Sabots or Rifled Slugs

[mamenninga]

I know a lot of guys don't shotgun hunt here, but you all have lots of info about everything. Here's my question, and this may seem like a dumb one, but does it hurt a rifled barrel to shoot rifled slugs through it? I had one buddy swear to me you were supposed to shoot rifled slugs through a rifled barrel. I told him he was freakin nuts, but does it work? My theory would be sabots would be like throwing a knuckelball out of a smooth bore , that's why you need the rifled barrel to spin em. Rifled slugs through a smooth bore would spin themselves. What happens with rifled slugs through rifled barrel. Would they cancel eachother out. would the slug ruin the barrel? Help a brother out!

 

[teeroy]

some guns work, some go nuts. every gun reacts different. but for your discussion with your buddy you are right

smooth barrel=rifled slugs
rifled barrel=sabots

 

[crunde]

"According to Browning, the fully rifled shotgun barrel is intended for use with sabot type slugs only. The smooth bore barrel with a rifled choke tube can be used for Foster or sabot type slugs." I believe shooting rifled slugs through a rifled barrel is bad, because the lead can fill in the grooves of the barrel and sabot bullets have a plastic sleeve around them.

 

[Buck42]

today i was sighting in a new gun and was using sabots i then accedently loaded 3 rifled slugs and shot them.Is my rifled barrel ruined.

 

[JNRBRONC]

No. Lead is softer than steel, so no permanent damage has been done to the barrel. You might want to take a wire brush and give it a decent cleaning with a solvent designed to help remove lead fouling.

How'd they shoot?