just kind of thinking about getting into a rifled 12 bore. What ammo are these designed for? Sabots, round balls, large conicals?

Can I shoot the same slugs as I do in my smoothbore(the rifled slug with hollow base)?

Can a shotshell still be fired in these? I realize it would not pattern very well.

My experience is that the rifled barrells shoot the Sabots very well. What we used to call "pumkin balls" do ok, but not as well as the sabots.

Rifled slugs however, do not. Remember, these are "rifled" already, and tend to tumble out of the barrel due to not being stabilized. Can you use them? I guess, but you will not achieve the accuracy you will with the Sabot. You may experience alot of leading in your rifling also.

The good thing about sabots is, the cleanup....a bit of powder residue, and some plastic threading...really easy with a bit of Hoppes.

And yes, you are correct, your patterning will not be correct as a smoothbore, but to use at a base camp with 00 or 000 buck for protection, I'm sure it'll be fine.

As I have posted before.....We must start thinking of these shotguns with rifled barrels as big bore rifles on shotgun frames. I feel many are approaching them in the wrong direction by trying to make them into a long range item. While it is true that the range can be extended with some sabot slugs, etc., these modern rifled barrels fit better into the catagory that the British developed with there Paradox Guns........shooting a very heavy slug/bullet at a moderate velocity at ranges within an honest 125 yards. In order to develop any real accuracy, either the barrel must be pinned in, have a screwed in barrel, or be a single shot like the NEF.
In both the smoothbore and rifled barrels, it is most important that the slug be made hard and bore fitting. The older pure lead, undersize Foster type will never give the accuracy as the above. Will rifled barrels will shoot both solid base and hollow base slugs, one should stay with hollow base in the smoothbore barrels.
Many of the sabot.etc slugs work quite well, it's only the big bore size slugs that should be use on heavy and dangerous game..........James

thanks. Yes, I would call it a 12 bore rifle, and 100 yards is what I was thinking it would be good for. I was also contemplating the use of a round ball, have to see what kind of twist rate it would be.

The barrel would be screwed into a Martini action and should prove to be accurate providing I end up doing this.

Greg Sappington needs to be in on this one. A Martini action set up with a rifled barrel would be a classic. If you build it, forget the sabots, etc.....and make your set up like the Original Paradox or fully rifled 12 bore gun. You could still shoot round balls and full size bullets (730") with a weight between 650 to 740 grs. The original Pardox smokleless load was a 730 gr bullet at 1200 fps and was used in both Africa and India. That load could also be made up in brass hulls. A slow twist of around 1-60 would work (maybe slower).
Greg Sappington is a consultant for Dixie Slugs and specializes in custom rilfled 12 bore guns.......James

sounds good to me, yes it would be classic. I think a fully rifled barrel would be best. All brass cases would really complete the package.

I going to contact Gregg and ask him to come in on this one...James

I would lean toward a slow twist barrel with narrow lands for your gun. If you go with a twist of about 1 in 84 it should shoot almost anything up to 770 grains. If you plan on using only roundballs, the twist could be as slow as 1 in 120. I am working on a 1 in 84 twist now, and will be working on a 1 in 66 later. The rifling profile, and the twist will influence your choice. When you decide what type of bullet,and the bore diameter, we can figure the barrel out. Good luck Greg Sappington

thanks James and Greg.

1 in 84" twist sounds good, very close to my 1 in 78" .577's.

The 1 in 120", that's the twist for the old Baker rifle is it not? Wow that's slow, I hear it is quite good for round balls. Round balls will likely be my main bullet, some lighter conicals from time to time.

Likely won't be able to afford a barrel for about a year or so, unless I sell off something. What's available out there? What are the price ranges?

Mr. Gates,
I have been following your development of the “Dixie Terminator” with interest. Have you started production of a 20 GA. version? In my opinion, it would be ideal for whitetail deer in those areas where shotguns are required.
Have you tried it in a NEF Tracker? I believe that the twist rate in this gun is 1 turn in 34 inches. Would this rifling stabilize a slug of this length? I have read that the rate of twist was selected for saboted slugs. The idea of using a round ball is interesting too.

[I know of a place to get a custom barrel billet for a little over $100. Them you have to finda person to fit it to the action. Email me for specifics. Greg Sappington

Sorry for the delay in getting back......Gregg and I have talked a great deal about a baby Terminator for 20 gauge rifled barrels. There are many things to take into consideration in designing a slug for rifled barrels. It is very important as to the diameter vs length, etc. At present, Dixie Slugs can handle only what is in the line. We are looking at next fall season to have the 20 gauge on board......James

At a gun show last year, for $150, I bought a little used Mossberg model 695 bolt action 12 ga. 3" with a fully rifled barred. Here is, in part, what the manufacturer has to say at www.mossberg.com :

"The 695 takes the trend-setting Mossberg fully rifled barrel, attaches it to a riged, time-tested bolt action, and beds it in a strong waterproof synthetic stock...."

"The 22" parkerized barrel features a 1 in 36 inch twist, a perfect match for use with todays lightning fast, high performance sabot slugs."

I haven't had a chance to fire it yet, but have bought steel rings and bases and a BSA 1.5-4.5x32 shotgun scope, which features a 5" eye relief. Another owner of a 695 emailed and informed me that the Federal Premium Sabot load would print 2" groups at 100 yards. Maybe I'll get lucky with my 695 and get groups like that.

I hunt in Louisiana and Mississippi and neither state, like all of the other like-minded Southern States, is a shotgun only state.

For some unknown reason to me.....the minute we start talking about slug guns and their ammo......the sides, pro and con, pop out real quick!
The way I see it is.....there are two groups going that are interested in slugs guns. First, there are those in "shotgun only" states that seem to want a slug gun that matches a high power rifle. For those, I suppose a rifled shotgun barrel with one of the sabot rounds is best.
However, the other group seems to want a fast brush/swamp gun that is pushing a big heavy load for thick skin game like wild hogs at closer ranges. This is the group that I deal with more that the former. This group is building some interesting guns! We see many buying the Remington 870 Express 20" slug gun. Some, like us, are sending the barrels up to Mike Orlen and having them threaded for Remington choke tubes. With the introduction of the Polychoke II, we have been testing the vented one in out 20" slug barrels (set for "slug").....now that's quite a setup! This group is our biggest market for the full size .730"-560 gr hollowbase hard cast Predator.
Besides reducing the recoil....one can use any load, such as birdshot, buckshot, slugs, or whatever........so, before jumpimg these boys cases, take a look at why they sre building these guns........James

Oh Yes......to answer the poster about the NEF with rifled barrels. I suggest the Predator .730"-560 gr hollow base slug in the lightweight NEF and the .730"-740 gr Terminator in the heavyweight version of the NEF. Both are hard cast heat treated and will work very good with the twist rate.......James

I too am trying to develop 12 bore loads on an Encore rifled shotgun barrel. My intent is to have a rather large rifle for elk hunting up to 100 yards. Is there anyone who has developed loading data for the modern 12 bore? Has conical bullets for sale. A mold to sell? I am considering using pryodex, black powder and XMP 5744 in brass shells. Sabots are not what I want I can always use my muzzle loader for that type of hunting. Suggestions.
Dr Charlie a preservationist of historic things.

Take a look at Dixie Slugs (dixieslugs.com)......James