UncleNorby

Since your scope is mounted to your receiver, and not your barrel, you may not get better results with the scope than your rifle sights, because there can be some slop in the barrel mounting system. But then again, you may do well enough for your hunting situations. You really do need to try each combination and see for yourself. I've heard from a couple guys that they got the best results when the barrel screw was tightened with pliers (over a rag or towel to avoid scratches) to take as much of the play out of the system as possible. I can't recommend that you do that, but apparently it helped them.

For 50 yd shooting I would use foster styleslugs and the smoothbore slug barrel if you can shoot that well enough. 75 yds might be my max range with that setup.

klecanc

I have been hunting with the exact same set up for 10+ yrs. (Rem. 870/22" smooth bore slug barrel/saddle mount w/red dot scope) with good results. It cuts cloverleafs out to50 yds. good out to 100 if sighted in slightly high at 50. Mine likes the Brenneke slugs best, I have also shot Rem. sluggers and Winchester XX with decent results. One thing about the Remy is it does have a pretty good kick to it, After about 7 or 8 shots at the range you start to feel it pretty good. If most of your shots are 75 yds. and under this is the way to go IMO.

HoosierHunter79

i LOVE my 870

Paul L Mohr

Barrel length will not matter, the advantage of the other barrel is it has interchangeable chokes. However I believe even with the choke removed there is still some constriction to it. Where as the slug barrel will be a true cylinder bore and should shoot foster slugs pretty well. Not to mention the sights are fixed to the barrel which should be more consistent.

The only thing a longer barrel on a shotgun does is effect the balance and the way it swings. Most modern loads burn all their powder in under 20 inches so the longer barrel will not yield you more velocity. Or least not enough that you will notice anyway.

Paul

yodeldog3

If your set up already with the scope, then your set. I got a 870 three or four years ago, just set up this year with a square d mount on the reciver, and a trueglow red dot 30 mil. I have a 26 in. smooth bore, and could not belive how tight the pattern was with the winchester sabo compaired to the rem slugs.

sk74ford

I would shoot the sabots out of the slug barrel. The slug barrel should be rifled. The foster style in the smoothbore can only shoot to about 50 yards accuratly without a significant amount of drop. So if you plan on shooting short distances I would go with them. I shoot an 870 super magnum with the slug barrel with remington core-lokt 395 grain sabots. I can easily shoot out to 150 yards. I don't use a scope though. It gets tough sometimes to shoot that far but I am comfortable shooting that far without a scope.

monster10rackstack

I would go with smooth barrel and rifled slugs.....add a scope and you will be at 100 yds

wiranger

bugs11

I know two guys that have 870's with drilled and tapped receivers, Weaver bases. Both are comfortable shooting out to 100 yards with the receiver mounted scope, smooth bores, and slugs. I have a 870 Police model, 18" cylinder bore barrel, that I'm going to have drilled and tapped for a Weaver or Warne base. Probably put a Nikon or Bushnell scope on it with QD rings.

Bugs.