So I have an old Texan shotgun press....both 6 and 8 point crimps.......and 12 gauge guns with smooth improved cylinder barrels, which I presume means rifled slugs.

What are the options for loading accurate slugs?

Limited experience here, the only thing I have to go on is I got a 25rd box of them reloaded by a friend who used basic lead round balls, and the accuracy was somewhat lacking compared to the factory rounds I was used to loaded with foster slugs.... not sure if that's any value to you or not.

dannyclifton and Macthediver have both had posts recently


I believe Danny said desert pate at 50 yards

there is also getting the barrel threaded and using a rifled choke tube

I keep looking at the rifled choke tube , they are 56 dollars and asking myself is it worth it

here is a test I found with the rifled choke and standard foster slugs

I thought a rifled choke tube was so you could use sabot slugs from an otherwise non-rifled barrel, instead of being saddled to rifled slugs with a shorter accuracy range.

both as I understand it , 1:32 twist is apparently just enough to make them stabilize better

as he points out in the video it leads quickly

a round ball in a hull is a sabot of sorts also



I took a 20 inch cylinder bore 870 and sent the barrel off to carlson's to have it threaded for rem chokes , honestly the barrel threading cost me more than that gun did when I bought it used

but it is so handy to carry , and now has one pheasant taken also light and fast as well as familiar

I haven't tried it with slugs since I got the barrel back , just shot and buck shot I need to do that then decide if I am going to try the rifled choke tube

Guys have asked the same about my set up...12 gauge 870 - 21" barrel with a Rifled Rem Choke...7/8 oz Rem High Velocity Sluggers...How a rifled slug roaring down a smooth bore barrel at 1,800 fps is benefitted by a rifled tube at the end seems odd, but it is the best combo I've found for the gun, including M and IC tubes. The rifled tube gives me similar results to the video GCP shared above. The gun is a tack driver

darn it now I have to order one

GCP, it's just a Rem Choke, not a Carlson or other specialty tube. You should be able to find one for $20, so you won't be out much

I am not finding the remington branded ones

they were 56 at fleet farm for the Carlson's and midway has them for the same

remember Remington has been out of business a couple years now and the gun world went nuts in that time
best I can find is 49.97 on amazon with free shipping for a carlsons

I did pickup an extended Remington superfull/turkey it is marked one on the choke the other on the box for 14 at fleet farm Sunday on clearance , the extended all seem to start at about 35-40 each but it sure is nice not needing a wrench

He waste slugs. No need to shoot the other 2. 3 touching his shoulder would have appreciated it.

Pete, assuming you're needing a one for a 12 ga.?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/274994454687?hash=item4006f2609f:g:lhYAAOSwR~JhcZmo

thanks I already ordered the carlson's extended for 49.36 it should be here Friday free shipping and I keep avoiding the wrench

I also like the idea of extended , smacking the muzzle and wrecking a 50 dollar choke tube would be bad but messing up a barrel with 225 in threading would be worse

this is the dilemma when you build non standard I will probably never get the money out of it I have in but I never plan to sell it either

it makes the gun so much more useful to have a 20 inch barrel gun with choke tubes I do not understand why manufactures aren't building 18 and 20 inch guns with choke tubes

it is in the name of good science

I have a smooth bore mod choke 12ga that will do 2 touching , thing is the 3rd will be touching the 2nd and the 4th touching the 3rd and by the 5th I have a 4 inch group in a line up the target

one ragged hole takes foster slugs to impressive

people can get lucky all the time and make a good 3 shot group , a good 5 shot group and multiples of them are much harder to find

I think slugs need to loaded with a ROLL crimp not a PIE WEDGE crimp. Too much danger of the case end ripping off and jamming in the barrel.

I think that is an imaginary problem.

I have not had that problem with hundreds of Lee cast slugs, pretty much following their published recipes.

Anybody load "thug slugs" with folded crimp, shot through smooth bore?

I assume a Thug Slug is a home defense load. It doesn't need to be anywhere near as powerful or accurate as a hunting load. I make light slugs loads, and buckshot both roll and star crimped for a velocity of under 1200 fps. They are great fun out of a 20 round drum magazine in my Saiga 12.

the thug slug reviews show a good number of people using them for deer , hogs and even bear.

load data looks like 1450 to 1550 it isn't the 1600 advertised velocity of factory slugs but it could definitely work