Hastings 20" vs. Mossberg 24" for 870

[johnnybravoo77]

I need a rifled slug barrel for my 870. I can get 20" Hastings cant. for $160 or the Mossberg 24" ported, cant. w/ scope for about the same. Anyone have either of these? Which one will be more accurate? My max shot would be about 140 yds. Any input would be great as I have no experience with a rifled slug barrel. My smoothbore is only good to about 65yds. Thanks!

[eye shot]

Where can you get the Hastings for $160 I want one for my 870? Get the Hastings it's the best replacement slug barrel you can buy!

[ranchand99]

That is an unbelieveable price for a hastings.Mossberg barrels aren't that bad.The hastings have a 1:34" twist,and the mossbergs have a 1:36" twist.They would do good with lightfield hybred-elite magnum,winchester platinum tip,or remington copper solids,basically a slug traveling in the 1500-1700fps range.They will reach out to around 150yds.

The ithaca deerslayer,Benelli slug barrels,and browning BPS slug gun have a 1:28" twist which means they are built for the 1900-2100fps slugs.Like the rem. accutip,winchester partition gold,hornady SST,federal with barnes expander..or the blazing fast Winchester XP3(2100fps).Those guns with that ammo can potentially reach out to 200yds.

For your price range,and what you are wanting to achieve either one of those two should do it.Good luck and let us know what you decide.

I am getting a Mossberg 500 slugster with the 24" ported barrel and cantilever scope.I am assuming the difference between the two is they just modified it to fit an 870.The barrel should be the same.I'm going to do some patterning if you'd be interested I'll post my results.

[johnnybravoo77]

I believe the Hastings is so cheap because its only a 20" model. I think it is a discontinued model also.

Definetly post some results with the Mossberg, would love to hear how well it shoots.

[ranchand99]

Will do!

[eye shot]

 The Hastings barrel must be new and is called the Econo. I was told the only difference is the Econo is a sand blasted matt finish and the regular paradox barrel is highly blued. The riflng and rest of the barrel is the same hammer forged quality and yes Mid South Shooters Supply has them for $157 and change. At that price I would think twice befor getting anyother barrel.

[Mikey]

I just purchased two Hastings barrels for my 870.  This was a bit of a fluke as I got one as a result of a commission sale and the other was used and hanging on the rack.  The used one is 26" and fully rifled with a cantilever scope mount, and the new one is 24" and ported with the cantilever scope mount.  I also laid in 10 boxes of Hastings slugs and 3 boxes of the Hornady SST sabots. 

Now, unless you find an accurate sabot to shoot from the hastings barrels or any other barrel, the notion of a 200 yd slug gun goes a bit beyond me, although that is exactly what i was hoping for.  The drop on the full weight slugs, like the Hastings, is steeper than you can use beyond 150 yds - the box is marked to show that if you are 2" high at 50 you are dead on at 100 and 3.5" low at 125 - that puts you much lower than you think at 150 and I wouldn't even wanna guess where I would be a 200 - probably diggin' potatoes...  The Hornady SSTs are marked to be good to 200 yds but I'm not sure of the accuracy potential...

I wasn't all that impressed with my groups at 50 or 100 with the Hastings slugs and that bull barrel, so I tried the Hornaday SSTs and wasn't impressed with them either.  I have since switched barrels to the newer ported barrel and will begin again with the Hastings slugs and then go to the Hornady and reppeat the accuracy trials. 

However, when I looked hard at the targets and my results, the Hastings ammo looked to group fairly well at 100 yds and when I combined that grouping with the fact that my scope was set on 2x, 4+ inches isn't too bad.  Next time out I will bring up the power to 4x. 

The Hornadys grouped well but at nearly $3/round I wasn't that sold on them.  Possibly from the new ported barrel..... but I can tell ya that after 25 rounds of full load Hastings 1.25 ounce sabot slugs at 1550'/sec, heavy barrel and PAST Recoil Shield or not, my shoulder was cryin' 'Mama'.....  I am hoping the Hastings ported barrel drops the recoil as much as a ported barrel dropped the recoil on my Winchester 94 444 Marlin Timber Carbine (ballistically similar to the SSTs).

So here I am looking for a 200 yd possibility with the Hastings barrel and somebody's (anybody's)sabot slugs and I read an article in the August 08 Am. Rifleman entitled 'Slugfest'.  One of the things the author notes is that there are so many factors involved with slugs and slug barrels that it is (near) impossible to get a slug gun to shoot anywhere near as accurately as a rifle.  Well, I might agree totally with that had I not shot fairly well at 100 with the Hastings slug/full length barrel setup, now considering my low scope magnification (at the time) but I am still wo ndering about that 200 yd capability with the sabots. 

However, one comparison I found in the article was the author's regarding the accuracy of various slugs (from his 870 and a H&R Slug Hunter) and from his findings see that the SSTs were a poor choice due to accuracy variation (extreme spread from 2.3 - 15" at 100m)().  The author also found the Remington Buckmaster Slugs to group very well at 100 yds from a smoothbore barrel with rifled choke on his 870. 

So, I'm going to try the poprted Hastings barrel and see how that shoots.  I won't give it any more than 5 rounds without cleaning the barrel - I could easily have fouled the full length barrel by not cleaning it during the 25 round slug spree I had.  I'll start with the Hornady SSTs and then the Hastings slugs and see how it goes. 

The author also noted that Remington has a new Premier Accutip Slug that grouped extremely well from both his test guns and since one carried a fully rifled barrel I will try some of those as well. 

I think the next time out will see me wearing BOTH the PAST Recoil Shield and my padded shooting jacket.  I don't wanna get beat up twice.............. Mikey.

[johnnybravoo77]

Mikey, thanks for sharing. Hope to hear some more results when you get them. I belive which ever one I get will get topped off with a Nikon prostaff 2-7. I also have a chance to get a Badger barrel, used for $125, although I will probabaly get the Hastings.

[PHATINJUN]

Mickey I read that same article and am a little intriged by the New Remmingtons I was also a little surprised by what he said about the Federal/Barnes ammo, that one has been out for a couple of yrs I think and at least by me has gone a little unnoticed. As much as I hate to do it I may try some of them just to see... but with the $$$$ they want for these slugs I will continue to load my own.Kurt

[Mikey]

Hay Kurt - that article did indicatre a lot of research and their efforts to reduce drag seem to have worked fairly well if they range a full bore slug to 150m.  Gotta admit they seem price but may well be worth the effort for those of us who do not reload shotgun shells.

It's kind of interesting to see this stuff.  The Hornady throws a 45 caliber 300 gn saboted slug, this new Remington throws a 385 gn slug and this one wears a hat....

Is there anything that prevents a handloader from loading saboted slugs (serious question)?  Is there any magic formula for sabot and bullet diameter??  If one brand of ammo throws 45 caliber saboted slugs are components available to throw 44 caliber slugs, and etc....??  Thanks.  Mikey.

[midwayraider]

i have the mossberg barrel on my 870 . i got one word for this barrel..... EXCELLENT !!! with hornady SST 300 grain sabots, off my bench i can make one ragged hole at 100 yards. i put three winchester 3in. mag supremes though it today with the same results, one hole! my barrel is 24in matt finish with the cantilever mount ,4x Simmons pro diamond scope.

[mogwai]

i have the mossberg barrel on my 870 . i got one word for this barrel..... EXCELLENT !!! with hornady SST 300 grain sabots, off my bench i can make one ragged hole at 100 yards. i put three winchester 3in. mag supremes though it today with the same results, one hole! my barrel is 24in matt finish with the cantilever mount ,4x Simmons pro diamond scope.

I have another word....HEAVY !!!  My 870 w/ Mossberg barrel weighs 9 1/4 lbs empty.  Not suitable for sneaking around the swamp.  I'll use the rifle-sight smoothbore for that.  But the Mossberg is very accurate with Federal sabots.

[Thunder]

I have the Mossberg barrel/scope kit on my 870 and it shoots the 2 3/4Rem corelokt very well. I tried countless slug brands and speeds and these work best for my barrel. My son has now claimed it from me.