What are the requirements, if any, for shooting slugs?

Nathan67 · 10-21-2003, 03:45 PM

I have a Remington 870 exp. mag. with a Mod. choke I will be deer hunting with, my first season. My main question is, do i have to have a rifled barrel, and is a Modified choke the right choke? (or does it matter?) Thanks -Nathan

10-21-2003, 03:53 PM

Yea, it will work. If you insist on using that barrel, why not chip in and get a screw in rifled choke? If you plan on using it alot, I would definately get a cantilever scoped rifled barrel. I got tired of passing up 80 yard shots shooting sluggers with a big ole bead from my shotgun barrel. Only took me two seasons when moving to MD to change over. That bead will cover up the whole vitals of a deer at 50 yards. Really knocks the confidence down.

Nathan67 · 10-21-2003, 04:00 PM

I dont have the cash to get a scoped rifled barrel at the moment, but I can get a rifled choke? Does it help with accuracy?

Vapodog · 10-21-2003, 05:19 PM

Rifled slugs are usually available in boxes of five. Buy a box and see how your gun shoots " as is" .....unless you have some serious flaw, you can shoot rifled slugs with the equipment you currently have.

I have a smoothbore shotgun (barrel sawed off to 19" , iron sights added, that shoots well inside of a grapefruit at 40 yards. (cylinder bore.)

You might want to consider that with your current barrel and buy a second barrel with screw in chokes for next year' s upland bird season.

JeramyK · 10-22-2003, 06:16 AM

I have a 21" cantilever scoped barrel on my 11-87. I use a rifled choke tube and it' s been good up to 100 yards. I like the convenience of being able to quickly switch to my turkey tube as well.

akbound · 10-22-2003, 10:55 AM

Hi Nathan67,

It has been my experience that the biggest issue limiting the effective range of a shotgun with slugs....is the " sighting equipment" . Your shotgun my actually shoot one brand or another of the " Foster style" slugs or Brenneke' s quite well, but if all you have is a shotgun bead you may have difficulty shooting well with it! Shotgun beads and ribs were intended to aid in sighting and shooting " shot" and can do quite well in that regard. But they really do NOT do a very good job at precisely placing a single projectile!

Give it a try and see how you do. Limit your range on deer to the range that you can put all of your shots into a paper plate sized target at the range.....WHATEVER range that may be. If you are willing to do that...then a " beaded" shotgun will work. If on the other hand you are willing to spend between $75. to $100. or so, you should be able to find either a used or a new " smooth bore" barrel with rifle sights. For a little more money you can get a " rifled barrel" with iron sights. Either of those with the appropriate slugs will make a much better deer gun.

If I' m not mistaken....I' ve recently seen that Mossberg is making sighted slug barrels for Remington' s 870. The advantage is that they are less expensive than Remington' s barrel. I honestly think you would be much happier with a barrel with rifle sights as opposed to a shotgun bead. (And of course it may not be as precise as a scoped barrel...but it saves you the cost of a decent scope!)

Good luck....let us know how it turns out!