Rifled Slugs or Rifled Barrel
 

Hey guys I plan on doing some public land hunting for the first time this year and can only use shotgun/muzzle. I'm going to use my Remington 870 and was curious if any of you had any advice on whether I should use the smooth barrel I have on it now with a Rifled Slug or invest in a rifled barrel or another option would to be buying a rifled choke?

Thanks in advance.

Rifled barrel is more accurate..
Rifled slug is just fine for short distances under 50yds.

I've shot a buck with a smoothbore/rifled slugs (my first buck) - and when we were restricted to shotguns, I've also shot with a rifled barrell and a good 3-9x50 scope on a slug gun at distances I'd never be able to touch with a smooth-bore.

Ultimately, It comes down to where you're hunting (in the woods?) and your budget - but my personal opinion is to always buy the best you can afford for the situation you need it for.

A rifled barrel is a lot more expensive and a lot better. Its really a matter of budget and not just initial investment money. Sabot slugs are at least triple the price.

If you buy a slug barrel for your 870, make sure it has a cantilevered barrel. Otherwise you have to buy a harness that fits over the receiver which adds expense (about $50, I think) and is kind of a pain anyway. I think Mossberg makes a rifled barrel for an 870 (maybe others) and you may be able to do better than Rem prices. (I have a friend who has a non-rem barrel (I think Mossberg) and it works just fine).

Rifled barrel and its not even close. I have shot several deer over 100yds with my H&R 12ga and my son's 20ga 870 is actually more accurate than the 12ga. Anyways to your point a rifled barrel is the only way to go when you have the choice.

Thanks for all the input.. I figured the rifled barrel would be the better way to go but I just didn't want to drop $200+ on it.. Also The shots I would be taking shouldn't be any long than 70yds max.

70 yards is too far for a smooth bore w/rifled slug.. it won't hold that kind of accuracy reliably.

When Murdy mention a cantilevered barrel, I think he meant a cantilevered scope mount where the weaver rail is bonded to the barrel itself, not the gun. This is good advice as you won't have to re-zero the scope if you change barrels since scope and barrel are married.

A little off your exact question and just a thought, you mentioned "shotgun/muzzle". Although every one's posts are correct in that the rifled barrel is more accurate, have you thought about buying a muzzleloader instead? You can get into the sport for near the same cost you are going to drop on the new barrel and the scope cost is the same for both. In Michigan, Muzzleloaders have their own season and extend the hunting season. With practice, they are accurate out to 200 yds, but you have 1 shot. If Texas allows for extended hunting and you like range time, a muzzleoader may be the way to go as it extends your season, can be just as accurate as a rifled barrel and gives you an excuse to grab another gun.

70yards is a LOT of a smoothbore/rifled slug. I can't imagine making a clean shot at those distances. I hope someone corrects me if I am wrong - it's been years since I've shot slugs out of a smoothbore.

I'm more of a "shoot out of a rifled barrel @ 150yards" kinda guy...

rifled barrel. I bought one a few years back for my 870 from rem with a rem scope already on it for $250 I think from Cabellas.. I am 4'' group at 150yds, or was when I first got it. I havn't shot it since. Don't try and be cute and shoot 3'' slugs out of it either unless you have a couple hundred lbs of extra fat...it hurts I did it twice.

For that price I would go with the muzzle loader.

I did that once too, bought a box of 3" Winchester Partition Gold slugs to try, and see if they had a little more oomf at 150+ yards - still have 2 shells left out of a box of 5.

My wifes slug gun has a rifled choke tube and shoots 1.5-2 inch 3 shot groups at 100 yards ( browning bps) and I have an 870 with a rifled choke tube that shoots about as well. And we both shoot federal premium 3 inch sabots.

Call me crazy but i shoot a Remington 12 ga. 870 express smooth bore, and dont get me wrong, I dont take i it to the range to test accuracy on a monthly basis, but i do take it out once a year and fire 3 shots at 50yrds, and 3 at 100yrds, to make sure i didnt bumb anything and have no problem hitting inside a 5in or so circle. Remington Slugger Rifled Slugs, 12 Ga., 3", 1 oz. killed every deer i have ever shot with it. My Rem. 1100 12 ga. now that i cant seem to find the right bullet for yet.

and also the 870 I own can shoot 2 3/4 or 3in but it only shoots good with 3 in shells.

Me and a few other guys I hunt with put the Mossberg cantilever and scoped barrel combos on a few Mossy 500s and Rem 870s and have had fantastic results. I'm not a big fan of the 3-9X BVushnell scopes that come on them but most of the guys have kept them and they work. Myself I went with a straight 4X scope cause that's how I roll with my slug guns.

We have had them for several years and I don't think anyonme paid more than $200. If I recall my Mossy 500 barrel cost me $169 and tax and the Rem 870 was like $10 more.

My Mossberg 500 with smoothbore slug barrel (rifle sights) and rifled slugs will easily take deer to 75 yards.

Check out TRI-BUCK loads. Basically they are 12 gauge shells loaded with 3 .60 caliber balls. The guy that makes them claims that they will put all 3 balls in a 6 inch circle @ 50 yards.

I've done quite a bit of deer hunting with a shotgun since many areas in VA require them. I've taken deer with buckshot, regular slugs, rifled slugs and sabot slugs. If you are serious about it, get a designated slug gun. I've got an H&R Ultra Slug Hunter and it is deadly. If you're not serious enough to get a new gun, get a selection of slugs and see which one your gun likes best and have at it. if the shots won't be more than 40 yards you might want to consider OO Buck.

I'd be surprised. While it's been a LONG time since I've shot smoothbore slugs, but I remember when I did, any further than where our shooting bench was, the slugs would start to tumble and impact the paper at odd angles.

My take is the cost of saboted slugs is ridiculous. Smoothbore shotguns have short range.

I have hunted and harvested deer with both rifled and smoothbore shotguns. My recommendation is a muzzleloader and nice scope or a rifle if it is legal.

rifled barrel you can shoot almost twice as far acurately with sabots but they are triple the price and in my opinion depending on what kind you use can have better knockdown power farthest i have dropped a deer with rifled barrel and sabot 140 yds could prob shoot a lil farther but i dont recomend shooting much past 150 its not a rifle. rifled slugs are good too thts what my dads been using for 20+ years so its all in your own preference

You can make a good case for the ML. I bought an 870 combo that came with a smooth and a rifled barrel that I hunted with for a while. Didn't take long and I started bringing my (rather cheap) ML whenever it was legal, which was just about always (we have a few pieces of public land that allow shotguns but not ML's for some reason). Last year, I bought a Savage 220. $200 is a pretty good down payment on a nice slug gun or ML, and you can get a decent ML for that.

I say just get a 220

I have cousins that shoot deer at 100 yds. with smooth bores and no rifeled slugs! Just take your gun and buy 4-5 different brands of slugs, then shoot them to see which one patterns the best! If non of them pattern then you should go buy a rifeled barrel. I had a shotgun that would shoot any slug for crap so I ended up buying a gun with a rifeled barrel 20 gauge Ithica and it's right on at 100 yds. Try your gun first with different slugs!