Foster or sabot

[Charlie Tango]

I just bought my first rifled barrel slug gun.  Ive always shot foster slugs in my smooth bore but I hear I need to shoot sabot slugs in my rifled barrel. Im not a ballistics guy, I just love to deer hunt and make good clean kills.  Is it just the lead build up that is the issue or is their more to it?

[bigbird09]

typically sabots will shoot better, but sometimes you might get a gun that likes fosters.  You can shoot fosters in a rifled barrel, but expect a lot of lead build up.  Also there is a few fosters out there that are made to shoot with either rifled or smooth bores you can check out.

[IOWA DON]

The best sabot slugs like the Hornaday SSTs can make the right shotgun with a fully rifled barrel into almost a 200-yard deer gun instead of a 100-yard deer gun. For me in the open areas I hunt the extra range is well worth the extra cost.

[spikehorn]

If you are looking for something a little less expensive try buck hammers they are a harder alloy than fosters and are about half the price of most sabots. My sons 20ga ultra slug hunter will clover leaf them at 75 yards.

[gcrank1]

I cant prove it yet, but I think the problem with the typical low priced rifled slugs is that the raised 'rifling' vanes and soft lead composition and undersized O.D. is prone to not engaging the rifling of the barrel well (it sure wouldnt work well in a typical rifle and these are really 'bore' rifles).
I think that a harder alloy, smooth sided slug that is at least bore dia. should shoot well, and I am in search of info on as cast dia.s from such, if anyone has it.
Short of that, try some in yours and brush the bore well after 3 to 5 shots and see what you get.

[Charlie Tango]

I have about 15 or so foster style slugs left from my smooth bore.  If i clean the barrel after every one or two shots while sighting the scope in would this get me close to how a sabot will shoot?  I makes sense to my "penny pinchin" ways to shoot the cheaper rounds and then fine tune the last adjustment with the round I will hunt with.  What do you guys think?

[gcrank1]

Nope, you arent gonna know how a particular load is going to shot without shooting it.
Shooting those that way WILL tell you if they are really usable for you at all.

[blind ear]

Charlie T, If you are shooting a smooth bore, don't clean it unless hutin is over. That is a main point for a smooth bore. Start with the cheepest slug and shoot it on paper at 50 yd. (big target possibly) Keep spending money until you find something that will group acceptable to YOU at what ever distance you will accept. 75 yards is pretty good yardage for a smooth bore. 100 yd is doable but you start running into energy problems with low priced slugs because of construction/powder charge, slug weight. ear.