Which barrel for slugs?

[jmsj]

First off, I know nothing about shooting slugs in shotguns. I have been shooting shotguns and hunting birds all my life. Lately I've been thinking about shooting slugs or sabots out of my Remington 870 express turkey shotgun that has a 23" barrel w/ screw in chokes and rifle sights. Would slugs or sabots be good for short range Black bear hunting(25 to 75yds., 100yds max.).
What are the advantages of slugs and sabots? My father really likes sabots in his muzzle loader, are the advantages of sabots in muzzle loaders the same in shotguns or do you guys favor the slugs like the Lee or Lyman?
If I need rifling would the screw in choke be enough? If I need a fully rifled barrel, what do you think about the Remington barrels vs. the Hasting Paradox barrels?
I would like to cast whatever type of boolit I go with.
I know that this is a lot questions but I would appreciate any advise you guys can give me.
Thanks, jmsj

[camerl2009]

well rifled slugs for smooth bore and sabot slugs for rifled barrel

[blaster]

12 gauge works great on black bears from the distances you are talking about.

Main advantages of sabots is flatter trajectory and no leading. Lee and Lyman are technically sabot slugs except that the wad acts as a sabot. The lee and Lyman are both good projectiles that are cheap to load and would probably do what you want.

Rifled screw in choke will probably be enough inside of 100 yards but will not be as accurate as a rifled barrel.

I believe hastings is out of business and their barrels may be hard to get.

[Montana Slim]

Never tackled a bear, but I'm a fan of smooth-bores and foster-type slugs. Killed many deer with this combo & I haven't seen the need for a rifled slug gun yet. I have a 24" smooth bore barrel with adjustable rifle sights & this makes hitting big game up to 100yds a snap (i've taken a few even further).
I suggest trying some of the generic factory foster-type slugs & see how your gun shoots. Lee makes 1 oz & 7/8 oz molds, which are simple, but fairly accurate when your ready to cast.
I've been playing with the 7/8 oz, but haven't used it on game, yet. If nothing else, it's a grat plinking/practice load as it shoots POI of the factory 1 oz slugs I've been using.

[jmsj]

Thanks guys for the replies,
I'm just now getting stuff together to load shotgun shells. A friend of mine gave me about 3000 Remington STS hulls and another friend is going to let me borrow his reloader to see if it is something I want get into.
I've been scouring all the old posts on loading slugs, lots to think about.
Thanks again for the advise

[Shooter6br]

This is an interesting link http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot46.htm

[camerl2009]

ok the slugs dont have to be rifled for smooth bore thay have to be
a suttlecock type(weight froward hallow base or more weight froward will go good) i have a bolt 12ga smooth bore that will shot anythig you put in it
even sabot slugs now its all about knowing the gun ;)

[jmsj]

Shooter6br,
Thanks for the link.
Now for another question, Do you guys think rifled screw in chokes are a good investment?
blaster,
Do the screw in chokes work for the Lee and Lyman slugs?
Thanks to all for the input. jmsj

[Heavy lead]

First of all given a choice I would never bother shooting a slug in a shotgun ever.
With that said, stuck in a shotgun only area of SW Michigan my whole 44 years, I've learned to live with them, and have shot many, many of them over the years. There are general guidelines that yes sabot's in rifled, fosters in non, however it is not always 100% true, case in point my current slug gun a Remington 11-87 with a factory cantilever fully rifled barrel shoots the Brenneke KO (yes designed for a smoothbore and shot originally out of this as sighters only when I scoped it) are by far the most accurate out of it, I've tried 5 different sabot's, one home brewed sabot's as well as the Lyman and Lee with several different loads, now these KO's are pretty cheap, I bought 250 round of them at .50 each, and I'm honestly telling you I shoot 3" 100 yard groups consitantly with them all the time with no fliers, in fact before deer season I only shot 1 sighter, it didn't break the bull at 100 yards, it centered in it.
Now that same slug with my nephews Winchester 1300 don't shoot worth a hill of beans, that shotgun likes the Winchester Platinum tip sabot reduced recoil, and shoots them well at about 2".
Had a Mossberg rifled gun at one time, shot the Remington solid copper great, bought three more boxes the next year and evidently Remington changed something, cause I never got that gun shooting them enough to trust them with the new lot.
Still haven't found any loads that either gun likes with the Lee or Lyman, I'm still playing a little with the .50 caliber sabot slugs I'm hand rolling, but really as well as the Brenneke shoots for me (and as cheap as they are, and 250 of them will out last me as they are not fun to shoot at all for practice, and as good as the 1300 shoots with the Winchester fodder) don't think I'll be messing with handloaded slugs much.
I really wish someone made a slow twist shotgun barrel to shoot roundballs, sized appropriately for a .735 ball, I believe this could be the best of everything, but the twist that is common in factory barrels I just don't thing would be good.
If I had a smoothbore I think I would run the Brenneke, I also think the Lyman or Lee would be better in them than the rifled barrels, that thin wad is just not enough IMO for the rifled barrel, I've had a lot of fliers from them.

[camerl2009]

Shooter6br,
Thanks for the link.
Now for another question, Do you guys think rifled screw in chokes are a good investment?
blaster,
Do the screw in chokes work for the Lee and Lyman slugs?
Thanks to all for the input. jmsj

cylinder choke is what i use never tryed the rifled choke
the lee and lyman self stabiliz because of the weight forward
you dont need rifling. the trick is range time know where your gun is hitting.
but then it would not be a shotgun if it was not a smooth bore
it would be a 12 bore rifle and with a rifled choke it would be a 12 bore
paradox rifle :kidding:

[camerl2009]

First of all given a choice I would never bother shooting a slug in a shotgun ever.
With that said, stuck in a shotgun only area of SW Michigan my whole 44 years, I've learned to live with them, and have shot many, many of them over the years. There are general guidelines that yes sabot's in rifled, fosters in non, however it is not always 100% true, case in point my current slug gun a Remington 11-87 with a factory cantilever fully rifled barrel shoots the Brenneke KO (yes designed for a smoothbore and shot originally out of this as sighters only when I scoped it) are by far the most accurate out of it, I've tried 5 different sabot's, one home brewed sabot's as well as the Lyman and Lee with several different loads, now these KO's are pretty cheap, I bought 250 round of them at .50 each, and I'm honestly telling you I shoot 3" 100 yard groups consitantly with them all the time with no fliers, in fact before deer season I only shot 1 sighter, it didn't break the bull at 100 yards, it centered in it.
Now that same slug with my nephews Winchester 1300 don't shoot worth a hill of beans, that shotgun likes the Winchester Platinum tip sabot reduced recoil, and shoots them well at about 2".
Had a Mossberg rifled gun at one time, shot the Remington solid copper great, bought three more boxes the next year and evidently Remington changed something, cause I never got that gun shooting them enough to trust them with the new lot.
Still haven't found any loads that either gun likes with the Lee or Lyman, I'm still playing a little with the .50 caliber sabot slugs I'm hand rolling, but really as well as the Brenneke shoots for me (and as cheap as they are, and 250 of them will out last me as they are not fun to shoot at all for practice, and as good as the 1300 shoots with the Winchester fodder) don't think I'll be messing with handloaded slugs much.
I really wish someone made a slow twist shotgun barrel to shoot roundballs, sized appropriately for a .735 ball, I believe this could be the best of everything, but the twist that is common in factory barrels I just don't thing would be good.
If I had a smoothbore I think I would run the Brenneke, I also think the Lyman or Lee would be better in them than the rifled barrels, that thin wad is just not enough IMO for the rifled barrel, I've had a lot of fliers from them.



if your looking for some .50cal wads for the 12ga here http://www.ballisticproducts.com/prodinfo.asp?number=322RSS
only in rifled guns