I don't know if this is beat to death here or not. What a lousy youth hunt weekend. I checked this barrel which we switch back and forth between his youth 870 and my adult model. Friday it printed 2" above the bull at 50 yds. Both this morning and this evening my son shot at deer and missed both. He is a good shot, and my subsequent test shots (3) didn't hit the target at 25 yds. The load is Hornady sabots which were the bomb on this rig last year for the both of us. I think the gun is printing high, and will confirm tomorrow. I slapped a magnetic bushnell bore sighter on it and it looked like it was on to me. This unit does not have the mandrels for the barrel, rather it relies on you measuring the distance from the top of the barrel to the scope(Leupold vari XIII 1.5x5). Not the best boresighter but usually works pretty well. Any thoughts on this anyone? Many thanks,

I have had a similar problem. When I switch the barrels most of the time there is no problem but once in a while the gun will be off and I will have to sight it in again. I have not been to figure it out so I just have made that 870 a dedicated slug gun and don't remove the barrel. It shoots very well with the Hornady sabots. be sure to post if you find out what the problem is.

The next day I swapped the barrel back onto my 870 & it shot fine. Then onto my son's and it shot fine. So maybe there is truth to what you say, it's a little off and shoots weird. I am going hunting with it on monday so we'll see if Daddy misses. Hopefully not, but in case, I have shot the rifle sights/rifled barrel as a back up. I'm seriously confused by this one.

Thanks for your reply Wetdog. I'll post next week.

I haven't had a problem with mine since I quit removing the barrel. The gun has been used to take 5 does for me and others this year. The Hornady ammo really works great. I would like to find out what causes this problem it's a real head scratcher maybe some one else has had this problem and can give us a clue. Good luck on your hunt.

I expected some shift in point of aim when removing the barrel after all it isn't a high dollar custom switch barrel rifle but most of the time the switch doesn't bother it much. Maybe one in six switches the gun would be way off. I was switching that barrel with my home defense barrel and now have a different 870 for my home defense gun. I bought the barrel from my friend and he never swapped barrels and never had a problem and I have had no issues since I quit swapping barrels. It seems odd that the problem was sporadic and not every time. Thanks for the link it will be interesting.

This might sound rough but here is what I had to do. I cleaned the receiver and the receiving end of the barrel. Locktighted them together and then took a pipewrench to the cap and tightened it down. What a difference! Try it, to see if it helps. I did have to back off the pipewrench a little bit because it got to hard to lockup.

I'm on the coke can shim thing right now and although I won't shoot any groups with it (we're in season now) I did try one at 60 yds and it was dead on. I found that link listed above a week or so ago. I lust after one of those hoopty Hastings type barrels, that will be post graduation I am afraid. I like that loctite idea though finger tight should be good for that nut, I think.

BTW I did switch barrels again from iron sights to the cantilever. I haven't checked point of impact but am fantasizing the coke can shim will keep it straight. I made a poor shot on a little deer yesterday and ended up donating it to Farmers and hunters feeding the hungry. It was a little too dark in the woods, and since it responded to a grunt repeatedly, I thought it was a bigger doe. Doh! I don't like iron sights on that gun, at all. The glowing bead would be ok, but factory Remingtons don't help me at all.

Thanks for the replies.

Trust me, finger tight won't do.You need a good solid lockup.20-30 slugs down the tube and it will be loose enough to feel movement. Does not take much to make those sabots fly crazy!