This year will be my 50th deer season and for the first time I will be hunting where a rifle is not legal to use. I have an 11-87 and am thinking about putting a fully rifled slug barrel on it. What kind of accuracy can I expect? Is one barrel better than another? Is it a waste of money and should I consider a different gun? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.
Advice needed on Rem. 11-87 for deer hunting.
- Thread starter ADK
- Start date
EasternPredHunter
New member
Most any rifled slug barrel will be sufficient if shots are kept at 150 yards with sabots. A good shot with throw them in a 2" circle. Not a waste of money
Originally Posted By: ADKThis year will be my 50th deer season and for the first time I will be hunting where a rifle is not legal to use. I have an 11-87 and am thinking about putting a fully rifled slug barrel on it. What kind of accuracy can I expect? Is one barrel better than another? Is it a waste of money and should I consider a different gun? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.
try some rifled slugs in your 11-87 first. you may be surprised how accurate it is. here in Ohio, we can only have 3 round capable shotgun for deer. I have never plugged a semi-auto, just pumps.
try some rifled slugs in your 11-87 first. you may be surprised how accurate it is. here in Ohio, we can only have 3 round capable shotgun for deer. I have never plugged a semi-auto, just pumps.
I used to have a Rifled barrel with the cantilever mount for my 11-87. I had a Nikon red dot on the top for deer hunting. I used Federal Barnes Expander slugs and although they were spendy, I could get 2" groups at 100 yards. I tried to keep any shots under 150 yards. This setup worked great for the 4 years that I hunted in the shotgun zone in Minnesota, and killed 3 deer. Try some slugs in your gun before you buy a rifled barrel so you know how much better the rifled barrel works, Good Luck,----Riflemann
I would go with a rifled slug barrel over smooth bore any day. I have had good luck with the remington factory rifled barrels. Hastings is a very popular after market barrel around here in Illinois. I wouldn't hesitate to buy one of those either. I have had good luck with iron sights, 3x9 scopes, and even a good red dot scope. All were mounted to receiver via drill and tap with weaver mounts. I have not had any reason to shoot over 100yds on white tail here. 150yds with a slug gun is a stretch IMO, I think once you get out that far you should consider muzzle loader. Again this is based on my opinion and experience.
Greg_Meyer
New member
I have a fully rifled Remington 21" factory barrel with iron sights for my 1100. It is mounted on a Remington 1100 Trap receiver with a Monte Carlo stock. Fantastic fit and comes right up to alignment. With Remington sabot copper solids it shoots 2-3" groups at 100 yds from a bench (OUCH!!!)
If you mount a scope, red dot, etc. I am sure that would shrink a bit.
At 30-70yrds it has been a great setup and successful and over a long period has produced a lot of venison.
If you mount a scope, red dot, etc. I am sure that would shrink a bit.
At 30-70yrds it has been a great setup and successful and over a long period has produced a lot of venison.
hawkeye reloader
New member
Sounds like I got the only 11-87 SP Deer turd gun they made. The gun got sold 3 times before any smith figured out how to make it shoot more than twice without hanging up. My old man is still angry to this day for buying the gun from me and it costing him a dandy buck one year. My brother now has the gun, it's fixed and it kills turkeys fine. The year I sold it I bought EVERY kind of slug on the market and none shot less than 3" groups at 50 yards. I bought a Hastings, it was not much better. Sad for fully rifled, cantilevered barrels. Sold the POS.
I have since bought 3 and helped others buy 3 more Savage 212's and more recently, 220's. The worst of the bunch shoots 1&1/2" groups at 100 yards. The Savage 220 is the smartest purchase you can make in a no-rifle state or zone. It rivals a 50 cal muzzleloader with a 100 grain charge in both trajectory and accuracy and it's much softer on the shoulder than any 12 gauge. Mine will shoot 1" groups at 100 yards, it's silly accurate.
I thought I'd add that this weekend I saw a really nice looking Savage 220 NIB stainless steel for around $550.
I have since bought 3 and helped others buy 3 more Savage 212's and more recently, 220's. The worst of the bunch shoots 1&1/2" groups at 100 yards. The Savage 220 is the smartest purchase you can make in a no-rifle state or zone. It rivals a 50 cal muzzleloader with a 100 grain charge in both trajectory and accuracy and it's much softer on the shoulder than any 12 gauge. Mine will shoot 1" groups at 100 yards, it's silly accurate.
I thought I'd add that this weekend I saw a really nice looking Savage 220 NIB stainless steel for around $550.
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2muchgun
New member
Originally Posted By: ADKIs it a waste of money and should I consider a different gun? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.
You could not pay me to hunt deer with a SHOTgun. SHOTguns are for shooting SHOT.
1/3 of Michigan is a "shotgun zone". But you can also use a handgun or muzzleloader, which is exactly what I do......
You could not pay me to hunt deer with a SHOTgun. SHOTguns are for shooting SHOT.
1/3 of Michigan is a "shotgun zone". But you can also use a handgun or muzzleloader, which is exactly what I do......
biggen0_8
New member
I used slug guns most of my life for deer hunting. Having grown up in Ohio and now living in Indiana.
I've finally went to using a 44 mag. rifle now.
But I used Mossbergs with rifled barrels and sabot slugs for years and got acceptable accuracy out of them. I'm calling 3" groups at 100yds acceptable.
But I finally got tired of paying 3 or 4 bucks a shot to shoot 3"groups. Sabots ain't cheap.
If your going to be hunting in deep woods where your shots will be kept under 50yds, you might do ok with a cylinder bore barrel and pumpkin balls.
I've finally went to using a 44 mag. rifle now.
But I used Mossbergs with rifled barrels and sabot slugs for years and got acceptable accuracy out of them. I'm calling 3" groups at 100yds acceptable.
But I finally got tired of paying 3 or 4 bucks a shot to shoot 3"groups. Sabots ain't cheap.
If your going to be hunting in deep woods where your shots will be kept under 50yds, you might do ok with a cylinder bore barrel and pumpkin balls.
muskrat30
New member
When faced with a restricted zone 9 times out of 10 I take my tricked out Knight muzzle-loader. Most big game hunting is that 1st, well placed shot. Have you even messed with a M-L much? How long is your average shot?
I would skip the rifled choke tube. I was on a late Jan anterless only hunt. My 3 buddies had shotguns & me a M-L. They averaged 3 shots per deer. I took 2 shots & had 2 deer. They seemed to think I was handicapping myself with a M-L. That was not the case.
I would skip the rifled choke tube. I was on a late Jan anterless only hunt. My 3 buddies had shotguns & me a M-L. They averaged 3 shots per deer. I took 2 shots & had 2 deer. They seemed to think I was handicapping myself with a M-L. That was not the case.
Varmint Master
New member
muzzle loaders have their time and place depending upon how you hunt. If you are pushing deer, they are obsolete. I have, as well as know of, slug guns that will shoot better or shoot with a ML any day. I have a SBE II that has a 3-9 on it that will shoot an stack 3 remington accutips at a hundred and not much worse at 200. I always take a shooting stick with me so its really not a whole lot different than shooting a rifle.
To the OP:
how are you planning on hunting? I've been doing it in Iowa for a long time, and seen what works and what doesn't. Don't believe me? I have lots of pictures.
I wouldn't waste my time with a smooth bore or rifled choke tube. I've shot hundreds of rifled slugs out of a smooth bore. Ya they are cheap, and hit a deer like a train but they are like shooting rocks out of a sling shot. They are slow and drop a mile. If you are shooting at a deer on the run with a scope, often times you cannot lead them far enough. Some guns will shoot them fantastic at 50 yds, but not at 100. Why limit yourself to such short yardage?
I'd be looking for a slug gun with an integrated reciever like a SBE. Ya they are expensive, but they shoot lights out. The reciever is integrated with the barrel, the scope is attached to the barrel and never has to be taken off, and they are reliable. You can always get your money out of a SBE slug gun. If thats not your style, get a savage 212 and shoot rem accutips. My brother uses one and loves it. There's nothing purtty about it but you can't argue that it works. He shot 2 nice bucks this year at 200 yards and were clean DRT kills.
If you decide to go with a rifled barrel, I would highly reccommend the acutips. They are a great slug, fly straight, and hit hard. The barnes are even better, but federal discontinued them this last year. I would stay away from the hornady SST. They shoot great, but they don't have that knockdown factor.
All those bucks were taken by our 8 person group by the book in the last couple of years. We all shoot rifled barrels and sabots except one person. He carries his shotgun and muzzleloader everywhere he goes.
To the OP:
how are you planning on hunting? I've been doing it in Iowa for a long time, and seen what works and what doesn't. Don't believe me? I have lots of pictures.
I wouldn't waste my time with a smooth bore or rifled choke tube. I've shot hundreds of rifled slugs out of a smooth bore. Ya they are cheap, and hit a deer like a train but they are like shooting rocks out of a sling shot. They are slow and drop a mile. If you are shooting at a deer on the run with a scope, often times you cannot lead them far enough. Some guns will shoot them fantastic at 50 yds, but not at 100. Why limit yourself to such short yardage?
I'd be looking for a slug gun with an integrated reciever like a SBE. Ya they are expensive, but they shoot lights out. The reciever is integrated with the barrel, the scope is attached to the barrel and never has to be taken off, and they are reliable. You can always get your money out of a SBE slug gun. If thats not your style, get a savage 212 and shoot rem accutips. My brother uses one and loves it. There's nothing purtty about it but you can't argue that it works. He shot 2 nice bucks this year at 200 yards and were clean DRT kills.
If you decide to go with a rifled barrel, I would highly reccommend the acutips. They are a great slug, fly straight, and hit hard. The barnes are even better, but federal discontinued them this last year. I would stay away from the hornady SST. They shoot great, but they don't have that knockdown factor.
All those bucks were taken by our 8 person group by the book in the last couple of years. We all shoot rifled barrels and sabots except one person. He carries his shotgun and muzzleloader everywhere he goes.
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Squeeze
New member
We are in a shotgun zone, in WI, for many years. It is about
to go to rifle zone, so we will be hanging up the shotguns.
I have both a Rem. 11-87, with a fully rifled factory barrel,
and a muzzleloader. I also have a Savage Striker(bolt action
pistol) in 308 Win. So for heavy cover hunting, I use the
Rem. 11-87, for open country, I use the Savage Striker, and
for muzzleloader season I use the ML.
As for accuracy, I have open sights on mine, and can hold
about a 3" group at 100 yards. My brother, and nephew,
have Rem. 11-87/1100s with cantilever fully rifled barrels,
and can hold 1-2" groups. I am not sure about my nephew,
but my brother's gun shoots some Remington "accu-tip" style
ammo impressively. And no problems with cycling in any of
the many Rem. shotguns in our hunting camp, and we hunt in
the severe cold ans snow of NW WI.
Squeeze
WOW! I did'nt expect so much excellent feedback. What I did not say in my original post is that the new area I'll be hunting is mostly old farmland with new growth. I expect I'll have some opportunities for longer shots than I'm accustomed to here in the mountains and big woods of the Adirondacks. Shots here are seldom,almost never,more than 100 yards.
Lots of food for thought here. Thanks all.
Hey Varmint Master,where exactly do you hunt??
Lots of food for thought here. Thanks all.
Hey Varmint Master,where exactly do you hunt??
Varmint Master
New member
North central Iowa. We don't have the big woods of southern Iowa but we have the corn fields. Our Deer are like feeder cattle.
The more I've thought about it id save up and buy a 212. I think you will be very happy and the transition from a rifle will be pretty easy. Shoot the accutip and enjoy.
The more I've thought about it id save up and buy a 212. I think you will be very happy and the transition from a rifle will be pretty easy. Shoot the accutip and enjoy.
Originally Posted By: 2muchgunI'd feel about as comfortable hunting deer with a shotgun as I would hunting ducks with a Remington 700......
if you grew up with a shotgun (same shotgun I might add) taking deer, pheasants, rabbits, ducks and squirrels like I did, you would see the humor in your statement...
if you grew up with a shotgun (same shotgun I might add) taking deer, pheasants, rabbits, ducks and squirrels like I did, you would see the humor in your statement...