Has anyone experimented with reloading the 3.5 inch 12 guage to it's full potential with slugs? I don't know much about shotgun slugs but the extra shell length would seem to give more powder space, if the actions would stand the pressure.

Mike

Mike,

You can't really experiment with shotgun loads without a pressure gun. The warning signs that metallic cartridge reloaders depend on just aren't there and paper or plastic cases let go without warning.

The challenge in slug loads is accuracy, not power. You can get a one ounce cast slug moving at 1600 fps from a 2.75 case, but trying to get them to group will drive you nuts.

The factories seem to have the problem solved with sabot rounds but that route is not really available to the handloader without plastic injection equipment or a huge budget for buying sabots and projectiles that someone else made.

Also, the bore sized slug has only a slightly better ballistic coefficient than a ping pong ball. The faster you push it, the more air resistance it hits and the faster it loses velocity. Impressive increases at the muzzle are going to be pretty puny out past 100 yards.

(I know all the problems, but I am still looking for even some of the answers.)

the speed of the slug would be almost the same, 2 3/4" or 3 1/2"

As said in the earlier posts, pressure is the limiting factor on slugs, there is enough room in a 2 3/4" hull to put 5 times the amount of powder but the gun barrel would blow up as fast as the slug would be moving. The only benefit of having a slug in 3 1/2 " would less free travel of the slug in the chamber area. I have not seen any reloading data for the slug in a 3 1/2" lenght but I can't say they aren't there.

As has been pointed out, you can't safely increase the pressure. You should be able to get more velocity with a longer barrel. That would give the (limited) pressure more time to push on the slug's back side.

Yet I'm still confused about the ammunition makers' selling 2.75" and 3" slug shells. I suppose I'll have to pay more attention to whether they claim a higher velocity out of their 3" than their 2.75" product.

H. C.

it is amazing why anybody would even think about shooting a 3-1/2 inch slug. you gain nothing but a headache. i can take a 2-3/4 lightfield slug. in my superblack eagle or my encore rifled 12ga an shoot 1 inch groups at 100 yards. it is a 1-1/4 slug. the 3 and 3-1/2 are 1oz. what kind of animal can get out of the way of a 2-3/4 slug going 1400 to 1500 fps. save your money and a headache. get some 2-3/4 lightfields. kill deer and have fun.

FYI, i noticed today that Winchester lists it's 2 3/4" slug at 1600 fps. and the 3" ant 1760fps...