Buckshot through a rifled slug barrel?

Charlie

Charlie

Member
Life Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2016
Messages
4,527
Location
Oak Island
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
I am tinkering again and have put a Romeo 5 on a cantilevered rifled slug barrel for an 870 Remington. I plan on using it for its intended purpose of shooting slugs but wonder how buckshot would perform when shot through a rifled barrel. I shoot mainly OO and #4 Buck when I use a shotgun for deer and have a good bit of it. I would not be using buckshot in this gun as my first choice for deer hunting.
 
You tend to not get great patterns. The rifling rotates the shot cup, the rotation continues as it exits the barrel and the shot can disperse into a donut shaped pattern with big gaps right at the center of your POA at any real distance.

As always though each shotgun barrel is different and a big piece of cardboard or butcher paper and a trip to the range will give you the real answer.
 
We have done a great deal of experimenting here with slugs , buck shot and both rifled and smooth bore barrels.
Smooth bore and slugs...great to 50+ yards
Rifled bore and slugs...great to 80+ yards
Smooth bore and buckshot...passable to 30 yards
Rifled bore and buckshot...will not put a single pellet on a full size IDPA target at 10 yards.
 
BatteryOaksBilly said:
Rifled bore and buckshot...will not put a single pellet on a full size IDPA target at 10 yards.
Click to expand...

That is about what I expected. I hope to go sight it in tomorrow and may shoot a few loads of buck for giggles.

I have shot buckshot at deer off and on since the mid 1960's and have always been impressed at how quickly the pellets spread out.
 
Charlie said:
BatteryOaksBilly said:
Rifled bore and buckshot...will not put a single pellet on a full size IDPA target at 10 yards.
Click to expand...

That is about what I expected. I hope to go sight it in tomorrow and may shoot a few loads of buck for giggles.

I have shot buckshot at deer off and on since the mid 1960's and have always been impressed at how quickly the pellets spread out.
Click to expand...
We did decide that set up would truly be the Old Street Sweeper folks talk about.
 
BatteryOaksBilly said:
We have done a great deal of experimenting here with slugs , buck shot and both rifled and smooth bore barrels.
Smooth bore and slugs...great to 50+ yards
Rifled bore and slugs...great to 80+ yards
Smooth bore and buckshot...passable to 30 yards
Rifled bore and buckshot...will not put a single pellet on a full size IDPA target at 10 yards.
Click to expand...
Now that's News You Can Use!
 
BatteryOaksBilly said:
We have done a great deal of experimenting here with slugs , buck shot and both rifled and smooth bore barrels.
Smooth bore and slugs...great to 50+ yards
Rifled bore and slugs...great to 80+ yards
Smooth bore and buckshot...passable to 30 yards
Rifled bore and buckshot...will not put a single pellet on a full size IDPA target at 10 yards.
Click to expand...
So if it didn't hit the target where did it go? I'm assuming a donut pattern. If the target were actually a person, would he be a person with no knees anymore? Seems like a liability in a defensive shooting, if so.
 
Last edited:
For those that haven't tried it.....

Pick up some Federal Flite Control or Hornady TiteWad buckshot.

They both use a unique shot cup design that opens from the rear instead of the front when it exits the barrel. The fins that open act like a drogue chute and slow the wad down so it doesn't blow through the shot itself. The patterns are very tight. At indoor defensive distances it almost looks like a slug hit. Out to 25 yards many patterns you could cover with a hand.

Best buckshot around.

Absent the above, standard Federal F127 buckshot (9 pellet standard 2 3/4 load) outperforms any other brand I've ever tested. Winchester and Remington's basic offerings don't hold a candle.

If you've never patterned your shotgun and defensive load please do so. The results can be eye opening.
 
A smooth bore barrel does a pretty good job with shot and slugs. The rifled barrel is a one trick pony. I've seen the results many times at Battery Oaks with both 12 and 20 Ga.
 
rantingredneck said:
For those that haven't tried it.....

Pick up some Federal Flite Control or Hornady TiteWad buckshot.

They both use a unique shot cup design that opens from the rear instead of the front when it exits the barrel. The fins that open act like a drogue chute and slow the wad down so it doesn't blow through the shot itself. The patterns are very tight. At indoor defensive distances it almost looks like a slug hit. Out to 25 yards many patterns you could cover with a hand.

Best buckshot around.

Absent the above, standard Federal F127 buckshot (9 pellet standard 2 3/4 load) outperforms any other brand I've ever tested. Winchester and Remington's basic offerings don't hold a candle.

If you've never patterned your shotgun and defensive load please do so. The results can be eye opening.
Click to expand...
While you are VERY correct on Federal FliteControl and similar products it still boils down to the shot put/wad can only hold up under a certain amount of centripetal force. Will it be different? Iā€™d say FliteControl will be less of a spread but I donā€™t think it will be enough to say use them in rifled barrels. While a typical rifled shotgun barrel is about 1:36 ... a pretty slow twist ... itā€™s still enough to break the cup open way sooner than design to be and the pelletā€™s pattern still under some twist influence open up way to quick.
 
Last edited:
NCFubar said:
While you are VERY correct on Federal FliteControl and similar products it still boils down to the shot put/wad can only hold up under a certain amount of centripetal force. Will it be different? Iā€™d say FliteControl will be less of a spread but I donā€™t think it will be enough to say use them in rifled barrels. While a typical rifled shotgun barrel is about 1:36 ... a pretty slow twist ... itā€™s still enough to break the cup open way sooner than design to be and the pelletā€™s pattern still under some twist influence open up way to quick.
Click to expand...

Oh, I wasn't advocating it's use in rifled barrels. Just in general. See my earlier post. Rifled barrels suck with buckshot.

I don't even own a rifled barrel any longer. I need a rifle, I'll use a rifle...
 
Last edited:
BatteryOaksBilly said:
We have done a great deal of experimenting here with slugs , buck shot and both rifled and smooth bore barrels.
Smooth bore and slugs...great to 50+ yards
Rifled bore and slugs...great to 80+ yards
Smooth bore and buckshot...passable to 30 yards
Rifled bore and buckshot...will not put a single pellet on a full size IDPA target at 10 yards.
Click to expand...


Red Marley said:
Now that's News You Can Use!
Click to expand...


I was thinking the exact same thing! That's great info to have in the ol' nugget
 
If @BigWaylon can find it, I recently posted some targets shot at 3.5,7.10 and 15 yards with Federal 00 out of a Remington 870 with a 12 inch barrel.....interesting.
 
Last edited:
BatteryOaksBilly said:
No the Remington 870 with a 12 inch barrel. In what did you do on the range I think. it is informative for this thread.
Click to expand...
That must be somebody else. I have two 870 SBSs, a 14ā€ 12ga and a 12.5ā€ 20ga, but have never posted any pics of how they pattern. Wish I could remember who it was.
 
BigWaylon said:
That must be somebody else. I have two 870 SBSs, a 14ā€ 12ga and a 12.5ā€ 20ga, but have never posted any pics of how they pattern. Wish I could remember who it was.
Click to expand...
It was me, I was just hoping you could find the targets and post them....it's ok...no worries.
 
cut open the shotshell and pour canning wax over the pellets and let it cool. Then you have a buck-slug which should pattern ok with a rifled bored scattergun
 
Billy do you want to do that again at the m&g? I have an 1187P ive been meaning to pattern and just never get round to it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom