Sabot 12gage in a smooth bore barrel?

[JohnO]

A friend I work with told me he purchased the wrong ammo for his brother. He mistakenly ordered 12g instead of 20g. His brother wanted deer hunting 20g for a rifled bore. He showed me a pic of the ammo he purchased. It was Remington Sabot Slug ammo.

My friend told me he can’t use this ammo in his 12g because his gun’s barrel isn’t rifled and this ammo will damage his barrel. This doesn’t sound right to me. Admittedly I don’t know much about shotgun barrels and ammo types for particular barrels.

Does his claim have any validity?

[167]

A friend I work with told me he purchased the wrong ammo for his brother. He mistakenly ordered 12g instead of 20g. His brother wanted deer hunting 20g for a rifled bore. He showed me a pic of the ammo he purchased. It was Remington Sabot Slug ammo.

My friend told me he can’t use this ammo in his 12g because his gun’s barrel isn’t rifled and this ammo will damage his barrel. This doesn’t sound right to me. Admittedly I don’t know much about shotgun barrels and ammo types for particular barrels.

Does his claim have any validity?

It won’t damage his barrel, but it won’t shoot that great either. Since there isn’t any rotation imparted to the projectile for stabilization, it will begin to tumble in flight and won’t have very good accuracy. I have seen some that tumble as early 20-25 yards. Others that make it 40-50 yards before they start to tumble.

[Lon]

It won’t damage his barrel, but it won’t shoot that great either. Since there isn’t any rotation imparted to the projectile for stabilization, it will begin to tumble in flight and won’t have very good accuracy. I have seen some that tumble as early 20-25 yards. Others that make it 40-50 yards before they start to tumble.

What he said.