Inexpensive Shotgun Slugs?

[CyberJCM]

Hey fellas,

I'd like to do some slug shooting in my 12ga. Rem 870 Express Tactical. Cylinder bore, 18.5"bbl.

Don't want or need anything fancy, just reliable and decent shooters. And most of all, a good value! The plan is for simple fun shooting, blowing up milk jugs and the like. So anything higher end would be a waste.

Any suggestions on brands to look for and where to purchase?

Also, theres a couple DIY alternatives found out there on the net, and I'd like your opinions:

Apparently, one can open up a cheapo birdshot shell, pour out the shot into some melted wax, and then return it to the shell and when it hardens you have whats known as a "wax slug". Sounds pretty easy... Thoughts?

Also, theres this craggy dude who does alot of vids, and he talks about an old timey method called "cut shells". Basically, cut through most of a cheapo birdshot shell hull with a blade around its middle, then when fired the whole end of the shell blows out creating a solid projectile like a slug. Interesting... Thoughts?

EDIT: Yea... The more I read the less I would consider trying either of those gimmicks!

So, lets just stick to suggestions for decent, inexpensive slugs and where I can buy them, please!

Thanks guys!

 

[hawgsquatch]

If you don't mind taking off your shoes to count to ten and have real good buddy willing to pick your nose for you then I think cutting those shells is a GRRRREAT idear.

 

[Heespharm]

I've seen the wax slugs but I'm afraid to try them... But the guys on the site seems to think its safe.... I for one am only going to try it if the world ends and I don't have another option

Ps as a side note... I do cut shotgun shells to get at the shot so I can mix it with epoxy... Then I shovel all that into my de razor handles to make them heavier

 

[CyberJCM]

Yea... The more I read the less I would consider trying either of those gimmicks!

So, lets just stick to suggestions for decent, inexpensive slugs and where I can buy them, please!

 

[hawgsquatch]

Right now there is no such thing as inexpensive ammo. Our state just banned lead for use on public lands. If you get anything for less than a buck a shot take it. I reload, and if I cast my own slugs I can do them for four bucks a box of 25. Try cheaperthandirt.com.

 

[MrMurphy]

Regular Remington "Slugger" slugs work fine. Might not be ok for use anymore in CA, i escaped the People's Republic 14 years ago so i'm not up to speed on that, but Remington, Fiocchi, or Brenneke in standard lead slugs is normal for range/hunting use. The reduced recoil Sluggers, with ghost rings from the prone can head shot a silhouette at 100m if you're even a halfway competent shooter.

 

[the_ogre25]

Either the remington sluggers or brenneke k.o. slugs can be found on sale fairly easy around here for under a buck a round.

 

[Wullie]

LOL at the statements against "cutting" a round.

Been there, done that, with paper hulls and plastic hulls, and I've still got ALL of my appendages.

Back in the day when a dime was silver, we made some MEAN 12 ga rounds with a "dollar's worth" of dimes. They were expensive but you should have seen the havoc wrought on a '54 Chevy from 20 yds. We shot them from a cyl bore double bbl with 18.5' tubes. One nice round hole going in and then it looked like a bomb going off when the dimes started breaking windows and shredding upholstery.


I wouldn't recommend cut shell for use other than singly loaded in a pump or auto-loader.

Have yet to try that wax load but see no problems. The wax isn't going to add enough weight to make much difference in pressure. If you stay with "field" loads, I can't foresee any problems as far as hard ware issues.

Only real use I could see for that is possibly in an end of the world as we know it scenario or just to mess around see what it will do. As stated it's been done and videos posted so unless you just want to experiment, I see no sense in it, but I would not be afraid to do it if I thought it would come in handy.

 

[PugslyCat]

I never really understood the cut shells, but with the explanation that John provided they don't sound like anything I would want to try.

I've been wanting to try the wax slugs for a while now, but want to get a cheap shotgun that I don't care much about first. As Wullie points out, the wax doesn't add enough weight to make a difference. From what I've seen on YouTube, most guys actually wind up with a little less shot in each load than they started with because of the space needed to get enough wax in the mix to bind everything together.

Reloading your own is an option, but even at $1/slug it's tough to beat the price of factory ammo with slugs for reloading costing over $0.60 each. If you can get the right scrap metal you might try casting your own slugs for less, butunless you are planning on doing a lot of casting it would be cheaper to buy factory ammo instead.

 

[oldbluelight]

The dime load and waxed bird shot have been around a long time. Supposedly the deputy Billy the Kid killed during his jail break had loaded the shotgun he used to guard Billy with dimes and bragged to the Kid about what they would do if he used them on Billy. The deputy went to lunch, leaving the shotgun behind. When he heard the shot that killed his relief deputy he rushed back to the jail and Billy killed him with a double blast of dimes.

Anybody here remember Herter's? Big outdoor supply house about 5 decades ago. The head of the company, I think his name was Frank Herter, was always giving out 'tips' for outdoorsmen. They ended up in a book called "The Guide's Manual". Some where sheer nonsense, others were pretty sound. Pouring melted wax into a load of bird shot to make a slug was one of them that I remember. Scoring the outside of the shell may also have been in the book. The tips were built around paper hull shot shells which would certainly be easier to work with than the plastic hulls so common today.

 

[CyberJCM]

Thanks everyone! Sounds like trip to Wally World is in order. Wish me luck, the shelves are usually bare...

 

[skip]

The wax & bird shot make decent breaching rounds (tried). Not sure I would want to try the cut hull however.

 

[Kilroy08]

Walmart usually has 15 round packs of Winchester slugs for not too bad a price. You can get 2 3/4" shells, or if you're feeling frisky the 3 inchers.

 

[Wullie]

Wally World here in N TX has a good assortment of shotgun ammo. Had a good bit of center fire rifle ammo as well, but no .308-7.62X51 stuff.

 

[kstarheel]

I make, shoot and love waxers. They're time consuming to make, but then again you do get birdshot to fire accurately out to at least 50/ 60 yards. Never tried the cut shells. I believe the history of waxers actually goes back to WWII England. I want to say the Ministry of Defense may have promoted this to help the resistance effort. Then again, I may be wrong.

You're actually putting less shot in the cup due to the wax taking up some volume. Try a few...you will be amazed.

 

[CyberJCM]

I've watched several vids and did some more reading on the waxers. I think I'll give this a try!

Couple questions though for you guys that have done it:

I've read to load them solo in the chamber of a pump rather than filling the mag tube. True advice?

I have a bunch of the cheapo Winchester Universals from Wally. I have had some reliability issues with these before. Stovepiping, getting hard to eject and even jamming. Ok to use for this or probably a bad idea?

 

[PugslyCat]

I've read to load them solo in the chamber of a pump rather than filling the mag tube. True advice?

Not firsthand advice, but I've see videos of guys that load multiple shells. They caution the viewer to make sure the shot is completely covered with wax to decrease the likelyhood of it contacting the primer of the next shell and possibly detonating.

My own plan was to pick up one very inexpensive shotgun to try these in. I'm thinking of something like the Rossi single shot guns or an older used and abused pump action gun to be loaded one round at a time.

I have a bunch of the cheapo Winchester Universals from Wally. I have had some reliability issues with these before. Stovepiping, getting hard to eject and even jamming. Ok to use for this or probably a bad idea?

If you are having those kinds of problems do you really want to use that ammo for anything? Those are the shells they talk about using in a lot of the videos, but I haven't opened the box that I have, yet.

 

[kstarheel]

I load up the trusty 500 and they cycle fine.

 

[cottontop]

I know a guy who blew up a barrel and almost lost a finger by adding stuff to the shot. If you learn to reload (the Lee Load-All 12 gauge press is not expensive and works great) you can make up some really inexpensive and good slug/ball loads. All the stuff you need is available from ballisticproducts.com.
cottontop

 

[kstarheel]

The waxers work. Basically a frangible round, and huge energy dump into whatever you shoot at. They're cheap to make, shell + wax = fun.