School me on shotgun rifled slug barrels.

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

I have never owned one of these but my SIL is thinking of getting a Mossberg 500 with a scoped rifled slug barrel option. I have read where these guns are capable of 4" to 6" 100yd groups. Anyone have experience with these? If so what ammo is best.?

[O.S.O.K.]

Nate, they are capable of much better than that - more like 2" groups. They are really intended for the sabot loads and which one is the best can only be answered by the individual barrel - but you knew that

I suggest the cantelever scope mount if using a scope - this is attached to the barrel, not the receiver and eliminates the possibility of barrel movement changining point of aim. In other words, this is better than receiver scope mounts because the barrel can move a bit during firing.

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

Nate, they are capable of much better than that - more like 2" groups. They are really intended for the sabot loads and which one is the best can only be answered by the individual barrel - but you knew that

I suggest the cantelever scope mount if using a scope - this is attached to the barrel, not the receiver and eliminates the possibility of barrel movement changining point of aim. In other words, this is better than receiver scope mounts because the barrel can move a bit during firing.

Yep, that's what he is looking at, the 24" rifles cantelever mount barrel. Sabots makes sense, too. I have had great results with them in Muzzle loaders.

[Hobie]

I got a rifled barrel for my 120/Ranger. After a lot of research and experimentation I settled on the Brenneke Black Magic. Bought 50 rounds to hoard! (yeah, big spender!) Don't have much call for it but have it if needed. No knowledge of scoped gun accuracy at 100 yards, mine is open sighted (If dedicated slug gun I'd mount a Williams 5D sight.). However my slick barrel slug gun will hold about 3" at 50 and the rifled gun will cut cloverleafs.

[6pt-sika]

Shotgun slug barrels are like rifle barrels , they ebtter they're attached to the action the more accurate they are !

Over the last 10 years I've been fortunate enough to have owned and tried quite a few rifles slug guns .

Started with a Remington 870 with the cantilever mount . It wasn't bad but it wasn't great . Many issues here ! Barrel conection , trigger and in my opinion the worst part was the scope base . Regardless of what the manufacturers say that thing flex's a bit .

After that I got a Savage 210F which is a large bolt action . I've had this one since 1998 (and still have it) and it's always shot 3 inside 1 1/2" at 100 yards .
Year or so later I picked up a nice new Browning A-Bolt 12 gauge fully rifles Stalker . Nice enough gun at twice the price . But it shot no better then the Savage ! SO I sold it for a tidy profit to someone that wanted it more then I !
Next I got a pair of H&R 20 gauge Ultra Slug DeLuxe guns . One had been sent to Hastings to be rechambered to the 20 gauge 3 1/2" shell . They both shot very nicely . Easily 1 1/2" at 100 yards for 3 shots . However they were heavy , slow follow up shot and the 3 1/2" shell kicked like a Missourri Mule !
Sold of the H&R's and got a Savage 220F 20 gauge rifled blot action slugger when they first hit the market two years ago . This one will shoot as well if not slightly better then the Savage 210F I've had for 13 years !

The way I see it the only slugger left for me to try is the "NEW" Savage 212 which is nothing more then the 210F I already have with a detachable magazine .

As far as the smoothies are concenred I do have a older Remington 1100 with a Brushmaster rifle sighted barrel that shoots 5 of the Winchester 1 ounce 2 3/4" shells into about 2" at 50 yards . That ones a keeper also I think .
Did a little work with the Ithaca MAG-10 and the Browning BPS 10 and Federal slugs . The Ithace full chokje barrel didn't like them and the IC choke in the BPS had them shooting in nice 3" clusters at 50 yards !

All of that trouble for one or possibly three days of hunting for Sika deer on the NWR's a year !

[6pt-sika]

As for the slugs I use !

In the Savage 210F 12 gauge I'm using the Remington AccuTip 2 3/4" sabot as well as the Winchester XP3 2 3/4" sabot .

In the Savage 220F I use the Remington 2 3/4" AccuTip sabot as well .

And as I siad in the earlier post I use the plain old El Cheapo Winchester 12 gauge 2 3/4" 1 ounce HP slug in my Remington 1100 !

In the last two seasons I've fired the Savage 220 3 times and killed 3 deer with the AccuTip slugs . The one in 2009 was at a measured 126 yards and the ones this past season were at 35 and 40 yards .

[Old Ironsights]

Nate, they are capable of much better than that - more like 2" groups. They are really intended for the sabot loads and which one is the best can only be answered by the individual barrel - but you knew that

I suggest the cantelever scope mount if using a scope - this is attached to the barrel, not the receiver and eliminates the possibility of barrel movement changining point of aim. In other words, this is better than receiver scope mounts because the barrel can move a bit during firing.

I don't remember which Rag it was in, but I read an article about Bolt Slug Guns being used as Sniper Rifles for SWAT.

The Range and Accuracy of a tuned 72 Caliber Rifle (rifled 12ga) was one of the points I used to great effect in the Indiana "Slug Guns vs. Rifles" for Deer" debate.

[rjohns94]

I have a custom Savage 311 action in 12 bore, custom barrels, custom stock. both barrels are fully rifled, with rifle sights, regulated for Brenneke black magic 3 inch slugs. With both barrels regulated at 75 yards, .75 inch groups, two shots, both barrels have been shot off bench. with the open sights. Its my go to one firearm for hunting. I have a case of same lot ammo for it. Sling swivels with sling complete its set up. Here in the east, I"m guessing eventually, as housing encroaches on hunting land, deer hunting will be reduced to slug gunning. I think all eastern hunters would be wise to get in the slug business!!

[L_Kilkenny]

If someone gave me a shotgun with a rifled barrel I 'd throw the barrel in the trash (actually I'd sell it but the trash can was added for dramatic impact ). Hate em I tell you. Ammo at $2.50 a pop = yuck. I've managed to kill deer every year, many year multiple deer, since I started deer hunting, ranges 10-100 yards, all with a smoothbore and 70 cent a shot ammo.

LK

[6pt-sika]

Hate em I tell you. Ammo at $2.50 a pop = yuck.

To each his own !

Incidently you're using the cheap stuff at $2.50 a pop !

Some I've bought was $4 a shot !!

[Hobie]

I have heard those Savage 20-bore rifles are the aces! One guy gave up all his other rifles. I wish I could remember his name. He is using one of those high tech saboted rounds. Mostly, since I was at the other end of the shop, I remember how darn excited he was about it.

[Tycer]

I have an old Western Field 550 with a gazillion rounds through it and have a Mossy 500 rifled barrel for it. 4" is easy with any brand of sabot of any weight with the iron sights that came on the barrel.

[6pt-sika]

I have heard those Savage 20-bore rifles are the aces! One guy gave up all his other rifles. I wish I could remember his name. He is using one of those high tech saboted rounds. Mostly, since I was at the other end of the shop, I remember how darn excited he was about it.

While it isn't the norm I've shot ragged one hole 3 shot groups at 100 yards with the Savage 220 !

[Rusty]

Steve, check out http://www.dixieslugs.com/ you'll see what can be done with slugs. James is making rounds that duplicate the old British Paradox loads.

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

Thanks guys,
Looks like most any of the sabots will work.

[rjohns94]

in my paradox rifle, i used holland and holland ammo i got from Louis and Drake associates. It shot clover leaf out of the paradox fully rifled barrel at 50 yards. 2.5 inch 12 bore power. I wanted both barrels rifled so I sold it to get the current sxs with fully rifled barrels.


L_Kilkenny - I hear you. I have taken more deer with my .54 Flintlock than any other firearm. I make the balls for it and my .62 smoothbore and they don't cost me anything that I can determine since I have free lead source and the melting pot was bought in a flee market for pennies and the mold was gotten in a trade. The effort does not cost me. All that said, here in Penn's woods, there is talk every year of more and more slug only areas. For that reason, I will hold onto my slug rifle and if you want to throw out your ammo or your barrel, please throw them my way. blessings

[6pt-sika]

Looks like most any of the sabots will work.

You would think that but it isn't always the case !

I have found in my guns the 2 3/4" seem to shoot a bit better then 3" . But as to what works in each thats a crapshoot sometimes .

Generally when I get a new slugger I get two boxes of everything I would want to shoot in the gun and go from there .

[AJMD429]

I have read where these guns are capable of 4" to 6" 100yd groups. Anyone have experience with these? If so what ammo is best.?

Mine just loved Winchester saboted loads - they were 'premium' and in a black box. Something like a 265 gr. .45 Colt bullet or other was actually the projectile.

With a 3-9x set on 9x, I could get 2" three-shot groups at 100 yards consistently. After that, the recoil/flinch factor began to kick in. For actual hunting, I stuck with a 4x scope with plenty of eye relief, though the pump shotgun didn't kick all that much with saboted slugs.

Here in Indiana, when they opened up 'rifle' season for the first time, and folks who got all excited that they could legally use their 7mm Remington Magnums for woods-hunting were just shocked when the rules said "pistol-caliber" only - they would huff and puff and say things like "Well, I just don't know if a .45 Colt out of a rifle would be all that powerful to put down a deer reliably, so I'm gonna stick with my slug-gun and shoot sabots." I wonder how many realized that both platforms launched the same bullets at about the same velocities.

Hate em I tell you. Ammo at $2.50 a pop = yuck.

That's why I gleefully switched to the Marlin levergun as soon as it was legal here for deer...!

[Nath]

Mike said, L_Kilkenny - I hear you. I have taken more deer with my .54 Flintlock than any other firearm. I make the balls for it and my .62 smoothbore and they don't cost me anything that I can determine since I have free lead sorce and the melting pot was bought in flee market for pennies and the mold was gotten in a trade. The effort does not cost me. All that said, here in Penn's woods, there is talk every year of more and more slug only areas. For that reason, I will hold onto my slug rifle and if you want to throw our your ammo or your barrel, please throw them my way. blessings

Amen brother

Nath.

[Old Ironsights]

...
Here in Indiana, when they opened up 'rifle' season for the first time, and folks who got all excited that they could legally use their 7mm Remington Magnums for woods-hunting were just shocked when the rules said "pistol-caliber" only - they would huff and puff and say things like "Well, I just don't know if a .45 Colt out of a rifle would be all that powerful to put down a deer reliably, so I'm gonna stick with my slug-gun and shoot sabots." I wonder how many realized that both platforms launched the same bullets at about the same velocities.
..

The ones who listened to the testimony/ballistic tables I put together for the "Pro" PCR team did...

[barbarossa]

I ve been playing around with the idea of buying one of the new Browning A Bolt 12ga slug gun.I think it would be to fun play with.

[6pt-sika]

I ve been playing around with the idea of buying one of the new Browning A Bolt 12ga slug gun.I think it would be to fun play with.

Look at the price !

Dealer cost on the least expensive one is over $800 .

I got the one I "had" NIB for $450 used it a couple years and rolled it over for $675 .

You can get the new Savage 212 for about $500 from most dealers and I am willing to bet it will shoot every bit as well !

[barbarossa]

Yes they are expensive,but I have heard they are very slick as well and are one of the top slug guns out there.I have a dealer friend who can get it for me at his cost (and he is quite the haggler)so I can get it quite a bit cheaper than full retail.Haven t decided yet as alaways there are other guns I would like as well.

[Dockem]

Rem 870 20ga w/ Hastings rifled, ported barrel and cantilever scope mount works for me. Slicked up the trigger. The Buckhammer slug loads are very accurate and give good groups.

Took a buck with my Marlin 94 and then never saw another when I had the 870 last season.