Which Slug Gun?

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Scrumbag

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Hi folks,

Some basic questions from a Slug hunting newbie.

Am looking for a shot gun that can 'do it all'.

In the main I'd like a pump slug gun with the ability to put on a barrel for bird if there happens to be chance of a bird hunt if the deer / hog hunt falls through / afterwards etc.

I'm thinking I need a 3 barrel combo:

1) Rifled barrel (preferred choice due to accuracy)
2) Smoothbore slug barrel (using rifled slugs to comply with 'smoothbore' only areas)
3) General purpose bird shot barrel

So, guns that might fit:

Ithaca M37
Browning BPS
Remington 870

What do you folks think?

ATB,

Mike
 
I've got an 870 and use all three of those barrels for the reasons you mentioned. I find it to be very user friendly and effective. Mine was built in 1994, so the quality may differ from a new one. I've never had any problems with it and stomped all over hill and dale hunting deer, birds and rabbits with it. That said, I was in a local gun shop about a month ago and inside of 1 hour 2 guys came in with 870's with problems with the action. Maybe they both fell off of the same 4 wheeler, but I've read about a lot of Remington QC issues over the past few years.

Ithaca makes some very fine guns, if you have the means, that might be the way to go. The Browning also looks good, but for roughly the same price I'd choose the Ithaca. I can't tell if the Ithaca or the Browning have barrels that can be swapped out as easily as the Remington though.

If I were buying a new shotgun I'd go looking for an Ithaca (or two). Damn, now you got me thinking. :D

Whatever you choose have fun and good hunting.
 
Everyone I've ever hunted deer with has used an 870 with no problems that I know of. Might I suggest a cantilever rifled barrel for slugs where legal? I have never had one, but I have experienced switching barrels and having to sight in my saddle mount scope each time. I've always wanted to get a cantilever,but just haven't done it yet.
 
you cannot beat an 870 for the situation you just described, also i second the suggestion on getting a cantilever barrel, i've shot slugs at deer in Michigan for 15yrs and once you shoot out of a cantilever barrel you wont ever go back, they can be easily disassembled and not lose their poa, if you do your homework and shop around you should be able to get an 870 with all 3 barrels for $500 easily
 
Thanks for the info folks. Would it be worth thinking about a Benelli as well?

Also, of the choices out there, which is easy to change barrels on and which claim to be but aren't?

Thanks again,

Mike
 
Better price barrels for a Benelli before you go very far down that road. Availability isn't great either. Beware the Benelli mystique, created solely by Benelli marketing in my opinion. I do not like the bottom loading on a BPS or an Ithaca, but that said a BPS is as well designed as anything else going. For bird shooting you need a gun that feels right. For me, that's Remington.
 
Rem. 870 or a Moss. 500.

I prefer the Mossy for the thumb safety. It is much quieter to get off than the 870s cross bolt safety. I've used both and had deer run at the click of the 870 safety, but the thumb safety can be suitably muffled with a gloved thumb. And generally I just find the thumb safety much more intuitive and faster.

One down side of the 500 tends to be that the fore end rattles quite a bit. We solve this by placing twists of toilet paper between the fore end and the barrel. It doesn't effect function, but quiets things down considerably.

For the 500 we have 28" shot barrel with screw in chokes, 24" slug barrel, 18.5" riot barrel, and .50 caliber muzzleloading barrel. I'm sure there is a fully rifled slug barrel available, but we've never felt the need for one.
 
I've never used a Benelli, but a guy I work with that hunts dove, waterfowl, and upland game all the time swears by his Super Nova. I would suggest shooting them before you buy. You will spend more for a Benelli and there are not as many after market parts as for the 870.
 
I hear what you guys are saying about the cantilever scope mounts on the 870. None of my barrels have them so I've got a saddle scope mount on it. I switch between a red dot for small game and a 3-9x40 for deer and don't have any problem with keeping a zero. I always verify my sights when changing equipment between seasons though. Just a little bit more info for the original poster.

Good hunting.
 
I've got one of the first 870 Express guns. I think I bought it in 1987? It came with a 28" VRB w/modified choke tube and a 20" smooth bore slug barrel with rifle sights. Until very recently it was my deer and turkey gun. I still use it for deer, despite the smooth bore. Rifled barrels used to be illegal where I hunted, not so anymore. I've got a mossy 835 with a cantelever rifled slug barrel complete with Nikon scope, but I still use the remmy with the cheap-o 4x tasco I bought way back when on a saddle mount. I still love the gun. 28" is a bit much for turkey hunting though and I got a great deal on the mossy, so its my turkey gun now.
 
Thanks folks, all great info and I'm beginning to realise how little I knew!

Having used my coffee break effectively and looked at Benellis, they don't seem to do a barrel with cantilever scope.

Are there aftermarket barrels from other manufacturers like there are for Remies and Mossbergs etc?

Are the non-original manufacturers barrels good? Some good\ some bad? Or are they all more trouble than they are worth?

Cheers,

Mike
 
I have done all my deer bagging with a Remington 870 using a cantilever scope mounted rifled slug barrel. It is deadly accurate and I have taken 5 deer over the last 3 seasons. The 870 has never failed me. I also have a 28" ventilated rib barrel for shooting birds and small game. I'd like to pick up an old Wingmaster just because 870s are so sweet.
 
Well folks had a go down at the local clay ground for a few rounds of skeet / sporintg being a newbie to pump actions I tried a few out.

My impressions were thus:

Remmy 870 Express: Pointed nicely but felt sloppy and poorly finished (also had a go with a kind fellas Wingmaster, different machine all together)

Benelli SuperNova: Very impressive piece of kit. Felt very solid and smooth operating.

Winchester SXP: It might be Turkish but I was impressed with how it was put together and am sorry to say would come in for me infront of an 870 Express (though I'm not sure they make a slug version though there are / will be some after market barrels I should think). On the downside, felt very short in the stock and therefore a bit unnatural to me.

Browning BPS: Like this a lot, felt right, not the lightest and I liked the tang safety. (I have 2 browning O/Us so this might have something to do with why this felt good).

I am going to try and take a turn with the Mossberg 500 (like the idea of tang safeties as it is what I'm used to) and will also try and get a turnaround with an Ithaca as well.

Will keep you posted folks and hope you are all ready for Christmas and you have a merry one!

ATB,

Mike
 
What range to you need to try and cover with slugs?

Usually a good smoothbore barrel with sights, using a rifled slug that works well in that particular barrel, can get you out to 100 yards or so if you do your part. I've been really happy with how well Brenneke KO slugs performed accuracy wise in several guns for a few years now. And rifled slugs are usually a good bit cheaper than sabots, too.

Plenty of folks can manage slugs with just a bead sight, though I confess I prefer rifle sights myself.

Good luck and good hunting!
 
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