Will Rifled Slugs Shoot Better Through a Rifled Choke Tube?

(Image: Screenshot from video)

It’s common knowledge that rifled slugs are meant for use in smoothbore shotgun barrels, while rifled shotgun barrels and rifled choke tubes are meant to produce better results (meaning better accuracy) with sabot slugs, whose smooth outer surface can better engage the barrel’s rifling.

“Rifled” or Foster style shotgun slugs are simply cast bullets which have angled fins or grooves around the perimeter, which theoretically will act like rifling in a smooth barrel, to impart some spin onto the bullet to enhance its accuracy.

So, will rifled slugs produce any better accuracy if they’re fired through a smoothbore barrel that has a rifled choke tube installed? Well, that’s what YouTuber “Buffalo” set out to determine.

He gun of choice is his 12 gauge Beretta Xtrema 2 AL391 and the ammo is Federal 2-3/4″ 1-ounce rifled slugs.

He first fires a 5-shot group with his improved cylinder choke tube, which he’d previously learned did the best with slugs in his shotgun. Then he installs a Carlson’s rifled choke tube and fires five more.

That group came with a surprise ending, so he took the gun home to thoroughly clean the barrel and choke tube, which he said had a lot of lead built up inside.

The next day, he shot another (and better) group, but I won’t spoil it for you.

Check out the video and let us know what you think.

Russ Chastain

Editor & Contributing Writer Russ Chastain is a lifelong hunter and shooter who has spent his life learning about hunting, shooting, guns, ammunition, gunsmithing, reloading, and bullet casting. He started toting his own gun in the woods at age nine and he's pursued deer with rifles since 1982, so his hunting knowledge has been growing for more than three and a half decades. His desire and ability to share this knowledge with others has also grown, and Russ has been professionally writing and editing original hunting & shooting content since 1998. Russ Chastain has a passion for sharing accurate, honest, interesting hunting & shooting knowledge and stories with people of all skill levels.