Rifled Slug Barral ?

[Froggy4371]

I was just wondering about shooting a Foster style slug though a rifled slug barrel? My brother is to cheap to by sabots for his 20 gauge and rifled slug barrel and shoot his old foster style rifled slugs. Now I have heard on here not to do that but he puts 5 shots in a 3 inch area at 60 yards. Now I am guessing that the rifled barrel is smaller in diamater and that is the problem with shooting foster slugs though it. Someone let me know if I am correct.

Thanks guys.

Froggy

[CodyDawg]

The rifling on the slugs will fight the rifling in the barrel and foul the barrel with lead deposits. It wont hurt anything other than fouling the rifling I believe, but there is no point in doing it. Tell your brother to hold off on 1 beer a month and he can pay for the correct shells.

[QuackAttack]

Know of a dude that blew out the end of his barrel. He claimed to have run about 20 rounds sighting in.

Don’t take my word for it…..I’m not a gunsmith.......Read a rifled slug box or better yet call a gunsmith and get their opinion.

Kinda funny he wanted to go the cheap route:

A) He bought 4 boxes! of "Cheap" slugs to sight in his gun

Ended up buying a new barrel!

C) Had to use a backup with only a bead for a sight (I’m not knocking the bead I’ve killed many whitetails with that set up, its quite a step backwards from a cantilevered rifled slug barrel with a Nikon scope that he was intending on using)

When you need to go in for a bypass......tell them to go the cheap route.

[irvingdog]

DO NOT SHOOT FOSTER-STYLE SLUGS THROUGH A RIFLED BARREL!!

[lunker651]

I wouldn't shoot foster style slugs through a rifle barrel. I believe there is a reason why they made the smooth bore barrel for foster slugs and rifle barrel for sabot slugs. I heard that if you shoot foster slugs through rifle barrel it can damage the riflings and decrease your barrel's accuracy, even if you use sabot after using foster slug.

[kc0myy]

somebody please tell me why sabots slugs are so much money. I got winchester sabots slugs and I got 5 for 10.00 bucks (money). Thats 2 bucks (money) a shell. Why are they so much money???????

[irvingdog]

They are big, hard to produce, use lots of powder, and (I'm assuming you bought the Partition Gold slugs) you paid for the technology.

Sadly, supply and demand has not yet straightened out the price of these slugs much, but they HAVE dropped 2-3 bucks per box over the years.

[BLACKJACK]

I just talked to a guy yesterday at a sporting goods shop, he said that shooting the old foster type slugs thru a rifled barrel won't hurt it, its like shooting lead .22 shells down a steel barrel. He did say that it would probably foul/clog up the rifling.

The cost of the sabot slugs is one of the reasons that I went away from using my rifled slug barrel and use the regular barrel. $2 a shell is ridiculous!!!

[96trigger]

Rifled slugs are not that expensive, regular smooth bore slugs are usually 3-4 dollars a box. You can buy the Breneke sabots, and winchester sabots for 6-8 dollars. With the exception of the partition golds, and the other really high end slugs, the cost is really only a couple of bucks more. I used to shoot the partition golds, but now shoot regular winchester sabots because they pattern the same at 25-50 and 100 yards. I think the partitions would be more useful if I had a scope on my gun.

One more point, since putting the rifled barrel on my shotgun, The maximum number of shells I shot in one season has been 5. That was the year I shot 3 does. When I wasn't shooting the rifled barrel, it wasn't uncommon for me to go through 10 shells. Now, I aim, pull the trigger, and always feel confident that I hit the target. There isn't a price to high for that feeling. Buy the Breneke, or the regular sabots, they aren't that much more and the accuracy at greater distances is well worth it.

[Froggy4371]

Trigger,

Thanks for the info. I still shoot a smoothbore slug barrel but around here the sabots are expensive. The cheapest I have found for my son's gun are $10.99 at wal-mart. I can not hardly justify that for a 12 year old! I have not shot more then 4 slugs in one year for 7 years. I shoot my smoothbore and I just do not miss at less then 75 yards. I have taken 9 deer in the last 7 years and only shot once at each deer. The only reason I ask the question about the rifled barrel is cause most combo's come with them now and I can not justify $2.19 a box versus $10.99 a box when I know that my son will probally (I hope not)miss his first couple times he sees a deer. I know I did!

I mean his gun patterns really well with the sabots he shoots but I can do the same thing with my smoothbore. I guess I will just bite the bullet and buy the sabots.

[HateHumminbird]

Froggy:

Good idea in my opinion to get the sabots. Just like fishing line is the critical link between you and a possible trophy, you'd hate to have your son shooting less than the best as long as it were still affordable. Wasting money is another story, but providing him with the best equipment to promote accuracy is not only considerate, I think it's ethical.

Good luck!!!

Joel

[96trigger]

Froggy, thats very understandable. My dad never would have bought me sabot for that much either. He has a hard time buying them for himself. Its amazing that they are that expensive up there, I don't doubt it though. Like Jnelson said, the sabots will outperform the regular smoothbore at greater distances.

Maybe you should buy your son the same gun that you have, then you can take the rifled barrel and he can have the smooth bore . Once you use a rifled barrel, I don't think that you will go back.

[Jackpine Rob]

I bought 4 boxes of sabots (Remington Coppersolid) for my son's 20 gauge with rifled barrel. We used 2 boxes sighting in and getting comfortable with it, leaving 10 rounds for hunting.

He has since shot 3 deer, and has 6 rounds left. He has confidence in his load and gun, and dropped the last 2 deer in their tracks. I find the cost more than acceptable.

[Froggy4371]

Thanks guys! I am just going to take a kicking and buy the sabots! It is sad though that I have to spend $30 for 15 shells for him and $6 for shells for me.

Froggy

P.S. I love this web site!!!!!

[96trigger]

Froggy, not to add insult to injury. tonight I bought the foster style slugs at F.F. for $2.19 a box. the sabots ranged from 4.99 for breneke to 10.99 for the partition golds. It still amazes me that you have to spend 6 bucks on a box of foster style slugs. Anyhow, good luck.

[Bassboy1645]

These are all I shoot. my buddies and I are all in school working minimum wage jobs. gas and insurace for trucks is hard enough to pay let alone ten bucks a box for five shells. yes foster slugs foul the barrel. what slug dosent? the only difference is a sabot shoots alittle flatter. at 100 yards a sabot would be dead on out of my 870 where as a foster will be 3 to six inches lower. no problem, just four clicks up on the scope and im doing good.

[Froggy4371]

Sorry Trigger but I meant buying 3 boxes of shells for a total of $6

Froggy