Shotguns, barrels and slugs

[RobertR]

Mounted a scope on the ol 870 today. Bought a bunch of slugs. What about choke? Factory 870s have a modified I believe. That gonna be ok? mtmuley

A word to the wise, hold a shotgun with slugs and a scope tighter to the shoulder because if you don't have a long eye relief or you will have a half moon.
I have an 870 with a Hastings barrel and it's very accurate to 200 yards but the recoil from a slug and a 12 gage is substantial. If you have a led sled to sight in its advised.

 

[mtmuley]

Thanks Robert. I do a fair amount of shooting with a .300 RUM that does not have a brake. I am going to sight in the 870 tomorrow. Probly use the Past recoil shield. Some of the slugs I have are 3 inch. We had a limited selection where I live. I'll let you guys know how it shakes out. Thanks a ton for all the help guys. mtmuley

 

[shootbrownelk]

So Foster type slugs will work best in a smooth barrel? I'm not opposed to buying a new barrel, but if the Fosters shoot with what I have now out to 50 yards or so, that will work. Thanks a bunch for the info so far guys. mtmuley

Try different brands of Foster slugs. I found my Browning A-5 would shoot Remington fosters much better than Federals or Winchester fodder. It'll shoot 6" groups at 100 yds. on a good day. I try to keep shots at around 75 yds. My A-5 has a 8 shot mag extension and a B-Square saddle mount and a 1x4 scope.

 

[Mudranger1]

You inspired me to pull mine out of the safe. Browning BPS 12g with a hastings barrel Nikon slug hunter and Hornady sst's. In one shoulder out the other side ~150 yards

 

[mtmuley]

Nice. So far I am just going to go with the smooth barrel on my 870. Maybe I'll upgrade to a slug barrel if things go well on the late hunting. mtmuley

 

[Dave N]

Your current setup will do fine if you remember to limit your shooting distance. The scope will help a lot. Once you start using it you will be just like anyone else, looking for a "little bit" more from it. That's where the slug barrel and sabots come in. Then the question becomes spending more cash on a new barrel and pricey ammo or sticking to what you already have. Here in Illinois slug guns are all we can use for deer. Well, handguns and muzzle loaders are also allowed. Shotguns are the majority of weapons used, so accuracy becomes important when that is your primary method of hunting and we only get 2 weekends to get the job done. As an addition to your choices where you live, a simple inexpensive slug gun may be all you need for the time being.

 

[mtmuley]

Thanks Dave. Also, most of the places the deer are located in the area I will hunt, are near "populated" spots. Centerfire rifles are not a good idea, so I'm hoping the shotgun will open up more access. We'll see. Again, thanks all for the help on this. mtmuley

 

[1_pointer]

Nice. So far I am just going to go with the smooth barrel on my 870. Maybe I'll upgrade to a slug barrel if things go well on the late hunting. mtmuley

If your 870 takes choke tubes, a rifle choke tube would be a cheap ($50) experiment. I know multiple folks here in IN that use them. Most are not using them with sabots, but they do seem to help with regular slugs. Some have gotten good enough accuracy with saboted slugs using them. The worse part about slug guns is the $$ and recoil it takes to find out what your gun likes.

 

[MNElkNut]

I have hunted in slug gun territory for 34 years with a group of about 8 people. We have shot and tried most of the combinations out there. What works for us is Hastings cantilever barrel and Federal Barnes Expander slugs (both 12 ga and 20 ga). They dont make teh Expanders anymore, but the Federal Trophy Copper are about identical. I do not think you need 3" slugs, they are not as accurate in any of our guns as the 2.75" and they bark quite a bit more as mentioned.

20 ga is enough. 12 gauge has more. We could debate all day on that, but simply stated, that sums it up.

One thing I would caution on is longer shots with Foster style slugs....even if you can accurately shoot them. At about 100 yards, they run out of juice. My personal opinion after our group shot these for a long, long time and shot many, many deer with them is that the big surface area, soft lead, and slower velocities past 100 result in a big, flat mushroom that just doesnt penetrate well enough. 75 and in, no problem, but past 100, we had deer that got hit perfect with no penetration to speak of. the newer slugs....no problems.

Last thing, when I got my Hastings barrel, there was a sticker on it to NOT shoot Remington.....somethings. I dont think it was the Accutip but it might bear asking around if someone remembers exactly which model they didnt want you shooting in them.

 

[Gut Shot]

Last thing, when I got my Hastings barrel, there was a sticker on it to NOT shoot Remington.....somethings. I dont think it was the Accutip but it might bear asking around if someone remembers exactly which model they didnt want you shooting in them.

Remington Copper Solids. I hate to say it but Hastings barrels are crap. The steel was too hard, and the barrels were often warped. A friend I shoot with did testing on the Hastings barrels and Copper Solids for the industry. The findings were that the Copper Solid was a hard (not annealed) copper alloy. Combined with crap barrels from Hastings it caused problems. Remington has since started annealing their slugs (the originals would almost always open up and break apart). I've used the Remington slug in 20 and 12 gauge and have had excellent results, it is my go to slug as long as it shoots accurately from whatever slug gun I'm using.

 

[mtmuley]

Finally shot the 870 and slugs. I bore sighted it and tuned it in with some inexpensive Federal slugs. Then I shot groups with the ones I want to use for hunting. It liked two different slugs, one the Federal 2 and 3/4 Tru-Balls, and the other Winchester 3 inch Rackmasters. Both grouped about 2 and 1/2 inches at 50 in the smoothbore. The recoil of the 3 inch really wasn't bad. Like I said, I shoot a RUM with no brake quite a bit. So, I'm gonna use the 3 inch Winchesters for deer and limit myself to 50 yards for now. Later, I'm going to shoot it at 100, and hopefully get a bigger variety of slugs to try. You guys have been a ton of help. Thanks again, mtmuley

 

[1_pointer]

Good deal!

 

[beagle001]

Just found this thread from back a ways... How'd things turn mtmuley? Upgrade the barrel yet?

Wish I had seen this when it originally posted... not that I would have added anything other guys didn't say. When I first started hunting, and up until about 5 years ago, we were shotgun only for deer hunting in my unit in Wisconsin. Sometimes it was frustrating, but I don't let people get away with trash talking slug guns.

 

[buckbull]

Old thread I know but anyone looking at a bolt slug gun needs to give the browning A-bolt a look. IMO superior in all ways to the savage except the price tag.

 

[Gut Shot]

Old thread I know but anyone looking at a bolt slug gun needs to give the browning A-bolt a look. IMO superior in all ways to the savage except the price tag.

I have to, respectfully, disagree. I've compared them side by side (granted the Browning was a 12 and the Savage a 20).

-Accuracy goes to the Savage but both guns were picky about what slugs were accurate.
-Both were difficult to extract. Not difficult enough to say I wouldn't buy either gun but you have to work the bolt with some gusto on both.
-The magazine on the Savage was more difficult to load into the gun.
-I like the accu-trigger better than the Browning.
-I can't compare recoil because I was shooting two different gauges. Based on past experience I wouldn't be at all surprised if the Browning had less recoil.
-As you said "price tag". Just my opinion but the Browning isn't worth the extra for what you get.

 

[mtmuley]

I ended up filling a B tag on Christmas day. 30 yard shot. Complete double lung pass through of course. Not bad with a smooth bore 870. mtmuley