I have a Remington 870 12 ga. I'm not in the market right now for a slug barrel moneywise. However, what are your thoughts on a rifled choke tube for slugs? What slugs could I use with this? Will I have good results? Even if I just shot rifled slugs out of my smoothbore....what are my options? I may just do 3" buckshot and resign myself to the fact that I have to be closer for a good shot.

I got one with my new shotgun but haven't had a chance to use it. Waiting to hear the same thing

There are two types of slugs on the market.

 

Sabot Slugs and Rifled Slugs.

 

Rifled slugs are for smoothbore shotguns.

 

Sabot slugs are for rifled shotguns.

 

google for more info.

As you can see from the topic, I'm asking about the added value of using a rifled choke on my smoothbore 870 with slugs (Forster or Brenneke) since I don't have a rifled slug barrel. I'm a new shotgunner and new hunter and want to choose the best type of deer ammo and choke setup for my gun and skill level. Thanks for the answer.

 

R.I.F.

I'm really don't understand a rifled choke. A smooth bore needs a slug with rifling on it to be accurate. A rifled barrel needs a sabot to grab the rifling in the barrel. So I cant see how a rifled choke would help either of them.

I was skeptical since the rifling would have to engrave an already rifled slug but there's this article http://www.guns.com/2012/07/11/do-rifled-choke-tubes-improve-slug-accuracy/ you can take it for what its worth

Thanks rob. Do you have a favorite slug that you use for smoothbore? What distances are you accurate out to. Do you have to have rifle sights? or can you use the bead sight with a slug?

No bead sight allowed for hunting in NJ with slugs. You need to stick with buckshot, buy a second bbl with irons or a scope mount, or attach a scope mount to the receiver. Smoothbore and rifled slug bbls come up pretty frequently for sale on here and on gbroker. Both are fine for taking game out to 60-70yds if you do your part. Rifled(foster) slugs for smoothbores and sabots for rifled bbls.

 

Sent from my treestand while covered in fox piss

No bead sight allowed for hunting in NJ with slugs. You need to stick with buckshot, buy a second bbl with irons or a scope mount, or attach a scope mount to the receiver. Smoothbore and rifled slug bbls come up pretty frequently for sale on here and on gbroker. Both are fine for taking game out to 60-70yds if you do your part. Rifled(foster) slugs for smoothbores and sabots for rifled bbls.

 

Sent from my treestand while covered in fox piss

 

ok. So, under the circumstances I think i'm going to stick with the buckshot until I can afford a rifled barrel. I don't want to add a scope to my new shotgun as I want to be able to use it for other game. I'm leaning towards a cantilevered rifled barrel and scope so i can sqap out. But, until then, I will stick to the buckshot.

 

Thanks.

 

ok. So, under the circumstances I think i'm going to stick with the buckshot until I can afford a rifled barrel. I don't want to add a scope to my new shotgun as I want to be able to use it for other game. I'm leaning towards a cantilevered rifled barrel and scope so i can sqap out. But, until then, I will stick to the buckshot.

 

Thanks.

 

 

A Hastings cantilever rifled bbl made my 870 deadly out to 125yds back before I went with the h&r.

 

Sent from my treestand while covered in fox piss

Any advice with regards to effective range for buckshot? I was hunitng with Jon and Ihad bought 2 3/4 OO Buck and I got the impression from him that woul dbe underpowered.

I have a Remington 870 12 ga. I'm not in the market right now for a slug barrel moneywise. However, what are your thoughts on a rifled choke tube for slugs? What slugs could I use with this? Will I have good results? Even if I just shot rifled slugs out of my smoothbore....what are my options? I may just do 3" buckshot and resign myself to the fact that I have to be closer for a good shot.

 

Rifled choke tubes came onto the scene in an effort to impart spin stabilization to slugs. They are designed for Foster-type slugs or some sabot slugs. Sabot slugs have been around for a very long time, but their first look was a lead slug designed around either a simple hour-glass shape or weight-forward slug set in a plastic wad cup, which were fired in smoothore barrels. Accuracy was hit or miss.

 

What many have learned over the years is that accuracy is erratic with rifled choke tubes in any shotgun, and some of that erratic inaccuracy is based on projectile velocity.

 

Browning's first bolt-action slug gun had an extended rifled choke tube to stabilize the projectile. It came with a smoothbore barrel though. Some smoothbore slug guns with more than adequate sights are effective accuracy-wise out to 100 yds. Because N.J. now requires sights for slug guns, and Foster slugs have evolved a bit, accuracy can be acceptable in simple smoothbores for hunting applications.

 

The age-old question you will see asked on forums is; "I just bought a new "Winremlinellieretta" shotgun with a slug barrel. Which slug shoots best in it?" Well, the only advice most get is to get as many different slug loads and try to see what shoots best in your shotgun. The trend today is use of rifled barrels for dedicated slug guns shooting sabot rounds which can extend effective power & accuracy out to 200 yds.

 

Cantilever mounts for scopes that affix to the barrel are preferred unless you intend to pin or shim your barrel into the receiver on your semi-auto or pump. (Remington's are a good example.)

 

Good resource about slug guns & slug shooting techniques

http://tarhunt.com/T...tingGuidePages/

 

Which slug to use for a rifled choke tube?

http://mikehanback.t...-shotgun-s.html

 

There is also an excellent slug shooting forum on ShotgunWorld.com/bbs if you want to research and peruse answers to your questions.

 

Any advice with regards to effective range for buckshot? I was hunitng with Jon and Ihad bought 2 3/4 OO Buck and I got the impression from him that woul dbe underpowered.

 

Buckshot is effective under ideal circumstances. Slugs are effective in all circumstances until the quarry is out of a slug's effective range and/or your ability to accurately hit the kill zone.

As you can see from the topic, I'm asking about the added value of using a rifled choke on my smoothbore 870 with slugs (Forster or Brenneke) since I don't have a rifled slug barrel. I'm a new shotgunner and new hunter and want to choose the best type of deer ammo and choke setup for my gun and skill level. Thanks for the answer.

 

R.I.F.

 

Yeah I got that. I just don't quite understand how anyone can figure that the rifling in a 2" long piece of choke tube (maybe 4" long if it extends past the end of the barrel) can impart much spin on a projectile as heavy as a slug, thus my consternation and response.

 

You also could put a detachable scope mount (ala B-Square) on the receiver, some people have success with them, and others say they suck nuts and still shoot rifled slugs. I've had decent accuracy with it (~75 yds).

 

Rifled barrel is really the best option though. If you get a popular (read Rem 870 or Moss 500) shotgun, barrels come up from time to time on the forum and more frequently on gunbroker.

 

Buckshot is effective under ideal circumstances. Slugs are effective in all circumstances until the quarry is out of a slug's effective range and/or your ability to accurately hit the kill zone.

 

If it is not too much trouble, could you extrapolate on the "ideal" circumstances?

Yeah I got that. I just don't quite understand how anyone can figure that the rifling in a 2" long piece of choke tube (maybe 4" long if it extends past the end of the barrel) can impart much spin on a projectile as heavy as a slug, thus my consternation and response.

 

You also could put a detachable scope mount (ala B-Square) on the receiver, some people have success with them, and others say they suck nuts and still shoot rifled slugs. I've had decent accuracy with it (~75 yds).

 

Rifled barrel is really the best option though. If you get a popular (read Rem 870 or Moss 500) shotgun, barrels come up from time to time on the forum and more frequently on gunbroker.

 

http://www.guns.com/2012/07/11/do-rifled-choke-tubes-improve-slug-accuracy/

 

I read this...hence my question.

 

The reason I'm leaning away from a detachable scope mount is that I don't want to have to re-zero when I swap out. Also, if I'm going to do that I think I'd just have the cantlevered barrel. hmmm. lots to figure out. Since I have what I have, I'd like to be able to kill deer with buckshot, though. :-)

I have a mossberg 535 smooth that is my turkey gun. It has the cantilever barrel on with a red dot. It's actually right on with slugs and turkey loads. It likes remington sluggers in it. It will do 2-3" groups benched at 100 yards. However I don't hunt with it, it's my backup. I use a remington 1100 with a rifled barrel for hunting.

 

 

http://www.guns.com/2012/07/11/do-rifled-choke-tubes-improve-slug-accuracy/

 

I read this...hence my question.

 

The reason I'm leaning away from a detachable scope mount is that I don't want to have to re-zero when I swap out. Also, if I'm going to do that I think I'd just have the cantlevered barrel. hmmm. lots to figure out. Since I have what I have, I'd like to be able to kill deer with buckshot, though. :-)

A lot of the quick disconnect mounts guarantee that the sight will be off a maximum of 1/4" moa. That won't effect any deer hunter

If it is not too much trouble, could you extrapolate on the "ideal" circumstances?

 

As a kid hunting with buckshot, I remember watching bucks saunter past me in the woods at slightly under 100 yds. away and even then at the age of 14, I knew that they were out of range for me based on patterning we had done with our shotguns. By 17, I was carrying slugs in an effort to up my game. By 20 I had a dedicated smoothbore slug gun with rifle sights.

A lot of the quick disconnect mounts guarantee that the sight will be off a maximum of 1/4" moa. That won't effect any deer hunter

 

Yes, the mounts today work very well. But, there is a reason why Remington is pinning the barrel to the receiver on their dedicated slug guns with receiver-mounted bases. (The newer Ithaca Deerslayer's have a permanently attached barrel now if I recall.)

 

http://www.remington...super-slug.aspx

A lot of the quick disconnect mounts guarantee that the sight will be off a maximum of 1/4" moa. That won't effect any deer hunter

 

http://www.remington.com/products/accessories/gun-parts/scope-mounts-and-rails/shotgun-scope-mounts.aspx

 

like this guy?

 

will this plus a moderately priced scope and slugs make me a happier deer hunter?

http://www.remington...ope-mounts.aspx

 

like this guy?

 

will this plus a moderately priced scope and slugs make me a happier deer hunter?

 

This solution will work, just ensure it doesn't mount the scope too high, necessitating you to life your face off the comb to get a good view.

 

(Years ago, an offset side-mount would be a scope base tapped into the top left-side of the Remington receiver (more metal for the base to anchor to.) Special rings mounted the scope low over the receiver. Two thumb-screws removed the base & scope if you needed to use the iron sights.) It was a solid and reliable setup.

 

Scopes are subjected to a LOT of recoil on a slug gun. Make sure the mounts and rings are top quality.

http://www.amazon.com/Weaver-No-Gunsmith-Converta-Shotgun-Mount/dp/B003BRX15A/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1355344174&sr=8-9&keywords=shotgun+scope+870

 

Check out this one from Weaver. The rail looks very low profile.

http://www.amazon.co...otgun+scope+870

 

Check out this one from Weaver. The rail looks very low profile.

 

The only knock I personally would have with any of these straddle mounts is that if you ever need to remove the trigger group for maintenance or cleaning, those two crosspin screws need to be removed. I don't know how that would affect your zero when remounted. I'm just citing my personal preference, so it's only one opinion, for there are thousands of these mounts in use today and they suffice well for hunting.

 

That Weaver design does look nice and low though. I've never seen this one.

 

 

(I have an early 11-87. It came with a smoothbore slug barrel and cantilever scope mounts. It came equipped with an IC choke tube and a rifled choke tube.) Remington dropped this slug barrel configuration some time ago and now only offers the rifled version in the cantilever design.)

I think one knock on the Weaver is that the mount, even though low profile is made of plastic and the screws seem notorious for stripping. I do think, though, at $50 for the Remington mount and say $90 shipped for a Bushnell Dusk&Dawn Banner scope....I am into a slugger configuration (albeit smoothbore) for a third of what a cantilevered barrel will cost me.

 

And, by the time it matters to me, I'll probably opt for a dedicated slugger like an H&R.

I didn't see that it's plastic. I would pass on that one.

 

I have smoothbore/rifle sight configurations that all shoot slugs pretty well. I never viewed them as a deterrent to successfully taking game. I'm still a big fan of Foster-style or Brenneke slugs.

Hey Woody - If you want I have a single sided mount (steel or alum I forget) no drilling uses the action pins, rings and a China 4x scope that will get you by the rest of the season. Use an open choke tube like Imp Cyl and and forster slugs and you should get 3-4" @ 50yds 8-10 at 100yds which is your max range anyway. You can have it for a song...

Old School,

 

That is very generous of you. I have been known to sing from time to time. My only concern with the single side mount is the ease with which I can take it on and off without losing zero. In zone 15 for the entire month of January I can go small game OR deer. So, I'd like the ability to take the mount off and use the bead for squirrels or rabbits. What say you?

Old School,

 

That is very generous of you. I have been known to sing from time to time. My only concern with the single side mount is the ease with which I can take it on and off without losing zero. In zone 15 for the entire month of January I can go small game OR deer. So, I'd like the ability to take the mount off and use the bead for squirrels or rabbits. What say you?

 

Kiddo - Don't want to burst your bubble but even with a cantilever mount you really need to re- sight the shotgun if you remove the barrel.

 

Tension on the barrel nut affects your point of impact. An 870 is not the worst of the culprits but it does affect it.

 

If you want to dick around I have a rifled tube to lend you and they sell sights that clamp to your vent rib.

 

You were hunting w/ Jon right? You won't see anything with him anyway...LOL

 

If you promise to scare Jon's deer I'll lend you the scope mount and rifled tube...LOL

 

Pick on Jon Day!!!

LOL.

 

Like these?

 

http://www.amazon.com/Williams-Universal-Slugger-Shotgun-Sights/dp/B001U9WI2S/ref=sr_1_2?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1355352461&sr=1-2&keywords=vent+rib+sight

 

If I used these or simlar with an Imp Cyl choke and Foster slugs would I be accurate out to say 50-75 yard (depending on me, of course)

 

I'm not trying to overthink or screw myself up....or break the bank.

LOL.

 

Like these?

 

http://www.amazon.co...=vent+rib+sight

 

If I used these or simlar with an Imp Cyl choke and Foster slugs would I be accurate out to say 50-75 yard (depending on me, of course)

 

I'm not trying to overthink or screw myself up....or break the bank.

 

That's the ticket. Just measure the width of your rib and BLUE locktite everything