shotguns
 

Anyone out there know much about the Remington 870 wingmaster???

I am new to the shotgun world, my grandfather gave me this goose gun and i have questions about it... It is a 12ga, full choke, pump.

This year I killed my first turkey with it. I would like to know if this gun could be used to shoot, buckshot or slugs as well????

I have been told yes to all and no to all......

What can I do or not do with it.

Thanks,
DM

RE: shotguns
 

Welcome to the forum ,There are many people here that can help you more than me.But in my opinion not all full chokes shoot buckshot well and by the same token not all full chokes shoot buckshot bad. You just got to shoot different brands size etc. and find out what it likes.I have a 870 wingmaster mag fullthat shoots the devil out of 00 buck. Also have a 1100 mag that does the same.My Browning Gold prefers the mod. You just don't ever know untill you try.JMHOGood luck with your new shotgun ,which by the way is a great gun.

RE: shotguns
 

With a full choke, it will shoot "foster" type slugs but chances are, poorly. Buckshot might be your best option. But as Swampdog said, you'll have to try it.

RE: shotguns
 

Will it shoot slugs and buckshot...

Safely? Sure. Some people claim that shooting rifled slugs through a full choke will damage the gun, but I don't think that's true, at least for the Foster style slugs. My dad has shot hundreds, maybe well over a thousand, Rem Sluggers through his fixed full choke 870 Wingmaster 20 gauge over the years and it still patterns fine and there is nothing wrong with the barrel. It always gave acceptable accuracy, too. Buckshot is also safe to shoot, but whether is patterns worth a darn is an open question. You'll have to pattern it to find out for sure, and it may like certain brands/configurations of buckshot better than others, so you may want to try a variety of different shells.

Good luck,

Mike

RE: shotguns
 

The 870 has been around for ages, is very popular and for good reason. It is one of the best pump shotguns out there. The other responses cover the subject of slugs & buckshot rather well. If you use it for deer, use slugs! They are more effective than buckshot. It will shootFoster type slugs and original style Brennekes as well. For sabot slugs, you'd need a rifled bore or screw-in choke tube. You could buy a rifled barrel for it and swap for deer hunting.

RE: shotguns
 

The old type Forster slugs are made of lead, the barrel of your shotgun is made of steel...You can scratch lead with your fingernail so it's not going to hurt the steel in your barrel...

I would suggest buying an additional barrel with screw in chokes...This way you can buy a special turkey choke for hunting turkeys, use an improved cylinder or modified for doves and quail, etc...
When it comes to buckshot, I have had more success with shooting it out ofan improved cylinder or modified vs full...Each gun is different and you will need to try yours to see what works best...

RE: shotguns
 

i agree with nchawkeye
get a rifled barrel at cabelas
they are not that expensive and will last a lifetime and then some
and with todays rifled barrels and sabots you basically have a hard hitting 200 yrd rifle

RE: shotguns
 

I doubt that the foster slug will hit the target where you expect it... but if you can keep track of where it would go, why not. A bead sight set for shot is a different beast from slug sights. Buckshot, well, it works fine at closer range. I say it should go in cylinder bore or improved cylinder. It does not take to shaping from a choke like a tall column of birdshot. It behaves more like smoothbore musket ball in flight. But what the heck. Try it and see what it does for you.

RE: shotguns
 

I will have to suggest going a different avenue. Purchase another barrel for your deer hunting. If you plan on using Foster type slugs get a smooth bore version, if you want better accuracy get a fully rifled barrel version so you can use sabot type ammo. You can get one with sights or cantilever style to mount a scope for even better accuracy capabilities. I don't suggest using Buck shot for deer and or use of your grandfather full choke barrel for either. JMO

RE: shotguns
 

The Wingmaster is a great pump action design. Been around for decades. If it is an older design, the barrel may not be safe for modern steel shot. I'd check.

The design of the Foster type slug is that the rear end, concave in shape, creates a weight forward projectile with a rather thin lead walled "cup" at the rear. The projectile is well "under" gauge and absolutely safe for use in a Full choke barrel.

The Foster idea is to use the pressure to expand the walls of the rear cup and seal the bullet against the smooth bore so that the bullet gets the optimum muzzle velocity. The "angled" grooves on the slug bite into the air and that is what spins the bullet along its horizontal axis. As is well known, this spin is what stabilizes the bullet. Unfortunately, the Foster type slugs are not stabilized well until some distance from the muzzle. They are definitely not as accurate as a rifled barrel/sabot set-up.

I have shot Foster type slugs in a smooth bore 12 ga. pump. About 60-70 yards of good grouping is all I could expect. In addition this "biting" into the air eats up a lot of energy that would otherwise be conserved in the bullet's velocity. The slug looses speed rather abruptly and drop is usually very dramatic after about 75 yards. As already mentioned, a great way to go for deer hunting is to buy a rifled barrel. Using a well made sabot, you can expect very good groups and enough down range ummph to kill cleanly to 125 yards. If your Wingmaster's receiver will handle 3" shells (see information stamped on the barrel), I would suggest them for deer hunting.