[Slay]

I bought a rifled barrel for my Mossberg 835 ultimag 12 guage and was wondering if is OK to sight a gun in with plain slugs I have left over from years ago first?

Will it get me in the ballpark and without damaging the rifling? I don't want to use my lightfield sabots to sight in because they are so expensive.

I used 8 bullets yeterday, but now I want to move my scope a bit farther away from me (the scope slapped me at tad bit on the last shot) I figure this will certainly change my impact if I move it.

I only have 7 bullets left and don't want to use up more than 2 more if I can help it.

 

[hunt/fish365]

It's OK to use foster slugs in a rifled barrel. Just don't do it all the time. The soft lead will foul the barrel, and will require cleaning it out.

I've always used them to get me close since they cost less than half of what sabot's cost. A box or two won't hurt anything.

 

[Buk_Huntir]

IMO, waste of time. Try selling your old slugs and just buy some more Lightfields or cheaper sabots. Brenneke makes sabots for less than $8/box

It honestly shouldnt take more than two boxes to sight the gun in. What is that $24?

 

[Tanneryhunts]

I agree that it would be a time. The reason being that you may or may not be able to get a group with the fosters (my gun hates foster type slugs), but even if you can get a group, odds are that whatever sabots you shoot may shoot completely differently, then you are back to square one.

 

[B0whunt3r]

I thought slugs were meant for smooth bore barrels and sabots for rifled?

 

[Tanneryhunts]

Sort of. Foster slugs can be used in rifled barrels, but sabot's can't be used in smooth bore barrels. Like I said before though, my personal experience is that Foster types shoot horrible out of my rifled barrel, but I do know guys who shoot nothing but Fosters through their rifled barrels and they shoot fine. The key is to experiment, experiment, experiment and find out which type/brand your gun groups best with and stick with it. On a side note, while fosters may be ok to shoot in rifled barrels, they will tend to foul your barrel more due to the lead build uo in the rifling, which could effect accuracy.

 

[jayd4wg]

slay, go get a box of hastings, hornady sst, and lightfield slugs. shoot a 3 shot group of each (don't touch the sights) and pick the one that groups best. adjust scope, and go get another 2 boxes of those.

I'm willing to bet that the lightfields and the hastings will be acceptable groups

 

[hunt/fish365]

What I meant by getting close is when you first install a new scope or shooting an open sighted gun for the first time. My bore sighter doesn't have arbors for shotgun barrels. I just put a target at 25 yards, and shoot a couple slugs to see where it hits. If it shoot 6 inches high and right I can adjust it to hit close. Sometimes it takes a several shots. Even the cheapest sabots are around $10 a box. Sluggers are around $4-$5 a box. You do the math.

 

[SgtUSMC]

I'm willing to bet that the lightfields and the hastings will be acceptable groups

I agree with the above

A lil extra piece of advice..... Take it or leave it but this is what I just did for my neighbor....

Remington buchhammers can be bought for around 7 or 8 dollars a box. They are an ounce and a quarter slug (546 grains I beleive). Same concept as the Hastings and Lightfields not really a sabot but the "wad" stays with the slug in flight.
All 3, Hastings, Lightfields and the Buckhammers, group the same out of my Mossy 695.
So long story short, you could use the cheaper buckhammers to sight in, and then shoot one or 2 of the hastings or LF's if thats what you're planning on using. If they impact the same then you're golden.

Seen alot of deer get absolutely crushed by the BH's also, so nothing at all with just sticking with those

Just sayin...

 

[jayd4wg]

agreed. I keep forgetting about the buckhammers. but for what it's worth, the hastings slugs are regular price at dunhams for 9 bucks a box, and go on sale for 8. I will stock up on the next sale. If i can ever make it out to the hastings ammo warehouse, i'll buy a case and skip the shipping at 750 a box.