Can I shoot deer slugs in my 12 gage shotgun?

Question

I own a Mossberg 12 Gage shotgun with a smooth bore (no rifling's). Will it hurt my shotgun if I use deer slugs?

Answer 1

Slugs and buck shot, that's what a smooth bore was meant for.

Answer 2

If its a 500, Yes it will be fine, but not too terrible accurate. I have a Remington 870 Express and i have to hunt deer with it, because i live in a no rifle state. I use 3'' deer slugs and can hit a deer at about 75 yards accuratly. I have the stcok smooth barrel and thats all i plan on using because the Rifled barrel costs two thirds of the gun itself. I use the orginal modified choke and then i have an improved cylinder choke for trap shooting. I shoot slugs through both chokes and they are fine and so is the gun.

I have heard that you cant shoot slugs and low number shot though the 835 becasue the barrel will get messed up, but i have no clue why or how, i dont own one of them.

Answer 3

12

Answer 4

Yea, but buy rifled slugs. Sabot slugs or unrifled slugs are designed for a shotgun with a rifled barrel. Slugs are fun to shoot but will give you more kick than your average birdshot load.
I dont remember if mossberg has a decent choke or not or if you can even switch them around, but It is reccomended you use your IC choke for best results. You may use a tighter choke but it will throw off your shot and even lead to lead fouling on the choke (Like Full)
And in all respects I disagree about the slug bulging your barrel out upon exit, because that doesent even make sense.

Answer 5

If your gun is a Mossberg 500 go for it.But if it is a 835 you cant use slugs due to the back bored barrel Im not sure if they still make them like that.I bought a 835 around 1995 and it had stamped on the barrel do not use slugs.You mite want to look at the manual to see if you need a special choke tube for this also.

Answer 6

All shotgun's with the exception of specialized rifled slug barrels are smooth bore.If your barrel is a "Modified" or "Imprived Cylinder"choke, you CAN shoot rifled slugs thru it. If it has a full choke or an adjustable choke on the end of the barrel you CANNOT use it for slugs!
*In addition,if you were to shoot a rifled slug thru a "Full" choke shotgun you could ruin the barrel (It can actually bulge). The choke should be engraved on the side of the barrel itself, close to the manufacturer's name.

Answer 7

That's why they are called deer slugs. Back when a family could only afford one firearm they would get a good old 12 Gage. With bird shot they went bird hunting. With buck shot and deer slugs they could hunt larger game. A smooth bore is what you want. I wouldn't try with a choke mounted on your gun!!

Answer 8

I own a mossberg 935 i cant shoot slugs through it because it has an overbored barrel meaning it shoots 12 gauge shells but the barrel is more like a 10 gauge. If I shoot a slug through it all it will do is bounce around and ruin my barrel.

Answer 9

JD has it right, except for a small "oops." Specialized rifled slug barrels are a pretty new phenomenon (unless you include the partially rifled "Explora" and "Paradox" guns of a century back), and slugs are generally recommended for IC choked guns, though they'll do OK (especially sabot slugs) through a modified choke, and in days gone by, when doubles were more common than now, many guns were choked full and modified, in which case hunters loaded shot into the full-choked side and slug into the modified.

Answer 10

Yes you can use slugs with your shotgun. You'll have to be close to hit something, but they will definately blow through it.