Field Guide / Shot Sizes & Chokes
Rifled Slug
Also called: Foster slug, hollow-base slug
A single heavy lead slug with raised ribs, made for smooth or cylinder-bore shotguns, and an effective deer load out to about 75 to 100 yards.
- Type
- Slugs & Buckshot
- Projectile
- A single slug, often about 1 ounce in a 12 gauge
- Barrel
- Smooth or cylinder-bore barrels, and some chokes
- Typical range
- Up to about 75 to 100 yards
- Used for
- Deer & hogs
Safety: Check your shotgun's manual before firing slugs, since tight chokes can be damaged. Never shoot a slug through a choke the manual does not approve.
What it is good for
- Deer and hogs in shotgun-only areas.
- Smoothbore shotguns with open chokes.
- Hunters who want a simple, inexpensive slug load.
Where it falls short
- Less accurate than a sabot slug in a rifled barrel.
- Range is shorter than for a rifle.
- Lots of recoil.
Tips
- Use the choke the slug and gun maker recommend, usually cylinder or improved cylinder.
- Sight in with the exact load you will hunt with.
Works well with
- Sabot Slug: a more accurate, sub-caliber slug for rifled barrels.
- Cylinder Choke: the usual choke for rifled slugs.
Field notes
The ribs on a Foster slug are not rifling. They let the slug squeeze through a choke. The slug stays stable because its weight is toward the front.
Related guides
Pellet counts, patterns, and ranges are typical figures, not guarantees. Pattern your own shotgun with your own loads at the distances you hunt, and follow the shotgun manual for which shells and chokes are safe. Nonlead shot rules and legal shot types differ by state and area; our state resources directory links to each state's official regulations.