Which Ammo to Shoot?

[joel1316]

I just need some information regarding shotgun ammo?
I currently have a smooth bore barrel.
What can I shoot out of it?
Bird shot? Slugs? Rifled slugs? Are slugs and rifled slugs the same?
If I get a rifle slug barrel, can I still shoot regulary bird shot rounds?
Any link, source or information would be greatly appreciated!

[50 Shooter]

You can shoot pretty much everything out of it.

Don't take that as everything, slugs are not all the same. With a smooth bore you'll want to shoot rifled slugs out of it. If you buy a rifled barrel you'll want to shoot sabot type slugs.

[joel1316]

Alrighty.... Off to the store to try out some rifled slugs then....

[Gnote]

Also, if you ever get a rifled barrel, do not shoot rifled slugs or shot through it.

[joel1316]

Well, since I want a shotgun that can shoot just about anything.... I'll be staying with a smoothbore. Looks like I won't get the accuracy of 2" groups at a 100 yards from a rifled bore using sabot slugs. They says rifled slugs and a smooth bore can still yield 3" groups? I'll go for that instead.

Thanks guys...

[socalsteve]

Before you go shooting slugs check your choke.
You do not want to shoot slugs - any type - thru a full or medium choke - it will wreck your choke and give you a pattern that is useless.

I learned this the hard way when i was around 17 or 18 I put some rifled slugs (the old version as this was over 30 yrs ago) thru a Zabala SxS 12 ga. just to see how accurate they were.

After that I couldn't hit a sparrow at ten feet! I swear to God those slugs just wrecked the choke so it had some wierd non-circular pattern.

I wish someone would have warned me.

[11Z50]

Fistly, what kind of shotgun are you running?

I will assume it is the standard 12 gauge 3" chamber pump. If that's the case then you can shoot a whole lot of different stuff. Birdshot comes in many different sizes, velocities, and power levels. The most common (and cheapest) is #8 or 7 1/2 game loads. This is the stuff you can always get at Wal-mart for less than $4 a box. This is good for general blasting, from clay birds, to Dove and Quail, to just blazing away at improvised targets. There is also a valid argument that these loads are pretty effective for home defense at close range. The most common and useful shells are the cheapest....the plain 2 3/4 inch birdshot.

For larger game, like Pheasants, many shooters buy shot sizes 6,5,4,or bigger in hotter magnum loads, Although it's not regularly used in the west, buckshot is used for Deer in the east. I know people who take wild pigs with 00Buck in the PRK. Buckshot should also be called Peopleshot since it is used by all Police forces as well as the military. 4-buck is a popular loading, but the standard is 00 Buck. This .32 caliber 9-pellet load is very effective and is used all over the world. It literally is like a burst from a submachine gun and will almost always resolve any dispute with one shot. There are many variations, and lately I have been experimenting with everything from Aguila "mini shells" in a 4-buck/1-buck mix to 3 1/2 inch 00 buck 18 pellet loads.

Slugs turn your shotty into a serious longarm. You can reach out to 100-plus yards with devastating effect. You can drop a deer or bust the engine block of a car with a good hit from a slug. The cheapest version is the "rifled" slug. It is a simple hollow-based dome shaped projectile that has nominal grooves on it's sides that in theory stabilize it in flight whe fired from a smooth bore. I really doubt this is really the case, but whatever. I happen to have some experience with smoothbore guns in tanks, and they all shoot Sabot (French for shoe) and they do great things. If you want to just go out and blow big holes in things, get some cheap pumpkin balls (rifled slugs). If you are hunting game, use sabot slugs.

The really cool thing about shotties is the versitilty. With spare barrels, choke tubes and many ammo choices, a shotty is a very effective and versatile weapon system. IMHO, a Rem or Mossberg pump with a 18 inch riot IC choke and a 28 inch VR with choke tubes is the best value there is for a new shooter. You can take any game in North America, shoot clay or real birds and defend the homestead all with one gun.

Sorry for the long oration, but I had some spare time........

Cheers and good shooting!

TB

[joel1316]

Thanks for the information. I've got quite a collection of rifled slugs now, I just need to try them out...

[Jon]

If you purchased some over-the-counter slugs, with max dram, be ready for some ear-busting fun!!

[Shoot-it]

Thanks for the information. I've got quite a collection of rifled slugs now, I just need to try them out...

Just one more thing if your not useing an auto they will kick the Sh*T out of you.. even with my 391 beretta after a while ouchy..........