Drilling 16/16/8x57jr shotgun slugs

[duckmorgan]

I have a JP Sauer drilling with 16 ga barrels. The chokes are full and fuller and the chambers are 2 1/2".  Everyone I have spoken to reccommends not to shoot slugs or round balls in the full choke barrels. Is this correct?  If so I may have one barrel reamed out to what ever choke is best for slugs since I do not use this gun for bird shooting and I would still have one barrel at full choke for turkey hunting.  I did find some 2 1/2" old german 16ga slugs and I opened one up and tried to slide the slug down the barrell. I was really tight at the choke and did not force it.  How tight should a slug or ball be to go through the shotgun barrell without any damage?

If anyone has knowledge about these issues I would appreciate your help. Robert

[dougk]

Robert,
that is a great question.  I have always used IM barrels for slus.  I think one of the manufacturers stated on the side about recommended choke size.  Let me see what I find. 

[dougk]

Robert
I followed up with a friend who is an expert on Drillings.  His suggestion is to find a gunsmith who knows Drilling and have him look at the gun to determine if your drilling will support slugs.  Given the older drillings were hand made, the big question is did the craftsman who made your diliing make it to handle slugs?

Hope this helps.

Doug

[duckmorgan]

Doug, thanks for the info. I am not worried about the action because I can hand reload slugs and get the pressures down. I would think that the pressures of 1 oz of bird shot would be equal a one oz slug or round ball given that all of the other componet stay the same.  I am most worried about the choke. Thanks Robert

[coyotejoe]

Shotgun slugs are normally loaded quite a bit faster than birdshot loads. Most factory slug loads run about 1600 fps whereas birdshot normally goes 1100-1300 fps. I doubt there will be any danger in firing slugs through the chokes, manufactures know it is going to be done, and slugs are soft pure lead to allow for firing through full chokes, but I'd not recommend a solid ball unless it is small enough to pass through the choke.  It is, however, doubtful that your slugs will shoot anywhere near the point of aim with the rifle sights. I recently fired a few Federal True-Ball slugs from my Zastava 16 gauge side by side with modified and full chokes. Both barrels gave decent 50 yard groups but they crossfired, the right barrel shooting 8" to the left and the left barrel 6" to the right. Both barrels also threw slugs about a foot low of a load of #6 shot. If handloaded to the same speed as birdshot loads they might shoot closer to the same point of aim but I'm not aware of any source of 16 gauge slugs for handloading nor of moulds to home cast 16 gauge slugs.

[Win 88]

Try to get some boxes of german Brenneke slugs. They are made for all chokes and will not destroy the barrels, as homeloads or - worse of all! - massive ball slugs would possibly do.

www.brenneke.de

Pete

[pastorp]

Pete, Brenneke slugs are quite a bit harder than American Foster type slugs. In Alaska a lot of guys prefer the Brennekes because of the deeper penetration they provide on heavy game. Regards, Byron

[jager]

Robert, Win 88 is right that the Brenneke was designed for the "tight bored" drillings; I wouldn't use anyother brand, nor anything but 2 1/2" shells in your fine old gun. The fins on the Brenneke slug will "squeeze down" to the choke size, but accuracy seems to vary from gun to gun. I have a Krieghoff drilling in the same gauge, choke, and caliber as you specified and have shot the Brenneke slugs in it for years without detrimental effects, both 2 1/2" and 2 3/4". (I did have the chambers extended for 2 3/4" ammo and a good gunsmith can measure yours to see if you have enough "steel" for the modification, if you desire.) I've also used a 20ga adapter, sold by J-Mar, in the left barrel (extra full choke) with a Winchester slug (mine didn't like Brenneke or Remington) with excellent results. If you're going to have one of the barrels reamed, I'd recommend you have it opened to an "improved cylinder" (recommended for most common "foster" type slug shells), but I'd consider having the chambers extended first since most common brands do not come in 2 1/2" length shells. Jager

[dougk]

I was sighting in new scopes on 2 of my combos a few weeks agao and used a 10-12 inch cedar for a back drop.  The Brennekes shot it down.  I was using the Brenneke Black Magic in 2 1/2 and  3 inch.

The Tree

[dougk]

Here are the slugs that came out of the tree



Talk about hard....

[Savage_99]

I too have an older Sauer drilling in 16-16-8-57JR with 2.5" shotgun chambers.

I have shot many low base regular shot shells in it over the decades along with some slugs.  These are the USA made 2 3/4" shells both shot and slugs.  Now I am somewhat  concerned however the gun is fine.

I now have a box of 16ga 2 1/2" 1 oz. #6 shot shells by RST Ltd. P.O. Box 127 Center Conway, NH 03813.

I think that I will use them now for birds and just the rifle barrel  for deer and black bear.

[Win 88]

I too have an older Sauer drilling in 16-16-8-57JR with 2.5" shotgun chambers.

I have shot many low base regular shot shells in it over the decades along with some slugs.  These are the USA made 2 3/4" shells both shot and slugs.  Now I am somewhat concerned however the gun is fine.

I now have a box of 16GA 2 1/2" 1 oz. #6 shot shells by RST Ltd. P.O. Box 127 Center Conway, NH 03813.

I think that I will use them now for birds and just the rifle barrel for deer and black bear.

Any good gunsmith can lengthen the chambers 1/4" to 2 3/4 without making any detriment on the gun. 2½" and 2 3/4" cartridges are loaded to the same pressure. There is much more cartridges available in 2 3/4" than in 2½".

Pete

[Drilling Man]

I too have an older Sauer drilling in 16-16-8-57JR with 2.5" shotgun chambers.

I have shot many low base regular shot shells in it over the decades along with some slugs.  These are the USA made 2 3/4" shells both shot and slugs.  Now I am somewhat concerned however the gun is fine.

I now have a box of 16GA 2 1/2" 1 oz. #6 shot shells by RST Ltd. P.O. Box 127 Center Conway, NH 03813.

I think that I will use them now for birds and just the rifle barrel for deer and black bear.

Any good gunsmith can lengthen the chambers 1/4" to 2 3/4 without making any detriment on the gun. 2½" and 2 3/4" cartridges are loaded to the same pressure. There is much more cartridges available in 2 3/4" than in 2½".

Pete

  Some drilling have the shot bbls thinned down to keep weight low, and some of those are thin enough in the chamber area, that they should NOT have the chambers lengthened to 2-3/4".

  Before you have the chambers lengthened, make sure you have a gunsmith that understands that drillings are NOT like "normal" shotguns.

  DM