Rifled vs Smooth Bore

[TGUNTER]

I have been shooting a smooth bore forever getting about 3in groups at 50yrds.Now I am thinking of getting a rifled barrels for my Mossberg 500. Does anyone shoot slugs out to a 100yrds and what size groups do you average?

 

[x10]

when I went from smooth to rifle in my reminginton 870 I still got the 3-4 inches but at 100 and with the high dollar slugs , copper solids and the such I could get honest 2 inch groups, but the price of the slugs and the price of the rifled barrel,

Not wanting to through your idea off track but I had a real bug up my butt about paying the price they want for premium slugs and when you throw in practice ammo which you really need to run 40-50 rounds of slugs through to prove out a setup, think of this

$250 for slug barrel (high end)
$20 /5 Prem slugs x 8 (40 slugs) =160

so your at 250 + 160 = 410 to hunt next year,

Maybe you throw some more with it and end up with a ruger 77/44 and shoot just as effective ammo but cheaper plus accuracy is much better and you have a super lite deer killing machine.

Sorry if this is too far off subject but its just a path you can look down

 

[TGUNTER]

That is a good point to consider thanks for the info.

 

[42769vette]

when I went from smooth to rifle in my reminginton 870 I still got the 3-4 inches but at 100 and with the high dollar slugs , copper solids and the such I could get honest 2 inch groups, but the price of the slugs and the price of the rifled barrel,

Not wanting to through your idea off track but I had a real bug up my butt about paying the price they want for premium slugs and when you throw in practice ammo which you really need to run 40-50 rounds of slugs through to prove out a setup, think of this

$250 for slug barrel (high end)
$20 /5 Prem slugs x 8 (40 slugs) =160

so your at 250 + 160 = 410 to hunt next year,

Maybe you throw some more with it and end up with a ruger 77/44 and shoot just as effective ammo but cheaper plus accuracy is much better and you have a super lite deer killing machine.

Sorry if this is too far off subject but its just a path you can look down

expensive for the first year after that its much cheaper because all you have to do is confirm what you learned from the previous year. instid of shooting 40 slugs you can get by with 20. plus you dont have to buy the barrel every year.

 

[Zoub]

After 26 years my 12 gauge barrel has paid for itself. Not sure I would go down that path today verus a .357 or 44 mag. Especially when you look at single shots.

But yeah, 100 yards+ all day long and plenty of one shot drops, sabots are hammers for sure. Just very specialized.

 

[ISP 5353]

Rifled barrels and sabot slugs are very accurate at 100 yards and over. They also hit like Thor's Hammer! Been using my Remington barrel on an 11-87 for many years and consider it a great investment. Copper solids are a little pricey, but the accuracy and power they deliver are very impressive.

 

[ajb]

when I went from smooth to rifle in my reminginton 870 I still got the 3-4 inches but at 100 and with the high dollar slugs , copper solids and the such I could get honest 2 inch groups, but the price of the slugs and the price of the rifled barrel,

Not wanting to through your idea off track but I had a real bug up my butt about paying the price they want for premium slugs and when you throw in practice ammo which you really need to run 40-50 rounds of slugs through to prove out a setup, think of this

$250 for slug barrel (high end)
$20 /5 Prem slugs x 8 (40 slugs) =160

so your at 250 + 160 = 410 to hunt next year,

Maybe you throw some more with it and end up with a ruger 77/44 and shoot just as effective ammo but cheaper plus accuracy is much better and you have a super lite deer killing machine.

Sorry if this is too far off subject but its just a path you can look down

40-50 rounds to prove a setup? If I shot that many at one sitting my arm would still be in a sling I think it took me 10 rounds to sight in and maybe 2 or 3 each year after that to make sure it is still on.

I have a Mossberg 695 bolt action, built to shoot slugs. With Lightfield slugs I have taken deer as far as 130 yards.

 

[42769vette]

40-50 rounds to prove a setup? If I shot that many at one sitting my arm would still be in a sling I think it took me 10 rounds to sight in and maybe 2 or 3 each year after that to make sure it is still on.

I have a Mossberg 695 bolt action, built to shoot slugs. With Lightfield slugs I have taken deer as far as 130 yards.

i shot my muzzleloader 70ish to get everything exactly the way i wanted it the first year. each year after it only took 20.

 

[TGUNTER]

Now to decide what to do. I really like the way slugs put deer down. So I will probably go with the slug barrel. If I do not like the results it gives me the summer to look for a deer legal rifle.

 

[ylwfever69]

I have a single shot new England pardner fully rifled 12 gauge. I picked it up for $60 used. It shoots 1 1/2"-2" groups at a hundred yards. It likes the cheap Winchester sabots, I have tried the more exspensive brands but it doesn't seem to like them. I have been contemplating getting a rifled barrel for my Winchester 1300 but haven't done it yet.

 

[gabrigger]

I would definitely go with a rifled barrel for slug shooting. I have used both and the rifled barrel is the way to go.

 

[ChrisK1977]

I have an 870 with a pretty short smoothbore, it's legal but not much more than that. I can shoot a pop can all day at 50 yards with winchester or federal truballs. I have had better luck with the winchesters over the years. I believe they used to be more powerful than that are now. Either way I wouldn't spend the extra for a rifled barrel in my shotgun. I don't just use my shotgun for deer hunting, I have a few different options but I still use it from time to time.

 

[DragonGunner]

I have been shooting a smooth bore forever getting about 3in groups at 50yrds.Now I am thinking of getting a rifled barrels for my Mossberg 500. Does anyone shoot slugs out to a 100yrds and what size groups do you average?

I've been shooting a rifled Mossberg for yrs....has the scope mount up on top...an it stays zeroed. When the sabot slugs came out long ago now spent lots of money an trying them out. For over a decade I am dedicated to the cheap Winchester Super X 1 oz. Foster slugs, 2 3/4"......with these at 50 yards from a bench I'm hitting .50 cent pieces all day....at 110 yrds I have zeroed an it gets -3" groups.....this yr. I nailed a big buck at around 55 yds, an last Sat. dropped a big doe at 105 yds.....Haven't tried shooting past 110 yds. The Winchester Super X foster slugs shoot great, 1600 fps an the punch can't be beat for the price....so far I just can't see going back to the more expensive sabots.....good luck.

 

[Leo]

My rifled Mossberg shooting Remington Solid Copper slugs will connect 3 out of 5 bullet holes at 100 yards and the 2 that do not touch are no more than an inch away. All shots will definately hit a 4 inch disc at 100. 4 or 4-1/2 MOA is pretty poor for a true rifle but I am really happy with that out of a slug gun. Plenty good for deer at 40-80 yards.

 

[paperboy]

I personally would check into a rifle. For what you'll spend on the barrel and ammo you can get a rifle. I went with a Marlin 44 and never went back to a slug gun.

 

[TGUNTER]

So many choices and good opinions I think I will shoot both rifled barrel and a 44 rifle from other guys that go to the same range. Because now I think that is the only way I will be able to decide.

 

[trailrider]

I've got the same dilema. My smooth bore is great to @ 65 yrds with cheap rifled slugs.
Currently I just take my muzzleloader if I'm hunting an open field. I really like the wallop of a 12 g slug.

 

[Shootin'IN]

I have been shooting a smooth bore forever getting about 3in groups at 50yrds.Now I am thinking of getting a rifled barrels for my Mossberg 500. Does anyone shoot slugs out to a 100yrds and what size groups do you average?

I just upgraded to a rifled barrel because I got a hunting lease on some flat river bottom land that needs a longer shot. Before the lease I was hunting public land that my longest shot was about 25yds. So unless you have need for a long range shot you will be wasting your money on a rifled barrel and high $$ slugs.
If you have need for the longer shot & want to reach past 100yds with confidence in you should try this round, I have had good results with it.
Shotgun Ammunition - Shotshell Slug - Premier Core-Lokt Ultra Bonded - Sabot Slugs
They suggest you zero this round at 150yds & from my own experience it will do 200yds with only a little drop.
IMHO it is more accurate than the Accu-Tip & recoils less than the Copper-Solid.
I use them in a old Mossberg 500 with a new 24" rifled vented barrel with a cantilever mounted Simmons 4x32 scope. Opening day I dropped a buck in full run at about 75yds with a cornering away shot without even trying, after the shot he only took about three more steps.
I love this new barrel, but I wouldn't have bought it if I didn't need the range.

 

[JBob77]

I've been shooting a rifled Mossberg for yrs....has the scope mount up on top...an it stays zeroed. When the sabot slugs came out long ago now spent lots of money an trying them out. For over a decade I am dedicated to the cheap Winchester Super X 1 oz. Foster slugs, 2 3/4"......with these at 50 yards from a bench I'm hitting .50 cent pieces all day....at 110 yrds I have zeroed an it gets -3" groups.....this yr. I nailed a big buck at around 55 yds, an last Sat. dropped a big doe at 105 yds.....Haven't tried shooting past 110 yds. The Winchester Super X foster slugs shoot great, 1600 fps an the punch can't be beat for the price....so far I just can't see going back to the more expensive sabots.....good luck.

So you shoot the rifled slugs through a rifled barrel, if I understand correctly. I have often wondered how this works out.

 

[Zoub]

So you shoot the rifled slugs through a rifled barrel, if I understand correctly. I have often wondered how this works out.

Hit the brakes.

Spin is a good thing for projetiles. Shotguns shoot shot through smooth barrels SO to stabilize a slug being shot from a smoothbore, rifling was added to the slug. That makes it a rifled slug. Rinse and repeat, the rifling is on the slug, that makes it a rifled slug. A rifled slug has stablized flight compared to a slug without it. It is shot from a smoothbore barrel.

A rifled barrel shoots sabots. Sabots are designed to be shot in a rifled barrels. Sabots don't have rifling. Sabots are smooth. The sabot engages the rifling of the rifled barrel. Once it leaves the barrel it seperates from a 50 cal projectile.

One part is smooth, one part is rifled. Never both. Smooth barrel gets the rifled slug. Rifled barrel gets the smooth sabot. Both impart spin to the projectile.