slugs and chokes

[MikeBjerum]

Cylinder bore or rifled barrel or choke tube specific for slugs, tend to be most accurate, but Herb Parsons, told us in the 50's " slugs will not hurt your gun" if they do, something is wrong with the gun, not the ammo, the ammo makers take all of this into consideration, and make their product accordingly. Would you only shoot .38 spl, in your .357 because it might be a problem?

I mentioned modern guns, that does mean like since I was born. Like when Herb was still alive. Jeez I am getting old.

The book for the Winchester 1300 I bought in 1990 said cylinder only for slugs.

[Badgersmilk]

Rem.y's manual recommends improved cylinder (on the choke package too). 

More good info.  http://www.briley.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=133

[ericire12]

I hunted with one guy that went with a .410.  He bought the gun on the tails that you could run .45's through it   We convinced him it was not safe to do that, but now all he had was a .410 to hunt with   

I've been down range and heard 12 and 20 gauge slugs tumble.  Doesn't seem to matter how "good" the ammo or the gun, they all seem to start tumbling at some point.  The same thing happened with his .410.  He took a shot at a doe, and all I heard from where I was posted was whoop, whoop, whoop ... thud.  He hit the deer in what I would call a "good enough" spot, but didn't drop the deer.  After another guy dropped it, we found the .410 slug in the close side lung, while the 12 gauge had passed all the way through.

I haven't dug deep enough into it, but I believe that a .410 may have good ballistics at the muzzle, but they may bleed energy too fast to be good at any range.

If I was shotgun hunting for large game I would choose the 12 ga over .410  because it will give superior range and knock down power..... But I think that is because ammo manufacturers have used their R&D resources to push the 12 ga slug to its maximum potential, and have ignored the .410 (greater consumer demand for 12 ga has dictated it)..... I just believe that if they poured the same R&D money into .410 slugs, they might be able to get closer to true rifle performance since they should be able to use slugs that are closer in weight and ballistic coefficient to rifle bullets then the bricks that 12 ga slugs are.

[Big Frank]

If they do lots of research they could come up with a .410 slug that's almost as good as a .38 Spl. That's about it. 410's a nice pistol round so that's all I use it for.

[Badgersmilk]

If I was shotgun hunting for large game I would choose the 12 ga over .410  because it will give superior range and knock down power..... But I think that is because ammo manufacturers have used their R&D resources to push the 12 ga slug to its maximum potential, and have ignored the .410 (greater consumer demand for 12 ga has dictated it)..... I just believe that if they poured the same R&D money into .410 slugs, they might be able to get closer to true rifle performance since they should be able to use slugs that are closer in weight and ballistic coefficient to rifle bullets then the bricks that 12 ga slugs are.

Sounds to me like you've got a really good reason to start hand loading some .410 slug rounds! 

Some research and experimenting on powders and such should net you what your looking for.  Do they make .410 rifled slug guns?  A FINE reason to pick one up if you dont have it yet as well!

[Sponsor]

[Badgersmilk]

http://hoeningbigboresouth.com/Big%20410%20Ballistics.html

DANG!  I'm impressed!!!  3/4" groups at 100 yards!

[ericire12]

http://hoeningbigboresouth.com/Big%20410%20Ballistics.html

DANG!  I'm impressed!!!  3/4" groups at 100 yards!

Thats still with a 375 gr slug with a terrible ballistic coefficient..... bring that down to what is really necessary/more commonly used (100-150 gr) and you could probably get that kind of performance out well past 100yds. It seems to also have a pretty good trajectory for just a 100 yard zero.

Using a smaller projectile, zeroing at maybe 200 yards, and possibly using more powder could produce some serious rifle-like results..... not to mention if you could use slugs made to the same performance standards that 12 ga slugs are today, and gains that would be had by reducing drag and improving the ballistic coefficient.


*Hell, I dont know why you couldnt just take a standard .30 caliber bullet and sabot it to make up for the difference in bore size

[tombogan03884]

Thats still with a 375 gr slug with a terrible ballistic coefficient..... bring that down to what is really necessary/more commonly used (100-150 gr) and you could probably get that kind of performance out well past 100yds. It seems to also have a pretty good trajectory for just a 100 yard zero.

Using a smaller projectile, zeroing at maybe 200 yards, and possibly using more powder could produce some serious rifle-like results..... not to mention if you could use slugs made to the same performance standards that 12 ga slugs are today.

Why not just use a rifle to get rifle like results ?

[ericire12]

Why not just use a rifle to get rifle like results ?

Illegal in a lot of states..... many only have "Shotgun Only" deer hunting.

[Hazcat]

Somehow this doesn't surprise me.  Maybe because I am not a hand loader.

It reminds me of people that say a .357 from a rifle isn't very good for deer at 100 to 150 yards.  Ask them if a .357 handgun will drop a deer at 10 feet and they say "sure", then show them that from a rifle the velocity and energy at 100 yards is the same or better and they are surprised.

So why couldn't a .410, with today's improved barrels and powders be a great little gun at 100 yards or even more?