Referring to a smoothbore double barrel shotgun, how far does a rifled slug go before it tails off? Can I aim?

4 Comments

1. xqqz_me says:

   November 19, 2009 at 5:28 am

   According to the balistic data on this box of Remington 12 ga 2.75 inch 1 oz "Slugger" cartridges the trajectory is:

   25 yards…-0.4 inches
   50 " …-1.9 "
   75 " …-4.6 "
   100 " …-9.0 "

   As you can see, it’s dropping like a brick from the get-go. You will have to aim over after 50 yards to keep it close to the center of the target.
2. John de Witt says:

   November 19, 2009 at 5:28 am

   With any luck, both barrels will hit within four inches of point of aim. SxS shotgun barrels, of course, are not regulated as carefully as SxS rifles, but a good gun will do pretty darned well at 50 yards. You’ll want to pattern yours before taking it to the deer woods, but I expect you’ll find it quite adequate once you see what it does. Note, too, that different loads are going to shoot differently, so you need to be familiar with the particular one you’re hunting with. Also, if you aren’t used to this sort of thing, remember that you have to let it swing naturally when you’re doing your patterning. If you put the forearm on a sandbag the way you would with a single-barrel, it shoots to a completely different point.
3. .700 nitro says:

   November 19, 2009 at 5:28 am

   You will have to try. Different ammo and guns…..different results.
4. Irv S says:

   November 19, 2009 at 5:28 am

   Before you put slugs in that shot-gun, determine what the chokes are.
   Do not put a slug in a choked barrel without knowing what you’re doing.
   Severe overpressure and damage can result.
   You can shoot a slug through an improve cylinder choke.
   Nothing tighter.
   Some older doubles can’t handle slugs at all.