Slugs in a choked barrel?

I think I know the answer to this already, but I'm looking for confirmation. My grandfather has an old Sears 20ga shotgun with a modified choke barrel on it. Can he shoot slugs out of that?

Sure can.

You can - will that be optimal for accuracy? Not sure.

Just to be clear; I mean lead slugs and not sabot copper jacket meant to be fired from a rifled barrel.

The actual purpose behind "rifling" on Foster/Brenneke slugs is to allow it to crush down evenly through a choke, and keep decent accuracy with safe pressures.

Should not be a problem.

alucard0822 said:

The actual purpose behind "rifling" on Foster/Brenneke slugs is to allow it to crush down evenly through a choke, and keep decent accuracy with safe pressures.

Click to expand...

That is my understanding as well. I maybe wouldn't run them through an adjustable choke that was set very tight though.

You have to try the individual slug platform in your barrel. I have seen some work and others shot patterns.

Rank and file shotgun slugs are of the commonest lead, not alloyed with anything. Foster type slugs have diagonally cut striations on the body, or skirt. These do absolutely nothing or barely anything at all for imparting a spin.
Its because right behind the striations, theirs a belt that beefs up the hollow body of the skirt for obturation and to keep the soft slug the correct shape for manufacturing and during handling.

Slugs can measure anywhere from .676 to about .681 for the fattest. Common bores for most 12 gauge guns run about .729. A full choke will average or be right about .690. Thats not very tight a fit. Does it mean a full choke is the best, no of course not but you may be surprised how well they shoot from one.

You'll see more guns screwed up from squishing heavy shot dead coyote or whatever through an extra full turkey choke. Expensive guns too. DOing dumb shit with nickle plated or hardened/steel shot has no affinity for if the gun was made in Italy or Mississippi. (Stripped out choke tubes and threads)
You know like trying to get an 80 yd duck gun.

I think a lot of inaccuracy from slugs (not that they're extremely accurate to begin with) comes from shooting them through guns with swaged or jugged chokes. Think H&r or and JC Higgins pump or even the venerable 870, m48 your grand pappies High standard pump without a screw in tube. Thats never going to go well when a cold formed soft lead slug travels through a tube that measures at the end like it just got cut off in a Rigid pipe cutter or squished in a die like we use to make hydraulic hoses.

Its important to note that lead when subjected to pressure works best just at or very slightly over the compressive strength of the metal.
BLow the skirt of a slug up to .729 then down to .690 right before it goes through a lip formed on the end of a tube by cheap manufacturing and your expectations shouldn't be that high to begin with. Keep in mind pressure, about All 11,000 lbs of it (which even rapidly diminishes in a SG "s from the camber but is still there) is working on changing the shape of that soft lead slug that you can nearly chew up like a piece of gum if you put it in your mouth.

One thing a slug is good at is staying nose front and not tumbling for way past 200 yds. Maybe even 3 x as far. Even though they are sometimes not exactly the same length, they very nearly always weigh the same.

Slugs, cant live with them or without them. They used to be around enough to cut some up but I wouldn't do it unless you can pick up a slew of them at a time. Try Wal- mart.

Thanks for all the helpful info! I wanted to get my grandfather some self-defense rounds, since he lives a few miles outside the city. He actually said "I was just saying that I needed to buy some of these", so it was a timely gift. Hopefully he never has to use them.

I wasn't sure if the slug would blow up the end of the barrel, but thanks to you guys, I know he's good to go.