Weird hypothetical question
- Thread starter grobin
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GunnyGene
Hawkeye
Probably,but unless you could impart some significant spin on it somehow, there's no telling where it would go.
woodperson
Blackhawk
20 gauge nominal bore diameter is .615". 50 cal BMG bullet is .510. So it is going to need a plastic sabot or maybe a lot of paper patch to generate enough pressure to make it go. And it probably will go neither fast nor straight.
So my answer is basically no. At least in terms of performing any task with it.
Shooting it in a sabot in a muzzleloader seems a better fictional option to me.
So my answer is basically no. At least in terms of performing any task with it.
Shooting it in a sabot in a muzzleloader seems a better fictional option to me.
Busterswoodshop
Hunter
This guy did it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZaK7D4XVo8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZaK7D4XVo8
Jimbo357mag
Hawkeye
That's right up there with shooting CO2 cartridges out of a shotgun or making your own shotgun out of a piece of pipe. I've seen both on Youtube.
Tried fitting a #5165 A-MAX® Horniday 750grain into several different plastic shot cups. Several were quite right and still fitted a20 ga shell. My friend found a cheap single 20 in the pawn shop; 3" chaimber, rifled barrel , so we'll see if it acts like a snap or not.
woodperson
Blackhawk
THIS IS A REALLY BAD IDEA.
Sabot slugs loaded in shotgun shells are no mystery. They work well with a rifled shotgun barrel made for sabot slugs. I have some 12 gauge made by Remington. But Federal and others make them as well.
I would not however, stray from vetted loading data by trying 50 BMG bullets or others not listed in the data. Shotguns are a low pressure item, and changing components can lead to pressure spikes real quick.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/550055/hornady-sst-ammunition-20-gauge-2-3-4-250-grain-ftx-sabot-slug-box-of-5
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/172375/remington-premier-ammunition-20-gauge-2-3-4-260-grain-accutip-bonded-sabot-slug-with-power-port-tip-box-of-5
I would not however, stray from vetted loading data by trying 50 BMG bullets or others not listed in the data. Shotguns are a low pressure item, and changing components can lead to pressure spikes real quick.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/550055/hornady-sst-ammunition-20-gauge-2-3-4-250-grain-ftx-sabot-slug-box-of-5
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/172375/remington-premier-ammunition-20-gauge-2-3-4-260-grain-accutip-bonded-sabot-slug-with-power-port-tip-box-of-5
I'm not set up to do shotgun shells. I have some supplies and a press I got from my brother along with granddad's 12 ga. So except for curiousity it's still hypothetical. I think that my friend wants to try it and if he does I'll be interested.
BTW clamping a gun and then pulling the trigger from a safe distance is only prudent.
BTW clamping a gun and then pulling the trigger from a safe distance is only prudent.
mohavesam
Hawkeye
Whoever told you this is a good idea is obviously smarter than all those chemical engineers and DoD ordnance physicists...
I recovered a couple of Barnes copper projectiles from my old backstop. Pretty sure one came from a Federal 20 ga sabot slug load and certain one was shot from my 50 cal ML. They looked a whole lot alike.
I am a scientist and think for my self, dont take "advise" of unknown providence. If course you can cite these experts?! Frankly so far I've been surprised at the good results. But I'm not going to sell any of my guns to convert to shot gun rifles.
Depending on the weight of the 50cal projectile, it may be safely possible.
A 660gr projectile weighs 1 1/2 ounces.
The heaviest shot data I have for 20ga is 1 1/4 ounces, for a slug 345gr.
If you can get the 50cal projectile down to 546gr, with the appropriate hull/wad column/powder/load data, it may be safely possible to shoot it in a rifled barrel or open cylinder barrel.
Now "if" all of this does transpire "safely", you aren't going to get but around 1150fps out of this experiment.
So whats the point?
A 660gr projectile weighs 1 1/2 ounces.
The heaviest shot data I have for 20ga is 1 1/4 ounces, for a slug 345gr.
If you can get the 50cal projectile down to 546gr, with the appropriate hull/wad column/powder/load data, it may be safely possible to shoot it in a rifled barrel or open cylinder barrel.
Now "if" all of this does transpire "safely", you aren't going to get but around 1150fps out of this experiment.
So whats the point?
5of7
Hunter
The only thing that kept this old single barrel shotgun in one piece is the fact that the 12 bore measures ~ .729" and the .50 caliber bullet is .510".
Otherwise, the pieces of that gun would still be coming down somewhere in the county.
Now....I think that the author was referring to shooting a .50 caliber bullet out of a 20 ga shotgun using the 20 ga. hull. Now the .50 caliber runs in the neighborhood of 650 to 750 grains, which is about 1.6 ounces. That is a serious overload for a 20 ga shell, and if it was inside a 20 ga wad, the wad would seal the pressure in behind the bullet. In my OPINION, such a load would blow the gun all the Hell. 8)
Otherwise, the pieces of that gun would still be coming down somewhere in the county.
Now....I think that the author was referring to shooting a .50 caliber bullet out of a 20 ga shotgun using the 20 ga. hull. Now the .50 caliber runs in the neighborhood of 650 to 750 grains, which is about 1.6 ounces. That is a serious overload for a 20 ga shell, and if it was inside a 20 ga wad, the wad would seal the pressure in behind the bullet. In my OPINION, such a load would blow the gun all the Hell. 8)
Justice B. Swift
Single-Sixer
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Two words... Darwin Award
mohavesam
Hawkeye
woodperson said:
Amazing how many fools try to invent their own laws of physics.
I heard back on my friends' results on the 5th. He finally got up to 1100fps with a hornady 338. Got ~6" pattern with 5 shots at 100y. More than good enough for his story. (He doesn't have a title yet but I'll try to post a link when it goes up on Amazon.) No different than a sabot slug in execution. Doesn't seem to be real interesting except as a plot element.
Tom W
Blackhawk
Sure you can....here, hold my beer...... :shock:
Jimbo357mag
Hawkeye
If this is for a story, a book, a movie or TV, why do physical research at all? None of the shows on TV or in the movies check for practically. I am especially thinking of MacGyver and Scorpion, two top rated shows that have the most outrageous stuff ever.grobin said:
He writes spy thrillers and his readers seem to be sticklers for accuracy.
I agree that movies/TV are full of a plethora of bad ideas and information! Some of it is dangerious. e.g. the guy shot immediately drops to the ground dead! Doesn't happen! Someone shot center of mass may be dead but they can still fight for several minutes. A fatal wound is not guaranteed to incapacitate.
I agree that movies/TV are full of a plethora of bad ideas and information! Some of it is dangerious. e.g. the guy shot immediately drops to the ground dead! Doesn't happen! Someone shot center of mass may be dead but they can still fight for several minutes. A fatal wound is not guaranteed to incapacitate.
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