When “engineering samples” of a new slug load arrived, it was time to dust off the Savage slug gun and see just where shotshell technology is taking us. There were also several boxes of new slug loads I hadn’t run over the chronograph or broken down or shot for accuracy.

The “engineering samples” were from Remington. Also on hand were the latest slug loads from Hornady and Federal. Three of the four loads featured colorful, plastic tipped slugs encased in bore-riding sabots. Looking down on the mouths of the shells, I couldn’t help thinking how much they resembled the Titan missiles once surrounding Tucson before the days of mutual disarmament. These new slug designs are certainly attractive, in a wicked looking way.

The shotshell is a complex combination of subsystems including the primer, powder, over powder wad, cushion wad, shot cup, sabot, shot or slug payload and crimp. Everything has to work just right under strict pressure limitations. That’s why shotshell reloading manuals caution handloaders against changing any component of a specified load. Anyway, it’s always interesting to tear down a new shell and see how the ballisticians put it together. It just takes a single-edge razor blade.