Get the Shooting Illustrated Reloaded newsletter for at-a-glance access to industry news, gear, gun reviews, videos and more—delivered directly to your Inbox. For sheer accuracy, shotgun slugs stink. Solid Brenneke slugs still swage … Fiocchi’s Aero slug is a long-time favorite. Slug Barrels. Deer hunting: The slug barrel is a suitable option for hunting deer, which can withstand more than one shot before falling. Also please note- between 75 and 100 yards, the slug drops from supersonic to subsonic. “No matter what slug you shoot,” explains Brian, “once you get that firearm sighted in, don’t change it. Because the bead is so large, a 6-o’clock hold is often best, but of course this will influence your point-of-impact, which we will soon discuss. Calendar, Privacy Policy While you might be hard-pressed to imagine a scenario where you’d take a shot at 100 yards or farther with your defensive shotgun, never say never. I’ve found these express-style (shallow rear V, large front bead) sights as accurate as non-magnified red-dot optics, but much quicker and more durable and versatile than anything else. Single Shot Slug Barrel Shotgun 12 Gauge Accurate and handy, the Henry Single Shot Slug Barrel Shotgun is the elegant solution to hunting deer in shotgun-only areas. And, because slugs are made of soft lead so they will expand to fit the bore upon firing, they flatten out and become horribly inaccurate at ranges greater than 50 yards. With an open choke, the reduction in diameter is minimal, so accuracy does not suffer much; tighter chokes, however, deform the slug enough to impact accuracy significantly, and the impact of the slug on the choke (at velocities around 450 meters per second (1500 feet per second)) could also stretch the barrel with repeated firings. To date, all reported damage has only occurred with 12ga ammunition. After all, you’ll not have the luxury of a benchrest in times of emergency, so your accuracy from field positions is the metric you should count. Virtually any shotgun can become a DSG, Brian says, although some work better than others. Television The morale of the story here is that if you’re planning on making close range shots with your slug gun, you probably don’t need to invest in a rifled barrel because it will be just about as accurate as a rifled barrel. Nonetheless, if you choose a. (The bullet is out of the barrel and on its way, in other words, before the recoil causes the barrel to jump upward.). So you get out there hunting, and you’re holding the gun with both hands, a deer is in your sights, you shoot, and you’re hitting way low. “Bolt actions are best, because they’re pinned, the barrel can’t move; it’s as permanently affixed to the receiver as you can make it.”, A crucial piece of the system is the slug itself, and the Smith brothers rely on Lightfield slugs, which are built around numerous patented technologies developed for military use as far back as the 1970s. I chose three proven slugs loads. This meant three or six buckshot were loaded in conjunction with a musket ball. Slug accuracy can be significantly improved by the addition of a red-dot optic and the use of quality projectiles. Contact Us, Magazine Even better, however, is a quality aftermarket sight system such as the DXW model from XS Sights. Hastings rifled shotgun barrels are designed for firing slugs and are not to be confused with barrels of the Holland & Holland Paradox gun. Brenneke Super Sabot slugs are loaded with an interesting, lead-free projectile and are intended for use in fully rifled barrels. When you pull the trigger, the powder ignites instantly and the slug expands to completely fill the barrel, so no gases escape. How we got started with the 20 Gauge barrels: Bullberry was approached in 2007 by Hastings shotgun/accessories manufacturers to produce these barrels for the Encore. In doing so, the stability of the slug is upset, and a bit of yaw given to the slug. Brenneke 3-inch, 1-1/8 ounce Super Sabot. Women On Target® Instructional Shooting Clinics, Volunteer At The Great American Outdoor Show, Marion P. Hammer Women Of Distinction Award, Women's Wildlife Management / Conservation Scholarship, National Youth Shooting Sports Ambassadors, NRA Outstanding Achievement Youth Award Presented by Brownells, National Youth Shooting Sports Cooperative Program, 17 Affordable Concealed-Carry Guns Under $300, How to Use Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication for Self Defense, Why You Should Use a Shotgun Sling for Personal Defense, © 2021 National Rifle Association of America. When testing a new slug gun, I’ll start at 25 yards, find its POI (if it wears adjustable sights or an optic, I’ll make adjustments) then walk the target back as needed now better knowing where to hold. Shooting sabot slugs through a smooth bore is a waste of money. Following their recipe for success will improve your shotgun slug accuracy, too. On sighting-in day, particularly if it’s a nice warm afternoon, keep your slugs in a cooler so they behave the same as they will on hunting days. When you can consistently shoot like that while packing the brute force knock-down power of a shotgun slug, you have complete confidence on your side when a chance presents itself in the deer stand. 361 Posts #3 • May 11, 2014. You get incredible velocity and accuracy.”, The combination of a designated slug gun shooting this ammo allows him to consistently put numerous slugs into the same hole at 50 yards, says Brian, “touch slug hole to slug hole at 100 yards, and shoot groups with every shot within 2 1/2 inches at 150.”. Terms of Service They are used when shooting at longer range targets and are perfect for large predators. Podcast Shooting sabot slugs through a smooth bore is a waste of money. Keep in mind average velocity, full-bore slugs have a trajectory curve little better than a thrown spear, so its POI shift at various ranges (and among various loads) is pronounced. Sabot slugs are a relatively new form of slug when compared to the Brenneke and Foster varieties, and they provide increased accuracy and longer range than their traditional slug counterparts. There are dozens of other great slugs on the market now that may or may not work great in your gun, find out what shoots best for you. Utilizing the same familiar break-action as our other single-shot shotguns, the barrel is fully rifled with a 1:35 twist rate to bring sabot and Brenneke slugs right on target. Slug accuracy can be significantly improved by the addition of a red-dot optic and the use of quality projectiles. He is an outdoor generalist who loves hunting and fishing of all types. “When you sight in a rifle, you have the rifle on a bench rest and don’t touch the front end of the gun. On the other hand, I did discover how useful a slug would be in a general use defensive shotgun, and also how accurate the slug could be in a rifled barrel. FAQs About Us Don’t take the barrel off of it, or the scope off of it. Benelli SBE II Slug Gun. Some years ago Mossberg started to produce a model 500 with a rifled barrel. * Save $24.95 off the 10-issue newsstand rate, My Account Fact is, shotgun slug accuracy varies so much due to combinations of individual guns, gun styles, chokes, barrels, slug design, load, optics and shooting skill, that any data collected would have little or no relevance to the accuracy you can expect from your setup. There’s more to this subject, and we’ll get to it in future articles, but here are some of the major keys you can put to use right away. The slug is used to knock down the target, not just penetrate it. Consider these variations to the slug barrel for your Remington … The next step was the fully rifled shotgun barrel by Hastings, a manufacturer of aftermarket shotgun barrels. How Do Different Barrel Sizes Impact Performance? Given how precise deer hunters are with so many other aspects—scouting, stand placement, wind direction, scent control and on and on—it is a cryin’ shame when, at the moment of truth, you feel like you’re sending forth a ball of lead with all the predictable accuracy of a knuckleball heading toward home plate. Nonetheless, if you choose a … H&R makes a break-action single shot slug gun that’s great, because the barrel is fixed. Barrel is an Ithaca 37 Featherlight 12 gauge smoothbore slug barrel.It is a 20" barrel and is chambered for 2 3/4" shells.Front sight is still intace but the elevator part of the rear is missing.It is grooved to put scope mounts on though if wanted.Barrel fits the post 855.000 serial number guns.Bore is great.Barrel has some scratches from use as seen in the pictures.Has the sling … He has written for nearly every outdoor magazine over the past 41 years, and has written or co-written 14 books. So you think you have it dialed in, but what you actually did was dial in the muzzle jump. Hasting's Paradox shotgun barrels were offered as aftermarket replacements for the most common brands of pump and semi-automatic shotguns and they quickly became popular with slug shooters. Where I Can Get Online Clearance Deals on Remington 870 Rifled Slug Barrel Accuracy Save More! Think like a slug-gun shooter Rifled slugs do cause the projectile to spin, but it’s not enough to create a noticeable gain in accuracy. In 2018 Strand was elected to the Minnesota Fishing Hall of Fame. A 'Foster slug, invented by Karl M. Foster in 1931, and patented in 1947 (U.S. Patent 2,414,863) is a type of shotgun slug designed to be fired through a smoothbore shotgun barrel, even though it commonly labeled as a "rifled" slug. A single do all barrel with a single do all choke in a … They will “work” but accuracy suffers and there is no reason to spend the extra money for sabot slugs if you are going to shoot them through a smooth bore. The slug is spinning as fast as 53,000 rpms down the barrel. We keep our slugs out of the sun, in a cooler, until we’re ready to sight in. “If a slug gun is fired while you’re not holding the forend down, the barrel will jump and throw the slug up in the air, as much as six inches at 100 yards. Or, reasonably accurate out to perhaps 50 yards, or 80 yards, beyond which accuracy and confidence fade significantly. by Jeff Johnston - E-mail your comments/questions about this site to:ShootingIllustrated@nrahq.orgFor questions/comments about Shooting Illustrated magazine, please e-mail:Publications@nrahq.orgYou can contact the NRA via phone at: NRA Member Programs1-800-672-3888, To advertise on Shooting Illustrated, visit nramediakit.com for more information. Please Contact Us or call to put your premium quality 20 Gauge Rifled Slug Barrel on order today. (Remington) 870s make good DSGs. There’s no Skimping in Gun Safes. In addition to writing and photography, Strand produces the MidWest Outdoors Podcast, and contributes to MWO digital properties. If you can legally hunt with a rifle, you owe it to yourself and your quarry to do so. “Even though a shotgun slug is really fast, it’s not as fast as a rifle bullet, so you have to hold a slug gun down firmly as you sight it in.”. Thankfully, throughout the past 60 years slug technology has improved. I took the shotgun deer hunting a few times but unfortunately never did end up killing a whitetail with it. 0 CommentsHave Gun, Will Travel: Transportation Storage for Handguns, Valuables, 0 CommentsGo Big! Provided my setup is capable, I’ll eventually determine my POA/POI to hit steel targets from field positions at 25, 50 and 100 yards—if I had to—and that’s the point of this article. Find Your Gun’s Preferred LoadWhile I’ve found some sabot loads that shoot decently well out of certain smoothbore guns, I tend to stick with advanced technology, full-bore slugs such as Federal’s Truball, Lightfield’s Hybred, Winchester’s Deer Season load or others due to their consistency. “At the range, you cannot shoot a slug gun like you’re shooting a rifle,” he says. Joined Mar 28, 2010 Messages 111 Location Harris MN . Perhaps it’s an indictment of my skill, but I often reduce my 10-inch, bead-sight groups to 5 inches just by installing a rear sight or a red-dot optic. Remington 870 Rifled Slug Barrel Accuracy BY Remington 870 Rifled Slug Barrel Accuracy in Articles Remington 870 Rifled Slug Barrel Accuracy will be my … THIS IS THE LINK TO PAUL'S NEW PATREON ACCOUNT.https://www.patreon.com/user?u=5769301 “The best DSG you can make for yourself,” he says, “is one where the barrel doesn’t move around much. On a lot of semiautomatics, the barrel floats a lot, but we’ve had luck with some of them. But more and more deer hunters on the modern landscape chamber slugs into shotguns that are used for other pursuits at other times. That gives a hunter a better and more accurate slug gun. Often, this results in better accuracy and more downrange energy. Rifled barrels are for shooting sabot slugs, such as Premier Accutip Slug. Hornady has made great strides in the full-bore slug category by introducing its Flex Tip (FTX) technology into its shotgun slugs that give the projectile better aerodynamic properties and, therefore, higher BCs. Remington Ammunition. As I mentioned previously, the H&R/NEF Ultra Slug Hunter with a heavy barrel is a very accurate slug gun, as is the gun I shoot, an Ithaca Deerslayer III . I can always get Remington slugs … With a single-bead sight, anything you can do to generate more consistency in aiming will help your groups. You can be among the first to get the latest info on where to go, what to use and how to use it! It’s comforting to know that if you had to, you could. A slug barrel is a barrel for a shotgun that is designed primarily to fire slugs. Advertising Privacy Policy   •   Contact Us   •   Warnings   •   FAQs   •  © 2021 National Rifle Association of America, For sheer accuracy, shotgun slugs stink. The development of the shotgun occurred over time and was originally spawned from the musket. 1 Origins 2 The first slug barrels 3 The rifled slug barrel 4 New slug technology 5 Shotgun slugs for safety When slugs are fired in a standard, choked barrel, the slug is deformed by the choke as it exits. “We go everywhere and shoot every kind of animal with our DSGs, even out West, where a lot of people think you have to have a rifle.”. at 100 yards. Accuracy takes a dump when that happens. The barrel is fluted to minimize weight and heat buildup, and the Super Cell recoil … As far as the slug barrel, I sighted it in with Winchester Super-X BRI slugs and found them to be quite accurate. Can I shoot a slug out of a full choke? But, this deer-hunting rig has little in common with the tactical/home-defense shotguns upon which this column focuses. Using a specialized Savage Model 220 bolt-action, rifled-barrel shotgun, Winchester sabot slugs chosen for it and a 3-9X scope, I can shoot 2.5-inch groups at 100 yards. Back in the 1700s, during wartime, soldiers utilized the buck and ball method of loading muskets. If you think there’s a good chance you’ll need a slug in your particular scenario, ghost-ring sights represent a balance between the speed of a bead and the accuracy of a non-magnified optic. SHOPPING Remington 870 Rifled Slug Barrel Accuracy Remington 870 Rifled Slug Barrel Accuracy Reviews : Best Price!! Leave that gun for what it is, your designated firearm for shooting slugs.”. It’s common knowledge that rifled slugs are meant for use in smoothbore shotgun barrels, while rifled shotgun barrels and rifled choke tubes are meant to produce better results (meaning better accuracy) with sabot slugs, whose smooth outer … As a general rule of thumb, a decent shooter using a quality smoothbore shotgun with cylinder choke, a single-front-bead sight and full-bore Brenneke- or Foster-style slugs can reasonably expect 10-inch groups at100 yards from a benchrest. 1. Wednesday, August 26, 2020. First published in 1964, the all-knowing “NRA Firearms Fact Book” says: “Shotgun slugs should not be used at ranges greater than about 75 yards. Here are the loads tested: Fiocchi 1 ounce, 1,150 fps slug, Fiocchi 7/8 th ounce 1,300 fps slug, and the 1 ounce 1,560 fps blockbuster. Sabot slugs in a rifled barrel are very accurate. They will “work” but accuracy suffers and there is no reason to spend the extra money for sabot slugs if you are going to shoot them through a smooth bore. “Killing shots come from knowing where the bullet is going, every time,” says Brian Smith. Fun fact- the term shotgun was first used in 1776, “Frontier Languag… newsletter for at-a-glance access to industry news, gear, gun reviews, videos and more—delivered directly to your Inbox. “Slugs are made to perform best in cool temperatures,” says Brian. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. If you sight the gun in with those hot slugs, you are dialing in accuracy, but it won’t be repeatable when it’s colder outside. MidWest Outdoors editorial director Mark Strand is a graduate of University of Minnesota School of Journalism with a minor in Fisheries & Wildlife Science. After many years of hunting all manner of big game all over the world, he and brother Mark have refined a system for building impressive and repeatable accuracy with what they call designated slug guns (DSG). That’s because shotgun slugs have gained a reputation for being randomly accurate then randomly way off, and at the moment of trigger pull it’s hard to say which one you’re about to get. For more information, you can read more about the latest slugs at litfld.com. Then we take them out and shoot them while they’re cool. Hyperlinking Policy. If it’s a nice hot day at the range, and your slugs are sitting out in the open, soaking up the sun, they’re going to perform differently than they will during hunting season, when it’s probably going to be a lot colder. “In order to become the best you can be as a slug-gun shooter,” says Brian, “you have to think as a slug-gun shooter.”. Summary: Durable, reliable and accurate semi-auto that won’t punish … Accused of being a bit picky, especially given that generations of hunters have been using the same shotgun for waterfowl or pheasants one weekend and deer the next, he says, “what would happen if you took your .30-06, got it all sighted in, and right before you leave for deer hunting you removed the barrel and put a different barrel on it? Thread starter cholla chomper; Start date Oct 5, 2011; C. cholla chomper Well-Known Member. Variations to enhance performance . You simply look through the scope and pull the trigger. A rifled slug is for smooth bores and a sabot slug is for rifled barrels. State Guide If you’re planning on taking longer shots at your target, a rifled barrel is a good option to consider. Better Sights Equal Better AccuracyWith a single-bead sight, anything you can do to generate more consistency in aiming will help your groups. It’s fun to shoot stuff. In some areas, rifles are allowed. It’s a cryin’ shame for a lot of reasons, says Brian Smith, co-host of Lightfield Wild Adventures TV. While I’ve found some sabot loads that shoot decently well out of certain smoothbore guns, I tend to stick with advanced technology, full-bore slugs such as Federal’s Truball, Lightfield’s Hybred, Winchester’s Deer Season load or others due to their consistency. For long-range shotgun shooting, this is a top pick. Keep in mind, however, that it is a great shooter who can hold a gun’s benchrest group average to double or less from field positions. They’re hourglass-shaped slugs with a permanently fixed post wad that acts like veins on a dart, staying with the slug all the way to impact. Foremost, open public hunting lands continue to dwindle as a result of the bulldozer and associated creation of housing … The rifling imparts spin to the slug, providing more precision and stability in flight. So, spend a day with various loads to see which performs best, where to hold and, ultimately, discover your personal-maximum range with your chosen home-defense shotgun. Shotgun slug loads intended to be fired from smooth bore barrels combine decreased accuracy, low velocity, low sectional density, low ballistic coefficient, rainbow trajectory and heavy recoil. “That’s because most deer hunting takes place on cool or cold days. The length of a barrel … Magnification, of course, always helps, but is impractical for most defensive shotguns—although I have experimented with an EOTech magnifier that works well in tandem with a red dot. Gun deer season is perhaps the most eagerly anticipated hunting of all, especially if you gauge things by popularity. Know Your POA/POIPerhaps even more important than the size of your shotgun’s group is knowing its point-of-aim/point-of-impact at various ranges. Remington took the solid action of the 870 and made a slug gun out of it, adding a thumbhole stock and a thicker barrel, but they did something else that other slug gun makers have not: Remington pinned the barrel to the receiver for extra stability, which means better accuracy. Although its muzzle energy is 2,365 ft.-lbs., it drops to less than 1,000 ft.-lbs. Mossberg 500 rifled barrel slug test. This use is credited as the first “shotgun” application. Sabot slugs in a rifled barrel are very accurate. Slugs fired through shotgun barrels are often mandated by law, and often cursed by those who must use them. "Paradox" has been used by Here’s the concept behind the designated slug gun. Perhaps it’s an indictment of my skill, but I often reduce my 10-inch, bead-sight groups to 5 inches just by installing a rear sight or a red-dot optic. Hastings Paradox Slug Barrels -- Rifle-Like Accuracy From Shotguns In most recent years there has been a decided growing interest among the big-game hunting fraternity toward the rifled slug-loaded shotgun and for a number of reasons. But to get to that point, there are some key considerations as you firm up and sight in your designated slug gun. It makes a big difference.”. Despite the sketchy reputation of shotgun slugs in the Midwest deer woods, the big takeaway is that consistent accuracy is “not only possible, but you should expect it,” says Brian. Remington ammunition is not recommended for use in Hastings slug barrels. It has been reported that damage to the barrel can occur when customers used Remington sabot ammunition. This is simply not true. Maximum-effective range is limited as much by the slug’s rapid decay of energy and velocity as by its poor accuracy.” It states that a typical 12-gauge, 1-ounce slug traveling at 1,560 fps loses 60 percent of its energy at 100 yards. The shockwave that WAS riding on the nose of the slug slides down the length of the slug, drops off the tail. Because the bead is so large, a 6-o’clock hold is often best, but of course this will influence your point-of-impact, which we will soon discuss. A simple mid-bead can do wonders. Woods and fields are loaded with everyone from seasoned experts to absolute rookies, all hoping for the same thing: a deer within range that can be killed with a single, well-placed shot. WARNING! A simple mid-bead can do wonders. It’s commonly assumed that because rifled slugs have angled grooves (and because the word “rifle” is in the name) they create the same type of spin that makes rifling so accurate. Hastings Distribution, LLC, Verney-Carron or KEBCO, LLC will not be … So, the best way to determine your maximum accuracy is to experiment enough with your shotgun and various loads to find the best for you, then practice with it. https://midwestoutdoors.com/gear/no-more-knuckleballs-true-slug-gun-accuracy The recoil forces the barrel to jump, but the brass-jacketed round will outrun the muzzle jump. Smooth-bore: The smooth-bore barrel is intended for long distances and keeping a slug accurate. As … “It’s a long story,” says Brian, “but for military use, the shotgun slugs had to be accurate out to 150 yards when fired out of a smooth bore, with human lives on the line. What’s a DSG?