A slug barrel is essentially a shotgun barrel that is designed to fire slug shots. Whether it’s a rifled-style barrel or a smooth barrel, a slug barrel can be both. But the main question is, can it handle a buckshot?
After all, a buckshot isn’t really anything like a slug at all. Will it damage your gun? Or will it work just fine? Let’s find out.
What Is A Buckshot?
A buckshot is a type of projectile that contains a lot of small projectiles instead of a single one like regular ammunition. So, instead of impacting the target just once, the shot will impact the target at several points.
Depending on the type of buckshot you use, it will have a lot more pellets than you first thought.
What Do You Use Buckshot For?
What’s the purpose of buckshot ammo? The main purpose of buckshot is hunting. Hunters love this shot for deer-sized animals and much smaller animals as well. The buckshot has a good spread width that impacts the target deeply enough to lay it down.
It’s not an effective long-range hunting. The other purpose of buckshot is self-defense. It’s not unheard of to use shotguns as home defense weapons. Buckshot will do devastating impact damage. That’s why it’s a good short-range ammunition.
Why Is It Called Buckshot?
Why not something else? What inspired the name to be buckshot? Well, the name was inspired by the animal it’s supposed to hunt. It’s made for hunting down buck deer. Thus the name.
Can You Shoot A Buckshot Out Of A Slug Barrel?
Short answer, yes. Depending on the type of slug barrel you are using, it will have a different outcome. If you are using a rifled slug barrel, then a different result than one with a smooth bore for example.
The Rifle barrel has a groove at the end of the barrel which makes the projectile spin while releasing. As you know buckshot contains a lot of smaller pellets, when it releases from the shell while spinning, it increases the pellet spread.
When this happens, you lose a lot of impact energy. Thus, resulting in a less impactful shot, no pun intended. So, if you are thinking of hunting long-range with buckshot on a slug barrel, not only are you asking for too much, I will go as far as to say stop daydreaming.
Will Shooting A Buckshot Through A Slug Barrel Damage My Weapon?
No, it will not. I know you have heard different opinions on the internet about all sorts of speculation they come up with. But most of them are made-up things. A rifled slug barrel has the same chamber as a buckshot. It has the same width and it can fit a slug without firing it in the chamber to cause damage.
The only thing that you will face is the “donut effect”. Instead of having a wider impact that does more damage, you will be left with a round/ donut-shaped impact that does way less damage.
Besides that, it means no harm to your weapon. They use the same chamber and shooting mechanism to fire.
Should I Shoot Buckshot Through My Slug Barrel?
No one is going to stop you. After all, it virtually poses no issues where you will need to maintain safety. But it will make you misfire a lot. If you are okay with wasting money and missing the purpose of your shots, then by all means you are welcome to use buckshot on a slug barrel.
Conclusion
I can see why you are still a bit confused. There are lots of opinions out there on the internet and what’s one more? But if you do a bit of research and spend a bit of time finding out in old forums, you will see how easily people have been destroying these delusions/myths surrounding buckshot and rifled barrels.
If you want to shoot a buckshot on a rifled barrel, by all means, go for it. There is nothing wrong with firing it. But the result might not be the one you are looking for. If you are happy with that outcome, then be my guest.
That’s all for now. Thanks for reading as usual, I will be back with more soon enough. Till then, take care and have fun.
Hi, I’m Brent Hansford. A writer turned hunter & now sharing my love for the sport through writing. As I practically breathe weapons, I firmly believe I’m capable of providing you with new knowledge about firearms and hunting. My mission is to help more people get better at hunting & master the weapons. Let me help with unleashing the beast within you!
