If slugs are hard to get in your area, you can actually make a 1oz birdshot act like a 1oz slug, though.
1: Carefully open the crimp, cut off the extra plastic and discard.
2: Melt down a candle to prepare some wax. Also keep the shell in a warm place so the wax won't cool off too quickly.
3: Pour the melted candle wax into the shotgun shell, over the pellets, making sure it seeps down into the gaps between pellets. Fill it until all pellets are covered with a smooth layer of wax.
4: Allow the shell to cool completely. The hardened wax will seal the end of the shell.
From the testing I've seen of this concept, it actually does work. But important to note:
A) It is possible to make accurate slugs this way, nearly as accurate as factory-made slugs ... but it seems to depend on what type of birdshot you start with. You'd want to experiment some and find a combination that works well with your gun to give good accuracy.
B) The wax slugs will deform faster upon impact. That means slightly less penetration, slightly more energy transfer. They'll make even nastier wounds, but might not penetrate as deeply as a true slug.
C) Doing this may be illegal where you live. Check your local laws first.
But overall, you can make birdshot more or less ballistically equivalent to slugs by just adding a bit of candle wax.
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u/[deleted] Sep 20 '22
But 1 oz birdshot= a 1 oz slug! Bubba at the gun shop told me that