# 12 ga Slug Question



## aquanator (Dec 1, 2005)

Let me start by saying 99.9% of my gun deer hunting is up north where use my 30-06 with a wide angle scope.

But this year I have the opportunity to hunt some land in Ottawa county on opening evening, and so I dug out my Mossberg 535 turkey 12 ga which happened to have come with a slug barrel (never used). Where I'll be hunting I expect to have no more than a 50 yard shot.

I bought cheap Remington Sluggers and shot at 40 yards with the slug barrel, open sights, dead-on 1 inch high on the bullzeye. They shot really nice and consistent. 

But I also bought some 3" mag sabots, which cost 3 tmes as much, but I guess I've heard they're better or more accurate (maybe for distance), or something. At the same 40 yards they shoot 1 foot high!!! 

So I decided for the one night I'll be hunting in Ottawa county this year, I'll use the cheap "sluggers".

But my question (mostly for future reference and potential hunting with a shotgun), is this normal? Do sabots typically shoot that much different than normal slugs? Is it because they can maybe shoot much farther if necessary? Any advantage to me even considering sabots in this type of hunting?

Thanks.


----------



## agross (Jan 18, 2009)

the cheapo sluggers are all i use, for whatever reason my shotgun loves them, all my buddies laugh at me, i return the laugh at the cash register when i am paying $ 2.50 a box and they are paying $13 dollars a box took my biggest buck to date with em at 110 yards


----------



## jmoser (Sep 11, 2002)

You need a rifled bbl for saboted slugs, the sluggers are rifled slugs for smoothbore bbls.

Never tried to shoot sluggers from a rifled bore - not really sure what would happen but do not suggest trying. 

Sabots from a smoothbore are an instant waste of $3 ea unless you are within 5-10 yards.


----------



## aquanator (Dec 1, 2005)

Well, my slug barrel has rifling......so using those sluggers isn't good....hmmm....guess I don't know much about shotguns. They sure shot nice though....


----------



## Ozzman (Apr 12, 2007)

Have seen guns zeroed with a rifled slug or big sabot round, then an sst round go 8-10 inches higher, some barrels like certain rounds, or that 500 plus feet per second additional velocity and slightly smaller bullet grain weight of the sst round changes the trajectory somewhat.

Ozzman


----------



## skipper34 (Oct 13, 2005)

If the cheap sluggers are shooting good from your rifled barrel, I would stick with those. I have heard that a smoothbore with a rifled choke tube has been known to throw rifled slugs pretty good out to about 60 yards or so. So why not a fully rifled with the cheapo slugs? If you are confident with the groups you are getting at that range with the sluggers, go for it. Hit em' in the boiler room and dead deer. End of story.


----------



## jmoser (Sep 11, 2002)

aquanator said:


> Well, my slug barrel has rifling......so using those sluggers isn't good....hmmm....guess I don't know much about shotguns. They sure shot nice though....


I would imagine your bbl rifling may get leaded up - I suppose if the rifling pattern on the slug is compatible with your bbl it may work OK, if it is working then why spend the extra $$$ on sabots but keep an eye on your bore just the same.

I still have a rifled choke tube for my 870, may have to try this just for S&G.


----------



## 3fingervic (Jan 28, 2009)

Rifled slugs will work fine out of a rifled barrel. Meaning it will not ruin the barrel. And if your grouping is good why not? I shoot sabots myself, but I can't understand why they cost 3x's more than rifled slugs.


----------



## skipper34 (Oct 13, 2005)

3fingervic said:


> Rifled slugs will work fine out of a rifled barrel. Meaning it will not ruin the barrel. And if your grouping is good why not? I shoot sabots myself, but I can't understand why they cost 3x's more than rifled slugs.


Because the market on sabots is aimed at the naive shooter who doesn't know any better and thinks that sabots are the one and only projectile that will work in a rifled barrel. The OP has just proved to himself that this is not true at all. The sabot slugs are $15 + per box of 5 because people will pay that much to buy them. I do it myself, simply because a quality gun deserves a quality projectile. The cheapo slugs may group great with a rifled bore at 50 yards, but try them at 100 yds or more and it is a different story.


----------



## Roosevelt (Sep 21, 2007)

I shoot the standard Remington sluggers outta my 20 gauge Remington 870 express with a fully rifled shotgun / slug barrel. 

they are just as accurate as the Remington Copper solids which are somewhat expensive sabots designed for rifled barrels. Honesty, I think the sluggers are more accurate at ranges under 100 yards and they have way more knockdown power. 

I shoot out to 100 yards at the range and see no difference other than value. I'm dead nuts at 25 and 100 yards and about 3" high at 50. The lead slugs don't seem to foul up the barrel anymore than the plastic sabots do in normal hunting. I do clean my rifling with a brush and hoppes 9 solvent after each time at the range, 10+ shots and after each season.

I did have a gun, 12 ga. modified choke mossberg 500 which did not shoot 3" slugs accurate at all, sabots or otherwise. That might be the problem. I no longer use 3" shells. It did not shoot rifled sabots well either, i.e. Brennekes, etc. Neither did my Winchester 20 ga. which had an "improved modified" choke.

Also, I do believe there are rifled sabots designed for smoothbores and non rifled sabots that are designed for rifled barrels. Two different rounds altogether!


----------



## skipper34 (Oct 13, 2005)

Roosevelt said:


> I shoot the standard Remington sluggers outta my 20 gauge Remington 870 express with a fully rifled shotgun / slug barrel.
> 
> they are just as accurate as the Remington Copper solids which are somewhat expensive sabots designed for rifled barrels. Honesty, I think the sluggers are more accurate at ranges under 100 yards and they have way more knockdown power.
> 
> ...


I know of no sabot slug on the market that is rifled. Anybody?


----------



## Roosevelt (Sep 21, 2007)

Brenneke KO rifled sabot slug.

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/60350-5.html

THEY SUCK!


----------



## morg77 (Sep 5, 2007)

I had a major problem this year with a similar issue. Tried to sight in my 870 with Hornady SSTs and couldn't hold a group so save my life. After 3 boxes and a very sore shoulder I gave up for the day. 

I went back out the other day with a couple of boxes of Brenneke KO's and held a great group at 100 yrds. My buddy on the other hand was all over the place with them, he has an 870 as well. He shot the remainder of my SSTs and held a group with those.

I think it just depends on what your gun shoots best. Trial and error.


----------



## skipper34 (Oct 13, 2005)

morg77 said:


> I had a major problem this year with a similar issue. Tried to sight in my 870 with Hornady SSTs and couldn't hold a group so save my life. After 3 boxes and a very sore shoulder I gave up for the day.
> 
> I went back out the other day with a couple of boxes of Brenneke KO's and held a great group at 100 yrds. My buddy on the other hand was all over the place with them, he has an 870 as well. He shot the remainder of my SSTs and held a group with those.
> 
> I think it just depends on what your gun shoots best. Trial and error.


I constantly hear suggestions for slugs from members on this site. Although their intentions are good, it is a waste of forum space to suggest slugs because of the fact that all guns will shoot all slugs differently. That's why you have to shoot several different slugs to see which one shoots the best. I have 2 Rem 12 ga. 1100's with cantilever rifled barrels. One will group 2 inches at 100 with Winchester Partition Gold, but that is the only one. The other will group the same with Rem Core-Lokt Ultra OR Partition Gold. But neither one likes Copper Solids or any of the rest. Just the nature of the beast.


----------



## HTC (Oct 6, 2005)

Rifled slugs from a rifled barrel is fine as ling as they are accurate for you. My father has done it since the first Hastings barrels hit the market more than 20 years ago. Mainly because he is too cheap to buy sabots.:lol: He holds good groups and cleans his gun at the end of the season with normal practices.

For those who think the sabots are a waste of money, you are right if all your shooting is inside of 75 yards. However once you get past that mark the extremely poor BC of the of the good ole "slugger" allows it to shed velocity fast and gives it the wind bucking ability of a large camper/trailer. If any amount of distance shooting is required a sabot round becomes worth the extra money.


----------



## langkg (Oct 26, 2004)

Good thread. I've spent countless $$'s and time experimenting with different sabots with my Rem 11-87 cantilever scope mount rifled bbl. For a long time the only thing I could shoot consistently was Federal Hydro-Shock HP's. They are very, very, very hard to find now and I'm not sure if Federal even makes them any more so it was back to the bench. I now shoot Winchester X sabots and found they are very similar in construction and speed to the former Federal HP's. I think this is why my gun will shoot these accuratly. 

The conclusions I drew are 1.) my bbl/gun doesn't like high velocity and 2.) once you find something that works well - stick with it. If you can hold 2" groups with the sluggers I'd run with it.! 

One trend I do see is to higher and higher velocity and at least with my gun the higher the velocity the more random and inaccurate the shots.


----------



## thill (Aug 23, 2006)

It took me a lot of time at the range and a lot of $$ in different slugs to find what works for my 1100. 

After trying Hornady SSTs, Rem Accutips, Hastings and Lightfields.....the winner turned out to be Lightfield slugs! Hastings were a close second place. The Hornadys and Accutips were good at 50 yards, but all over the place at 100 yards. 

Thank God that is over! Now I just need to shoot a couple each year to confirm zero.


----------

