Hunting With Slugs Help!
 

I have a Rem 870 Express. It does not have a rifled bore.
I would like to try some slugs.
Do I need a rifled barrell? I know the make rifled slugs. If they work what Choke do I need in it to properly and accuritly fire them?
Thanks.

RE: Hunting With Slugs Help!
 

You can shoot any type of slugs through a smooth bore. If you buy the expensive sabots, they shoot better through a rifled barrel but you don't need one. It depends on how far of a shot you want to take. If you only want to shoot 50 yards I would shoot the 2 3/4 hollow points. If you want a little farther just use the 3 inch slugs. The 2 3/4 drop a lot after 50 yards. If you have the money get a rifled barrel and you can shoot a lot farther with sabots. But it depends on what distance you feel comfortable shooting.

RE: Hunting With Slugs Help!
 

Remington makesthe Buckhammer slug which is designed to be shot out of a rifled choke tube. Remington makes the rifled choke tube and they sell for around $30.00. Try this, it may work.

RE: Hunting With Slugs Help!
 

I have the same rig as you. First of all, you need a sighting system. Do you have a scope or rifle sites on your gun? Precise aiming makes a BIG difference. If you want to stick with your smooth bore just buy the less expensive "Foster" style rifled slugs that most every ammo maker has. My gun likes the Winchester brand the best but yours may be different. I confidently shoot out to 75 yards with no problems. 3" slugs offer no advantage other than pounding your shoulder and wallet a lot more than 2.75". Use the most open choke that you have...probably improved cylinder unless you happen to have a skeet tube. If you go with the rifled bbl you will need to buy the MUCH more expensive sabot type slugs. I don't have this type of rig so I will not comment on whether it would be an advantage for you or not. One important question is how far do you expect to shoot?
HTHs and good luck.

RE: Hunting With Slugs Help!
 

If you can get a rifled barrel. If not, use regular slugs but don't shoot over 50 yards.

RE: Hunting With Slugs Help!
 

I have a Remington 1100 autoloader, and It is in 2 3/4 full choke smooth bore. Its a fowl gun, but it will shoot slugs no problem, but they DO drop alot after 50yds or so, but how far are you wanting the slugs to reach? Your gonna use them for deer I assume.

RE: Hunting With Slugs Help!
 

I will like to shoot about 50 yards max. Want to get me a few stands in the woods. So that would be a good range. Would a Scope at that range be better then rifle sights. And where can I get rifle sights. or If I put a scope mount on it would one the Red Dot sights be better?
Also the Choke. Do I need the full Choke in the shoot the Slugs?

RE: Hunting With Slugs Help!
 

Improved cylinder or Skeet choke! Full choke is for shot shells, not slugs.

RE: Hunting With Slugs Help!
 

http://www.gunaccessories.com/HiViz/shotgun.asp

I like the sights better than a scoped shotgun...Its a preference thing. You dont NEED to use a choke with a slug...The 870 is chambered in 3" is'nt it? I cant remember.

RE: Hunting With Slugs Help!
 

YEs Its chambered for 3 in. Also I noticed slugs come in differnce ounces. What a good practical for Deer at 50 yards?

RE: Hunting With Slugs Help!
 

If I were you I would get some Brenneke slugs for smoothbores in 3" and give them a whirl. I have a buddy that shoots them through his 870 and he can accurately kill deer out to 100 yards. I belive that they are very inexpensive as well.

RE: Hunting With Slugs Help!
 

merlin
i dont have a lot of experience with slugs but i would surely use a choke. obviously as open as you can get but you want something protecting those threads at the end of the barrel. i dont know if you could blow em out but you would surely foul em up.
thats my opinion but then again, like i said before, my slug experience leaves much to be desired.

cervidslayer
have you actually shot without a tube in? you've pricked my curiousity, i'd like to hear your experiences.
i apologize if im seemed to put you down or call you out, that was not my intention.

RE: Hunting With Slugs Help!
 

Yea, I have shot with out a choke. MyRem 1100is in full choke. There are no threads at the end of my barrel. I was told that is not good for the gun to shoot slugs out of it often. I have only shot like 4 or 5 slugs out of my Rem 1100 ever, so I cant comment on the long term effects of barrel ware. I shot at a jug of water about 35 yds away with a 2 3/4" slug, and It blew water, and the jug about 20' into the air. I have never shot at game with a slug out of my Rem 1100 though. I dont shoot slugs out of it...but I have and it didnt seem to mess anything up.

RE: Hunting With Slugs Help!
 

Yea, I think I used a 1oz slug...I cant remember.
I really cant say what is the best ounce slug for deer...Any of the buckhammers would prob work though...IT also may be a preference thing.

RE: Hunting With Slugs Help!
 

I have a Rem Express that I used to deer hunt with. I have since got a 1187 auto but still take the 870 along on the trip for a backup. Mine was purchased as a combo, 28 inch field barrel with choke tubes and a smooth bore slug barrel with iron sights. Don't waste your money with sabots through a smooth bore, you need to shoot regular ole 2 3/4 foster style slugs, the $1.98 to $2.50 a box depending on where you live. You might check some gun shops in your area and see if they have a used slug barrel, you don't have to have a rifled barrel. Many deer were killed with a smooth bore before they were available. Rifled screw in chokes are available for $30+ dollars. I would recommend some sort of sight system either a set of the Tru-Glow sights or something instead of using just the beads on a field barrel.

RE: Hunting With Slugs Help!
 

Typically a 12 gauge slug is 1 oz. a 20 gauge slug is 7/8 oz. Not sure what a 16 gauge weighs, they still make them but not real popular from where I'm from. I will also add that when I buy slugs I usually buy 20 boxes and check the lot numbers in the inside flap of the cardboard box, I make sure they all match. I had a old hunter tell me this so thats what I do. Don't mix up your brands,sight in withRemingtons and then change to Winchesters or other brands. Hunt with what you sight in with. I sight my slug gun in at 2 inches high at 50 yrds. Between 50 and 100 yards there is roughly a 4 inch drop with 1 oz Remington Sluggers. If you aim for the kitchen a 2 inch difference between 50 and 100 yrds shouldn't hurt you.

RE: Hunting With Slugs Help!
 

Great Question,
I've noticed in my 870 that with my rifled choke I can reach out and touch a deer at about 80 gards with Remington Golden Saber Slugs.
I've never tried them with just my modified or full choke but I know the rifling helps the slug twist which in turnmakes it more accurate and stable.

Happy Hunting.

RE: Hunting With Slugs Help!
 

Thanks guys.
I will be experimenting with different ones the off season.
Hope everyone has a safe and Great Chrsitmas and New Years.

RE: Hunting With Slugs Help!
 

OK.. I do a lot of slug shooting and work for a gun shop also.. I have heard some bad advise here and typically don't post in this section but will right now....

Rifled slugs go out of a smooth bore barrel and sabot go through a rifled barrel.. The rifled chokes help a little but I don't thik they are worth the xtra cost in ammo but that's just me, different story anyway..

3 inch only pounds you harder imo... 2-3/4 does it just fine.. Some of the best slug guns are Remington, I have an 870, 1100 and 11-87 slug gun. Plus a browning A Bolt slugger.. I have all rifled bbls though... Remington does have a little slower twist rate in their bbls so some of the faster slugs i.e. 2000fps may not stabalize properly at longer distance. But you would have to shoot several different kinds to find out what your gun "likes"... Just like a rifle... In my experiences the Winchester Platinum Tips seem to shoot consistantly better than others out of rifled bbls..
With the right scope, the right slug and practice it's not uncommon to have 150-175 yard accuracy out of a fully rifled slug gun..

OK, NOW FOR THIS... DO NOT, ever ever shoot slugs or anything else out of a smooth bore that does not have the choke in.. IT WILL mess up the threads and not to mention give poor accuracy..
Slugs are also not meant to come out of Full choke bbls.. Will it hurt the gun? It would take alot of shooting to actually hurt the gun.. What it does hurt is the accuracy in many cases.. You may hit the target but alot of times you will shoot way high or way low. when you'll really see it is past 40-50 yards.. It will stretch out a slug and make it wobble during flight and throw your accuracy off.. Best to use an Imp. Cyl. choke with slugs, or even a Cyl. choke, skeet works too..
Rifled slugs can be accurate 50-75 yards, don't look for Sub-Moa accuracy but accurate enough to kill a deer anyway.. If you don't ever plan to shoot over 50 yards a smooth bore with an Imp. Cyl. choke and iron sights will be just fine.. If you like scopes get one with low power magnification and a large field of view. Don't cheap out on a scope or rings, spend some good money and you'll be happier..

As far as the oz goes, typical is 1oz which is 435 grains I think.. The sabots I prefer are 400gr. and if you have a rifled bbl with a fast twist rate then hornady makes a new one that shoots a 300gr bullet.. Yes bullet, in a sabot.. lol Over 2000fps if I remember right.. But this is all personal preference.. The heavier the grain the more forgiving a slug usually is.. So once again buy a couple different brands, shoot them and see what gives you the best group..
Now with the numbers on the box.. They are called Lot Numbers and have to do with ammo being produced off the same line with the same tooling.. Once you find something that shoots good then go buy many boxes of the same lot and use them to sight in and hunt with.. A lot of guys can't figure out why the slugs they used last year are shooting two inches to the right this year.. Well it's cuz it's a different lot number.. The groups will be the same but your impact point may differ very slightly with different lot number boxes.
When testing loads keep the bbl clean and let it cool down before groups of shots.

I don't know if I left anything out or not.. But if you have any questions please ask me before trying if your not sure.. I will give you my help best I can.. If you want to know what kind of gun, or ammo, or anything else just ask and I'll try to help..

RE: Hunting With Slugs Help!
 

demoIL

excellent information. you seem to really know your stuff.

RE: Hunting With Slugs Help!
 

Im glad someone asked, during our gun season here in Oklahoma I wanted to take out one of my shotguns (mossberg 500 or remington 1100) but I could never get two people to give me the same advice...as far as rifled barrel or smooth, rifled slug or sabot, is it safe or not....I finally decided that I would say the heck with it and buy the barrel and scope combo for the mossberg 500 that they have at wallmart.com. Gun season is closed here but I will be ready for next year.