Thinking about buying an O/U and making it my only shotgun. I presently have a pump with an extra rifled barrel. I still want to be able to hunt with slugs if I have to.

Does anyone have any experience using saboted slugs in a O/U with rifled choke tubes?

How do the barrels regulate?

What kind of groups do you get?

I also read an article some years back about a manufacturer of fin stabelized discarding sabot slugs designed to give rifled slug accuracy in smooth bore barrels.

Has anyone used these?

Are they still available?

Thanks,
Jeff

I don't have specific experience with shooting slugs from a double, but I know that a well regulated point-of-impact can be a real issue...even with high dollar O/U's. I would susptect that a O/U is not going to be a great choice for slugs, especially when you've already got a gun capable of shooting them. Most factory tolerances allow for 6" of dispersion in POI at 40 yards. If this is acceptable then you are welcome to try it, but I don't think it will be. I suppose there is some room for doubt that slugs will behave differently and have a smaller range of dispersion, but again I doubt it. Probably the only way to know for sure is to shoot the particular gun that you want with the slugs.

I have a 20 ga ss that the left barrel shoots slugs to the point of aim very well the right one is about 6 in off. So I use it as a single shot slug gun or a buck and slug gun.

Here's my experience. I own a Ugartechea 12 bore side by side slug gun. Appears to have open chokes, 25' barrels and a small raised bead front and windage adjustable single blade "safari" style rear sight. According to the info I was able to dig up, it was regulated with Brenneke slugs. I found 1 oz Brenneke slugs (MP's) and went to the range. It would consistently throw two pairs from each barrel (four shots groups) inside 2" at 50 yards, many times inside 1 1/2". I then tried most other 1 oz slugs from the major makers including the low-recoil types and they all patterned four shots into 6 - 12+" groups at 50 yards. I was astounded. Needless to say, I have stockpiled on the Brennekes and will soon try them out on whitetails and hogs here in Texas. Given this, it appears to me that it would be pure luck if a factory double shotgun would group any slugs very well.

I have had the same experience as Ed with different guns.

I'de say find the load you want to use (Brenneke has always been a super choice), and "try before you buy", if you can find anyway possible to do so.

Most common will be one barrel will shoot slug to POA, but other is suited only for buckshot, or a quail load. But that is the beuty of a double, the fact that you can hunt with virtually two different guns and loads at the same time....