Trouble with lighter sabot loads from a 12ga.

[TH]

I recently bought a new Hastings Riffled barrel with the cantilever scope mounts and muzzel brake for my 870 Wingmaster (thanks dad for the great hand me down) and was trying out some different sabot slugs to find what worked best for my setup which include a BSA 30mm red dot.  I came to the conclusion that this barrel does not like the lighter sabots like the Partition Golds or the Hornaday H2K's but that it loves the heavier sabots like the Lightfield's (1.25 oz) and Winchester BRI sabots.  Has anyone else seen this with the Hastings barrel I mentioned for their 12ga??  I am fine with shooting the Lightfields, ~1.5 in groups at 50 yards, but was hoping to shoot the Partition Golds, since they shoot quite a bit flatter, when I bought the barrel.

Thanks
Trace

[Bob_K]

I shoot a Hastings fully rifled barrel on a Remington 1100.  The best round it seems to like is the Federal BRI copy (12 ga, 2 3/4").  It shoots 1" at fifty yards all day long.  Every round fired at a deer has passed all the way through except one frontal shot where the slug was recovered just under the hide on the far ham.

[mparks]

Do you know what the rifling rate of twist is for that barrel?  

I ask because I noticed that my Browning A-bolt w/a 1-35" twist wouldn't shoot the the Win 385 sabots any better than about 3" at 50y but would put Lightfield Hybreds into cloverleafs.

My Marlin 512 w/a 1-28" is the opposite.  This is only two guns so there are a lot of other factors that could contribute to these results.  

I also found that the Browning really like the new Rem Buckhammer which is quite similar to the Lightfields.

[mparks]

I guess you do know:) 1in34".  I guess I shoud've read your reply to my previous post.  Too funny.

I wonder if it has to do with the fact that the lead portion of the Lightfields are shorter than the 385gr bullet?  Your supposed to need a faster twist for a longer bullet.

[TH]

I am not sure about the bullet length versus twist rate connection, what I have noticed is that regardless of bullet length the bullet weight seems to be the biggest factor.  The Partitions at 385 gr shot about 5-6 inch groups for me at 50 yards, the Platinum Tip (also winchester) at 400 gr shot ~3 inch groups, and both the BRI's and Lightfields, at 1oz or greater, shot clover leafs in my gun.  My dad has a 20 ga with a 1in26" twist that will shoot MOA groups all day long with the Partitions.  Also for completeness I shot a three shot group with Hornaday H2K's (300 gr) andthe result was one hole on the paper, which did'nt appear until the second shot!!  After noticing the wads flying out of the barrel in every dierction I recovered one and found that they had a deep powder seal that was getting blown appart when it passed the ports in the muzzel brake on my barrel which caused the bullet to be tossed in random directions down range!! Anyone else had thus problem with a ported barrel?

Thanks,
TH