I was looking into purchasing some home defense rounds (hopefully that I'll never have to use) and I cannot find buckshot for my 16 gauge, however I can find rifled slugs. How bad is it to fire a rifled slug out of a smooth bore?

Someone will correct me if I am wrong, but I thought that is what they are made for. The rifling wont match a rifled barrel anyway I dont think, so a rifled slug in a rifled barrel seems a moot point. I think rifled slugs are for smooth bore, and regular slugs for rifled bores.

Like a bullet is not rifled...... it is smooth. The barrel is rifled.


Someone correct me if I am wrong. I only use shot in my shotgun :dunno

Moto Jo is correct.....

They use em every year by the tens of thousands here in iowa during shotgun season

Thanks guys, that makes sense :cheers

use a rifled slug in a smooth bore, and use a sabot slug in a fifled barrel.
the reason u dont use a rifled slug in a rifled barrel is bc each slug has a certain twist degree on it. this will not match the twist ratio in your barrel. so in theory the twist in the slug, over time, will actually ruin the twist in the barrel because the slug wants to spin at a differnent rate than what the barrel wants it too.
i like the winchester super X slugs for just general all around use. we use them for competion shooting as well as deer hunting. i also heard the bereniki (spelling) K O slugs are nice as well. try that out.

Yeah I was looking at the Super X but no one has those in stock for a 16ga. I'll probably just stick with the Remmington Sluggers since that's what's available for my gun.

sluggers are a decent shell as well. dont get me wrong. if "IF" you can find them, try the 'Buck Hammers' from Remington. they are what my father started using in his Benelli a couple years ago, and they pack a damn wollop now.

Moto Jo is correct.....



...just don't use slugs in a full or extra-full choked barrel.....

...just don't use slugs in a full or extra-full choked barrel.....

Could you explain this? I have an adjustable choke.

Could you explain this? I have an adjustable choke.


Those chokes have more of a taper at the end, and squeeze the slug too tight.

I've only shot slugs from an 18" improved cylinder barrel. Mine are usually in one ragged hole at 25 yards when I do my shotgun qualification tests.

Sluggers will work fine. I shoot the 3" sluggers out of my Remington. If you happen to come across a rifled barrel somewhere, shoot the Core-Lokt Ultra Bonded Sabots by Remington. They have true 200 yard capabilities and are deadly accurate.

I was looking into purchasing some home defense rounds (hopefully that I'll never have to use) and I cannot find buckshot for my 16 gauge, however I can find rifled slugs. How bad is it to fire a rifled slug out of a smooth bore?

To go back to another point. Heavy bird shot may be a better choice if buck shot isnt available, especially if you have family members in the home, or neighbors close to you. That slug will punch holes through walls like butter.

To go back to another point. Heavy bird shot may be a better choice if buck shot isnt available, especially if you have family members in the home, or neighbors close to you. That slug will punch holes through walls like butter.

+ 1 True

I would trust him on this. He knows all about punching holes in stuff. :lmao

J/K couldnt pass it up. :cheers

That slug will punch holes through walls like butter.


+2...

Could you explain this? I have an adjustable choke.

Full and extra full chokes were meant for birdshot. As SuzukiDuke pointed out, they are a tight constriction, so shooting solid lead slugs risks splitting the barrel.

Some poly-chokes have a setting for slugs. If yours doesn't, use the Improved Cylinder (IC) setting.

Sluggers will work fine. I shoot the 3" sluggers out of my Remington. If you happen to come across a rifled barrel somewhere, shoot the Core-Lokt Ultra Bonded Sabots by Remington. They have true 200 yard capabilities and are deadly accurate.

i dont like like the remington sabot slugs at all. too expensive and dont shoot worth a damn. but thats just my opinion. everyone likes certain rounds through their guns tho. my experience with them is, first 2 shots are there at 50-75 yards, then the 3rd and 4th shot are way off. this is through my 870 20ga tho. even when my father shoots them he gets the same results. its either the slugs, or my gun doesnt like them for some reason. and yes it is a rifled barrel.

I think the settings on my choke say "FULL," "MOD," and "CYL"...I'm guessing the last one is the Improved Cylinder setting?

should be. but usually i thought it was IC, but i could be wrong, but the others are full and modified for sure.

I'll go double check it tonight when I get off work but I'm pretty sure the last setting says "CYL"

To go back to another point. Heavy bird shot may be a better choice if buck shot isnt available, especially if you have family members in the home, or neighbors close to you. That slug will punch holes through walls like butter.

Good point. I already ordered the slugs, however. I only ordered 10 rounds (2 boxes), so I'll probably test a few out at the range and see how they do. If they are too powerful, I'll get some heavy bird shot instead and use the rest of the slugs at the range.

+ 1 True

I would trust him on this. He knows all about punching holes in stuff. :lmao

J/K couldnt pass it up. :cheers

:spit


:flipoff

Thats actually good info to know, when I got my moss 835 combo with rifled barrel NATURALLY I thought and said ok rifled barrel = rifled slugs right?:dunno

So I bought 2 boxes of rifled slugs and happened to shoot them through the gun, however something did not seem right and there was some debat in hand on what slugs I should be shooting. I actually went straight to Mossberg with an email and was giving reply of basically to not use rifled slugs because over time it will ruin the rifling in the barrel to use Sabot slugs, so I did.

BUT, it is only till now that I got a little more info on it. I have been using the winchester super X sabots ever since and they work great and shoot a decent grouping. I have tried the core locts and my uncle swears by them as I have seen the damage he causes with them deer hunting:lol but they are expensive IMO and the rounds I shot didnt seem to be consistent in my gun so I stick the the super x's.

Even in my H&R Ultra slugger single shot the winchesters seemed to shoot better. Other notables are the Lightfields, lot of guys like them also.

:cheers