12 gauge rifled slug out of Bess?

[RandyBishop]

Hello everyone, third ever post here. I am wondering if its a good idea to shoot 12 gauge rifled slugs out of my short land Bess. Its kind of just like a minie ball, no? Had a slug dud on me last year so I cut it open and took out the slug. It *just* fits down the barrel its not tight if the barrel isn't fouled at all. Takes less effort than ramming a wadded 71 cal home. I chickened out and pulled it out with my ball puller though, no problem. I was a little worried about the air space in the hollow slug. Should I fill the back of the slug with a wad of greased paper? Has anybody done this? Is it a bad idea? Thanks for your time.
Randy.

 

[Bob McBride]

You could put it in upside down and thus avoid the void, as it were.... Truthfully you can shoot about anything out of a smoothbore. Rocks, Arrows, Hamsters, Minie Balls, marbles, chocolate covered raisins... You're limited only by your imagination and your preferred accuracy.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Just shoot it.

 

[Woody Morgan]

I'd think lubing the rifling on the slug ala Minie and shoving it down the bore would do the trick.

wm

 

[stank]

I’ve been wondering the same thing about a 20 g rifled slug in my trade gun

 

[ADK Bigfoot]

I have a Brenneke 20 gauge slug that I have often toyed with loading in my FdC. It is a tight fit, and the lead seems a little hard. Anyone done that?

ADK Bigfoot

 

[tenngun]

Minnie balls also have a void. It blows to fit the ball tight to the bore, engaging the rifeling in a rifled musket.
make sure it’s well lubed so it doesn’t slip up the bore.
No doubt will make deer deader then a ball

 

[Sam squanch]

I tried this in a 12 gauge muzzleloading shotgun, but a percussion. Powder, wad, slug, and thin card wad to keep it in place. Best I could do was a paper plate size group at 15 yards. With a rear sight. Patching improved it a little.

 

[RandyBishop]

Thanks everyone I will let you all know how it works out gonna shoot it at 25 yards to test first. In the morning of course its dark now.

 

[RandyBishop]

You could put it in upside down and thus avoid the void, as it were.... Truthfully you can shoot about anything out of a smoothbore. Rocks, Arrows, Hamsters, Minie Balls, marbles, chocolate covered raisins... You're limited only by your imagination and your preferred accuracy.

Yes sir! I ran out of ammo awhile back. I have a 3 lb bucket of #2 steel shot i bought at a yard sale im still pretty apprehensive to shoot it. I don't wanna wear out my barrel after all. I let some rust a bunch accidentally and realized hey is that a good idea would it make it less apt to hurt my barrel? If the steel shot had a layer of rust on it?

 

[hawkeye2]

Rusted steel shot would be even harder on your barrel than new clean shot.

 

[RandyBishop]

Rusted steel shot would be even harder on your barrel than new clean shot.

I was thinking it might be good for getting rid of fouling? Or is that just stupid. Iron oxide has gotta be softer than steel no? And yes of course much more abrasive. I'm new to this please forgive me I'm pretty ignorant.

 

[hawkeye2]

"And yes of course much more abrasive."

There's your answer.

 

[RandyBishop]

"And yes of course much more abrasive."

There's your answer.

Fair enough LOL I don't say that often but I did.

 

[RandyBishop]

"And yes of course much more abrasive."

There's your answer.

I'll throw them in my rock tumbler for a bit shine em up again.

 

[Britsmoothy]

For all the hype over steel shot ruining a muzzleloaders shotgun barrel I've never seen a picture of a ruined barrel!
I've seen some impressions on tight chokes in breach loaders but not muzzleloaders

 

[RandyBishop]

For all the hype over steel shot ruining a muzzleloaders shotgun barrel I've never seen a picture of a ruined barrel!
I've seen some impressions on tight chokes in breach loaders but not muzzleloaders

Good point. My Bess is cylinder bore of course, no choke whatsoever. Thanks for the insight.

 

[andy52]

I have shot those out of a original SXS 12 ga. shotgun and they worked pretty well, good enough to take a deer with.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Good point. My Bess is cylinder bore of course, no choke whatsoever. Thanks for the insight.

It is not insight as such but thank you.
I have used steel shot TWICE in my trade gun and a card wrap to separate the shot from the barrel.
Thr retrieved wrap showed some perforation but there was zero barrel damage after the TWO shots.
I did get a duck.
With steel you can get greater pellet counts so in a sense what is lost by way of weight per pellet there is more of them and heads and necks are still easily penertratated.

In a former life before I was told it is illegal ( something I still dispute but hey...) I shot foster slugs from a double Pedersoli I had and it was minute of deers chest at 40yds from the left barrel. Powder, 1/4" wad, slug and card.
I don't need to do it anymore, I just tip buckshot in my 10g, 2oz at a time

 

[Norsk]

Works just fine.