Tactical Shotgun Accuracy

[montgomery381]

I am in the market for a tactical shotgun and I have not been able to find any info on this type of weapon's accuracy with slugs. I hunt deer with pistol but would like to have the option of a slug gun for some of the more wide open spaces on the farm. Can anyone tell me what kind of range and grouping a guy can expect to get out of a stock barrel with either open rifle sights or ghost rings? I am mainly considering the 870, 500, 590, and Super Nova Tactical. All information will be appreciated.

 

[matty-vb]

well if you go with the Mossy 500 you can easily swap out barrels and put a slug barrel on it for deer hunting and keep your shorter barrel for tac use.

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

I recommend the 870, can't go wrong with what I consider the best pump action you can buy.

 

[Jeff F]

With my 870 and a 21 inch sb rifle sighted slug barrel and an extended rifled choke tube I get cloverleafs at 50 yards and around 3 to 4 inch groups at 100. Thats with foster slugs. I have never used the sabot slugs but some of my friends do with fully rifled slug barrels and scopes. They shoot 2 to 3 inches at 100 and can shoot and make hits out to 200 yards.

 

[Dave McCracken]

My slug shooters are 870s with peep sights(GR sights without a publicist). The better of the two puts the slug of choice in about 4" at 100 yards from the bench, the other less than 5". That's edge to edge, so subtract .72" for center to center.


More importantly, they find minute of deer at typical eastern whitetail ranges, less than 50 yards.

 

[Sheepdog1968]

The few times I've shot slugs for accuracy, I was able to cloverleaf the group at 25 yards. Under current living conditions, longest possible shot I would have is 17 paces so I didin't try any further. I'm guessing I could also cloverleaf at 50 yards as well but haven't seen the need for it.

 

[Inebriated]

I can hit minute of man with a bead at 100 yards, but I would highly, highly recommend rifle or ghost rings.

 

[USAF_Vet]

My 28" smooth barrel has bead sights on both my 12 and 20 gauge. 20 guage can hit minute of deer at 100 yards, as can my 12.

My 12 also wears a 18.5" barrel with ghost rings, and can hit minute of man/ deer with foster slugs at 50 yards easy.

But when hunting, I prefer optics on my slug gun. My 20 gauge isn't drilled and tapped for a scope mount yet, so I use a receiver mounted rail on my Mav 88 (a Mossberg 500 for all intents and purposes) to mount optics. It's wearing a 30mm red dot at the moment (being loaded with buck for HD, the red dot makes more sense than the GR sights), and gets fixed up with a 4 power 32mm scope for deer season. I'm finding out that since I don't often fire slugs through my short barrel, the ghost ring sights don't serve much purpose.

 

[montgomery381]

I'm primarily a handgun guy. I don't know what minute of man means. Thanks for the info.

 

[USAF_Vet]

Minute of man is a play on Minute of Angle, (for a brief description of MoA read here: http://riflestocks.tripod.com/moa.html )

If someone mentions their gun is accurate to minute of man/ deer/ coyote, they are basically saything they can score a Center of Mass hit on the intended target at the stated range. CoM hits are typically considered acceptable, even if not the most accurate. If a defensive hadgun can hit a bad guy in the chest at 15 feet, it's doing it's job, and doesn't neccessarily require the accuracy to hit the target in the left ventricle.

 

[lobo9er]

scoped mossberg 590 is coming with me a few times this year. cylinder bore is fine withing 100 yards. never shot a deer past 25, so i'm not to worried about rifled barrels and spending big bucks on sa'bots. I think fosters are over priced as it is.

 

[Inebriated]

Minute of man is a play on Minute of Angle, (for a brief description of MoA read here: http://riflestocks.tripod.com/moa.html )

If someone mentions their gun is accurate to minute of man/ deer/ coyote, they are basically saything they can score a Center of Mass hit on the intended target at the stated range. CoM hits are typically considered acceptable, even if not the most accurate. If a defensive hadgun can hit a bad guy in the chest at 15 feet, it's doing it's job, and doesn't neccessarily require the accuracy to hit the target in the left ventricle.

Perfect explanation. A bead sight (assuming your gun likes the slugs it's shooting) will do for M.o.M. accuracy, but if you want the precision you get from a rifle, then better sights are a must.

 

[montgomery381]

Thanks for the link and the remedial rifle lesson, USAF Vet.

Well everyone from what I am reading sounds like for 18 to 20 inch smooth bore I could easily hit a deer or coyote out to 50 yds. and with the right ammo and pratice 100 yds. No I just have to decide which gun, either 870 tactical or Super Nova tactical. This was my first post on this sight and I really appreciated the quick feedback, thanks.

 

[sinisterevil01]

hlh

I always thought hunting with a tactical shotgun was illigal due to the limitations on the mag size. 3 shells max in cali.

 

[lobo9er]

As always, local rules regulation apply.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Usually the biggest accuracy limitation on a shotgun shooting slugs is the shooter...

lpl

 

[montgomery381]

Where I hunt you can only have three rounds in a shotgun but you can buy plugs for the magazine so that it will only hold two and one in the chamber.

 

[danfive555]

870 Remington

For hunting you might want to buy a used 870 wingmaster for $180-200, it has great finish and the smoothest action over the other variants of the 870.

I have the 870 express tactical and it shoots awesome groups. Comes with all tactical features adjustable ghost ring sights + rail for optics, extended tube mag, semi-choke. But beware that express kinda means cheap coating on barrel and receiver (mossberg 500 is better in this regard).

 

[chrome_austex]

I've got a 18.5" 870 Police with a front bead and a fixed improved cyl barrel. I can hit 12" plates at 75y offhand without much trouble using standard 1oz rem sluggers.

The bead front sight and the shooter's aim seems to be the limitation on my 870. I'd prefer rifle or ghost ring sights for that kind of accurate shooting.

 

[partricp]

I am confident with my mossberg 500 with 18" smoothbore bbl, IC choke and a 2x tru-glo sight out to about 100 yards with winchester 3" rifled slugs. Cost me less than $300 to put together with some frugal shopping. 500s can be had at pawn shops pretty cheap if you're willing to tune em up.