870, dissapointed with slugs

[happycamper374]

Hi all,

I'm going hog hunting and I have to carry a shotgun on the game lands because it's turkey season. But no problem, a 12 gauge slug should take carry of anything in NC anyway.

I got a set of tru-glo rifle sights that attach to the rib on the barrel and they're great, really easy to see.

I went down to the store and picked up some Remington Sluggers. Not top of the line by any means, but we're just talking 75 yard absolute maximum and probably closer to 30 or 40 yards.

Well, went down to the range to see how it's all working. At 25 yards, they're 1.5 - 2 inches high. Ok, they grouped decently, so I can deal with that. Went over to the 50 yard range. Now I'm shooting 5 inches low! I knew that they dropped quite a bit, but this is just crazy. The box says 1.5 inch low at 25 gives you dead on at 50. I was high at 25. What's up here?

I'm shooting a Remington 870 with a 28 inch smooth barrel and modified choke. I thought about getting a cylinder choke but most of the info on the internet said that either would work, with the cylinder choke usually better than the modified.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

Interestng. I have a bunch of 2 3/4" and 3" sluggers that were left over from an ANWR trip back in the early 90's. A couple of times a year we go out and just blast them away for the fun of it.

Last time out we were on the 50 yrd line and they were hitting nearly perfectly right on the front sight of my 18" straight cylinder 870. I was also impressed at the groups were pulling. Easily put all 5 rounds into the center of a paper plate.

How new are your rounds?

 

[Cosmoline]

I've had excellent results with a dedicated slug barrel. Not rifled, but with rifle sights and set up for slugs.

 

[Caliper_Mi]

The box says 1.5 inch low at 25 gives you dead on at 50. I was high at 25. What's up here?

That sounds like they are using a scope so there is more sight height than your irons. An inch or two of sight height is the only way I can figure having a slug hit zero at 50yd and low at 25yd with the same sight adjustment.

 

[Davandron]

I concur on the box being for a scoped slug gun.

In my very limited experience, slugs are not predictable enough to say what's happening here. Try another type / brand is probably going to be the universal answer.

 

[RMc]

Try shooting off hand.

When you shifted to the 50 yard range, I suspect your shooting position and or shooting rests changed. Long barrel shotguns are notorious for shooting slugs to widely different points of aim depending on how firmly the gun is held on a sandbag rest.

I suggest you try shooting a few groups from a standing or sitting position at both 25 and 50 yards. Bring the sights up to the target from below and squeeze the trigger just as the sights "touch" the bottom of the bullseye. I think you will see more consistency on target that way. Also it helps to clean the lead out of the barrel every 5 rounds or so. A cleaning rod and 10 gauge bore brush chucked into a cordless drill will make quick work of any leading. An improved cylinder choke tube will most likely give better accuracy also.

 

[happycamper374]

Peter, I just bought them from Dick's two days ago.

RMc and others, I'll try the different shooting positions. I still got a 3-4 inch group or so at 50 yards, it was just much lower than I expected.

I'll try shooting again in a few days and I may invest in an improved cylinder barrel. The thing is that I'm ordering a shorter smooth bore barrel with an improved cylinder in a few days. I just won't have it in time for the first few weeks of the season.

Thanks for the help and the ideas.

 

[Virginian]

I don't think investing in another barrel unless it has adjustable sights is going to help you one bit. 21" is certainly not going to shoot any flatter. Get some shims and raise your rear sight on the barrel a bit until you are satisfied with the accuracy at your longest range, then check the trajectory in between.

 

[okiewita40]

I'd suggest just getting a 18" cyl. bore barrel for it. Thats all we use in our dept. All of our shotguns shoot just fine with either buck shot or slugs. Just my two cents worth though.