Slugs for mossberg 500

[cstevens0055]

im about to buy a rifled barrel for my mossberg 500. does anyone have any thoughts or advice to what slugs to use. all thoughts and advice will be taken in consideration.
thanks

[Bayrat]

My 12 gauge likes lightfields (ouch!) and the two 20 gauge prefer the Federal Barnes copper expanders. Stocked up on both so haven't bothered to try any of the newer sabots out in the last 10 years.

There was some more on slugs here if you haven't read it already.
http://www.huntamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?t=607

Bayrat.

[DancesWithKnives]

If you're looking for stopping power on dangerous game, rather than the best trajectory, check out the Terminator from www.dixieslugs.com. I use the Dixie Tusker in my smoothbore Mossberg 590 Mariner. Very solid product.

DancesWithKnives

[Smokey]

I have an 870 with a rifled barrel and the plain Remington foster slugs [2 3/4"] shot the best ouy of five different kinds of ammo.

[Gil Martin]

My suggestion would be to try a few different brands of slugs and see what work in your gun. All the best...
Gil

[rimrock]

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=000152654112

these work reasonably well in my rifled slug gun
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/product_images/015-2654112.jpg

This is load data for the 525 Gr. Lyman Sabot Slug. Its tough to format for the forum but the list reads of follows.

Powder Charge Primer Wad Velocity Pressure

Federal Gold Medal

Univ. Clays 36.0 Win 209 WAA12F114 1503 10,100
WSF 34.0 Win 209 WAA12F114 1482 11,300
Herco 32.0 Win 209 WAA12F114 1389 11,100
SR 4756 44.0 Win 209 WAA12R 1585 10,500
800X 31.5 Fed 209AWAA12 1459 10,700
Blue Dot 46.5 Win 209 WAA12R 1544 9,900
571 42.0 Fed 209AFed 12S4 1429 10,700

Federal Plastic Hunting

Univ. Clays 35.0 Win 209 WAA12F114 1442 9,300
34.0 Win 209 WAA12F114 1421 9,200
Herco 30.0 Win 209 WAA12F114 1297 9,100
SR 4756 40.0 Win 209 WAA12R 1439 8,300
800X 30.0 Fed 209AFed 12S4 1403 9,800
Blue Dot 44.0 Win 209 WAA12R 1408 7,300
571 42.0 Fed 209AFed 12S4 1405 9,900

Fiocchi Plastic

Univ. Clays 34.0 Win 209 WAA12R 1478 10,100
WSF 31.0 Win 209 WAA12F114 1383 10,000
SR 4756 37.0 Win 209 WAA12R 1396 8,700
N3SH 36.0 Win 209 WAA12R 1486 9,700
Blue Dot 44.0 Win 209 WAA12R 1476 8,800

Remington RTL (Premier)

Univ. Clays 29.0 Win 209 WAA12F114 1386 10,800
Unique 23.0 Win 209 WAA12F114 1269 11,100
Herco 25.0 Win 209 WAA12 1249 11,300
SR 4756 34.0 Rem 209PWAA12R 1448 11,100
SR 4756 35.0 Win 209 WAA12R 1462 10,900
Blue Dot 41.0 Rem 209PWAA12F114 1475 11,000
Blue Dot 43.0 Win 209 WAA12F114 1501 11,200

Remington Unibody SP

Univ. Clays 32.0 Win 209 WAA12 1416 9,900
WSF 32.0 Win 209 WAA12 1434 11,400
Herco 30.0 Win 209 WAA12 1336 10,600
SR 4756 37.5 Win 209 WAA12F114 1468 10,200
800X 31.0 Win 209 Fed 12S3 1440 10,700
Blue Dot 45.5 Win 209 WAA12F114 1482 9,300
Blue Dot 46.0 Win 209 Fed 12S4 1532 10,600

Winchester AA

Univ. Clays 29.0 Win 209 WAA12F114 1358 9,700
Unique 23.0 Win 209 WAA12F114 1271 11,100
Unique 22.5 Win 209 Fed 12S3 1231 10,500
WSF 30.0 Win 209 WAA12F114 1393 11,000
WSF 28.0 Win 209 Fed 12S3 1332 10,500
Herco 25.0 Win 209 WAA12F114 1273 10,900
SR 4756 35.0 Win 209 WAA12R 1378 8,800
N3SH 30.0 Win 209 WAA12F114 1372 10,100
Blue Dot 44.0 Win 209 WAA12R 1474 9,200

[Hi Ball]

I can tell you that with a slug gun (shotgun) getting one to shoot well enough is a trial and error only method. Now what shoots in your buddies shotgun may very well NOT shot worth a hoot in your gun.

The best thing to do is purchase several small boxes of various brands of shotgun slugs and then take a trip to the gun range for testing or finding out what your shotgun likes the best. :)

[Crockettnj]

I can tell you that with a slug gun (shotgun) getting one to shoot well enough is a trial and error only method. )

Oddly, I have to agree with HB on this one.

The downside is you need a 3rd mortgage to afford enogh samples to get a good feel for whats best.

FYI, rem copper solids 2 3/4 in my rifled moss500 . lightfields shoot WAY off POI vs POA comparatively. brenneke shoot AWESOME, but with some horrific flyers that result in not being able to trust them (imo in my gun)

and so it goes.

[stinky]

What are you going to use it on? And, how far are you going to shoot it at? 50 yards and 100 yards are two different things, and 50 yards accuracy is pretty easy to come by.

I have a Benelli Nova and it will hold em on a playing card at 50 yards and it ain't all that picky...as long as the slug is going about 1,500 fps. So, if I were you, I've try your barrel that you have now, w/regular slugs first, then if it won't shoot them, try the rifled bbbl.

[Waidmann]

I've shot numerous sabots through mine (Moss 500 w/rifled barrel and the cantilever scope mounts. Most of them shoot good enough to kill at 50 yards. This year I'm using the Hornady. I got a 3 inch group at 50 yards, and they happen to be the cheapest I found at ~$10 a box. I also use the Lightfields. They shoot just as well, but cost half again as much.

Rimrock - Thanks for the reloading data. Ever used the 1 oz BuckBuster slugs? I used to reload those and they worked fine.

I'm off to the woods now. Be back next Saturday. All you hunters, Waidmannsheil!!

Waidmann

[Hi Ball]

In my years of trying various shotguns using slugs for deer hunting etc. I have found that accuracy at 50 yards will do good for most all slugs on the market today using plain iron sights. Now at 100 yards, this is another story, as you will need most likely a scope mounted on the gun of some sort and testing at the bench to insure that you have the proper combination in slugs. This information is for those who are over the age of 38 years as the eyes start to change and using iron sights is not a given anymore ok.

I have also found that some of those higher dollar slugs are not always the best in accuracy compared to the "plain Jane" slugs which are cheaper ammo.
I will say that one needs to have at least a shotgun and slug that will shoot 4inch groups or better. I have seen in past years, some of those rifled slugs that will shoot in 2 inch groupings from the bench.;)

[Crockettnj]

Hunting buddy of mine highly recommends the buckhammer. Lot of guys like the lightfield hybreds in remington and ithica's, but thats not a mossy.

Couple weeks ago I shot 5 brenneke (foster style) into a small fist sized target offhand at 55 yards. IMO thats terrific shotgun accuracy. I didnt have a pocket full of $20's to waste on 100 yard practice.

The copper solids had much better trajectory and good accuracy. I settled on these when I was using my M500.

The brenneke sabots were like soft kicking tack drivers, but there was a 1 in 5 flyer that killed confidence. I got a pile of thes eon clearance (or mismark?!) and 50 yard groups were like this: 3 touching, one 2 inches away, and one 9 inches away. What do you do with that?

IMO its just too expensive to screw with trying slugs at 50-75-100-125 yards as needed to determine which shoots best and where it shoots at what distance. where I hunt shots come from 5 yards to 200 yards and everywhere in between. So, a 50-75 yard gun limits me. 125 yard gun covers 90% of shots, so thats my goal.

with any decent SG setup 50 yards consistant groups, its pretty much no problem. 100, and it really does open up a can of worms with a lot of slugs.

This is all exclusively for rifled mossberg 500, as thats the only sg's I have.

I know some of you guys get 2" groups at 100 yards, and bless you. But I wonder if those are merely selected 2 or 3 shot groups, and if so, whats your gun printing at 125-130 yards?

This all got too expensive and annoying for me, so...

my solution was to put the SG away and use the ML.

I am a little envious of those whose repeating shotguns get 2.5" consistent groups at 100 yards, but I cant dwell on that!