I've read reports that sometimes rifled slugs seem to be "hit or miss" in cylinder bore 870's. I haven't fired any out of mine yet but do have some Federal Hydra Shocks...I want to be able to extend the range of my 870 express mag with 18" barrel. At longer distances, my pattern is kind of huge...so I'm hoping that the rifled slugs will add some effective distance to my 870 as well as packing a wallup...
Rifled slugs in your 870...how'd they fair?
- Thread starter ndolson
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Mike U.
Member
Does your barrel have rifle sights or a bead?
Mine had a bead and slugs past 15 yards were near impossible to keep a decent pattern with. After buying a sighting aid the Winchester bulk pack slugs(X12RX15VP) at Wal*Mart patterned pretty tight at 50 yards for me. The first three shots actually clover leafed and were touching. And that has been the norm with those slugs.
You really have to get a bunch of different maker's slugs and see which does best out of your 870. You know, different guns tend to prefer different maker's loads.
Mine had a bead and slugs past 15 yards were near impossible to keep a decent pattern with. After buying a sighting aid the Winchester bulk pack slugs(X12RX15VP) at Wal*Mart patterned pretty tight at 50 yards for me. The first three shots actually clover leafed and were touching. And that has been the norm with those slugs.
You really have to get a bunch of different maker's slugs and see which does best out of your 870. You know, different guns tend to prefer different maker's loads.
Dave McCracken
Moderator In Memoriam
See the Slugs 101 thread in the Archives....
Snarlingiron
Member
I have an 870 with a 20" cylinder bore rifle sited barrel. Rifled slugs are quite accurate in it out to 100 yards, I can consistantly put rounds in COM on a man sized target at 200 yards, and can ring a 48" steel square at 300 yards. As far as I am concerned, I can give a quite good account of myself out to 200 yards with the 870 and slugs. As my instructor said, "Even at 200 yards a 1 oz. slug will **** you up!". The latest SWAT magazine has a good article on the Tac Pro Shooting Center's shotgun course, and the capabilities of the shotgun.
Snarlingiron
Member
You are correct, sir, a rainbow would pretty much describe it at 300 yards. My gun is sighted in at 100, so the drop at 200 is around 16" if I remember correctly. Just to be clear, I don't anticipate intentionally taking on an adversary at 200 yards with a 12 ga slug. An AR-15 would certainly be more appropriate, but if necessary, I can put the slug where it needs to be. The 300 yard excersize was just that an excersize to demonstrate that it is possible.
Jeff F
Member
At one of the places I shoot theres a 3 foot gong at 300 meters that I have rung pretty regularly with an 870 and slugs.
unrealtrip
Member
I have a 20" cylinder bore with only a bead sight (ie. little knob on the end of the barrel) and I have no problem putting a basketball sized pattern into a target at 50yd offhand. With rifle sights you could shrink that group substantially.
I have an open red dot on it however I have it zero'd for CQ
I have an open red dot on it however I have it zero'd for CQ
Big Daddy K
Member
I have a 20" smooth bore on my dedicaited 870 pig gun. Also have a fixed 4X on top.
Mine likes the green 1oz remingtons. 3 are touching at 50 easy. Shoots a pretty deadly 00 and #4 buck out to 30ish as well
Mine likes the green 1oz remingtons. 3 are touching at 50 easy. Shoots a pretty deadly 00 and #4 buck out to 30ish as well
Bob F.
Member
Don't wanna try to catch one between my teeth outta my 870 HD!
Can't find pics of targets but at HD ranges to 15yds, they go where the bead lays!!
Bob
Can't find pics of targets but at HD ranges to 15yds, they go where the bead lays!!
Bob
You can keep your slugs under 6" at 50 yds with a bead sight with a bit of practice. I have a rifled barrel with sights and I can get them under 2" at 50 yd but find the barrel leads quickly so it's not something I'd choose for a prolonged fight.
Titan6
member
With cheap Rifled HP slugs out of an 11/87 with 20" Rifled barrel and a 3X Turkey Scope = 3-4" MOA @ 100 yards
Shooting through the shoot through rings = 5-6" MOA @ 100 yards
What's not to like? I am not even a very good shot.
Past 175 yards things to start to get kind of whacky. Most slugs won't hit the paper. Most of them seem to hit the dirt. I think because the scope has a 100 yard zero it is near the peak of the trajectory when it hits the paper at a hundred yards and is already on it's way back down. Still inside a hundred yards is where I will use it anyway. I kind of like the idea that it will most likely hit the ground if I miss what I am shooting at instead of possibly going a mile or more like a rifle round.
If I need more slugs than what I have in the extended mag and the side saddle I brought the wrong gun...
Shooting through the shoot through rings = 5-6" MOA @ 100 yards
What's not to like? I am not even a very good shot.
Past 175 yards things to start to get kind of whacky. Most slugs won't hit the paper. Most of them seem to hit the dirt. I think because the scope has a 100 yard zero it is near the peak of the trajectory when it hits the paper at a hundred yards and is already on it's way back down. Still inside a hundred yards is where I will use it anyway. I kind of like the idea that it will most likely hit the ground if I miss what I am shooting at instead of possibly going a mile or more like a rifle round.
If I need more slugs than what I have in the extended mag and the side saddle I brought the wrong gun...
I had tinkered with slugs a lot in the past and never really had good results with them. Then I decided to try Brenneke KO's in my full choked 20 inch barrel. They said they were safe through any choke, so I wasn't too worried. Sure enough, the choke swages them down and launches them straight. They shoot better from the full choke than any other tube I tried. It's a surprisingly accurate combination.
Gordonstoun
Member
I have an 870 Brushmaster (20 inch barrel) and it patterns well with both foster-type slugs and Lightfields.
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