Slugs through a Benelli M4 - factory modified choke? Sabot or rifled?

[JelloStorm]

I have a stock Benelli M4 fixed stock I just picked up and have a box of Hornady SST sabot slugs and was wondering if I'd need to swap out the modified factory choke to a cylinder for it to shoot slugs as well as buck shot? Do you have to use a cylinder or will a modified be okay? Not trying to grenade my new gun.

If I need to swap to a cylinder choke so be it, but the barrel isn't rifled so going forward I should probably switch to rifled SST slugs instead of sabots, correct?

Thanks for the help!

 

[Zak Smith]

For 3 Gun I always used a modified choke and never had a problem with slugs. M1. YMMV

 

[Entreri]

I've no experience with sabot slugs. But i shot a lot of Brenneke and Winchester Super X Slugs in a 14" M4 with the modified choke installed without issues and surprisingly (to me at least, not a lot of time on shotguns) good accuracy.

 

[mrtoyz]

Straight from their CS: Benelli recommends improved cylinder or cylinder.

 

[Inline6]

With the factory modified choke have ran both types of slugs hitting full IPSC at 100 yards was a chip shot. Hundreds of rounds of 00, Have not had any issues to date.

 

[chevy_man]

My Benelli hates slugs. Shoots about a 3' group at 50 yards with everything I've tried.

I've only tried cylinder and improved cylinder.

You may find you need a rifled barrel for decent accuracy.

 

[Simonsza1]

For 3 Gun I always used a modified choke and never had a problem with slugs. M1. YMMV

Exactly the same for me.

 

[JelloStorm]

Exactly the same for me.

Should I be using Sabots or rifled slugs since my barrel is not rifled? I have a Mossberg 500 I can shoot these Sabots out of which has a factory cylinder bore.

 

[Simonsza1]

I typically use the cheapest slugs I can find which are not rifled usually. The Walmart green box Remingtons work great for me.

 

[Entreri]

Brenneke slugs were very accurate for me in the shorty M4. Easy hits on steel silhouettes up to 100m. Regular Winchester slugs did ok but not as accurate.

 

[cas6969]

If I need to swap to a cylinder choke so be it, but the barrel isn't rifled so going forward I should probably switch to rifled SST slugs instead of sabots, correct?

Something with a sabot you will need some spin from rifling, otherwise they will just knuckleball all over. You may get away with at close range, but that's it. With traditional slugs, the answer is... who knows. You really need to let your gun/chokes tell you with trial and error. (if you're after actual accuracy and not just "good enough to hit a guy up close") I've had guns that liked cylinder bore, guns as tight as full that shot great, and others in between. Another thing to remember when figuring this out, shoot slow. Shotgun barrels heat up extremely fast and start to wander with slugs, it too varies by design, some are so-so, some really bad.

 

[308pirate]

Should I be using Sabots or rifled slugs since my barrel is not rifled? I have a Mossberg 500 I can shoot these Sabots out of which has a factory cylinder bore.

Rifled slugs for smooth bore barrels.

Sabot slugs are strictly for rifled barrels.

Do yourself a favor and look down the barrel of your shotguns. If you don't see rifling don't waste your money on sabot slugs.

 

[Milf Dots]

I find it a bit odd that Benelli doesn't use "cylinder choke" on all its tactical/defensive shotguns- like Mossberg does on their best 590a1 models.

But I'd still shoot buckshot and rifled slugs out of that Benelli m4 w/ "Modified choke" because that's what the m4 is designed for- Tactical/Defensive use.