buckshot or slugs
 

I recently moved, and was getting myself all pumped up for the season this fall. I just found out that my county and surrounding counties do not allow taking deer with a rifle. I have an 870 that I use for pheasant hunting, and it just became my deer firearm as well. I really can't afford to buy a rifled barrel for it. I saw some rifled slugs. Would those work in a smooth barrel? Mine has a choke tube. If I can use the rifled slugs, what type of choke tube would I need? Do they even make a cylinder bore choke tube? I know I can't fire it without a choke tube. Am I limited to buckshot?

RE: buckshot or slugs
 

Try an improved cylinder (I/C) or a even a Modified choke. Most suggest the most open choke you have, but in some of my guns I have gotten pretty decent groups with a modified choke. Not all slugs are the same diameter so try a few different kinds with a few different chokes and see what your gun likes.

You are right in thinking you have to have a choke tube, never shoot your shotgun without a choke tube installed, especially with slugs.

Adding a set of fiber optic rifle sights will help some too. They are not too expensive and clamp right on to your rib.

As far as what you will get for accuracy it really depends on what you call accurate, what distances you want to shoot and your particular rifle. Some just shoot slugs better than others.

I would say average for a smooth bore and slugs it likes would be around 4 or 5 inches at 60-80 yards. Some guns are better, some are worse. Will also depend on how well you shoot and if you are just using a bead or if you have some sort of sights.

I'm not a big fan of buckshot so I would recommend slugs, but buckshot can be effective out to 50 or 60 yards in some guns. Again, you would have to try a few different kinds and see how your gun does with it. As far as what choke to use I don't want to say for sure on that since I don't use it. Maybe someone else will chime in and let you know. Or do a search for buckshot, it has been covered fairly recently I think.

Paul

RE: buckshot or slugs
 

I have an 870 with a 20" smooth bore barrel. I can cut clover leaf groups at 50 yards. If you are using a VRB, I'd get an improved cylinder choke tube and see how it shoots. You can get fiber optic rifle sights for the barrel or put a scope on it if thats your preferance. I have a scope mount that bolts into the holes from the pins from the trigger assembly. It works great. I use 2 - 3/4 inch rifled slugs. Winchester Super X seems to work pretty good for me.

RE: buckshot or slugs
 

Thanks for the help! I feel pretty stupid, but I've never hunted deer with a shotgun, and never even thought about it.

RE: buckshot or slugs
 

No need to feel stupid, that's a legitimate question. In all honesty you could have searched for it and found it fairly easy but no big deal.

It would have been more stupid of you not to ask and remain ignorant. That is what this site is for.

I personally don't care for a scope on a smooth bore slug gun, and I really don't like the saddle or receiver mounted ones. Every time you take the barrel off from the receiver to clean it your point of impact could change. Heck just shooting it could change your POI since the barrel is not pinned to the receiver.

That is just a personal preference thing though, many have scopes on this type of a set up and are happy with them.

Paul

RE: buckshot or slugs
 

i favor slugs more then bs but both can work in the situation. think about trying muzzleloading when you get a chance it gives you more hunting time and can extend your range.

RE: buckshot or slugs
 

You always want to use a rifled slug through a smoth bore and use a standard slug through a rifled barrel.

RE: buckshot or slugs
 

Remington makes a rifled choke tube as well. $15-$20 bucks maybe. I use one on my 870 and have taken Deer out to 75-100 yards with perfect placed shots. Slugs and Shotguns are pretty amazing today compared to the options we had 5-10 years ago. I also use a Saddle mounted scope that gets removed after Deer Season.

RE: buckshot or slugs
 

I definitely thought about it. I'd have to buy one, plus pay extra on my hunting license to be able to use it. I'm on a pretty tight budget these days.

I did go ahead and order some rifled slugs from Cabela's that were on sale. Would a skeet choke tube be good for those? I have a skeet and a modified choke tube. RIstrutstopper recommended an Improved Cylinder choke tube. Which would be best? Thanks!

RE: buckshot or slugs
 

That shotgun should do a great job of slammin' whitetails for ya. Of course, it's pretty much all of us here in IL have ever been able to use. As mentioned above, you could purchase a rifled choke or simply use your imporved cylinder. Make sure in a smoothbore barrel you use a traditional rifled slug or "Foster type" slug. Of the many different slugs from Remington, Breneke, Federal, and Winchester, it has been the Winchester Super-X slugs that have consistently proved the be the best grouping and does an excellent job of cleanly harvesting deer out to 75 to 100 yards. It is unfortunate though that you can't afford to add a fully rifle cantilever barrel with optics,.... then it's a new game! ;)

Personally, because of such limited weapon restrictions here, I choose to carry a T/C Encore Pro Hunter 209x.50 muzzleloader that will shoot circles around ANY slug gun.

Good luck and good shootin'