Paul, you systematically answer every single question I have ever asked with outstanding military style no-nonsense presentations. As an ex-paratrooper, rifleman, drill sergeant, and army marksmanship instructor your channel is literally everything I have ever wanted within the domain of marksmanship and ballistics content. Please don't ever stop. H-minus!
In the DOD we have 3 calibers 5.56x45, 9mm, and 7.62x51. Technically 4 if you count the .50 for small arms. The .50 falls in small arms or heavy weapons depending on the literature you are reading. Whether it be field manuals, or unit SOPs. It is "officially" an anti-aircraft and anti-vehicle munition. But it does wonders for human targets behind certain types of cover as well. We are experts in these specific calibers. With some minor supplementary training in foreign munitions such as 7.62x39 and other common military rounds, we don't really get to see these kinds of effects on target, or energy comparisons with common over the counter stuff. Which we don't need anyway, we have our adequate overlap in range, energy, accuracy, and lethality overall in what we got. With my squad plus my radio, I can kill anything within line of sight anywhere, as far as 5 miles. Typically 5 miles is your limit on even terrain due to curvitre of the earth. Its nice to see complete and concise presentations in a military-style covering civilian munitions, tactics, and techniques. As for Pauls marksmanship. He shoots every type of weapon, in every caliber, from every era of US history, in every weather condition, in every video within minute of fist. Put your fist over your heart and look at it. Cameras are cheap homie. UA-cam is free. Put up or shut up. Airborne Motherfucker!
@@terrybeasley2898 fuck I wish I shot as poorly as Paul . Let's see how you do picking up a stranger's gun and fire it within minutes of picking it up cold never having touched that particular weapon untill then . There are a lot of excellent shots out there hell even I'm a pretty fair shooter ..but there is a world of difference in a excellent target shooter and a good combat shooter . I'm definitely not a combat shooter and I'm glad I'm not . But I recognize the difference . This guy would handle you on a range and save your ass in a fight. Show a little respect
@@JWoodcock Paul probably had a speech impediment but he's said many times that most gaffes and flubs are edited out or reshot on the spot, at least on the instructional videos. I think Paul mentions his flaws as a way of disarming the audience and lowering the barrier between (exalted) teacher and (lowly) student and to signify that like us, he is not perfect but with proper training, most flaws can be eliminated.
Thank you! An associate at Turners was just recently trying to tell me that the Remington 870 Express I was looking at didn't have a rifled barrel so I couldn't use rifled slugs and would need to pay for sabot slugs. I just left the store. Keep on keeping on, your knowledge and expertise are a breath of fresh air in this sea of misinformation that we live in.
"Rifled" slugs are for smooth bore shotguns. If the shotgun didn't have a rifled barrel, then you /should/ use the rifled slugs. Sabot slugs are for rifled barrels only.
I have very good results with a 5 or 6 inch(can't recall) extended rifled choke on my 870. The particular slug makes the difference. Good with Remington sluggers. Great with the Winchester slugs in the silver box.
Just don't make a habit of shooting foster slugs through a rifled barrel, unless you want spend hours of cleaning the lead out of the bore. My father in law did this for two years and his barrel was so gummed up with lead it looked like a smoothbore.
Paul, I appreciate your no-nonsense, real world tests and advice. Your kind of straightforward information is increasingly uncommon. Thanks for your consistently professional work!
reaffirming my philosophy of a rifled short barrel with 00 buck for bumps in the night. before anyone says anything, I live alone in the woods so I can shoot through all the walls I want.
paul has a fantastic video about different caliber penetration of multiple house walls and an exterior wall, i just watched it and #4 buck did an awesome job !! ua-cam.com/video/CiHHgjaR0TI/v-deo.html ...... you have the right idea MechanizedApe but i think the wrong pellets.. you might wanna go with my idea of 32 pellet #4 buck to fill in your pattern.. or #3 buck or #2 or #1.. to hell with over-penetration scares.. if someone's/anyone's shots over-penetrate it is not the defenders fault but it is the fault of the intruder instigating the battle engagement.. of course we will still feel badly if anyone is hurt but [sorry if this offends anyone] the objective you all seem to be talking about is you and your loved ones surviving the engagement, [which i assume is constant and foremost on your mind during the entire battle ie: know your target and what is behind and beyond it , this should include if your family is behind the target, right? ] so over-penetration should be a minor secondary concern up to the point where you are legally liable,.. such as using a military 50cal rifle in your dorm-room to stop an attack, and even that is still up to a judge and jury.. [although one of the best quotes i will never forget is "your handgun has a main purpose, and it's main purpose is to get you to your long rifle!!" a shotgun under 25 yards seems reasonable but you gotta check your shot pattern.. if anyone [including me] wants to consider sacrificing penetration for effectiveness of engaging the target, that's totally up to the defending individual as long as they know there may be safety repercussions if you dont take down the target quickly and legal repercussions if excessive force is used to defend yourself, i guess.....i will keep an open mind... i liked this video, have a great day my good friend
Paul would have more subscribers if he had a snappy soundtrack and a scantily clad female sidekick shooting with him, but then it woulndnt be a Paul Harrel video.
@@glenda8110 oh please let’s just not do that🙈. That eye candy reminds me of those idiotic informationals that plague late night tv.🤢. I took enough classes in advertising to understand how they insinuate sex in some fashion in most everything they sell. Much of it is subliminal in that you can’t directly see it but it’s there someplace. Once you “ get it” you can see through most of the nonsense and it just seems like in these cases it’s so much desperation for those all important Klicks. The no bullshit format 👍🏻 perfect!
Thank you for such a practical demonstration, Mr. Harrell. This video answered so many of my questions about shotgun ammo/barrel selection, saving me a bunch of time and money to figure it out, myself. Such a public service! Blessings, Grace and Peace 😊
This video helped me decide I don't need a rifled barrel. If I'm interested in range I'll pick up my .450 or .308. 50 yards with slugs is plenty for pushing.
@@Oregon-airguns u fail to realize the comment he made was over 2 years ago right? 2 years ago the guy only had about 10 thousand subscribers. I'd say he was underrated back then.
This video could not have been more timely as I just purchased a Mossberg 500 (smoothbore barreled) with rifle sights (flip up/down barleycorn rear with ramp front) and was about to invest in several boxes of slugs, buckshot and No. 6 shells for use as a "control" load. I hate to sound cheap, despite the fact that I AM VERY cheap whenever possible, but seeing the patterns from the camera's view allowed me to settle on a buckshot load for the barrel that came on my particular firearm. I AM in the market for both a rifled barrel and a nice vent ribbed barrel for bird hunting usage as cheaply as I can find them priced. Thanks again for a very timely and on point video and for saving me some money that can now be spent on barrels and chokes!
I have this thing where if I have a question like how do I know which slugs to use i just go to UA-cam and find pauls videos and he always has the answers like an amazing Internet Uncle 😂
Someone on a gun forum mentioned Paul Harrell and here I am. Subscribed and liked. I've always heard that you should use rifled slugs in a smooth bore and un-rifled slugs or sabot in a rifled bore. Thanks for expounding on that.
Thanks Paul ! You answered all my questions about slugs, smooth boar , bird shot , rifled barred compatibility, intelligent, informative, to the point ! Excellent video !
I've fired bird shot through a .45/410 handgun and found that different loads behave quite differently from one another. Different brands and loadings use different components and changing one component can make a striking difference. Some would scatter quickly making thin basically useless patterns. Some would make a doughnut pattern like you described. One load seamed to ignore the rifling and shoot a tight and consistent pattern.
I'm amazed at the difference in number of views (overnight, or first 8 hours) that your videos are getting, compared to when I started watching you. It's fantastic! Great content, as always. Keep up the good work!
*The Stoned Videogame Nerd* Sorry to hear you cannot shoot yours as I have found the Shockwave to be a pussycat with Federal LEO Low Recoil loads(1150fps). This is the most fun I have had with a gun in years. Almost every pellet is on paper at 7yds. As for Aquila, why pay more for less? Yes, the 1897 was nice too. I may have to look for one.
I love that when I go to watch a video on this channel I can confidently give it a "like" before I even watch it. I may not know exactly what you're going to show or how the findings will be, but I know the quality of demonstration will be professional and that I'll learn a lot of useful things. Thanks as always for the great content, Paul!
As always, a great video and personally very timely for me. The "Slug Debate" has been going on at my Saturday morning men's breakfast for years. Thanks for the info. Also, you should do a video on "Why we need to buy a new gun or two every year". My wife keeps asking silly questions like "Don't you already a gun like that?" I say "Well, I have it in an auto loader, but not in a revolver...or it's a compact and this is a full size..or I have a double action and this is a single action...." With your calm demeanor and sound logic, I am sure you could convince my wife and probably many others that there is a good reason for the need for all these different guns and she shouldn't ask questions. It would avoid a lot of husband/wife arguments....😉
if you shoot a lot, how about "honey, you know things wear out. i used it so much and now the warrantee is expired and plus you know our lives depend on these things working correctly the first time, every time..dont you think a new gun keeps us safer darling?!" .. but then you gotta worry about the woman logic kicking in and then her saying "well don't shoot so much and wear them out so fast !!" ...maybe just tell her you made a bet with a stranger or friend at the gun club for a new gun, and you won the bet !!...hehehe LOL
I never argue with my wife about needing a new gun i just slip a few bucks out of the bank account here and there and slip it in the back door when she's not home
Lol damn yeah every year it seems like. Got away with 2 maybe 3 this year.. it’s opposite in my house tho. I love guns and my husband has no interest but is supportive. Anyone do the gun for birthdays or Christmas?? you say it’s for them but in reality…
I always give you a thumbs up, even before watching your videos. NEVER have I needed to change that EVER, after watching the video. Thank you for great technical videos. You and Hickok45 are my all time favorite channels, period.
I wait till after watching because you know UA-cam weights a like that was given after video review differently than one given automatically. Too many computerphiles in the pond for them not too...
The metal in your intro was given to my dad. He was proven in the field of battle. His opinion . He was impressed with the black powder which is legal in most shotgun zones. He was impressed by a group with riffled slugs through my side by side 626 Barretta. It has a group of 5" smooth barrels. It's the closest to a high end side by side rifle. 😎.
I like how he dispenses with the b.s. and goes straight to 100 yards on the first slug test. On the third test I wasn't paying full attention and thought it was 100 yards and I was ready to buy an old double barrel, that group was tight, then I heard it was at 25 yards. Great video.
I've got a Beretta slug gun w/chrome lined rifled barrel. Using Hornady SST sobot slugs mine is zero's at 120yds and shoots awesome. Anything under 300yds is dead, biggest thing is I've shot this gun often and know it very well.
Thanks for the video! I keep thinking of random questions as I watch through your presentations, and I'll be danged if every one doesn't get answered!... Once shot a borrowed .22 WMR, was told you could shoot .22 LR through it, just to watch your eyes.... Yeah.... Very little time on the web proved I did not have access to good firearms information near me LOL.... You presentations are pure gold to those who don't know nothing about firearms. Thanks again, Jesse
Appreciate you as always Paul, and I'm 'Just saying'... but for folks using a Shotgun for deer, pigs or black bear, I would suggest not shooting the 12ga at all. The ballistics and terminal performance of the 20Ga using a rifled barrel is the better option imho. The Riffled 20ga shooting something like the Remington Copper Solid, Accu-Tip, Expander Sabot, Hornady FTX, Federal Vital-Shok, and similar Slug loads gives you an accurate 20Ga Rifle that is effective to 200yrds with outstanding performance on game.
Your last shot with the shot through a rifled barrel would prove effective for most people and shows how the so called myth of just pointing a shot gun and hitting anything in front of it can actually happen. In a home defense or Zombie attack...that 6 foot spread would come in handy! As always, great videos!
As always, thank you Paul for uploading another fantastic video. I just wanted to add my 2 cents to your findings. I am from Canada. My son-in-law shoots a 590-A1 with a smooth bore open sights, and I shoot a Mossberg 500 with a rilfed barrel and red dot. We both shoot Canadian made "SCORE" Brenneke slugs at $1CAD/round; son-in-law shoots 1 1/8 oz, I shoot 1 oz. We each can hit groups no more than a hand width apart at 70 yards, freehand, without any trouble. These are only our findings and I am simply adding information to your already informative video and I am always looking forward to your upcoming videos. BTW: I also shoot 30-30 and I find your video the best to show people REAL findings of 30-30 ballistics.
First time I saw some one fired a slug out of a modified even a full choke. So this convinced that we can fire a slug out of a modified/ full choke in an emergency.
Michael Moon If you plan on shooting just slugs, then get the rifled barrel. If you want ALL of the many advantages of a shotgun, get the smooth bore. My smooth bore shoots slugs plenty accurate enough. 2"-3" groups at 50 yards. Plus, I've got 8 different sized chokes for my other loads.
It all depends, ive had both rifled and smooth bore, at 50 yards i missed all 6 rounds at a group of 4 running deer with sabot slugs out of an 870 express with a rifled barrel, but had one round one kill at 100+ rounds at a running deer....point being, sabot slugs and rifled barrels are not always the best. Its all about comfort, and practice. Also ease of use, most smooth bore has a single bead for a sight, where rifled barrels mostly have rifle type open sights.
Same scattered pattern shooting snake shot through a rifled barrel. But a .22 shot shell with a Short Lane adapter gives great patterns at 15 yards with very little noise. Kind of specialized, but for pests in close, no ricochet worries and low noise, works well.
Hands down the most effective slug ever developed is the BRI (Ballistic Research Industries) 1-Oz. Sabot which is made to be shot from a smooth-bore with extreme accuracy at ranges to 125-yards.. I've gotten 3-inch groups at 100-yards with a Model-12 with bead sights. The ammunition company was bought out by Winchester who still makes it, but their marketing department wrongly labels them for "Rifled Barrels Only".
That was very instructive. I've been shooting for 50 years and I learned a few things from this video. The only problem is that I didn't understand if you shot from both barrels of the double barrel shotgun? Or were those four shots from one barrel, and if so which one?
Nice. I was a little surprised the sabots printed so low. Interesting to see rifled slugs in a rifled bore. The accuracy on the sabot slugs from the rifled barrel was gratifying. Surprised the cost difference was so small. The sabot slug prices i usually see are higher. Great video as always. Thank you
My home defense shotgun is a 1975 Remington Model 1100 12 gauge loaded with 000 buckshot. It chambered 2’3/4 but don’t be fooled. Once a month I break it down and put grease on the cocking arms and bolt. This allows me to cycle even low brass skeet loads with ease. I have a mossberg 500 thats factory camouflaged and it’s chambered in 3 inch 12 gauge. Improved cylinder works best with the mossberg if you use 3 inch 000 buckshot. Got off topic a bit but I plan on buying a rifled barrel for my Remington model 1100 12 gauge for slugs. 2’3/4 slugs are more accurate and tumble less than 3 inch. You will have more stopping power than any rifle at 150 yards with the right slugs. I’ve seen wild hogs get shot 20 yards away with a 30-06 and get up and run. I was with a friend that shot a wild hog around same distance with a 12 gauge slug gun and the hog buckled and hit hard, never moved. Both shots were in same area.
Thanks for another great offering! Is it possible that the rifled barrel won't shoot a doughnut pattern with bird shot unless it's a law enforcement shotgun?
Paul I recently found your channel and love your content. Could you do a video on realistic accuracy goals. Ex. How tight of a group is really good enough for rifle and pistol. Thank you
danny oleksiak From 50 yards, I can hit my 10" gong 95% of the time, with my TX-22 pistol, but it took some practice(years). With a rifle... 2" groups at 100 yards, is plenty efficient for hunting(1" is MOA). 6" groups from 25 yards is plenty efficient, with a self defense handgun. I shoot slightly better than I recommended, but I've been shooting for a long, long time. Start off by trying to shoot 4" groups from 10 yards, with your handgun, and just stay at it. You'll get better, and better with time. Trust me.
Paul, from one old combat vet to another, nice channel, nice presentation from you. About this video. I do believe rifled barrels are more accurate, but I do have a smoothbore that will tell a different tale. It's an Ithaca model 37 feather lite pump. It's kind of unusual in that it's a 20 gauge. I got this as a Christmas present from my wife in 1971. Got the slug barrel, regular barrel, and vent rib. The slug barrel will group 4 inches at 75 yards every time. I love this shotgun, especially since I am left handed. ( still have the scar on my right cheek from m14 and m16 brass hitting me) and yes if you hold the trigger down and pump her she will crank em right out. Regards and welcome home brother
I shoot a lot of slugs and have found that shotguns are very finicky about the rounds they shoot, with no two being identical in what they like. I have however found that more often than not, shotguns tend to prefer lower velocities rather than higher velocities. If you get the chance, find some Fiocchi 1050 fps slugs. The inserted wads that stay with the slug and act like a shuttlecock really work well for stabilizing them and in most of my smoothbore shotguns they work very well.
bingo. shoot hot slugs and your pattern will really open up. you can always hold higher. Good luck hunting successfully if you have no idea where your bullets gonna hit
WOW - At 3:00 somebody parked their pickup truck behind the targets. They must REALLY trust that Paul won't miss and that none of those slugs will hit the ground and skip.
I have all ways wondered what would happen if you shot slugs through a full choke. New sub here love your video's you are truly one of the most firearms educated man of all I've seen. Any video's on the use of choke tubes duck goose and deer season is upon us and what choke to use on what is confusing Lol.
Yeah I was always told you'd blow the barrel. Glad I found Paul Harrell's channel! I could've been shooting slugs through my Mossberg auto this whole time.
I was talking with my buddy today about shooting rifled slugs through a rifled barrel a and I had to check a couple things out independently, low and behold my man Paul has a video on that too. Semper Fi brother
So it is my understanding that when you fire a slug through a full choke barrel, it will actually slow the slug down slightly because the lead needs to be stretched to fit through the hole. Could you put this to the test by firing the same slugs over the chronograph out of either the same gun with removable chokes, or out of two guns one with a full choke one with a cylinder bore?
Paul, you are so right. I have a 20 gauge Mossberg Trophy Slugster (24" rifled cantilevered barrel with scope mount). I put a 1.5-7x scope on it and it holds a 2-3" group all day. I have a bird barrel that I put on when I want to hunt something not big game. When you said $5 bucks for non-sabot and $7 slugs I almost swallowed my spoon (ice cream time)... Then I realized how old this piece is...
Awesome as always. One thing to share based on a lot of past experience with slug shooting. Whether shooting rifled slugs through a smoothbore, or sabots through a rifled barrel, you really need to experiment with different brands and lengths of shells (if you have a 3" chamber in a 12 ga) to find what shoots well. Each gun will have it's preference. In my younger days I only hunted deer with smoothbore guns and rifled slugs (all we had). One gun shot best with Winchester slugs, the other with Remington. Remarkable difference in how they performed with each ammo. Wanted to know why, so I cut open one of each. The Remington slugs were of smaller diameter, and had a thicker skirt. The Winchester slugs were fatter, with a thinner and more deformable skirt. Not surprisingly, the Winchester loads performed much better in the improved cylinder barrel, while the Remington's were better with the full choke. In rifled barrels I've also found remarkable differences between sabots of different brands, in multiple guns. Keep up the great stuff Paul!
Years ago I had a Mossberg 20 guage. I cut the barrel to 18.5", and mounted a peep sight on the rear, and a conventional sight up front. I could consistently hit an 8" paper plate at 75 yd. I found this to be very effective on whitetails in the brush up here in VT.
Paul... this is one I really wanted the answer to. Several other questions answered as well...all useful in choosing a shot gun.. or the choke tube to use. I wish there were some demos of 20 gauge..
One thing I learned is if using slugs IMP CYL. works best less deforming when exiting the barrel. I've used Foster slugs out of my 1897 Winchester it groups them great at 100 yards, but as stated the more open the choke the better they do.
Sabot is not pronounced with a hard A. It is pronounced with a soft A, the same as Sabotage. It's French for shoe. Workers used to sabotage factory machines by putting a wooden shoe in the gears.
Just want to say Paul I love your videos, and something about them is almost addicting. Love the information and work you put into years of content, keep it up!
Paul’s like the uncle you never know you had. Being new to shotgunning, I found this extremely helpful. Seems to me, firing a slug through an improved-cylinder barrel is almost like a musket ball through a flintlock, kinda.
Supposedly muskets maximum deadly range was 75-100 yards. The ball was small enough to roll right down the barrel so you can imagine how much more it would bounce around barrel walls compared to a slug. For sure a shotgun is everything those line infantry guys wish their muskets was especially in terms of reliability. Flintlocks are finicky andeven if wind and rain aren’t preventing them from going off eventually the hot gunk in the barrel from the black powder will. Guys had musket cleaning tools with brushes for the pan and picks for the touchhole right on their cartridge box strap or somewhere else they could get to it in the heat of battle.
A buddy and I were shooting 00 buckshot out of a rifled barrel, and it was hilarious. One shot was scattering the shot 20 feet high at 50 yards, the next shot might be 20 feet to the left or right. It was being a true "scatter" gun, just scattered everywhere. Overall i'd rather have a smooth bore any day of the week for general use.
Gun Sam most smooth bores will shoot open sights/bead slugs to 100 yards really well. Wouldn't ask much more from a rifle. Rifled shotgun barrels with scopes are for those shotgun only deer hunts or shot gun seasons in eastern states. I feel those barrels really limit your shotgun to one purpose instead of many.
My state of MI limits rifle use in the lower half of the state where it's more populated with people. But recently, they have also began to allow for the use of straight walled carbines in rifles such a .44 mag, 500 mag and the like. The interesting thing is that studies were done that showed that shotgun slugs can travel as far as a mile while skipping across the ground, as where rifle bullets usually do not travel far at all after hitting the ground. It makes you wonder how they ever came up with all of the hunting rules that they have, probably an accidental shooting one time from a distance with a rifle, and without studying all the facts, they came to the conclusion that rifles are bad in a more populated area, and that shotguns "can't" shoot far.
Where I live (in Europe), smoothbore shotgun are harder to get (due to gun control) than rifled shotgun. Some manufacturer decided to make rifled shotgun with nearly straight grooves. When you shoot buckshots or birdshots, it's nearly as a smoothbore barrel.
Made my day seeing a new video by Paul! Great info. I had heard alot about bird shot in a rifled slug barrel but never tried it. I wont waste my time or money now.
Great video, Paul! I was curious about this as I am in the market for a shotgun. That being said I was wondering if you had an opinion on the concept of scout rifles and your thoughts on practical rifles and how they might compare to your thoughts on scout rifles.
Gillan Laureth of Seles I'd be interested to see this as well. Maybe a few short-range drills with the scout rifle? We all know that bolt guns are quite sufficient at range; it's the close-range performance that the long-eye-relief scope mount is supposed to improve.
I was considering that particular rifle. However the magazines are nearly impossible to find and when you can find them they are upwards of $80. I'd only want 2, maybe 3 spare magazines but that's 1/3 the cost of the rifle just in replacement magazines (as well as hearing the magazines are kinda on the flimsy side). I also hear the open sights are mounted very low and you almost have to take the cheek riser off to get a sight picture with them. A few other mentions were the Mossberg MVP Scout, the Styer Scout, and the venerable M1A (both of the latter are out of my current price range). I like the Mossberg for the utility and affordability, I like the Styer for being the truest of scout rifles and looking damn sexy doing it, and I like the M1A because who wouldn't want one to begin with (though it's hefty for a scout gun). Those are all of the dedicated scout rifles I hear about. Then you could also do some gunsmithing work and make something like a Remington 700 into a scout rifle with some extended rails and such. How about you all? What do you think of these guns?
I just checked out the Howa rifle and that looks like one sexy beast. It's on the definite upper price range of what I could afford, maybe even not afford. The only feature I did not find likable is the short top-mounted rail system. You don't have a lot of range for mounting optics so if you wanted to maintain the close-range edge of a scout you'd have to go with a low magnification system or get an ACOG-like optic. Still tempting as it looks like an amazing rifle at first glance. I've heard very mixed feelings about the Mossberg rifles. Notably that the actions are weak, the accuracy is shite, and it's usually rough around the edges out-of-box. Then I have also heard the inverse of all of these things from people who apparently own them. Lastly, about the Savage magazines: for me, what's the point of having a detachable box magazine if you'll never need to use it? I like to have several additional magazines for everything I own because I like to load them all at once at the range and spend more time shooting (I haven't taken my hunting and safety courses yet...I also don't have anywhere to store all that delicious meat). That being said I've also added the Ruger American Predator to my list of potential rifles. It's gotten amazing reviews and the only two things I don't like are the lack of open sights and the lack of an extended rail but I can compensate for those. And if you don't mind me asking where are you from? France? Germany? New Zealand?
Good lord that's expensive compared to here in the US! The average I've seen for the Savage Scout is about $600. Unless that's the Australian dollar in which case I think that's almost par for the course. The Ruger GSR...well, I just don't like it very much. I've had the chance to pick one up and work the action and it just feels like a brick to me. The Ruger American Predator was nice and smooth but not really a scout gun save the fact it's light weight and has nice accuracy. After you told me about the Howa Scout I've been doing my research on it and there isn't all that much research to be had lol. No real reviews on YT and not a lot of people are talking about it except to say it's not a true scout gun due to it's conventional placement of the optic rail and the gun being "too heavy" (which at 7lbs empty is not too heavy, really. It misses the true scout design specs by .4 of a pound, or 1.4 with a full sized scope). These things aside I'm torn between the Savage 11 Scout, the Howa Scout and the Ruger American Predator. Really the only reason I haven't purchased the Ruger American already is that is lacks iron sights. With a 2-7 or 3-9 power scope you can still get a great field of view at the lowest settings and still be able to dial in without a problem like you would with a long eye relief scope BUT that's no excuse for the lack of good ol' irons. But I don't know anymore. I'm tired, it's late. Good night, or morning for you in Australia. I'll be thinking about this all day at work tomorrow, most like. So many things to consider.
Just lost you a few days ago and you’re still teaching me things… RIP
Paul, you systematically answer every single question I have ever asked with outstanding military style no-nonsense presentations. As an ex-paratrooper, rifleman, drill sergeant, and army marksmanship instructor your channel is literally everything I have ever wanted within the domain of marksmanship and ballistics content. Please don't ever stop. H-minus!
Alex Hegley if your comment is true then our military training sucks. This guy cant shoot
In the DOD we have 3 calibers 5.56x45, 9mm, and 7.62x51. Technically 4 if you count the .50 for small arms. The .50 falls in small arms or heavy weapons depending on the literature you are reading. Whether it be field manuals, or unit SOPs. It is "officially" an anti-aircraft and anti-vehicle munition. But it does wonders for human targets behind certain types of cover as well. We are experts in these specific calibers. With some minor supplementary training in foreign munitions such as 7.62x39 and other common military rounds, we don't really get to see these kinds of effects on target, or energy comparisons with common over the counter stuff. Which we don't need anyway, we have our adequate overlap in range, energy, accuracy, and lethality overall in what we got. With my squad plus my radio, I can kill anything within line of sight anywhere, as far as 5 miles. Typically 5 miles is your limit on even terrain due to curvitre of the earth. Its nice to see complete and concise presentations in a military-style covering civilian munitions, tactics, and techniques. As for Pauls marksmanship. He shoots every type of weapon, in every caliber, from every era of US history, in every weather condition, in every video within minute of fist. Put your fist over your heart and look at it. Cameras are cheap homie. UA-cam is free. Put up or shut up. Airborne Motherfucker!
@@terrybeasley2898 fuck I wish I shot as poorly as Paul . Let's see how you do picking up a stranger's gun and fire it within minutes of picking it up cold never having touched that particular weapon untill then . There are a lot of excellent shots out there hell even I'm a pretty fair shooter ..but there is a world of difference in a excellent target shooter and a good combat shooter . I'm definitely not a combat shooter and I'm glad I'm not . But I recognize the difference . This guy would handle you on a range and save your ass in a fight. Show a little respect
@@terrybeasley2898 you are funny.
Terry Beasley your not what I’d call a professional...
We're not on the range today, so please bear with the lack of gunfire you hear in the background :)
LOL! Exactly!
Hahahaha 🤣😂🤣😂😂
And the only remaining distraction is the non-existent speech impediment that Paul always mentions 😂 Dude's speech is almost flawless.
@@JWoodcock Paul probably had a speech impediment but he's said many times that most gaffes and flubs are edited out or reshot on the spot, at least on the instructional videos. I think Paul mentions his flaws as a way of disarming the audience and lowering the barrier between (exalted) teacher and (lowly) student and to signify that like us, he is not perfect but with proper training, most flaws can be eliminated.
@Hjerte_Verke man, I had to come back to say - excellent point! He was a smart man.
its a weird combination of sad and happy now watching these RIP Soldier
Thank you! An associate at Turners was just recently trying to tell me that the Remington 870 Express I was looking at didn't have a rifled barrel so I couldn't use rifled slugs and would need to pay for sabot slugs. I just left the store. Keep on keeping on, your knowledge and expertise are a breath of fresh air in this sea of misinformation that we live in.
You can buy a rifled choke too
"Rifled" slugs are for smooth bore shotguns. If the shotgun didn't have a rifled barrel, then you /should/ use the rifled slugs. Sabot slugs are for rifled barrels only.
I have very good results with a 5 or 6 inch(can't recall) extended rifled choke on my 870. The particular slug makes the difference. Good with Remington sluggers. Great with the Winchester slugs in the silver box.
Most of the employees at Turners are bad IMO
@@ExceptionalPleb I'm guessing Turner's is some kind of big box store?
Just don't make a habit of shooting foster slugs through a rifled barrel, unless you want spend hours of cleaning the lead out of the bore. My father in law did this for two years and his barrel was so gummed up with lead it looked like a smoothbore.
Paul, I appreciate your no-nonsense, real world tests and advice. Your kind of straightforward information is increasingly uncommon. Thanks for your consistently professional work!
reaffirming my philosophy of a rifled short barrel with 00 buck for bumps in the night. before anyone says anything, I live alone in the woods so I can shoot through all the walls I want.
Then shoot on brother!
That's what i tell my wife!! Letter rip!! One exception....Don't shoot toward the BOAT SHED!!!!!
paul has a fantastic video about different caliber penetration of multiple house walls and an exterior wall, i just watched it and #4 buck did an awesome job !! ua-cam.com/video/CiHHgjaR0TI/v-deo.html ...... you have the right idea MechanizedApe but i think the wrong pellets.. you might wanna go with my idea of 32 pellet #4 buck to fill in your pattern.. or #3 buck or #2 or #1.. to hell with over-penetration scares.. if someone's/anyone's shots over-penetrate it is not the defenders fault but it is the fault of the intruder instigating the battle engagement.. of course we will still feel badly if anyone is hurt but [sorry if this offends anyone] the objective you all seem to be talking about is you and your loved ones surviving the engagement, [which i assume is constant and foremost on your mind during the entire battle ie: know your target and what is behind and beyond it , this should include if your family is behind the target, right? ] so over-penetration should be a minor secondary concern up to the point where you are legally liable,.. such as using a military 50cal rifle in your dorm-room to stop an attack, and even that is still up to a judge and jury.. [although one of the best quotes i will never forget is "your handgun has a main purpose, and it's main purpose is to get you to your long rifle!!" a shotgun under 25 yards seems reasonable but you gotta check your shot pattern.. if anyone [including me] wants to consider sacrificing penetration for effectiveness of engaging the target, that's totally up to the defending individual as long as they know there may be safety repercussions if you dont take down the target quickly and legal repercussions if excessive force is used to defend yourself, i guess.....i will keep an open mind... i liked this video, have a great day my good friend
@@mrtraumaboyy4098 grow the hell up ... everyone who's anyone knows you fortify the boat shed ..the hell's wrong with you!? Lmao . Jk
The Great Mechanized Ape You mention that it's a "short" barrel. Barrel length has absolutely nothing to do with shot pattern, contrary to the MYTH.
Literally just hopped on UA-cam the second this got active. Always a good day when there's a new video from Paul.
Arie Heath: I've been watching Paul's vids all day since I got home from work. This guy's great!
I come from the future. Beware of COVID. Can’t say anything more
I love how Paul never looks away from the camera when he picks things up. Spacial awareness overload!!! LOL
RIP Mr. Harrell. Thank you for your videos.
No bullshit, right to the point, no bias, and explained in simple yet informative ways.
HOW DO YOU NOT HAVE MORE SUBS?
Paul would have more subscribers if he had a snappy soundtrack and a scantily clad female sidekick shooting with him, but then it woulndnt be a Paul Harrel video.
For us, this is a really informative video, but to some, they might find this boring.
@@glenda8110 oh please let’s just not do that🙈. That eye candy reminds me of those idiotic informationals that plague late night tv.🤢. I took enough classes in advertising to understand how they insinuate sex in some fashion in most everything they sell. Much of it is subliminal in that you can’t directly see it but it’s there someplace. Once you “ get it” you can see through most of the nonsense and it just seems like in these cases it’s so much desperation for those all important Klicks. The no bullshit format 👍🏻 perfect!
Subs are for insecure people who don't know how to shoot. Believe me I grew up with someone who knows. He also never believed in the NRA 😎
youtube fix was in
Damn, I am amazed at how brief, informative, and thorough he is in such a short amount of time. This is exactly what UA-cam needs.
Thank you for such a practical demonstration, Mr. Harrell. This video answered so many of my questions about shotgun ammo/barrel selection, saving me a bunch of time and money to figure it out, myself. Such a public service!
Blessings, Grace and Peace 😊
This video helped me decide I don't need a rifled barrel. If I'm interested in range I'll pick up my .450 or .308. 50 yards with slugs is plenty for pushing.
It's the confident fellow who parks his truck in back of his targets.
Underrated Gun Channel.
B A K U oooohhh maaai gaawwwt
WTF!? Dudes got 300k subscribers alone!!! Lord knows how many views he has gotten!! How’s that under rated!?!?
@@Oregon-airguns because there are gun channels out there with millions of subs, that's where Paul should be right now
@@Oregon-airguns u fail to realize the comment he made was over 2 years ago right? 2 years ago the guy only had about 10 thousand subscribers. I'd say he was underrated back then.
Underrated channel full stop
For someone with very limited knowledge and experience with shotguns, I found this to be highly informative. Thanks!
Here again in 2024 for the whole video.
RIP Brother
Miss this guy...
This video could not have been more timely as I just purchased a Mossberg 500 (smoothbore barreled) with rifle sights (flip up/down barleycorn rear with ramp front) and was about to invest in several boxes of slugs, buckshot and No. 6 shells for use as a "control" load. I hate to sound cheap, despite the fact that I AM VERY cheap whenever possible, but seeing the patterns from the camera's view allowed me to settle on a buckshot load for the barrel that came on my particular firearm. I AM in the market for both a rifled barrel and a nice vent ribbed barrel for bird hunting usage as cheaply as I can find them priced. Thanks again for a very timely and on point video and for saving me some money that can now be spent on barrels and chokes!
RIP, Paul.
I have this thing where if I have a question like how do I know which slugs to use i just go to UA-cam and find pauls videos and he always has the answers like an amazing Internet Uncle 😂
A very knowledgeable man and may you rest in peace
Thanks as always, Paul. Rest easy sir. You are missed by many.
Someone on a gun forum mentioned Paul Harrell and here I am. Subscribed and liked. I've always heard that you should use rifled slugs in a smooth bore and un-rifled slugs or sabot in a rifled bore. Thanks for expounding on that.
That feel when you're bored and on at midnight and your favorite youtuber uploads a video
That dime trick is real handy, Thanks Paul! :)
Worth more than a plugged nickel.
Yep I remember the first time I seen that dime trick in 1978
I actually learned that from Berry (RIP) on Iraqveteran8888.
Does a Canadian dime work the same...lol
Thanks Paul ! You answered all my questions about slugs, smooth boar , bird shot , rifled barred compatibility, intelligent, informative, to the point ! Excellent video !
Drop everything, Paul uploaded!
Dropped everything, got popcorn !
Dropped everything.
H Wagener. Didn't waste the time with popcorn. Watching too intently to eat it, anyways.
Was holding a baby, still dropped everything
Honestly it was probably better to drop the baby
I've watched this video several times over the past couple years. I still appreciate it. Thanks, Paul. Wishing you the best.
I watched it again tonight. Paul is the best.
As always Paul, very informative, factual, no nonsense but humour all at the same time
To the point, serious , hardcore no fancy Tactical gear. Spot on
Rest in peace paul
I've fired bird shot through a .45/410 handgun and found that different loads behave quite differently from one another.
Different brands and loadings use different components and changing one component can make a striking difference.
Some would scatter quickly making thin basically useless patterns. Some would make a doughnut pattern like you described.
One load seamed to ignore the rifling and shoot a tight and consistent pattern.
I'm amazed at the difference in number of views (overnight, or first 8 hours) that your videos are getting, compared to when I started watching you. It's fantastic! Great content, as always. Keep up the good work!
We miss you Paul. Rest in piece.
How about doing a video on the performance of full power slugs and buckshot versus the performance of reduced recoil slugs and buckshot?
That's a good idea.
I second this.
Maybe with something like a Shockwave or TAC-14 (smiles broadly).
*The Stoned Videogame Nerd* Sorry to hear you cannot shoot yours as I have found the Shockwave to be a pussycat with Federal LEO Low Recoil loads(1150fps). This is the most fun I have had with a gun in years. Almost every pellet is on paper at 7yds. As for Aquila, why pay more for less? Yes, the 1897 was nice too. I may have to look for one.
For the money shockwaves are incredible fun! My friends dont share my fondness for 3 inch magnum slugs though.
I love that when I go to watch a video on this channel I can confidently give it a "like" before I even watch it. I may not know exactly what you're going to show or how the findings will be, but I know the quality of demonstration will be professional and that I'll learn a lot of useful things. Thanks as always for the great content, Paul!
As always, a great video and personally very timely for me. The "Slug Debate" has been going on at my Saturday morning men's breakfast for years. Thanks for the info.
Also, you should do a video on "Why we need to buy a new gun or two every year". My wife keeps asking silly questions like "Don't you already a gun like that?" I say "Well, I have it in an auto loader, but not in a revolver...or it's a compact and this is a full size..or I have a double action and this is a single action...."
With your calm demeanor and sound logic, I am sure you could convince my wife and probably many others that there is a good reason for the need for all these different guns and she shouldn't ask questions. It would avoid a lot of husband/wife arguments....😉
Because I can?
Alright, yeah, I can see how a wife might not like that answer.
if you shoot a lot, how about "honey, you know things wear out. i used it so much and now the warrantee is expired and plus you know our lives depend on these things working correctly the first time, every time..dont you think a new gun keeps us safer darling?!" .. but then you gotta worry about the woman logic kicking in and then her saying "well don't shoot so much and wear them out so fast !!" ...maybe just tell her you made a bet with a stranger or friend at the gun club for a new gun, and you won the bet !!...hehehe LOL
Chris Chrism , Better yet, ask HER why she has so many pairs of shoes & purses, whole closetful of dresses she MIGHT wear once a year.
I never argue with my wife about needing a new gun i just slip a few bucks out of the bank account here and there and slip it in the back door when she's not home
Lol damn yeah every year it seems like. Got away with 2 maybe 3 this year.. it’s opposite in my house tho. I love guns and my husband has no interest but is supportive. Anyone do the gun for birthdays or Christmas?? you say it’s for them but in reality…
I always give you a thumbs up, even before watching your videos. NEVER have I needed to change that EVER, after watching the video. Thank you for great technical videos. You and Hickok45 are my all time favorite channels, period.
I wait till after watching because you know UA-cam weights a like that was given after video review differently than one given automatically. Too many computerphiles in the pond for them not too...
If you're into guns check out mosin crate too, no shooting but plenty of firearms
Thanks. I've always been curious about shooting rifled slugs through my smoothies
Rifled slugs are meant for smooth bore barrels.
I really miss Paul testing ”truth” and myths. So comprehensive and well made.
Makes me proud to know this fine man was rewarded for sharing his experiences and expertise. Bravo!
Looks like my back yard. Thank you Mr. Harrell for all of your awesomeness.
Paul is the best UA-camr hands down! He is like a mordern day jedi master haha. Greetings from Pennsylvania Paul!
Man I love Paul's shotgun videos! I have learned so much about one of my favorite weapons to shoot. Shotguns are just so dang diverse.
**grabs a dime and pappy's old shotgun**
Another great video Paul!
The metal in your intro was given to my dad. He was proven in the field of battle. His opinion . He was impressed with the black powder which is legal in most shotgun zones. He was impressed by a group with riffled slugs through my side by side 626 Barretta. It has a group of 5" smooth barrels. It's the closest to a high end side by side rifle. 😎.
I like how he dispenses with the b.s. and goes straight to 100 yards on the first slug test. On the third test I wasn't paying full attention and thought it was 100 yards and I was ready to buy an old double barrel, that group was tight, then I heard it was at 25 yards. Great video.
Yeah, if you want a scatter gun, use birdshot in a rifled bore.
Thanks for your content.
I can't believe how much I miss this guy !
I appreciate your honesty and your knowledge about weapons I've learned something from your videos
Thanks Brother
I've got a Beretta slug gun w/chrome lined rifled barrel. Using Hornady SST sobot slugs mine is zero's at 120yds and shoots awesome. Anything under 300yds is dead, biggest thing is I've shot this gun often and know it very well.
Paul just dropping knowledge. Thanks
Thanks for the video!
I keep thinking of random questions as I watch through your presentations, and I'll be danged if every one doesn't get answered!...
Once shot a borrowed .22 WMR, was told you could shoot .22 LR through it, just to watch your eyes.... Yeah....
Very little time on the web proved I did not have access to good firearms information near me LOL.... You presentations are pure gold to those who don't know nothing about firearms.
Thanks again,
Jesse
I think I've made my father into a fan with this and the "introduction to shotguns" video, and he doesn't even like guns.
Appreciate you as always Paul, and I'm 'Just saying'... but for folks using a Shotgun for deer, pigs or black bear, I would suggest not shooting the 12ga at all. The ballistics and terminal performance of the 20Ga using a rifled barrel is the better option imho. The Riffled 20ga shooting something like the Remington Copper Solid, Accu-Tip, Expander Sabot, Hornady FTX, Federal Vital-Shok, and similar Slug loads gives you an accurate 20Ga Rifle that is effective to 200yrds with outstanding performance on game.
Your last shot with the shot through a rifled barrel would prove effective for most people and shows how the so called myth of just pointing a shot gun and hitting anything in front of it can actually happen. In a home defense or Zombie attack...that 6 foot spread would come in handy! As always, great videos!
As always, thank you Paul for uploading another fantastic video. I just wanted to add my 2 cents to your findings. I am from Canada. My son-in-law shoots a 590-A1 with a smooth bore open sights, and I shoot a Mossberg 500 with a rilfed barrel and red dot. We both shoot Canadian made "SCORE" Brenneke slugs at $1CAD/round; son-in-law shoots 1 1/8 oz, I shoot 1 oz. We each can hit groups no more than a hand width apart at 70 yards, freehand, without any trouble. These are only our findings and I am simply adding information to your already informative video and I am always looking forward to your upcoming videos. BTW: I also shoot 30-30 and I find your video the best to show people REAL findings of 30-30 ballistics.
Great video as always Paul, you’re easily the best gun channel I’ve seen
SuperNegro21 hahaha i love your name, if i ever get in trouble I'll call you lol
First time I saw some one fired a slug out of a modified even a full choke. So this convinced that we can fire a slug out of a modified/ full choke in an emergency.
Thank you Paul. I was looking at shotguns today and was asking myself, smooth bore or rifled? Couldn't decide, the timing of this video is perfect.
Michael Moon If you plan on shooting just slugs, then get the rifled barrel. If you want ALL of the many advantages of a shotgun, get the smooth bore. My smooth bore shoots slugs plenty accurate enough. 2"-3" groups at 50 yards. Plus, I've got 8 different sized chokes for my other loads.
@@jamiesloan5902
Agreed. Freedom munitions makes an awesome 1oz that I've had great results with
It all depends, ive had both rifled and smooth bore, at 50 yards i missed all 6 rounds at a group of 4 running deer with sabot slugs out of an 870 express with a rifled barrel, but had one round one kill at 100+ rounds at a running deer....point being, sabot slugs and rifled barrels are not always the best. Its all about comfort, and practice. Also ease of use, most smooth bore has a single bead for a sight, where rifled barrels mostly have rifle type open sights.
Same scattered pattern shooting snake shot through a rifled barrel. But a .22 shot shell with a Short Lane adapter gives great patterns at 15 yards with very little noise. Kind of specialized, but for pests in close, no ricochet worries and low noise, works well.
Never new a dime was a trick to measure a choke. Thanks Paul
mozzberg never knew new was the new knew
What came first, the 12 Gauge, or the dime?
Hands down the most effective slug ever developed is the BRI (Ballistic Research Industries) 1-Oz. Sabot which is made to be shot from a smooth-bore with extreme accuracy at ranges to 125-yards.. I've gotten 3-inch groups at 100-yards with a Model-12 with bead sights. The ammunition company was bought out by Winchester who still makes it, but their marketing department wrongly labels them for "Rifled Barrels Only".
That was very instructive. I've been shooting for 50 years and I learned a few things from this video. The only problem is that I didn't understand if you shot from both barrels of the double barrel shotgun? Or were those four shots from one barrel, and if so which one?
Left/full choke
Nice. I was a little surprised the sabots printed so low. Interesting to see rifled slugs in a rifled bore. The accuracy on the sabot slugs from the rifled barrel was gratifying. Surprised the cost difference was so small. The sabot slug prices i usually see are higher. Great video as always. Thank you
Liked before the intro even finished
Withdreday o
My home defense shotgun is a 1975 Remington Model 1100 12 gauge loaded with 000 buckshot. It chambered 2’3/4 but don’t be fooled. Once a month I break it down and put grease on the cocking arms and bolt. This allows me to cycle even low brass skeet loads with ease. I have a mossberg 500 thats factory camouflaged and it’s chambered in 3 inch 12 gauge. Improved cylinder works best with the mossberg if you use 3 inch 000 buckshot. Got off topic a bit but I plan on buying a rifled barrel for my Remington model 1100 12 gauge for slugs. 2’3/4 slugs are more accurate and tumble less than 3 inch. You will have more stopping power than any rifle at 150 yards with the right slugs. I’ve seen wild hogs get shot 20 yards away with a 30-06 and get up and run. I was with a friend that shot a wild hog around same distance with a 12 gauge slug gun and the hog buckled and hit hard, never moved. Both shots were in same area.
Thanks for another great offering! Is it possible that the rifled barrel won't shoot a doughnut pattern with bird shot unless it's a law enforcement shotgun?
Good one.😁
Perfect! Lol hahahaha lol
My son calls that a “dad” joke because it’s corny lol
I have to say I love the fact that you’re a man of the cloth. Thank you for teaching and sharing the word of God.
Cheers mate
Heyoh !
Ba-Dum-Tish! :D
7:38 I was as impressed with this ammo description, as I was with his shooting! What delivery! Great vid!
Paul I recently found your channel and love your content. Could you do a video on realistic accuracy goals. Ex. How tight of a group is really good enough for rifle and pistol. Thank you
danny oleksiak From 50 yards, I can hit my 10" gong 95% of the time, with my TX-22 pistol, but it took some practice(years). With a rifle... 2" groups at 100 yards, is plenty efficient for hunting(1" is MOA). 6" groups from 25 yards is plenty efficient, with a self defense handgun. I shoot slightly better than I recommended, but I've been shooting for a long, long time. Start off by trying to shoot 4" groups from 10 yards, with your handgun, and just stay at it. You'll get better, and better with time. Trust me.
Paul, from one old combat vet to another, nice channel, nice presentation from you. About this video. I do believe rifled barrels are more accurate, but I do have a smoothbore that will tell a different tale. It's an Ithaca model 37 feather lite pump. It's kind of unusual in that it's a 20 gauge. I got this as a Christmas present from my wife in 1971. Got the slug barrel, regular barrel, and vent rib. The slug barrel will group 4 inches at 75 yards every time. I love this shotgun, especially since I am left handed. ( still have the scar on my right cheek from m14 and m16 brass hitting me) and yes if you hold the trigger down and pump her she will crank em right out. Regards and welcome home brother
I shoot a lot of slugs and have found that shotguns are very finicky about the rounds they shoot, with no two being identical in what they like. I have however found that more often than not, shotguns tend to prefer lower velocities rather than higher velocities. If you get the chance, find some Fiocchi 1050 fps slugs. The inserted wads that stay with the slug and act like a shuttlecock really work well for stabilizing them and in most of my smoothbore shotguns they work very well.
My Maverick 88 sometimes has trouble ejecting Remington shells, but does fine with Federal and Rio.
bingo. shoot hot slugs and your pattern will really open up. you can always hold higher. Good luck hunting successfully if you have no idea where your bullets gonna hit
Brenneke slugs did group tighter out of my smoothbore shotgun than Rem. Sluggers, but the ol' Sluggers weren't too bad either.
WOW - At 3:00 somebody parked their pickup truck behind the targets. They must REALLY trust that Paul won't miss and that none of those slugs will hit the ground and skip.
The pick up wasn't there while i was shooting.
@@PaulHarrell Hi Paul - It didn't seem like something you would do. Thanks for your videos. I learn a lot from you.
I have all ways wondered what would happen if you shot slugs through a full choke. New sub here love your video's you are truly one of the most firearms educated man of all I've seen. Any video's on the use of choke tubes duck goose and deer season is upon us and what choke to use on what is confusing Lol.
The rifling on a conventional Foster slug is mainly to help it fit through a full choke, rather than to make it spin.
Yeah I was always told you'd blow the barrel.
Glad I found Paul Harrell's channel! I could've been shooting slugs through my Mossberg auto this whole time.
R32R38 Actually, it *does* impart spin in a smoothbore barrel:
ua-cam.com/video/jRPo19DWlZY/v-deo.html
I thought slugs of any kind could open up a full choke on a fixed choke or blow out a screw in choke?
I shoot slugs all the time in a full choke.
I was talking with my buddy today about shooting rifled slugs through a rifled barrel a and I had to check a couple things out independently, low and behold my man Paul has a video on that too. Semper Fi brother
So it is my understanding that when you fire a slug through a full choke barrel, it will actually slow the slug down slightly because the lead needs to be stretched to fit through the hole. Could you put this to the test by firing the same slugs over the chronograph out of either the same gun with removable chokes, or out of two guns one with a full choke one with a cylinder bore?
Good topic. I'll put it to the test if I can find the gun(s).
Paul, you are so right. I have a 20 gauge Mossberg Trophy Slugster (24" rifled cantilevered barrel with scope mount). I put a 1.5-7x scope on it and it holds a 2-3" group all day. I have a bird barrel that I put on when I want to hunt something not big game. When you said $5 bucks for non-sabot and $7 slugs I almost swallowed my spoon (ice cream time)... Then I realized how old this piece is...
Paul any chance we'll get a revisit to the 10mm videos using Underwood, Buffalo bore or double tap?
Justin Miller, Underwood Ammo's ammo vs the meat target.
+Galen Isaiah +100!!
Awesome as always. One thing to share based on a lot of past experience with slug shooting. Whether shooting rifled slugs through a smoothbore, or sabots through a rifled barrel, you really need to experiment with different brands and lengths of shells (if you have a 3" chamber in a 12 ga) to find what shoots well. Each gun will have it's preference. In my younger days I only hunted deer with smoothbore guns and rifled slugs (all we had). One gun shot best with Winchester slugs, the other with Remington. Remarkable difference in how they performed with each ammo. Wanted to know why, so I cut open one of each. The Remington slugs were of smaller diameter, and had a thicker skirt. The Winchester slugs were fatter, with a thinner and more deformable skirt. Not surprisingly, the Winchester loads performed much better in the improved cylinder barrel, while the Remington's were better with the full choke. In rifled barrels I've also found remarkable differences between sabots of different brands, in multiple guns. Keep up the great stuff Paul!
Years ago I had a Mossberg 20 guage. I cut the barrel to 18.5", and mounted a peep sight on the rear, and a conventional sight up front. I could consistently hit an 8" paper plate at 75 yd. I found this to be very effective on whitetails in the brush up here in VT.
Paul... this is one I really wanted the answer to. Several other questions answered as well...all useful in choosing a shot gun.. or the choke tube to use. I wish there were some demos of 20 gauge..
Excellent info. Thanks Paul
One thing I learned is if using slugs IMP CYL. works best less deforming when exiting the barrel. I've used Foster slugs out of my 1897 Winchester it groups them great at 100 yards, but as stated the more open the choke the better they do.
Sabot is not pronounced with a hard A. It is pronounced with a soft A, the same as Sabotage. It's French for shoe. Workers used to sabotage factory machines by putting a wooden shoe in the gears.
Just want to say Paul I love your videos, and something about them is almost addicting. Love the information and work you put into years of content, keep it up!
Paul’s like the uncle you never know you had. Being new to shotgunning, I found this extremely helpful. Seems to me, firing a slug through an improved-cylinder barrel is almost like a musket ball through a flintlock, kinda.
Supposedly muskets maximum deadly range was 75-100 yards. The ball was small enough to roll right down the barrel so you can imagine how much more it would bounce around barrel walls compared to a slug. For sure a shotgun is everything those line infantry guys wish their muskets was especially in terms of reliability. Flintlocks are finicky andeven if wind and rain aren’t preventing them from going off eventually the hot gunk in the barrel from the black powder will. Guys had musket cleaning tools with brushes for the pan and picks for the touchhole right on their cartridge box strap or somewhere else they could get to it in the heat of battle.
Paul is a knowledgeable instructor. He answered alot of questions.
A buddy and I were shooting 00 buckshot out of a rifled barrel, and it was hilarious. One shot was scattering the shot 20 feet high at 50 yards, the next shot might be 20 feet to the left or right. It was being a true "scatter" gun, just scattered everywhere. Overall i'd rather have a smooth bore any day of the week for general use.
Gun Sam most smooth bores will shoot open sights/bead slugs to 100 yards really well. Wouldn't ask much more from a rifle. Rifled shotgun barrels with scopes are for those shotgun only deer hunts or shot gun seasons in eastern states. I feel those barrels really limit your shotgun to one purpose instead of many.
My state of MI limits rifle use in the lower half of the state where it's more populated with people. But recently, they have also began to allow for the use of straight walled carbines in rifles such a .44 mag, 500 mag and the like. The interesting thing is that studies were done that showed that shotgun slugs can travel as far as a mile while skipping across the ground, as where rifle bullets usually do not travel far at all after hitting the ground. It makes you wonder how they ever came up with all of the hunting rules that they have, probably an accidental shooting one time from a distance with a rifle, and without studying all the facts, they came to the conclusion that rifles are bad in a more populated area, and that shotguns "can't" shoot far.
Gun Sam _Revolver Aficionado_ possibly many laws are made out of fear and are pushed through quickly due to a tragic incident.
Where I live (in Europe), smoothbore shotgun are harder to get (due to gun control) than rifled shotgun. Some manufacturer decided to make rifled shotgun with nearly straight grooves. When you shoot buckshots or birdshots, it's nearly as a smoothbore barrel.
Very well done, I was one of the ones hollering "Use Sabot slugs!" at my screen! Lol 😂
Made my day seeing a new video by Paul! Great info. I had heard alot about bird shot in a rifled slug barrel but never tried it. I wont waste my time or money now.
I’m interested in guns, disinterested in gun “culture” and love this channel.
Also. Who’s truck is parked behind the targets?
I’m in the same boat for you. I call them ammosexuals. Paul is great for dry data.
Rhabdo B for what it’s worth, gun culture is really demonized in the media. The foundation of gun culture is safe handling and proficient shooting.
@@deltazulu2848 i thought gun culture was stockpiling ten thousand rounds of 7.62 and 3D printing full auto drop in sheers for ARs
Big Mike I don’t know anyone who does that and I hang out with a lot of “gun nuts”
@@bigmike8586 'sheers' ?????
Just imagine if paul harrel did action movies from the 80s and 90s
Great video, Paul! I was curious about this as I am in the market for a shotgun.
That being said I was wondering if you had an opinion on the concept of scout rifles and your thoughts on practical rifles and how they might compare to your thoughts on scout rifles.
Gillan Laureth of Seles I'd be interested to see this as well. Maybe a few short-range drills with the scout rifle? We all know that bolt guns are quite sufficient at range; it's the close-range performance that the long-eye-relief scope mount is supposed to improve.
Indeed that would make for an interesting video.
I was considering that particular rifle. However the magazines are nearly impossible to find and when you can find them they are upwards of $80. I'd only want 2, maybe 3 spare magazines but that's 1/3 the cost of the rifle just in replacement magazines (as well as hearing the magazines are kinda on the flimsy side). I also hear the open sights are mounted very low and you almost have to take the cheek riser off to get a sight picture with them.
A few other mentions were the Mossberg MVP Scout, the Styer Scout, and the venerable M1A (both of the latter are out of my current price range). I like the Mossberg for the utility and affordability, I like the Styer for being the truest of scout rifles and looking damn sexy doing it, and I like the M1A because who wouldn't want one to begin with (though it's hefty for a scout gun). Those are all of the dedicated scout rifles I hear about. Then you could also do some gunsmithing work and make something like a Remington 700 into a scout rifle with some extended rails and such.
How about you all? What do you think of these guns?
I just checked out the Howa rifle and that looks like one sexy beast. It's on the definite upper price range of what I could afford, maybe even not afford. The only feature I did not find likable is the short top-mounted rail system. You don't have a lot of range for mounting optics so if you wanted to maintain the close-range edge of a scout you'd have to go with a low magnification system or get an ACOG-like optic. Still tempting as it looks like an amazing rifle at first glance.
I've heard very mixed feelings about the Mossberg rifles. Notably that the actions are weak, the accuracy is shite, and it's usually rough around the edges out-of-box. Then I have also heard the inverse of all of these things from people who apparently own them.
Lastly, about the Savage magazines: for me, what's the point of having a detachable box magazine if you'll never need to use it? I like to have several additional magazines for everything I own because I like to load them all at once at the range and spend more time shooting (I haven't taken my hunting and safety courses yet...I also don't have anywhere to store all that delicious meat). That being said I've also added the Ruger American Predator to my list of potential rifles. It's gotten amazing reviews and the only two things I don't like are the lack of open sights and the lack of an extended rail but I can compensate for those.
And if you don't mind me asking where are you from? France? Germany? New Zealand?
Good lord that's expensive compared to here in the US! The average I've seen for the Savage Scout is about $600. Unless that's the Australian dollar in which case I think that's almost par for the course. The Ruger GSR...well, I just don't like it very much. I've had the chance to pick one up and work the action and it just feels like a brick to me. The Ruger American Predator was nice and smooth but not really a scout gun save the fact it's light weight and has nice accuracy. After you told me about the Howa Scout I've been doing my research on it and there isn't all that much research to be had lol. No real reviews on YT and not a lot of people are talking about it except to say it's not a true scout gun due to it's conventional placement of the optic rail and the gun being "too heavy" (which at 7lbs empty is not too heavy, really. It misses the true scout design specs by .4 of a pound, or 1.4 with a full sized scope). These things aside I'm torn between the Savage 11 Scout, the Howa Scout and the Ruger American Predator. Really the only reason I haven't purchased the Ruger American already is that is lacks iron sights. With a 2-7 or 3-9 power scope you can still get a great field of view at the lowest settings and still be able to dial in without a problem like you would with a long eye relief scope BUT that's no excuse for the lack of good ol' irons. But I don't know anymore. I'm tired, it's late. Good night, or morning for you in Australia. I'll be thinking about this all day at work tomorrow, most like. So many things to consider.
I have been told, ( can't remember by who) not to use rifled slugs in a rifled barrel. Thanks for dispelling the myth.