Can you shoot a slug through a smooth bore?

In addition to shooting shot, you can also shoot slugs out of a smooth bore barrel. If you are taking closer shots (less than 100 yards), a smooth bore may be sufficient.

How accurate is a slug out of a smooth bore?

“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. 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.

Can you shoot buckshot out of a smooth bore slug barrel?

Yes you can shoot buckshot through it without any ill effects. The rifled barrel will cause the shot column to spin, which will open up your pattern and lessen the effective range of your buckshot. The only real way to know how much is to shoot it and pattern it.

Can you shoot sabot slugs in a smooth barrel?

Sabot slugs in a rifled barrel are very accurate. Shooting sabot slugs through a smooth bore is a waste of money. 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.

Do you need a special barrel for slugs?

Full-bore slugs should be used in smooth shotgun barrels; sabots are designed to be used in special shotgun rifled barrels. You can use a sabot in a smooth barrel, but don’t expect very good performance.

Can you shoot a rifled slug through a cylinder choke?

Some rifled slugs will tell you they can be fired through any choke but mention that improved cylinder chokes get the best performance usage. Rifled slugs can be designed to deform through the narrower choke, but will lose both power and accuracy relative to a cylinder or improved cylinder choke.

Can you shoot fullbore slugs out of a smoothbore barrel?

So, we’ll discuss fullbore slugs out of smoothbore barrels for now and leave sabots for some other time. I started out deer hunting as a participant in deer drives with our farmer neighbors in the days before rifled shotguns. We would divide up into drivers and blockers/shooters.

What is the best smoothbore slug For whitetails?

Federal’s TruBall is another smoothbore slug I have had very good results with but it, too, goes subsonic somewhere past 75 yards and destabilizes. Bottom line: out to 80 yards or so, the right slug in a smoothbore gun gives you more than enough accuracy and power for whitetails.

What kind of choke tube do you use for Buckshot?

The “full” or “modified” choke tubes are preferred for buckshot loads. Slugs, buckshot and steel shot loads are not recommended for use with an extra full “turkey tube” installed, due to the tube’s tight constriction.