Another Slug Gun Question..

EasternPredHunter

New member
I have been planning for awhile now to pick up a rifled slug gun.All of my slug guns have been smoothbore with cheapo slugs and a scope or bead sight. I am curious as to whether or not the 870 cantilever barrels will be less accurate than a fixed barrel because of the lack of fit between barrel and receiver. It may not be much, but is it enough to make it noticeable?

I can get a nice USH for just a little more than what the barrel would cost, and this will more than likely be what will happen, just curious as to the other.

Thanks
 
Excellent question that few shooters understand. The purpose of a cantilever style barrel/mount is so you can have the scope simply stay on the barrel and for the most part stay sighted in when you remove that barrel after deer season and put a regular barrel back on the gun to hunt with. It does work and it works very well on most guns...but not very well on all of them. You are correct that there may be movement between the barrel and receiver, and this will affect accuracy. When you say "less accurate than a fixed barrel" yes, it will be less accurate but not necessarily unacceptably so. You have a few choices besides just buy the single shot...you can also take a look at the Savage 220. Everyone around these parts that has one seems to be real pleased with the way they shoot and they are not expensive. Plan B would be to have an 870 slug barrel pinned to the receiver and set screws installed in the magazine ring. I have done this with several 870's and they all shot great. You can take them apart after season, but it is better to just leave it a dedicated slug gun if you dont need it to also be a regular shotgun. The receiver is drilled in a specific location so a machine screw can thread into the barrel hood and lock the two together. Then 3 or 4 set screws are threaded into the magazine ring so the front can be stabilized as well. Usually this includes thin metal shims or glass bedding between the barrel hood and the receiver. I prefer at this point to do away with the cantilever mount base as most are too high above the bore for me. I use the base mount called a Da-Mar that threads into the receiver at angles to catch thicker metal. Straight down thru the top is not the best place to have the mount screws on an 870. Of course, if you opt for a truly dedicated slug gun you can always just have the barrel welded to the receiver. The 870 makes an excellent first rate slug gun platform.
 
I have heard of people putting shims in when installing the barrel to prohibit movement.

Never tried it myself, I just mount the barrel, shoot a few sighters and go.
 
My thoughts exactly msinc. I dislike the savage for several reasons that i wont get into right now. Thanks.

As far as the shims go, they are normally made out if aluminum, and that can cause issues overtime sitting on the steel.

Thanks
 
I have shot several 870's, an 11-87 SPD, the 212 and several 220s. Interestingly, the 212 shot the best but kicked like a mule on steroids so I sold it to a family member. The 870's were so-so and the 11-87 SPD was a turd. I have shot 4 different 220s and they all shoot at or under 1 1/2" at 100 yards. Mine is moa and a friend of mine has one that is even better.
If you get a 220 there are a few things you should consider
1.) the original ones often failed to fire due to an underpowered spring, ask me how I know...
2.) it has an accu-trigger, some like it, some don't
3.) you absolutely have to work the bolt decisively or the spent will not eject
4.) the clip is a [beeep] to get back in most of the time
5.) it's super cheap (and super accurate)
 

I have gone from smooth bore to rifled choke tubes to rifled barrels. From $4/5 slugs to $20/5 sabot shells.

Remington came back with the oversize 7/8 oz rifled slugs in 3". I took my Mossberg 590A1 to the range with my Bushnell HOLO sight and shot 3" groups @ 50yds with a breecher choke. I screwed in a rifled choke tube and it still shot about the same. I had sent the 20" barrel off for choke tubes this summer. Monday was opening day, I shot a nice button buck @ about 40yds. These Remington slugs are $6/5, try them. You my keep your old smooth bore. Remington makes them in 2 3/4 also. I shot an 11 point buck a few years ago it took 3 slugs to stop him. Here in Ohio pump and auto shotguns are the only way to go. I have killed deer with one shot but when a big buck is pumped up, anything goes. I am going hunting Saturday. Hope, I see some good horn. I killed a deer once at 125yds with a Ithaca 37. It was a Hail Mary shot but that 7/8oz slug put her down. I think that was 1980 around the time Remington stopped making the 7/8 slug. Hope everyone has good safe hunt this year.
 
I have the USH 12ga topped with a Leopold VX3 3x9 that I handload for. I use the lyman 1 1/4oz slug that looks like a big air gun pellet. Its a very accurate gun but a heavy sucker. I have never run factory rounds down it but my loads will easily print 1 1/2 at 100yds off the bench but I wouldn't push them much past 140 yard they run out of gas quick.
On the 870 my boss uses the cantilever barrel and is shooting winchester partion gold. It just as accurate as mine
If your interested on shimming or pinning the barrel on your 870 go over to shotgunworld and look in their slug gun forum they used to have a sticky on it.
J
 
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The best slugs I have used have been the brenneke heavy field short magnums. They put a wallop on deer and they are only 2 3/4". I did shoot a deer in the head at 166 yards with a factory 3" round (can't remember which one, federal I think). I won't tell you how many times I shot at it though.
smile.gif
that was with open sights.
 
"As far as the shims go, they are normally made out if aluminum, and that can cause issues overtime sitting on the steel."

I dont know if there is a "normal" for shims...it's available in aluminum, brass and steel. Personally I use bedding but have done a few and used steel. No issues I am aware of but that only means the customers never came back.

I had a nice conversation with the guy at Tar-Hunt once, we were discussing slug seating depth in relation to rifling, forcing cones and slug guns in general. My question was what happens when you cut an extended forcing cone in a rifled slug gun barrel?? He said he always intended to do some actual testing but never got around to it. He also said that he had good results from the barrels he did cut. He said those were done for less recoil and not necessarily accuracy, but it sure seemed to work.

I have had very good luck loading my own slugs using Hammerheads from slugsrus.com.

 
I own a Remington 870 Magnum express and a Savage 220F. I don't deer hunt anymore, but when I did, the 870 Magnum Express with the cantilever mounts accuracy amazed me. Shooting its preferred Winchester BRI X slugs, 1-1 1/2 groups were the norm. I got the 220F, sighted it in, and put it away. Never used it for hunting but on sighting in found it liked the Remington AccuTip slugs the best. It shot 1-1.75", similar to the 870 Express. I do not think the gap in the receiver will hurt at all. My first attempt with a slug gun was with a smooth bore/rifled slug. I can tell you this, there was a world of difference in accuracy (better) when I switched from the smooth bore to a fully rifle dedicated slug gun. Many production rifles that cost twice as much only shoot 1-1.5" groups. The advances in slug guns and ammo are impressive.
 
I set up a youth 20ga 870 rifled barrel lastyear with the cantilever. Sighted it in with remington copper solids. First scoped slug gun iv shot off a bench and it impressed me. 1-1/2 to 2" groups at 100yds. The little lady that hunted with it shot a 150" 8pt ONE time at 30yds deer went 40yds.
 
Originally Posted By: EasternPredHunter It may not be much, but is it enough to make it noticeable?

This to me this is the heart of the question and in my experience the answer is no. I put a Hastings cantilever fully rifled on mine shooting Lightfield Hybred EXP (I think EXP stands for expensive) and it's surprisingly accurate. And I'm anal about accuracy. The only issue and it's nothing any welding or pinning can do anything about and that's wind drift. As you know, the BC sucks and therefore it drifts if windy (noticeably vice some rifle round).
 
I bought a Savage 220 a few months ago and it is awesome. It's the most accurate slug gun I've ever shot or seen. It's honestly like shooting a rifle.
 
Originally Posted By: EasternPredHunterMy thoughts exactly msinc. I dislike the savage for several reasons that i wont get into right now. Thanks.

As far as the shims go, they are normally made out if aluminum, and that can cause issues overtime sitting on the steel.

Thanks

Shim stock comes in many flavors, homeowner specials use aluminum because they can get it from cans.
 
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