slug velocity question....

[Mr. 16 gauge]

I bought a 12 gauge Lyman sabot slug mold this past spring, and have loaded up a bunch of slugs and spent this past weekend shooting groups (ouch!).....I have velocities ranging from approximately 1250 fps to 1550 fps (published in the data....I haven't had a chance to run them through a chrony yet). I thought the 1250 fps loads might be too slow, but I always thought that the old 'foster' type slugs from Remington, Federal, and Winchester moved about this fast. I based this on what I remember () the old brochures from the 1970's saying. Anyway, a quick check of current catalogs shows fosters moving at 1700 fps!

No wonder they hurt more than I remember!

Anyway, a couple of the slower numbers were quite a bit more accurate than the faster ones, so my question is: how fast does a 12 gauge slug need to be in order to accomplish it's mission?

[skeet]

I think they should be at least 1400 ft per second. and unless very accurate a range of 100 yds. Some of the newer slugs travel very fast and are about as accurate as you could want from a slug. Slugs have pretty much always done about 1600 or better...depending on bbl length.

[wrenchman]

My sons rem foster slugs are going 1900 fps out of his 20 gauge and if i remember rem has on there box for 12 gauge close to 1800fps Some of the new sabots are brutal to shoot.

[Catfish]

The load I used for years in my .44 mag. was a 240 gr. Sierra bullet at 1,240 fps. I killed alot of deer with that load. The reason I bring this up is because a 1 oz, slug weights 437.5 oz and is larger in dia. so why would it need to go faster??? Go with the most accurate load you can find and forget the velocity, the deer won`t be able to tell the difference.

[skeet]

The reason a slug would need more velocity is because it loses it so fast. The 44 loses less than 50% as the slug does in apprx twice the distance. Talking fosters here. They are terribly shaped. Much worse than a minie even..do not spin 'nuff to even help keep 'em nose on and have been known to lose the skirt in a rifled bore. I also remember the old slugs moved in the 1600 1700 range. Last I checked they were at about 1760 in 12 ga. I loaded slugs in the past and can report that accuracy was for the most part terrible. Had to make sure I used a SAC wad on top of the powder and a couple of good cards under the slug. Best reloaded slug I used was one made like a Brenneke But made in the US. Can't remember the name off hand. but was advertised in all the mags..Maybe Vitt Boos...sounds right anyway

[Mr. 16 gauge]

Just an update: Did some playing with the chrony last weekend....16 gauge Brenneke slugs out of an Ithaca 20" Deerslayer barrel averaged 1388 fps, and my 12 gauge handload using the Lyman wasp waisted projectile averaged 1318 fps. I don't remember what the advertised velocity was for that last 12 gauge load, but IIRC the published velocity was significantly higher than that.

That is one thing I've come to find out playing with my chrony......advertised load velocities are SIGNIFICANTLY higher in their laboratory than on my target range!
The loads still kill critters, though..................