A shotgunslug is a heavy projectile (a slug) made of lead, copper, or other material and fired from a shotgun.Most shotgunslugs are designed to be fired through a cylinder bore, improved cylinder choke, rifled choke tubes, or fully rifled bores. Foster Slugs (Rifled Slugs) — The Affordable Workhorse. Invented by Karl Foster in 1931, the Foster slug is a full-bore-diameter lead projectile (typically 1 oz / 437 grains) with a hollow base and angled grooves cast on the outside.

Context Explanation

If you intend to use the shotgun for the purpose of self-defense, I recommend picking up a copy of Massad Ayoob’s ‘Stressfire II: Advanced Combat Shotgun’. Incidentally, Massad Ayoob favors the 20-gauge for homedefense and prefers the Mossberg 500 to the Remington 870. The earliest shotgunslugs were simple, round lead balls, slightly smaller than the barrel diameter, so as to pass freely down the bore. They were known as “pumpkin balls” or “pumpkin slugs,” and while effective, they weren’t known for their accuracy.

Insight Material

It’s wise to bring at least 3-4 different brands of slugs to experiment with as well. Often, hunters will sight in at 50-75 yards and then compare how the results change at 100 yards. As far as slug selection, you have two basic choices Learn more about shotgunslugs with True Shot Academy. Discover traits, features, use cases, ammo manufacturers, and more in this blog. Full-boreslugs utilize a "shuttlecock" method of weight distribution-most of the slug's mass sits at the front of the projectile, so the lighter rear automatically stabilizes the slug as aerodynamics take effect.

Final Conclusion

A sabot slug uses a projectile smaller than the bore encased in a plastic sabot. First published in 1964, the all-knowing “NRA Firearms Fact Book” says: “Shotgunslugs should not be used at ranges greater than about 75 yards. Maximum-effective range is limited as much by the slug’s rapid decay of energy and velocity as by its poor accuracy.”.