Need help on a shotgun for deer.

[GorV]

Looking for good reliable shotgun for deer, there is an area around my house that happens to be shotgun/bow only, so got to get me a shotgun now. Was looking at a few win's and rem's, they are all around the same price so I'm looking for some input. I'm hopeing you guys can recommend a few.
One big question I have is about the rifled shotgun barrels, can you still shoot BB rounds through them? any help would be greatly appreciated...

[oldgrunt]

My first deer gun was an Rem 870 w/ a Rem rifled slug barrel. 20 years later this is still the only shotgun I use for deer hunting. Inexpensive, reliable and accurate. The last deer I took with it was clean @ 125 yards.

[Soilarch]

Rem870 with a rifled barrel is the standard No Frills Lets Kill Me Deer setup.
Its what I've got and has yet to give me any complaints (well except the fore-end clicks and clacks if you get careless during stalks)
If I had to do it all over again I'd go with an auto...nor real accuracy loss and alot of recoil forgiveness.

You can shoot regular shells through the rifled barrel but you'd be wasting your time. When you spin the shotload like a bullet you get a big O pattern. Nothing in the center and a ring of shot all around your target....get two barrels if you want a dual purpose gun.

[Worc]

I wanted a Browning A-bolt for shooting sabot slugs, but I got tired of looking for one. I ended up with a Mossberg 695. It's a good gun but not as nice as the A-Bolt. If you want a gun that is versatile for slugs and bird shot the Betetta ES100/Pintail has been on special across the country. It's a combo deal that sells for around $500.00 and has a 24" rifled barrel and a 28" VR barrel. If you already have a shotgun with screw in choke tubes. There are rifled choke tubes that work well for sabots that sell for around $50.00.

[SWAMPMAN]

No question here. the Remington 870 with a rifled slug barrel is a fine deer killing machine. Not expensive, and very effective. Good luck!

[Slowpitch]

The Remington 870 Is a great Deer shotgun...... But Mossberg & Savage ( stevens) model deer guns are very inexpensive & reliable as well, But i Use a Ithaca deerslayer 12 model 37, Ithaca Made shotguns strickly for Deer hunters & As far as Iam concerned They are the best & most accurate.....But Thats just my opinion....lol... Good luck Picking ( your ) gun out & happy hunting....

Raymond

[Slowpitch]

MANY PEOPLE SPEND THEIR LIVES DEER HUNTING WITHOUT EVER REALIZING IT ISN'T DEER THEY'RE HUNTING.

Swampman........ Good Quote !!! very true

[USSR]

GorV,

I have been hunting deer for the past 20 years with a shotgun (Rem. 1100) using a screw-in rifled choke tube. I started out using sabotted slugs, but although they were very accurate, I found them somewhat lacking in Knockdown power. After reading an article in the American Rifleman testing shotguns with rifled barrels and rifled choke tubes, I tried shooting the regular Foster type slugs in my gun. I found them to be nearly as accurate as the sabotted slugs, and was able to return to the type of power I was used to. I highly recommend this setup as it eliminates the need for more than one barrel.

Don

[Virginia7]

My first choice for a deer gun would be the Remington 870 12ga.
2nd choice, an Ithaca model 37 DeerSlayer.

There's a good combination package available from Remington for the model 870.
It'll give you a rifled slug barrel, and a barrel for shot (BB). Following is a link to the
Remington website on this;
Remington Express Combo,
Link: http://www.remington.com/firearms/shotguns/870excmb.htm

[o2bebowhunting]

i bought a 870 express 2 years ago and regret doing it now. it seems to be made cheaply(mossburg like). i have yet to hunt w/ it. the fore arm wobbles so much that i have yet to take it in the woods. i should of just got a auto loader. i have almost $600 in it w/ scope/rings. oh well