I have a new 870 express 20 gauge deer gun. I would like to put a scope on it, but really don't want to spend the money on a cantilever barrel. Should i get it drilled and tapped, or buy the mount that goes into the pins for the trigger?

I've had some good smoothbore consistency through my 870 with just a saddle mount. I mostly just got the mount for fun, but it does seem to work pretty well for what I ask out of slug shooting, which isn't much.

checkout what tar-hunt do to their 870's....I think they pin the barrel and drill and tap the receiver, that would probably be the route I'd go...google tar-hunt slug guns and read about what they do...

the cheapest way would be to get the saddle mount, the other ways would be more expensive. For me I really like the cantilever style mounts, I know the Remington barrels are expensive, look for either used or Mossberg makes it for the 870

If your gun is a smoothbore then the cheapest route would be a saddle scope mount.
You are not apt to be shooting cloverleafs with a smoothbore and foster slugs anyway so a little bit of potential inaccuracy added by the saddle mount is not going to hurt anything.

Just make sure of a couple of things.
1) Your barrel nut is tightened down well.
2) Don't remove the barrel from the gun once you have sighted it in.

Any movement between the barrel and the receiver will cause your zero to drift.

It's a rifled slug barrel. I think i may just stick with open sights this year. I can still see well enough to use them. Any one know what it would cost to have the barrel pinned and have the gun drilled and tapped?

I had my wingmaster drilled and tapped 15 years ago. It was under $100. He also did a trigger job. Make some calls to some local gunsmiths you trust.
Alot more accurate than open sights. Its now my backup slug gun.


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sorry to say man but the cantilevers are nice otherwise possible have your reciver drilled and tapped