[thumbs]

Just wondering if anyone has had any success with shooting slugs in a smooth bore? If so what are you doing? I know your not supposed to shoot sabots in a smooth bore but I tried it anyway. As you would suspect pretty poor accuracy.
I was trying to be able to use my Lee slug mold in my smooth bore also. Again any ideas?

I am trying to shoot them in a Mossberg 500. You guys that are using the 500, what slugs seem to work the best?

Thanks for the help

 

[birdshot]

If you have good sights, you should get good accuracy shooting foster slugs from a smooth bore. Using rifle sights I would not hesitate to shoot foster slugs at deer out to 100 yards.

 

[thumbs]

I was trying to be able to use the Lee slugs but I really don't think that will work. I wanted not to have to buy slugs. I can see now why the British lined up in rows and vollied their fire. I can't hit the broad side of a barn with what I am using. No kidding I can shoot 10 slugs and maybe hit a 8x10 sheet of paper twice. Now with my Deerslayer I can put 5 rounds touching at 50 yards.

 

[Georgvus]

Tru Ball does show promise in a IC deer barrel factory sights with some clover leaf groups at 25yds. They seem to be suitable for off the shoulder at around 50yds. Concerning Foster slugs I have not given up. Tried a different approach with the mentioned barrel.Using a cone profile punch tool I made on my lathe,I expanded the hollow base then made a simple sizing die to bring the base to .002"over bore diameter. 20 shots at 25yds were within 8 inches. AA 1oz wad with the petals cut off and a hard card wad at 1120fps AV. Shot best with 1 in 15 lead tin as I use in my Paradox double. Next step optics and some load refinement.

I have just finished casting a batch(1 in15) of Lyman Sabot slug for the shoot off Lyman vs Lyman

 

[Cheezywan]

Lots of smooth-bore slug hunters here in Iowa. The good shooters limit thier shots to what they can hit. Others extend that some.

50 to 70 yards seems about right to me with decient sights. About the same as a "hunting handgun" really.

Optics could extend that range abit. Not enough to spend money on though!

Group a magizine full into about 3 inch at whatever range, and you have a deer getter (out to that range). Lots of horsepower to them big slugs. Stay safe in what you do.

Cheezywan

 

[jmortimer]

With Brenneke Slugs you should be good out to 100 yards. Since you cast, I have read many good reports of the Lyman 525 slug in a smooth bore. Also, the DGS from Ballistic Products should work well. http://www.ballisticproducts.com/12ga-DGS-12-Slug-25_pak/productinfo/0721612/
and finally, and the best if your bore is .730 is the Dixie Slug IXL DGS http://dixieslugs.com/products.html

 

[Pete D.]

I have an old Savage 430 O/U that had its barrels chopped sometime ago to 22".
I use it for slugs. I have tried a lot of both factory and handloads in it. The Brenneke slugs are the best, shooting right to poa at 50 yds. Your basic rifled slugs from Remington or Winchester work nearly as well.
Handloads....I have used lead round balls at .690, Lee slugs, and the Lyman wasp waisted slug. The Lyman is consistently the best of the three.
Pete

 

[Sinbad12-2007]

I use my M12 Winchester and my M870 Remington, both smooth bores. Both have barrels 20" long. The Brenneke slugs work best in both of them, far and away more accurate than the old punkin' balls. The Brenneke slugs are good, for me, out to 100 yards or so. The old pumpkin balls only to 50. I have rifle sights on both, both with peep rear sights.

 

[Oberndorf]

It depends

I put B-Square saddle scope mounts on a 12 and 16 gauge 870s and added a 2 1/2X scope. They are good with Remington or Winchester rifled slugs out to 75 yards. That is my maximum effective range with these slug guns. Take care...
Oberndorf

 

[GMFWoodchuck]

First deer I ever shot was with a 16 gauge mossberg bolt (model 190, I believe) with a chopped off barrel. It was a gun I borrowed when I was 16 so I hardly remember the exacts of it. But it got me my first deer with a remington slugger slug.

Smoothbores work, so long as you keep your ranges practical.

 

[pisgah]

I have a cut-dowm Mossberg 500 with 18.5" cylinder-bore barrel and rifle sights. It is not all that much fun to shoot, and it will never impress a benchrest shooter; but with the Winchester 1 oz. Foster slug loads commonly found at Walmart it is certainly deer-accurate at 50 yards.

 

[thumbs]

What kinda accuracy are we talkin about? What size groups are you getting? Ok I know they aren't great but I need a bench mark to see if I am in the same ballpark.
I poured some more Lee slugs and bought some Winchester rifled slugs I want to try. I will also be using iron sights.
It will be interesting to hear about your groups.

 

[pisgah]

My Mossberg is no customized-for-slugs gun, just a regular 26" IC barrel cut back to 18.5", with rifle sights added, standard (rather crummy) trigger. I installed a Speed-Feed buttstock and slim forend when I did the chop job. I have never reloaded for shotgun, so all my slug experience with this gun has been with factory Winchester and Remington slug loads. Nothing premium, just the run-of-the-mill discount-store ammo. Offhand accuracy is enough to allow me to keep all my shots on a paper plate at 50 yards. Shooting from a rest (which is really, truly no fun at all!) I can maintain my concentration long enough to put 5 shots in to about 4". That's the only five shots I'll want to shoot that day, so that's as good as it'll get!

Now, to most riflemen this may sound pathetic. But the fact is, there is a whole lot of good work to be done by a gun with this level of power and accuracy -- hunting, as well as personal defense. Give me a clear shot at a deer, hog, or black bear at that range and I will take it.

 

[thumbs]

Ok thanks, at least I have an idea as to what I may get out of the thing. I just put some rifle sights on the Mossberg the other day. I loaded a box of Lee key drive slugs. I hope to get to try them out today.
I had sights on the thing before but I really couldn't see them. I bought some TruGlo sights. Hope these will be a bit more visible.