wild boar and solid slug

12g slug has awesome killing power but lacks the fine accuracy of a rifle and the velocity so with a bit of range the slug needs more lead. Most go for the rifle but at close range at the start of the season a semi-auto would be interesting when there's lots of ground cover still.
 
I have used slug on a driven shoot and it worked just fine :D. Ranges were short (<40m), exposure times a few seconds only, so it was just like game shooting, and a shotgun was perfect. I would use slugs happily in such circumstances.
Paul makes a good point about the lower velocity relative to a rifle, and so need for a bit more lead, especially at longer ranges; luckily a boar is (much) larger than a pheasant, so at normal ranges for a driven shoot this might not be an insuperable problem.
 
For the folks who like to use formulas on energy based upon using the projectiles velocity, a solid slug may appear anaemic, however in the real world "knock down" power confounds the "paper killers". A solid 12g slug punches way above its "paper killing" weight.

Sharkey
 
16 gauge for rifled slug is very popular in combination rifles/drillings etc. In fact a 16 gauge side by side with slugs is one of my German friends 'weapon of choice' when he is working his dog through cover so a 12 would definitely suffice......
 
My drilling has half and full choke 16 bore barrels. I suspect that putting a slug though the full choke barrel would be a really stupid idea.
 
Both the lads I know have drillings with 16 gauge that they use Brenneke rifled slugs through PM, if you want I can ask them what the tightest choke you can use them through is.
 
My drilling has half and full choke 16 bore barrels. I suspect that putting a slug though the full choke barrel would be a really stupid idea.

Rifle slug (Brenneke) will shoot through full choke. The rifled part of the slugs are there to crush down to pass tight chokes. They aren’t for imparting spin to the slug. It’s more a case of whether or not they are accurate with tight chokes
 
Pine Marten, No not at all if you use the Brenekke slugs that have a twisted flute which is designed not for gaining any rotation effect but is there to squeeze the slug down to the bore diameter it passes through (if they were straight fluted that would hinder the squeeze down effect) learnt this on my hunting course in Germany.
But the copper slugs would be a big no no in a nice sbs or drilling leading either to a big expense or even a dangerous pressure buildup.
Martin
 
Have used solid machined brass 12g slugs on boar, punches a clean hole, piggy falls over pretty quick!
 
Rifle slug (Brenneke) will shoot through full choke. The rifled part of the slugs are there to crush down to pass tight chokes. They aren’t for imparting spin to the slug. It’s more a case of whether or not they are accurate with tight chokes

Well there you go, I've learned a new thing again, thanks! I'm not able to take up them up, but I have a couple of open invitations to participate in wild boar drives in the Gard region of France. The guys there tell me that the terrain is quite mountainous and densely covered in shrubs, scrub and thorns. As a result, they told me that I'd be better off practising on "rabbit" clays than on running boar targets. "You'll be shooting almost at your feet" they said. As a result, most of them don't use any scopes, as it's all snap-shooting at short ranges, just open sights, maybe the odd red-dot or holographic sight. So I was wondering whether the ideal gun I would take for that would be my drilling, but with the scope off. I'd use slugs on the big "rabbits", but if one turned up a bit further away, I could flip up the open sights and use the rifle barrel. I just thought that I couldn't use slugs in the full-choke barrels. Of course, I'd have to test them on a target first to see where they fly...
 
I use Brennekes in any choke, they are are more accurate than the Lee slugs that I cast myself. I have tried using plastic glue to stick the Lee slug to a wad (to minimic the Brenneke), but the Brenneke are still more accurate. I still would not use them over 30 meters however. In the the animals I have shot, they have caused minimal meat damage and do not force the rumen contents through cleavage planes in the skin layer and ruin the carcass , in tha advent of poor shot placement. They do not always 'come out the otherside' but always leave a big entry hole that leaks trackable blood for a dog. Something a rifle bullet does not always do.
 
Only ever used slugs and intrestingly always in the Gard region of France, mostly walked up but some walk one stand one stuff. My advice would be to leave the drilling at home and take the 12 bore. The main advantage is that 12 bore slugs are very common and easy to buy in France and as already mentioned extremely effective!
 
I use them on small drives when a high velocity rifle round would be too dangerous. They work very well in my 12 bore. The stopping power is very good.
 
Pine Marten,
I bet you will find a range at which your drilling will shoot slugs from both barrels, and a rifle bullet, to the same spot...probably about 25 meters yards.

I have performed a little experimentation with my Sauer combi, and it seems to shoot the 173-gr 7x57R Sellier & Bellot and a Federal 3/4 ounce 20 gauge slug to the same spot about 30 yards. I have not yet tried further to tabulate the gaps, and deviation from the sights ( I have two flip up leaves, and I bet the higher one is for the slug).
 
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