Slug Accuracy with a plain bead sight

[Jackwagun]

Hello everyone! This is my first post here on INGO and was just wondering what your thoughts are on slug accuracy out of a 18 inch barrel with only a bead sight.

I had just bought this cheap shorter barrel for my Mossy 500 in order for me to be able to shoot at a cheaper price. The 500 originally came with a 24 inch rifled barrel with some nice rifle sights on it. I quickly found out that the cost of Sabot's were too high for me to practice and shoot often. Also the performance of shot through the rifled barrel made a donut shaped pattern.

So I went out and bought a box of rifled slugs and put it through the newer barrel. At 25 yards the slugs were hitting high about 3.5 inches. I aimed lower and was on target with a 2 inch grouping. Backed up to 50 yards and sent some more down range. I figured the slug would have some drop in it at 50 but again it was hitting high about 3 or so inches. Again aimed lower and was able to get 3 shots in a 5 inch grouping into the target.

Now with just a bead sight what is your take on my groupings. I was leaning against a tree get some sort of steadiness. Maybe next time try bench shooting? Should my groupings be tighter as I have little experience with slug shooting?

Sorry for such a long post but Thanks in advance for the input!

 

[GIJEW]

Shooting Foster slugs (hollow base) out of a smooth bore, a 5" group at 50yds is OK. I'd suggest trying those slugs in the rifled barrel though. There is also a German slug (the name slips my mind but sounds vaguely like the Fed. Chairman) that has a reputation for accuracy. It was the "go-to-load" for accurate slug shooting before the rifled barrel/sabot slug phenomenon.

 

[walleyepw]

I am sure I am spelling it wrong... Brenneke slugs are the other option out of smooth bore slug barrel. But try different slugs and see which one works best. Have hear good things about the Federal vita shocks.

 

[Jackwagun]

Hmm never heard of the German slug before. They may be wrong but I was told that the rifling on a rifled slug actually goes against the rifling in the barrel. I don't know if that's true or not but I would assume that it would lead to a lot of led build up in the barrel decreasing accuracy? I have heard good things about brenneke. I just shot Winchester Super X that was recommended to me. Maybe this weekend Ill pick up a few other brands and take them out.

Just hoping to find a slug that I don't have to aim so far off of center. Anyone recommend any cheap adjustable rifle sights that I could have mounted by a gunsmith?

 

[remauto1187]

You have a 24" rifled barrel and arent using it? By the time you screw around with those fosters slugs you could have bought 2 boxes of Hornady sabots @ 9.99/box at Rural King and had slugs left over out of the 10 to hunt with. Laser boresight the rifled barrel for 60-80yds (align the sights to the laser dot) and 1-3 slugs you will be dead on.
Clean that barrel after every 5 or 6 slugs and let the barrel cool in between shots.(about 5 or 10 mins).

Its all fun and dandy with cheap slugs until the big one is standing in front of you at 50yds and "you" cant hit the broad side of a barn with the slugs on hand.

Sight it in with the good stuff and be done with it. I sighted my rifled barrel in with Remington Copper Solids around 10yrs ago and havent had to touch my sights since. I fire a check round every year at 60yds BEFORE shotgun season starts to make sure the sights are good to go.

 

[Hookeye]

The shortfall of the system may be in the aiming. Easy to not be consistent with just a bead and receiver flat. But if one takes their time and does it the same way every time, it can be plenty accurate. If it shoots where pointed, one can with bead and receiver, keep them on a paperplate to 50 yards, maybe 75, without much hassle.

The shorter bbl will help, as longer barrels have more "time of flight" in them and the slow recoil often makes longer bead/vent rib bbls shoot high.

FWIW my brother has a 500 combo, and for deer we used the 18 1/2" cylinder choke bead sight bbl. We D&T'd his receiver and put on a 4X scope.

Thing shoots very good (looks silly). 100 yard shots no big deal, it's even good to 150. Note: we buy slugs for the season from one lot #.

 

[hammer24]

Shoot the rifled barrel. It is more accurate and better yet DESIGNED for the job. Lightfied hybrids are good and not very expensive. If nothing else shoot the foster's in the rifled barrel. Don't shoot shot through the rifled barrel!

I killed my first deer with a smooth bore with bead sight, and surely many here started with such. But, we've come along way since then.

 

[Hookeye]

FWIW Copper Solids shot like total sheite from my 835 with cantilever bbl. 2 3/4" and 3"...........couldn't keep them all on a 8 x11" sheet of paper at 50 yards, from a bench.

Turns out 3" fosters shot the best. 165 yards and 90 yards the two deer I took with it opening day. Beautiful placement too

Aint nuthin' wrong with foster slugs, if your gun likes them. Declaring a possible problem based on projectile type alone is of no substance. A rig simply must be tested to find out what it can do. And folks need to limit variables in their testing. Shotgun slugs do kick, so most folks get punchy, or use improper systems (often incorrectly) to tame recoil, further adding variation.

Just bag it, front only, sit upright at the bench, add a sissy bag to your shoulder if you want and just roll with it. Should transfer to comparable placement in the field.

Sight vise/ Lead sled.............hate those freakin' things.

 

[NDhunter]

First, don't shoot shot through your rifled barrel. That's a bad, bad idea and will ruin the barrel if it hasn't already hurt it.

Second, I'd listen to these guys. If you've got a rifled slug barrel already, it is made for the exact purpose that you are looking for. Buy some affordable sabot slugs and go from there. You can find good ones for $1.25-$2 a piece if you look hard and buy some on sale after each season.

There is a reason there are so many rifled barrels out there and that get sold in combos, they are that much better at what they are designed to do.

 

[Hookeye]

How will lead shot in a wad ruin a barrel? It might slime it up with plastic fouling...........but they make cleaning products for sale to handle such things.

The problem with lead shot in a rifled barrel is the rifling screws up the pattern bigtime.

 

[walleyepw]

If you have a rifled barrel shoot sabot slugs. The rifled barrel will give you way better accuracy. 100 yrd shots would not be a issue with a rifled barrel shooting saboted slugs.

 

[singlestacksig]

Gunweek.com

 

[Hookeye]

Have wondered about these.........

Hexolit 32

 

[SILVERBACK]

Try the FEDERAL TRU-BALL 1OZ SLUGS, 4'' Inch groups at 50 yards offhand out of a 18'' rem 870 with bead sights, can keep 5 out of 7 shots on a 12'' plate at 100 yards offhand, can't see much of that plate with my eyes and bead sight. but practice with beads are nessasary at long range. Find a brand that your gun likes and stick with it.

 

[andyoz]

Rifled barrel, for better accuracy, less risk of an injured deer and better chance of finding your trophy.

 

[bwframe]

I'd like to find a slug that would perform well enough to justify carry with my S/S Stoeger Coach gun.

 

[Hookeye]

Rifled barrel, for better accuracy, less risk of an injured deer and better chance of finding your trophy.

I think shooter influence (on gear, shot selection and or shooting ability) are more of a potential problem than smooth vs rifled bore.

I've had great results with both smoothbore and rifled barrels. IMHO The lack of rifling doesn't automatically render a rig unusable/not good.

 

[Remington1100]

I use a Winchester Supreme Rack Master slug out of my rifled barrel. It is made to work in either smoothbore or rifled barrel. They are a high velocity slug, and I can put five slugs within 4 inches at 100 yards.

 

[Hookeye]

My tuned 870 was a 1.5" rig at 100 with WW Hi-Impact Supremes. Cuz runs it now with WW Partition stuff. No complaints on the HI Supremes or rifled bbl.

Might try those Rackmasters, been out of SG deer hunting a bit. Thanks for the head's up!

 

[BravoMike]

FLAME ALERT, FLAME ALERT!

I know someone will give me heat over this, but if cost of shooting sabots is a concern for you, just shoot the cheap rifled slugs out of your rifled barrel. It will not hurt your barrel and you will get better accuracy.

Contrary to popular belief, the "rifling" on rifled slugs does not make them more accurate, it makes it so they can be swaged as they leave the end of a tapered shotgun barrel. The aerodynamics of a slug leaving a barrel at supersonic speeds and those "riflings" on the slug (which are mostly swaged off at this point) does not allow for a spin to be imparted on it.

There are two ways that a Foster style slug gets it accuracy and both have to do with that hollow spot on the back of the slug. For one, that hollow spot allows the center of gravity to sit pretty far forward (think of where the weight is on a dart) and creates stability. Second, it creates an area of drag which, for the lack of better words, "pulls" back on it, thus creating stability.

You can shoot those things through your rifled barrel all day long and not worry about hurting your barrel. I have done this. But, I do have to ask, would it really break the bank to buy a few boxes of sabots and practice with them, then use the last five for deer season? I think there are some better options with the sabots for better wound ballistics.