Shooting shotshells in a Tracker II rifled barrel

[tommy_tsunami]

:shock: Ok, this is probably a DUMB question, but can you shoot birdshot and other shotshells through a rifled barrel?  I'm sure the answer is "no", because it seems the rifling would spin the wad and the pattern would be all over creation.

I've never done it, but I know someone's tried, so I wanted to get an opinion on what happens.

[WNY_Whitetailer]

You guessed exactly what will happen...The pattern will be spread all over the place with a definite "ring" of shot around the outside of the pattern.  You will also have a ton of lead deposited into the rifling that you will have to clean.  Don't waste the money on shells checking this one out...Keep the shot shells to the smooth bore guns with chokes.

[Paul Mohr]

I doubt it will hurt it, but it will serve no purpose what so ever. Unless you like cleaning your barrel alot. And I am talking soft lead shot, DO NOT use heavy shot, steel or any of the other harder shots they make, you could possibly ruin the barrel.

And a rifled barrel has no choke, so the shot will not pattern at all. Imagine cutting 3 inches off from your bird barrel. You will get about 3 foot patterns at 10 yards.

I will fire field loads some times to test the weapon only because they are much cheaper than saboted slugs. However they will not shoot well enough to serve any other purpose than testing whether the gun functions or not.

I am not a gun smith though, if one tells you not to do it I would listen.

Paul

[Cookiemann]

Tommy, if you want to be able to shoot shot shells, send off your receiver to H&R and have them fit a Tracker I barrel to it.  I don't readily have the part number Handi, but if you need it I'm sure I could dig it up.  The Tracker I is the same as the Tracker II except it is smooth bore with NO rifling and, of course, it is cylinder bore.  I have one in 20ga...as far as I know they still have some in both 12 and 20.  You may want to call ahead to check for availability.