Shotgun Slugs

Shotgun slugs have come a long way.

There was a time when using a shotgun for deer was strictly a short range proposition. If a hunter insist on using his bird-gun with no sights he should still be thinking extremely short range.

Like the modern muzzleloader , the shotgun slug has evolved. The Ithaca Gun Company should be given credit for being a leader in the development of better shotguns for deer.



One of the first advances was to add sights to the shotgun.
Sights made it possible to aim better, but it was quickly apparent that the Foster slugs were not very accurate.

Ithaca realized that the rifled slugs were being made undersized, so they reduced the bore diameter of their barrels to fit the slugs better.

In recent years Remington and others have increased the diameter of their slug ammunition so they fit the average smooth-bore better.

Federal Ammunition recently found a way to further stabilize the traditional rifled slug by using a ball behind it. This TruBall ammunition, as it is called, is said to greatly stabilize the slug and improve the accuracy from a smooth-bore considerably.

The typical slug is a large chunk of lead bullet somewhat scooped out or hollowed out at the back. It usually has a rifling pattern which spirals from the nose to the back, and probably does nothing to actually stabilize the slug. This, Foster slug, as it is sometimes called, flies only a little better than a big lead ball.

Ordinary slugs have a limited range, are not very accurate, and the short fat slug looses energy quickly. They fly somewhat like a brick, and drop like one too. The, rainbow like, flight makes them harder to hit with at longer ranges.

A common smooth-bore gun with sights is only good to maybe 50 yards.

The hunter who really works at learning his gun may be able to find ammunition and sight setting to extend his range to 75 yards or a little more.

Many whitetail are taken at less than 75 yards.

Rifle like sights, and certainly scopes are not usually wanted on a shotgun used for birds. Most gun companies offer a second interchangeable barrel with sights, or a scope mount for deer hunting. Now, with a quick change of barrels, the bird gun becomes more like a deer gun.

Using shotgun slugs for deer, especially in the eastern part of the country, has become very popular; not always by choice. Many places do not allow center-fire rifles today. The more heavily populated areas are concerned with the deadly range of today's rifles. A stray shot could do damage or injury at a great distance.

The gun and ammunition makers were probably a little slow to develop better long range shotguns because of these safety concerns. Eventually some shotguns began to appear with rifled barrels, which makes them into a rifle, more or less.

With the innovation of rifled shotgun barrels another wave of improvement started. With rifling to stabilize the slug the accuracy should improve; but the Foster slug was not designed for a rifled barrel, and generally does not shoot well in one. Experiments to make ammunition which would shoot well in these new rifled shotgun barrels started and continues today.

Shotgun slug loads of many different kinds have been tried for rifled barrels. The emerging technology (similar to muzzleloaders) seems to be the sabot load. The sabot is usually some sort of plastic sleeve which fits the rifled barrel and contains a smaller diameter bullet.

When it leaves the barrel the sabot drops off and the bullet flies on without it. Some bullets are lead, but many are the same or similar to the jacketed bullets which are used in handguns and rifles.

The advantages of using a somewhat smaller bullet are many.
One advantage is that a similar load of powder can push a smaller, lighter, and more streamlined bullet faster. The more streamlined bullet will not only start faster, but it will drop less than the old rifled slug.

This means we can more often expect to hit where we want at a longer range. There can be a considerable difference in the capability of smooth-bore, and rifled shotguns, so we score them a little different.

Some very sophisticated shotgun slug guns are now made. A few are more accurate than some rifles. Even these still have a limited range when compared to a good center-fire rifle. But a 200 yard shot is now possible with the best guns.

Should we sell our rifles and buy a rifled barrel for our shotgun?
If you hunt where you still have the choice you may want to keep your rifle. Generally a good rifle is easier to shoot accurately, and has considerably more range.

If you buy a "rifled" shotgun slug barrel, attach a scope, and use sabot loads you will likely have a gun which is good to 100 yards. If you experiment and find the right load; 150 yards. A few exceptional guns can beat that.

Your bird gun with the new barrel/scope may not line up or fit you like a good rifle. It will probably be harder to hold, and to shoot as accurately. It probably has a "crude" heavy trigger pull. Most slug loads have a lot of recoil, especially if your shotgun is not very heavy.

Thinking of using a rifled shotgun to try and save some money?
You'll need a new barrel, scope, and mount. The best sabot slug loads are very expensive. Just sighting in could cost more than you expect. Add it all up before you run out and make any new purchases.

The old Foster style slugs are much less expensive. If you hunt where close shots are the norm. Get some sights, or a sighted barrel, and that may be all you need. Always be realistic in your expectations.

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