Author Topic: Foster slugs in rifled 20ga.??? (Read 504 times)

jjodell · « **on:** August 01, 2004, 10:56:37 AM »

Anyone ever try regular rifled (foster type) slugs in an Encore rifled 20ga. barrel? What were the results? The reason I ask is the gun club that I go to has slug matches but they supply all of the slugs (Rem.2 3/4 rifled) I currently shoot an 870 smooth bore, but I am considering a rifled barrel for my Encore. Just wondered if I would see an improvement over my smooth bore? I intend to use sabots to hunt with but am limited to the supplied slugs to shoot matches. Thanks for the help.

cam69conv · « **Reply #1 on:** August 01, 2004, 12:46:49 PM »

JJ you dont want to shoot a RIFLED slug through a RIFLED barrel...It creates overspin and will cause your slug to tumble..Rifled slugs are designed for smooth bore only..If you shoot it through a rifled barrel there is no tellin where it will end up...Sorry to give you hat bad news

jjodell · « **Reply #2 on:** August 03, 2004, 01:14:46 PM »

Sorry but I am not sure that I fully accept the over spin theory, seems to me like a hollow base soft lead projectile in a rifled barrel would take on the shape of the lands and grooves soon after it enters the bore much like a mine ball. I could be all wrong, but would like to hear others opinions on the subject.
Thanks in advance JJ.

Bullseye · « **Reply #3 on:** August 03, 2004, 05:36:26 PM »

I had rifled slug barrels for my 870's last year and sold them to go back to smooth bore slug barrels. Before I sold them I shot 3 or 4 boxes of rifled slugs through them. At 50 yards they grouped about like the rifled slugs in a smooth bore barrel.

Catfish · « **Reply #4 on:** August 04, 2004, 02:51:13 PM »

Rifled slugs will work well in rifled barrels. The riflings on the slug do nothing for the slugs performance, but are only a gimmick to sell slugs. I have shot rifled slugs and plain old foster type slugs through both rifled and smooth barrels. I have also found that most rifled barrels shoot rifled slugs nearly as well as they do the high dollar saboted slugs. You will have no trouble with rifled slugs in a riefled barrel.

jjodell · « **Reply #5 on:** August 04, 2004, 03:30:58 PM »

Now that sounds kind of encouraging. My younger brother has a 20ga. bolt action slug gun that he and I have built over the past 15 or so years, it started life as a regular old cheap bolt action Mossburg, we cut the bbl to 18" and installed open sights from an old Remington rifle bbl. The results were not very impressive at all, (shot decent with one brand of slug, if memory serves, Federal) every other brand we tried would not hit a barn if you were standing inside of it. :cry: I then took the barreled action to a friend who makes black powder barrels we cut rifled it .010 deep with a 1/48 or 1/60 twist, I can't remember which now, but to make a long story short it will now shoot to about 3-4" with almost anything you feed it. :-) Just thought I might try an Encore rifled barrel and see how it shot, :? but wanted some opinions before I purchased one.
thanks jj

cam69conv · « **Reply #6 on:** August 06, 2004, 06:00:44 AM »

I dont see how you all are doing this...I ACCIDENTLY put in Rifled slugs in my Mossburg rifled barrel and was gettin 10 inch groups at 50 yards I decided to check the tumble theory out for myself...Set up a paper tuner to see the bullet holes...They were rippin every way you can think of...Put in some sabbots .5 inch groups at 50 yards...Nice neet clean holes on paper tuner....Simple proof...Rifled slugs were federals...Sabbots were Lightfields...

Bullseye · « **Reply #7 on:** August 06, 2004, 07:54:09 AM »

Well, maybe since there is not an industry standard on the bore size of a rifled shotgun barrel that Mossberg is bored on the large size. Might also depend on the brand of slug.

Bullseye · « **Reply #8 on:** August 06, 2004, 06:05:13 PM »

I only noticed this tonight because of this thread. I saw a Browning ad for their slug guns in Shooting Times. They state that their rifled slug barrels provide superb accuracy with both Foster and Rifled slugs.

oneshotonekill · « **Reply #9 on:** August 07, 2004, 04:00:04 AM »

Most rifled barrels will shoot rifled or foster slugs pretty well. The problem is with leading. I have run a few boxes of rifled slugs thru a rifled barrel only to spend 2 hours scrubbing the lead out of the bore when I got home. They shot great but it was a pain to get the lead out.