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If you were setting up a slug gun...
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Picture of Mike_Dettorre
posted
I have a 20 ga 870 that i also want to fool around woth slug shooting with...

Would you buy a smooth bbl with sights and shoot rifled slugs? or a rifled bbl and shoot the the other kind of slugs out of it


Mike

Legistine actu quod scripsi?

Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.




What I have learned on AR, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence.
13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances.
 
Posts: 10169 | Location: Loving retirement in Boise, ID | Registered: 16 December 2003Reply With Quote
one of us
Picture of tiggertate
posted Hide Post
Mike, for just a little bit more than a barrel you can buy a Savage bolt gun with a rifled 12 ga barrel. But if your heart is held sway by your 870 then I would buy the rifled barrel.


"Experience" is the only class you take where the exam comes before the lesson.
 
Posts: 11142 | Location: Texas, USA | Registered: 22 September 2003Reply With Quote
One of Us
Picture of Mike_Dettorre
posted Hide Post
Harry...please do not get upset with me but I am looking for less guns not more...my 06 resolution is simplification...I realize I may have my Bubba memebrshipped revoked for saying that... but oh well...


Mike

Legistine actu quod scripsi?

Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.




What I have learned on AR, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence.
13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances.
 
Posts: 10169 | Location: Loving retirement in Boise, ID | Registered: 16 December 2003Reply With Quote
one of us
Picture of tiggertate
posted Hide Post
Nah, Bubba=Simple=Bubba. All the same. I wonder if the 20 ga Forster style rifled slugs have enough slap. They gotta be around 3/4 oz. I would hope the 20 ga sabot rounds still use a projectile with good sectional density like the 12 ga does. Then you still have good killing power beyond 75-100 yds. But you probably need better than barrel sights. Probably a cantileverd scope mount made for the 870. Hastings makes the whole unit in 12 ga but I don't know what they offer in 20.


"Experience" is the only class you take where the exam comes before the lesson.
 
Posts: 11142 | Location: Texas, USA | Registered: 22 September 2003Reply With Quote
One of Us
Picture of Mike_Dettorre
posted Hide Post
Well you need to find me on in 20 ga...


Mike

Legistine actu quod scripsi?

Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.




What I have learned on AR, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence.
13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances.
 
Posts: 10169 | Location: Loving retirement in Boise, ID | Registered: 16 December 2003Reply With Quote
one of us
Picture of tiggertate
posted Hide Post
No problem for a high-stepper, LOL.


"Experience" is the only class you take where the exam comes before the lesson.
 
Posts: 11142 | Location: Texas, USA | Registered: 22 September 2003Reply With Quote
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Picture of Mark
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What are you planning to use this for?

Here are my thoughts, worth what you paid for them....

A 20 guage slug gun is a nice handling gun with a bit of whack up to about 50-60 yards. If you wish to expand that range there are better choices out there. If you look at it as a 60 yard gun then a plain slug barrel with rifle sights shooting cheap foster slugs is perfect.

If you want to hit reliably at 100-150 yards then it starts getting complicated. A hastings rifled barrel for about $250 for starters, which is more than a dedicated slug gun such as a mossberg, marlin, or H&R. And you get sucked into shooting expensive slugs too.

Personally, I would just get a slug barrel with open sights and shoot forster slugs and confine it to brushy situations where you want a fast handling and light little gun for relatively short range. For that purpose it will excel, otherwise I bet it will get kinda frustrating for you asking the gun to do things it can't do all the time.

Mark


for every hour in front of the computer you should have 3 hours outside
 
Posts: 7777 | Location: Between 2 rivers, Middle USA | Registered: 19 August 2000Reply With Quote
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posted Hide Post
I paid around $265 for a H&R Ultra in 20 ga and put a Leupold 2-7x compact on it. It has killed deer to 150+ yds with Lightfield slugs which cost a little over 8 bucks a box of 5 rounds around here. Two years ago, I bought 25 boxes at $3/box on a close out sale...this is the time of year to get deals on guns and ammo.

Actually, the sabot slugs may be higher priced, but how many do you shoot in a year and compared to rifle factory ammo, they aren't that much more. I have found no need for the $2+ apiece super sabots.

I also have an 870 20 ga with a cantilever barrel with a 1.5 -5x and it shoots almost as good as the H&R. Both will stay inside 6" at 150 yds. Most (90%) of our shots are under 75 yds.

NEF makes a rifled 20 ga with rifle sights for around $150 if you don't need a scope. I have one for a loaner gun and it shoots real well to 75 yds or so and is a lot lighter than the Ultra. The front sight is a little wide, so I think I'm going to replace it with a new ramp front and finer blade and put a goast ring style on the rear of the barrel. If it works, it may replace my H&R, just because it is so much lighter to carry.

My place is in a shotgun only area and in the last 5 years, we have probably killed 90+ deer up to 200 lbs with those guns and never lost one yet.

The 20 ga puts a hole thru both sides and lets out a lot of blood. Most of my friend have gone to 20ga too and they are much nicer to shoot on the bench...if you shoot them properly, there is no need for a 12 ga anymore on deer...IMHO.


The year of the .30-06!!
100 years of mostly flawless performance on demand.....Celebrate...buy a new one!!
 
Posts: 858 | Location: MD Eastern Shore | Registered: 24 May 2005Reply With Quote
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posted Hide Post
My first choice would be a fully rifled barrel with a cantilever scope mount. Second coice would be a rifled choke tube and saddle mount. As for slugs the first ones I would try are Lightfield's. They have consistantly been the best shooters for me in my 870. Try a variety though and see what your gun likes. I've shot a bushel of deer with a shotgun. Your 870 will make a slick deer gun.

Jeff


In the land of the blind, the man with one eye is king.
 
Posts: 784 | Location: Michigan | Registered: 18 December 2000Reply With Quote
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