Author Topic: what slug to use in a 20 gauge rifled barrel (Read 2012 times)

mossberg935 · « **on:** November 10, 2008, 03:23:05 PM »

I recently bought a 20 gauge new england firearms rifled bull barrel with scope mount. what slug works best in these. has anyone tested several and found one they like.

Thanks

cgoff · « **Reply #1 on:** November 10, 2008, 03:58:04 PM »

I have tested winchester, hornady sst, remington buckhammers, and hastings with hastings being the most accurate followed by the remingtons.

Matt3357 · « **Reply #2 on:** November 10, 2008, 04:30:00 PM »

I just sighted mine in for the first time this past weekend and I put 3 buckhammers in a 2" circle at 100'. I have a box of hornady sst's and a box of copper solids that I didn't even open because they shot so well.

Matt

mossberg935 · « **Reply #3 on:** November 11, 2008, 08:52:41 AM »

i am on a quest today to find the buck hammers thanks guys

cwlongshot · « **Reply #4 on:** November 11, 2008, 11:42:36 AM »

I have shot three of these alto in the past couple years. Unfortunately, they all liked different ammo.

My Brother-in-laws likes the Barnes copper slugs> Shoots them on top of each other at 100yards. My pops like the Hornady SST's, maybe 2" at 100. While mine like the Win BRI 3" slug. Shoots them almost all touching at 100. It also shoots Buck Hammers and the Hornady SST fairly well. (2-3" at 100)

Your just gonna have to try a couple different brands and styles. With luck its gonna like the cheap stuff!!!

CW

kernman · « **Reply #5 on:** November 13, 2008, 02:29:49 AM »

Just make sure you use sabots, otherwise you will have excessive leading.

One exception is Brenneke slugs, which Im told, although they are rifled, will not lead the barrel. And they are a lot cheaper than sabots.

But they are hard to find, at least for me.

Matt3357 · « **Reply #6 on:** November 13, 2008, 03:12:40 AM »

Yeah, the buckhammers are not sabots, but how often do you honestly shoot your slug gun after sighting in? Once, twice, Three times maybe a year. Even if it does cause a bit of leading, just get a good lead solvent such as Butch's Bore Shine and your barrel is white patch clean in 5 mins. Kindof a non issue if you ask me.

kernman · « **Reply #7 on:** November 15, 2008, 01:07:49 AM »

I may have been wrong about non-sabot slugs. Apparently Remington sluggers can also be used in rifled barrels, according to the information on the box.

Has anyone used these? I wonder if leading is an issue.

Matt3357,

you got me thinking about the leading issue. You say the barrel can be "white patch clean in 5 mins." Others make it sound like it takes hours of scrubbing. Who is right?

No offense intended.

Kernman

cwlongshot · « **Reply #8 on:** November 15, 2008, 09:25:52 AM »

The barrel leading is relative. Its not just a soft slug and bullet speed that causes it. Its how rough your bore is too.

Have you read the threads on barrel lapping? What is happening is people are trying to smooth out the rough edges in the bore from the manufacturing process. With the full intent to improve accuracy. But accuracy is improved by keeping the bore cleaner as well as allowing for a smooth bore for the bullet to travel thru. Think of it like this, the rifling and a rougher bore will lead faster and worse than a smooth bore. Its also harder to clean a rough bore compaired to a smooth one.

I would say, go ahead and try them. Just know if you have an overly rough bore, you'll have more work to do. Slug firing shotguns are not ones people generally shoot allot anyhow.

CW

Matt3357 · « **Reply #9 on:** November 15, 2008, 08:44:48 PM »

kernman,

Just from my experience after over 30 rounds of cheap Remington Sluggers my barrel was a bit leaded but not excessive. Between a brand new barrel and shooting them all in one day, I would say thats not too bad since i only hope to have to shoot this gun only twice a year. I bought and tried a product called Butch's Bore Shine. You can buy it from Cabelas or Brownells I know for sure. I took a brass brush dipped it in the Butch's, Ran it down the bore about 6 times. Ran two wet patches twice each, then two dry ones. The first dry one had a bit of dirt, the second, almost completely clean. I then run a patch wet with RemOil to protect it. I seriously only spent about five minutes doing this. It was super simple and quick. This stuff did the same thing to my 223 that had about 50 rounds through it without cleaning.

I personally only have my guns to use, not to compete with or shoot the hair off a gnat's a$$ at 1000 yards so I am not anal retentive about it but I was taken aback at how clean it was after just that much. You could see the chunks of lead on the wet patches. Well that's all I have. The only thing I can offer you about who is right is to buy some and try it your self, what could it hurt, you might be surprised.

Matt

JamesIII · « **Reply #10 on:** November 16, 2008, 03:31:45 AM »

Kenman,

CW and Matt make some very good points about leading, it is kinda barrel specfic. My 20 GA. tracker II barrel leads up badly with rem. sluggers, probably has to do with bore smoothness. I have not tried the Butches Bore Shine, but I will. With that said, I will shoot the rem. sluggers in it during deer season. Clover leafs at 50 yrds. with $3.00 a box ammo, just what an open sight gun was made for.

Now my USH is a different story, I will be shooting Win. Partition Golds. I bought this gun for a very specific shooting area. Most shots will be 100+ yrds.

Let's be realalistic, most of us enjoy sighting in the guns as much as we enjoy hunting with them. Go buy several diifferent kinds of ammo that fit your shooting situation and have fun. Don't forget to report back on what you decide to use. JamesIII

singleshooter · « **Reply #11 on:** November 17, 2008, 01:58:42 PM »

try the lightfields. they shoot great through my new thumbhole stock gun and even better out of my old one.

d_hiker · « **Reply #12 on:** November 18, 2008, 11:02:43 AM »

AT 50 yds the Remington Sluggers shoot just fine in my 20 USH, but they open up at 100 yds. The Remington BuckHammers keep a nice tight group at 100yds. A month ago I found the 20ga BuckHammers for $6.95 a box, so I bought all 6 boxes they had.

cwlongshot · « **Reply #13 on:** November 23, 2008, 12:29:16 PM »

I haven't shot game with the 20GA BuckHammer, but the 12 works remarkably. I see no reason why the 20 wouldn't be equally as lethal.
They shoot pretty good in my 20 as well. But the Win BRI slug shoots best and I too am lucky as its a fairly cheap slug!! Its nice when you find the right load. Even better when its a cheaper one!!!

Glad to hear you found a slug your gun likes so well!!

Good luck,
CW

chrsm · « **Reply #14 on:** November 23, 2008, 03:19:13 PM »

lightfields 2 3/4

carbineman · « **Reply #15 on:** November 26, 2008, 12:58:27 PM »

Been using the Winchester 20 ga. Supreme Partition Gold's in 3". I'm bias of course, but I haven't found anything yet that is more consistent. I will say I haven't tried them all as money is an object here that seems somewhat elusive!

gary bartlow · « **Reply #16 on:** November 26, 2008, 01:16:30 PM »

Quote from: kernman on November 13, 2008, 02:29:49 AM

One exception is Brenneke slugs, which Im told, although they are rifled, will not lead the barrel. And they are a lot cheaper than sabots.

I tried Brenneke slugs once and I'll never buy or shoot another one.I may have got a bad batch but.........They pattened great but sounded"funny" like they didnt have enough jucie.I shot a deer in the sholder at 40 yards and it ran away,lost blood after a bit.The next year a buddy shot the deer with my slug in the sholder right under the hide.I have heared others with the same results,others love them so ?

jrfrmn · « **Reply #17 on:** November 28, 2008, 04:43:02 PM »

Quote from: kernman on November 15, 2008, 01:07:49 AM

I may have been wrong about non-sabot slugs. Apparently Remington sluggers can also be used in rifled barrels, according to the information on the box.

Has anyone used these? I wonder if leading is an issue.

Matt3357,

you got me thinking about the leading issue. You say the barrel can be "white patch clean in 5 mins." Others make it sound like it takes hours of scrubbing. Who is right?

No offense intended. If you lead up a rifled barrel, you will not clean it in five minutes.

Kernman

Matt3357 · « **Reply #18 on:** November 29, 2008, 02:56:28 PM »

jrfrmn,

I assume that your part of that post was "if you lead up a rifled barrel, you will not clean it in five minutes." My barrel was horribly leaded after those cheap remingtons and I cleaned it all out of there with that Butch's bore shine. It worked really well. Now I am sure that it is not spotlessly clean from lead but its 100 times better than it was and a dry patch was pretty dang clean after a bare brush soaked with Butch's. I don't know what to tell you but that it works for me and I can still but 3 Buckhammers in a 2 inch circle at 100 yards and I believe that will kill a deer a ways out there.

Matt

22lyons · « **Reply #19 on:** December 01, 2008, 10:25:50 AM »

Quote from: gary bartlow on November 26, 2008, 01:16:30 PM

Quote from: kernman on November 13, 2008, 02:29:49 AM

One exception is Brenneke slugs, which Im told, although they are rifled, will not lead the barrel. And they are a lot cheaper than sabots.

I tried Brenneke slugs once and I'll never buy or shoot another one.I may have got a bad batch but.........They pattened great but sounded"funny" like they didnt have enough jucie.I shot a deer in the sholder at 40 yards and it ran away,lost blood after a bit.The next year a buddy shot the deer with my slug in the sholder right under the hide.I have heared others with the same results,others love them so ?

my same experince with the lightfields...i settled on the sst's. not as accurate but very deadly.

kernman · « **Reply #20 on:** December 03, 2008, 02:34:26 AM »

Matt3357,

Are you saying that after your barrel became leaded, accuracy deteriorated? Then you used Butch's Bore shine, and accuracy improved significantly?

I don't want to sound overly technical about this. But I am curious about what you said.

In any case, I am ready to try non-sabots in my Tracker II barrel. I'll try some Remington sluggers, and buckhammers, and some Brennekes. if I can find them.

Can anyone else recommend some non sabots that might shoot well in a tracker II?

kernman · « **Reply #21 on:** December 03, 2008, 02:38:16 AM »

Chrsm,

Did you get a lot of leading with the Lightfields?

Kernman

Matt3357 · « **Reply #22 on:** December 03, 2008, 03:00:43 AM »

Kernman,

I don't really have an answer for that and I'll tell you why. I just got my USH a couple months ago and I was shooting cheap remingtons out of it. I started at 50 since the scope I had was already partially sighted in and I shot around 5 shots, 3 to sight in and 2 more for good measure. Then I went back to 100 yards and to where I made my mistake. I started shooting the cheap remingtons and was low of course, but when I tried to dial it in, they were going all over the place, so I shot around 20 rounds with no success. I was done for the day and only had the cheap remingtons. So for the next time I got back home to shoot I bought some Butch's Bore Shine, some hornady SST's, Remington Buckhammers, and some Remington Copper Solids. I cleaned about 90% of the leading from all of the cheapo's with the butch's then I re-zeroed it at 50' with the cheapos and moved back to 100 yards. I dialed it in with 2 buckhammers then put the rest of the box in a 2 inch circle. So I cannot tell you if the leading deteriorated accuracy or not since I never had it at 100 yards and never went back to 50 after all the shooting at 100, but I'm sure it was not helping accuracy. I never shot the other two brands because of how well the buckhammers shot. After that I left it ready for deer season and unfortunately did not get a chance to use it, maybe this weekend will bring better luck.

Matt

beerhunter · « **Reply #23 on:** December 08, 2008, 08:54:10 PM »

I have a tracker 2 12G and it will hit a paper plate @ 100 yards with the cheap rims & wins, in all it will kill a deer cheap,and as for leading effecting accuracy it only takes one shot to kill a deer.(any thing after that you are trying to get lucky)

Thunder · « **Reply #24 on:** December 09, 2008, 12:27:55 AM »

My 20g liked the Rem Core lokt best. I tried Win, Fed, Horn.

kernman · « **Reply #25 on:** December 11, 2008, 02:19:29 AM »

Thank you all for your replies.

Thank you for your thorough explanation, Matt3357. Generally, with the high cost of sabots, it's hard to be thorough in range testing ammo.

I inspected my Tracker II barrel for the first time today. That barrel has some SERIOUS rifling. The grooves are DEEP. As opposed to, say, my Marlin 336 with micro groove rifling.

I can understand how lead would accumulate in there.

Does anyone know how I would plug the barrel if I used Butch's Bore Shine? I plan to let it soak awhile into the rifling. Like, would a cork worK, or would dissolve the cork and ruin the crown?