Shot in rifled barrels???

[HenkBrazos]

Can't find something usefull on this in the search

Just want to find out if anybody got any experience with shooting shot with rifled barrels, and if so, what was your results/feelings on this one?

Thanks

[sharps4590]

only out of dire necessity.  The rifling will spin the shot column and you won't have what can be remotely called a pattern.  Complete waste of time, shot and powder....unless out of dire necessity.

Vic

[Saloon slug]

Would work just like a shot shell out of a centerfire hand gun or rifle great for snakes at 15 feet but thats about it.

[HenkBrazos]

Thanks a lot! Would like to see what others got to say on this aswell.

[captchee]

yep done it . even hunted pheasants  one time . notice i said one time LOL
 as said above the rifling will spin the  shot column this giving a donut pattern at as close as 10 yards .
Using a sub bore shot cup  over a bore size wad will minimize this some what . However I have found the pattern to  not acceptable but for close in shooting

 Keep im mind the shot will also begin to lead your rifling  very quickly 

[Slamfire]

I'm in agreement with the others, but prove it to yourself. Get some shot shells for a .22 rifle, and pattern it.   

[Will Bison]

Yep, same results here, the shot spins in a donut pattern. Tried it in my .54 Plains Rifle. I use scrap sheet rock as targets. The pattern really shows up.

[simonkenton]

I fired a good deal of number twelve rat shot from my TC Hawken.
Donut pattern, like the other guys said.
It is hell on carpenter bees at twenty feet, I must say.

[HenkBrazos]

So using it in emergencies, which I'm intending too, will work?

[Saloon slug]

What sort of emergency are we talking about. If you are talking about bad critters unless you use buckshot I don't see what help it would be even with buck the range is so close that I would say you would be much better served by a back up revolver. Just my .02

[sharps4590]

Shot will go down a rifle barrel and kill something if it's close enough.  If something absolutely had to be shot and you didn't have a ball I guess that would constitute an emergency so heck yes, I would use it too.  If one were in the field hunting with a rifle I can't imagine carrying shot instead of enough round balls.  That just don't make sense.  I'll second saloon slug, a back up revolver such as an 1860 Army or 1851 Navy or better yet, a flintlock, Kentucky pistol of at least 45 cal. shooting a minimum of 40 grs. Fffg would be a better choice.

I reiterate, complete waste of time, powder and shot.......unless out of dire necessity.

Vic

[Old Time Hunter]

I actually have an original trapdoor that has a very well worn barrel, it shoots .410 BP cartridges (brass shell, BP, wad, #6 shot, wood dowel crimped on end). Excellent trap gun, squirrels, rabbits, just got to aim a bit different.

[HenkBrazos]

Thanks for the replies! 

[LOG EYE]

   My ONE test of using 71/2 shot squirrel hunting in a T/C .54  at a tree rat 20 feet away ON THE GROUND, left me amazed and the critter dashing away thru the smoke!! So, I down loaded the charge
and got 5 of them using rb. Shot  in a rifle is just carrying useless weight in the field
 

[Ironwood]

I've loaded #8 shot in a .44 Magnum cartridge for years to use as snake shot in my .44 Mag pistol.  One day when I had more time on my hands than I knew what to do with, I shot a few through my 94 Winchester.  If I remember correctly the rifle produced about a 3 foot pattern at about 10 feet.  There was an abundance of non-perforated paper in the center of the pattern.  The part of the shot capsule that wasn't destroyed was within a couple inches of my point of aim.  

Just a little side note:  It's pretty much useless in the 6 inch barreled six-shooter too.  Unless you get really really close!