extreme fowling shotgun slugs - The Firearms Forum

barrucuda · 10-16-2011, 06:44 PM

wanted to pick some of you guys brains about something weird. shot 5 3" Winchester super X 1 oz rifled slugs from my Mossberg 500 smooth bore today. just seeing how well it threw slugs for deer season and it did fine.

i have been scrubbing the bore with hoppes for over an hour and just now oh most got it clean. before i started it looked like i was shooting black powder shells.

my question is are slugs usually dirtier than bird and buck shot? i have never really used slugs much before. i realize these particular brand slugs are on the cheaper end of the market. i have used super x buck, #6 game loads and #7 1/2 target loads with out ever a complaint.

slugs being pure lead right on the barrel walls, is what im scrubbing actually lead fragments?

Bill DeShivs · 10-16-2011, 10:17 PM

"Fowling" is shooting at birds.
"Fouling" is crud in the barrel.
Confusing title-shooting at birds with slugs!
Were you using a brass bore brush when cleaning?

goofy · 10-17-2011, 06:18 AM

I have found that slugs do dirty up the barrel more then bird shot. Sabot slugs less then the others.Use a good brass brush and clean and clean till it is clean.I run a rag down soaked (with what you use) and let it soak in for a min. or two then brush.
Repeet intill it is clean.

Jim Hauff · 10-17-2011, 12:22 PM

I believe the plastic wadding and shot retainer cups in the bird and buck shells helps clean fouling out of the barrel. Rifled slugs don't have the cup - sabot slugs have a plastic sabot or bore filler.

Old Grump · 10-17-2011, 02:20 PM

I suspect powder fouling more than I do leading unless you shot several hundred rounds that day, kind of an expensive shooting day if you did.

I just wet a patch down real good with my cleaning solvent, wet the barrel down let sit 10 or 15 minutes and repeat before I start doing dry patches. I figure at least half a dozen patches before they come out gray instead of black and call it good. I can't remember the last time I used a brush in my shotgun bores and haven't needed them so far.

If you have that kind of problem again try one of the foaming sprays like 'Foam Bore Cleaner' and let sit 4 hours before cleaning.

RJay · 10-17-2011, 05:55 PM

And for goodness sake, please stop shooing fowl down your barrel and use standard shotgun shells and slugs. The build up of feathers may cause a high pressure situation

barrucuda · 10-17-2011, 07:18 PM

sorry for the spelling. it is really hard to chamber a duck. after an hour and a half of scrubbing with my brass brush and running out of hoppes, its clean. i was curious about if a shot cup was cleaner or not.

after i posted i checked my dirty patches and noticed tiny shiny particles. i seriously wonder if it was mostly lead since the hardest part to clean was just pass the chamber.

thanks for the input everyone. like i say i dont have much experience shooting slugs (or fowl).

10-16-2011, 06:44 PM	#1
barrucuda Member Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 26	extreme fowling shotgun slugs wanted to pick some of you guys brains about something weird. shot 5 3" Winchester super X 1 oz rifled slugs from my Mossberg 500 smooth bore today. just seeing how well it threw slugs for deer season and it did fine. i have been scrubbing the bore with hoppes for over an hour and just now oh most got it clean. before i started it looked like i was shooting black powder shells. my question is are slugs usually dirtier than bird and buck shot? i have never really used slugs much before. i realize these particular brand slugs are on the cheaper end of the market. i have used super x buck, #6 game loads and #7 1/2 target loads with out ever a complaint. slugs being pure lead right on the barrel walls, is what im scrubbing actually lead fragments? -->

10-16-2011, 10:17 PM	#2
Bill DeShivs Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Contributor Posts: 1,469	Re: extreme fowling shotgun slugs "Fowling" is shooting at birds. "Fouling" is crud in the barrel. Confusing title-shooting at birds with slugs! Were you using a brass bore brush when cleaning? __________________ Bill DeShivs www.billdeshivs.com

10-17-2011, 06:18 AM	#3
goofy Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Contributor Posts: 2,021	Re: extreme fowling shotgun slugs I have found that slugs do dirty up the barrel more then bird shot. Sabot slugs less then the others.Use a good brass brush and clean and clean till it is clean.I run a rag down soaked (with what you use) and let it soak in for a min. or two then brush. Repeet intill it is clean. Last edited by goofy; 10-17-2011 at 06:19 AM..

10-17-2011, 12:22 PM	#4
Jim Hauff Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Lehigh Valley, PA Posts: 2,980	Re: extreme fowling shotgun slugs I believe the plastic wadding and shot retainer cups in the bird and buck shells helps clean fouling out of the barrel. Rifled slugs don't have the cup - sabot slugs have a plastic sabot or bore filler. __________________ Jim Hauff ~ H&R Collector In Memory of Bill Goforth and Jim Ritchie

10-17-2011, 02:20 PM	#5
Old Grump Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Little hut in the woods near Blue River Wisconsin Posts: 2,286	Re: extreme fowling shotgun slugs I suspect powder fouling more than I do leading unless you shot several hundred rounds that day, kind of an expensive shooting day if you did. I just wet a patch down real good with my cleaning solvent, wet the barrel down let sit 10 or 15 minutes and repeat before I start doing dry patches. I figure at least half a dozen patches before they come out gray instead of black and call it good. I can't remember the last time I used a brush in my shotgun bores and haven't needed them so far. If you have that kind of problem again try one of the foaming sprays like 'Foam Bore Cleaner' and let sit 4 hours before cleaning. __________________ "When once a republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil."~~- Thomas Jefferson Roman Catholic, Life Member of American Legion, VFW, Wisconsin Libertarian party, Wi-FORCE, WGO, NRA, JPFO, GOA, SAFand CCRKBA

10-17-2011, 05:55 PM	#6
RJay Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Arizona Posts: 3,487	Re: extreme fowling shotgun slugs And for goodness sake, please stop shooing fowl down your barrel and use standard shotgun shells and slugs. The build up of feathers may cause a high pressure situation __________________ RonJames Last edited by RJay; 10-17-2011 at 05:57 PM..

10-17-2011, 07:18 PM	#7
barrucuda Member Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 26	Re: extreme fowling shotgun slugs sorry for the spelling. it is really hard to chamber a duck. after an hour and a half of scrubbing with my brass brush and running out of hoppes, its clean. i was curious about if a shot cup was cleaner or not. after i posted i checked my dirty patches and noticed tiny shiny particles. i seriously wonder if it was mostly lead since the hardest part to clean was just pass the chamber. thanks for the input everyone. like i say i dont have much experience shooting slugs (or fowl).