Slug diameters

[Dixie Dude]

Didn't know where to ask this, but out of curiosity, what is the diameters of 12, 16, 20, and 410 slugs? 

[lakota]

I think 12ga is .72", 20ga is .62" and .410ga is bewteen .41" and .45". Not sure about 16ga

[SHOOTALL]

12 ga slugs can run from .678 to .735 as shown in the cat. for ballistics products

[Dixie Dude]

Thanks. 

[SwampThing762]

16  gauge is nominally .667.

ST762

[gcrank1]

You really arent going to know what the actual slug dia. is until you cut one open and measure it. Nominal bore dia.s are just that, you have to measure your bore to know what will fit best and may be likely to have the best accuracy potential. The real proof is what shoots best in your rig, though, after all the calculations.
30 yrs. ago I cut/measured Win., Rem. and Fed. Foster slugs and found the Win. to be the largest dia. and they shot 50yd. 3" groups with the bead out of a cut down to 20" old Stevens pump, 1/2 the size of the groups of the Rem. and Fed.

[gcrank1]

I just cut down three brands of 12ga. and measured the slugs. The very base rim of lead is a tad larger and not representative of the 'rifled' body proper. These measurements are across the 'rifling' (I think vanes is a better term).

Rem. Slugger 2 3/4"/1560/1oz. : .710 av., hard plastic 'donut' under slug, then fiber wads. (these look to be best for smoothbore bird barrels with heavier choke).

Fed. Power-Shok 2 3/4"/1610/1oz. : .720 av., these have a plastic drive cup below the slug.

Win. : 2 3/4"/1600/1oz. : .723 av., with a thick hard card wad under slug, then fiber wads.

FWIW: after pulling the wads, etc. I see NO way that any expansion can take place in the 'skirt' of these by the gasses; the only way would be through the wad pressure upon the base 'bumping' it up by compressing the lead from behind in the initial inertial launch, and that doubtful with a cushioned wad beneath. The vanes are much too small to get any real purchase on air molecules at shotgun ranges.
No matter, we know they work, just find one your gun likes and buy a bunch on sale.

[SwampThing762]

Gcrank1,

All you measured were Foster slugs, and everyone knows that they are deliberately undersize and hollowbased to provide gas expansion to engage the sides of the bore for stability.  Furthermore, Foster slugs at best give average accuracy.  If you want to give a proper representation, you should also have included the diameters of Dixie Slugs Terminators, Lightfield slugs in the sabots, Lyman slugs in the their sabots,and Gualandi DGS slugs.  However, I will give you two diameters as I grant you a boon.  Dixie Slugs Terminators are .730 and the Gualandi DGS is .735.   

St762

[gcrank1]

I understood them to be undersized and hollow based to be able to compress through whatever choke they might be fired in. From my experience with Civil War era rifled muskets I know that the base on those does expand because the gas can actually get to it; I just cant believe that with the compressable wad column in those three brands I cut apart there is any way the gas can get there to do that. I also know that when I load one of those Foster types over a charge of black powder with only a small wad of paper towel they DO expand to bore dia. and the recoil is increased (due to friction on the barrel wall) and they shoot pretty well. I believe that if there is any expansion in the factory load it is because of the obturation and forshortening of the slug from the blast behind, not gas up the skirt.
That is all I have to disect; thanx for adding yours, hope this helps the OP.

[PHATINJUN]

I got some heat treated full bore Dixie 20ga that measure .623. Kurt

[SwampThing762]

Anytime, GC.  I just like to make sure we get complete info for any new guys.   If you want some load info for slugs that just kills everything dead, drop me a PM.  A fellow on another board gave me a load recipe that has killed everything I have it hit with it, up to and including a 275 pound tank of a hog.

St762

[gcrank1]

And you say that just when Im startin' to think I might want to go after a 'memorable hog'! Up here in WI the DNR says we have some wild Russian's, but I've yet to see one. They want them gone, and a small game license makes it legal........here, piggy, piggy, piggy.......

[SwampThing762]

GC, if you want my load recipe, send me a PM.  I will be happy to send to you.   I got it from a fellow over on shotgunworld.com and it has made much bacon for me.   I will even be glad to cast a few of the bullets for you and send them via USPS.

St762

[gcrank1]

Now that we had some snow melt I found a Foster slug (I think it is one of the Fed. Power-Shok I shot a few months ago on my range) at 40ish yd. in pretty good shape to see what it looks like.
It did shorten up considerably, and not from hitting anything but snow so it was from the launch pressure behind, from about .700 to .475, and the 'vanes' are gone to smoothsided, thus discounting any ability to spin it after exit.
It is a stubby thing, resembling the 'button' bullets for handguns but for the still round nose with what looks to be the same dimple as new. The 'skirt'  has shortened and thickened to the point that only about a 1/4" dia. cavity remains.