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Savage220, or keep my Remington?
Hello all. I've been shooting my 20ga Remingtion 870 Express with a smooth bore slug barrel (open sights) for many years. I have now decided it's time for me to upgrade. I was wondering if it is possible to get the same accuracy out of my 870 with a fully rifled barrel and a good scope as I would with the Savage 20ga? I'm sold on the Savage, but will save a lot of $$ keeping the Remington. I would like to be accurate out to 150-175yds.
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Maybe I should have asked this: Anybody out there have good luck shooting the Remington out past 100yds?
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You said it yourself..................
"I have now decided it's time for me to upgrade." It's a upgrade !!! |
That is true!
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upgrade, cause you will not get the accuracy from the 870 with a rifled/cantilever barrel. The Savage 220f is one hell of a great shotgun that handles like a rifle.
Now by no means is the 870 no good, it has a great track record, and it would be cheaper for you to purchase the barrel, and you will have very good accuracy. If money is an issue get the barrel for the 870, but if you want a tack driver get the Savage 220f, or the H&R Ultra. Which ever way you go get a good glass and try various ammo to see what that barrel likes. When it comes to the 20ga I do like the 3" shell over the 2-3/4" |
I've had my 220F for two years now. Went with the Nikon Slug Hunter BDC scope. I love it. Was shooting a H&R Ultra slug Hunter. I'm getting better groups than with the H&R. I'm shooting the 3" Remington Accutip. Never shot slugs thru any of my 870's but I can't imagine they would shoot anything like my 220. I couldn't get any pass thru with the H&R, even close shots. It would only shoot the Lightfields. They work but you got to hit em just right. 220, full pass thru and crime seen like blood trails. That's my 2 cents, Joe.
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I have had it for 2 years an it is dialed in at 200 yards. I shot a deer at 225 yards with it an dropped her. I have also shot one at 200 same result. . It loves the 3 inch Remington Accutip but the problem is finding them.
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I use a 870 and have shot deer to about 135 yards, and the gun groups good with sst's.
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I shoot an 870, got it dialed in for 100 yards. The only reason i dont push it out is i really have no reason to with the area i hunt. The 3-4 fields in my spots are only about 45 yards wide and 100 yards long so im covered corner to corner.
You sound like your really wanting an upgrade though but looking to talk yourself out of it. I would just go with the upgrade. Is their a reason though you cant get the barrel for the 870 as well. Are you trying to trade it in at the local shop to help get the other gun in your price range? |
Originally Posted by hookeye
(Post 4084893)
I like movers, and sometimes there's more than one deer to be had.
Pump guns are way better for that stuff than bolt rigs. If one wants to tune a pump gun, it might be better to stay with such a rig (rifled bbl of course). The 220 might be a better option for folks wanting to just plunk $ down and go. On my 870's (12 gauge) I go with high comb stocks, rifled bores, drill and tap the receiver and mount my scope low, for proper rifle like fit. I do trigger jobs and make sure my barrel fits snugly into my receiver. Did run an old Police model, smoothbore, for kicks on season. There the bbl to receiver fit was worst I'd ever seen. Solution to bring it to usable accuracy was to layer two strips of masking tape on bbl flange and then tap bbl into receiver with wooden block at the muzzle. Shot OK to 75, was hoping for better but it was repeatable. Smoked my deer up close and then sold the gun. My hunting partner bought my first tuned 870 and it's a 1.5" rig at 100. He's been racking up the kills with it. I miss that gun :( I've seen 870s shoot very well. I'd still opt for the Savage over trying to get a shotgun to shoot like a rifle. The savage IS a rifle that shoots shotgun ammo. Not a great difference in price when you factor in all the messing around you may need to do with an 870. |
If you have the $$$, go to the Savage. I know of only one guy that uses it, but dang is it a good grouping set up. He has a Bushnell Elite 4200 on his.
However ... Bill J., a big time buddy of mine that I used to hunt with where I lived ... who has used a 12 ga., Rem. Wingmaster with a Hastings rifled barrel and one of Remington's sabot slugs (not sure wich) for a long, long time. I'm guessing 20 years or so. He has killed a boat load of deer with it out to around 150 or so yards ... which is about as long a shot as where he and I hunted together. He has a Leupold Vari-X compact scope on it. He found a scope mount that is not the usual cantilever. It wraps over the top of the action and has a slot cut which allows the spent shell to cleanly eject. Not sure who makes it. Looks weird but works. As far as I know he has had no issues with accuracy. |
I did the upgrade a few years and love the savage 220. It shoots like a rifle and very dependable in every way. Good luck
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I own an 870 with a rifled barrel (12 gauge), and I bought a 220 as an upgrade, and it was. Much prefer the Savage.
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I have both a 20ga. H&R Ultra Slug hunter w/ Thumbhole stock which is a tack driver and a Savage 220F which also is a tack driver, both guns are remarkable slug guns. As you can see in my avatar, I took that buck with my Savage 220F. Love both guns equally!
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I shoot an 870 express with a scope and fully rifled barrel. One thing I did do was cut a shim out of a beer can and use it to tighten up the barrel at the receiver. I found this on a slug shooter site. I use this as a dedicated slug gun, and have had good results with 2 3/4" Accutips . I never take the barrel off the to clean it just so I never have any problems with scope zero.
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Ive see one 870 that keeps up with the Savage.....and Ive seen a lot of 870s
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