smoothbore 20" and I get good groups with the slugs but I like how the smoothbore allows me to use other shot loads. If smoothbore is being used, sabots are obviously the answer. It was too bad because I was hoping for varied shot loads with the slug barrel.