The ammo boxes say they work in rifled barrels, my Mossberg manual says not to use rifled slugs in rifled barrels, and Im just wondering why.

The ammo boxes say they work in rifled barrels, my Mossberg manual says not to use rifled slugs in rifled barrels, and Im just wondering why.

Other than leading the barrels and grouping poorly, there proably isn't anything dangerous about rifled slugs in a rifled barrel...probably. (Father's saying: Proabably is a p-poor thing to hang your hat on.)

IF you just have to ignore the maker's warning, would take care to clean the leading out before firing saboted slugs.

They are safe to use, you just might not get the accuracy. Buy a bunch of different types and see what works best in your gun.

If your Mossberg has an overbore barrel, the standerd Foster slug is very undersize, as would be sabot rounds designed for the standard .729"/.730" barrels!
There are after market rifled barrels that will work great though!.......James

The 535 has the standard 12 gauge barrel size, the 835 is overbored.

There are some that claim using a foster type rifled slug, one where the rear of the slug contains a type of vain if you will, is defeated by the rifling in the barrel or the choke. I have heard many stories suggesting you can and can't use them. I used to shoot Rem.Copper Solids out of a fully rifled Browning A5 and didn't think I could ever do better until recently. I shot some Federal 20ga Power Shocks (foster type) from a rest, out of my IC smoothe bore Remington barrel and I could have covered all three shots with a silver dollar. Next, I shot some Hornady SST, which suggest Rifled barrels only, and the three shots all touched at 25 yards. Now that is accurate. Gonna do some more longer distance shooting next week 75 - 100 yds and see what gives. I decide a long time ago to try several different brands and see which ones group the best out of my gun. That would be my suggestion.





The 535 has the standard 12 gauge barrel size, the 835 is overbored.

I have shot rifled slugs in a rifled barrel just to test them. In my case accuracy was no better than in one of my smoothbores and the barrel did lead up quite a bit. I have also tried sabots slugs in one of my smooth bores and usually got keyholing of the slugs at 50 yards. The bottom line and it is sometimes confusing for people... rifled slugs are for unrifled barrels (smooth bores) sabots are only for rifled barrels.

The "rifled slug", or Foster type was designed back in the 30's for smoothbore guns. Somehow the slantwise "rifling" on the slug surface was supposed to spin the slug and make it more accurate than a spherical lead ball. It didn't really cut it..
When fired in a true rifled barrel the slug merely tends to skip across the lands of the rifling, causing leading and certainly little, if any, increase in accuracy.
If you want to shoot the Foster slugs in your Mossie, spring for a 24"-26" cylinder choked smoothbore barrel and keep your shots under 75 yds. They are the utmost in simplicity and real cheap, which must be why they persist in the market place.
On the other hand, if you have a rifled barrel, as I assume you do, shoot the sabots. That's what it was intended for and where you'll get your performance.

Somehow the slantwise "rifling" on the slug surface was supposed to spin the slug and make it more accurate than a spherical lead ball.

The vanes on the foster slugs were actually made to smash as it was shot through a choked barrel. Not to put a spin on the slug. If it did not have these, it would destroy the choke in the gun. The foster is a weight forward design that stays stable because most of the slugs weight is in the forward part of the slug.

I have 2 guns with rifled barrels. One is a Moss 500, and the other is a Rem 870. They both prefer the 3" Win foster over any of the sabots. I spent hundreds of $ to find this out. But it is the only way to find out what YOUR gun likes.

The vanes on the foster slugs were actually made to smash as it was shot through a choked barrel. Not to put a spin on the slug. If it did not have these, it would destroy the choke in the gun. The foster is a weight forward design that stays stable because most of the slugs weight is in the forward part of the slug.

I have 2 guns with rifled barrels. One is a Moss 500, and the other is a Rem 870. They both prefer the 3" Win foster over any of the sabots. I spent hundreds of $ to find this out. But it is the only way to find out what YOUR gun likes.
As usual, I stand corrected. Thanks for the info. ;)