Commerical Production 12GA Sterling Slug Problems, Insight or Advice

[spur0701]

I cast and reload for pistol and a little for rifle, but not so much for shotguns so am looking for insight and advice. Usually use Winchester Ranger low recoil slug, but since I was running low ordered some Sterling Tornado Slug to use for training so I could save the Winchester, ordered two of the 200 round case from here, it had over 50 good reviews:

https://www.outdoorlimited.com/shotg...lug-10-rounds/

I know that different shotguns will like or dislike different slugs and give a different group or different POI, or so has been my experience. I tried to group them in two different RIA VRPA40s, two different SuperNOVAs, and two different 590A1s...all with iron sights......results were all the same, my groups were anywhere from about 12-24" at 25 yards, with no rime or reason. Same range sessions with same shotguns using Winchester Ranger low recoil and reloaded Lee Key Drive 1 oz slugs at the same distances returned groups of 1" to 3".

I cut one open and it's got a 372 grain (7/8 oz....not 1 oz as advertised) Foster slug that has four "rifle" grooves, one every 90 degrees. The slug measured out at .661 and about .71 when inside the cup. It was loaded with 23g of a green flake powder that sorta looks like Russian SALUT to me. The individual boxes hold 10 shells, are labeled Tornado Palla but doesn't list the slug weight or velocity. Is this slug grossly under size? Do I have any hope of getting it to shoot out of anything else or should I give up and cut my losses and try to get a refund for what's left?

[centershot]

If the slug was 0.661", it's a 16 ga. slug. If loaded into a plastic wad of 0.71" diameter it is grossly undersize for a 12 ga. round, it should be 0.731" or thereabouts. Even at that, these "sabot" type loads usually work better in a rifled bore or at least with a rifled choke tube. I make my own "sabot" loads using a 0.662" round ball with a Federal 12S3 wad and a paper shim to bring the O.D. up to 0.739". They group very well for me from both a rifled barrel and a rifled choke tube.

Attachment 295450

[centershot]

A better pic....5 shots @ 50 yards.

Attachment 295451

[longbow]

The slug in the link doesn't look like what you describe. It appears to be quite similar to BPI's Thug Slug which is a full bore slug.

If the slugs you have are 0.710" in wad they are much undersize as center shot said.

I don't think I have seen an attached wad slug in a wad before.

So some clarification is required.

Does the slug have an attached wad as shown in the link? If not then it is a sabot slug intended for rifled barrel.

Either way if max. O.D. is 0.710" the slugs are much undersize for 12 ga. nominal bore of 0.729".

You should confirm your measurement and push the slug in wad through your bore. If 0.710" it will pretty much fall through the bore.

If the slug doesn't have an attached wad they sent the wrong slugs. Is there anything on the box that says the slugs are for smooth bore or rifled gun?

Did you try a choked gun with I/C or modified choke?

Longbow

[spur0701]

The slug in the link doesn't look like what you describe. It appears to be quite similar to BPI's Thug Slug which is a full bore slug.

If the slugs you have are 0.710" in wad they are much undersize as center shot said.

I don't think I have seen an attached wad slug in a wad before.

So some clarification is required.

Does the slug have an attached wad as shown in the link? If not then it is a sabot slug intended for rifled barrel.

Either way if max. O.D. is 0.710" the slugs are much undersize for 12 ga. nominal bore of 0.729".

You should confirm your measurement and push the slug in wad through your bore. If 0.710" it will pretty much fall through the bore.

If the slug doesn't have an attached wad they sent the wrong slugs. Is there anything on the box that says the slugs are for smooth bore or rifled gun?

Did you try a choked gun with I/C or modified choke?

Longbow

Yes, what I ordered doesn't seem to be what was delivered......but then with the way things are these days I wouldn't have really cared if they was any accuracy at all. I edited my post above to add pics of the individual box, the overall box and the one I cut open.

[longbow]

That answers that then! It appears that is a sabot slug intended for rifled barrel. Unless it has a deep cavity in it, it won't likely stabilize from smoothbore. Even if it does have a deep cavity if O.D. measures 0.710" as you say the slug would have to obturate to fill the bore to provide any accuracy at all. If it is soft lead then possibly that is the intention but obviously it isn't working in your guns.

I have an old Lyman Foster slug mould that casts slugs at 0.705" so grossly undersize. If cast from soft lead and slug put on a hard card wad column it does obturate to fill the bore at firing but accuracy is very poor with any load I have tried from the Lyman manual. So, yes, it is possible that the slug you have is designed to obturate, but expanding evenly from 0.710" to 0.729" is asking a lot.

Have you tried a choked gun? Possibly a modified or I/C choke would improve things some.

Do you have access to a rifled gun to try them in? It would be interesting to see if they shoot well from a rifled barrel.

I am always amazed at how large groups can be at close range like 25 yards when slugs/boolits aren't stabilized but if a slug or boolit is tumbling groups can be in feet at 25 yards.

No other suggestions here. Sorry.

Longbow

[centershot]

The only thing I can think of is to try them in a full choke gun, you might get something that is at least usable as a group.

[spur0701]

Thanks for all the feedback, I just returned them and got a couple of cases of Rio Benneke type slugs that were on sale, they are grouping well at 25, 35, and 45 yards and I'm happy with them for what I need. .....but this has piqued my interest in this area and am going to look at some of the Russian slug molds and Centershots paper patching.....thanks again.