Remingtons new 11-87 slug gun

[loggy_bayou]

I read a article in this months addition of outdoor life on a article about a guy hunting in iowa for whitetails.He said he used one of remingtons new 11-87 with the thumbhole laminated stock.He said he was getting 1in groups at 100 yards with 2 3/4 remington slugs.I am looking to purchase a slug gun and was wondering if anyone had any info on these guns.I killed a 150in grose 10 point this year in indiana with a mossberg 835 with a cantilever mount barrel that I borrowed from a friend.I live in TN and deer up north are brutes compared to deer down here.I had to shoot my deer 3 times to get him down at 20 yards.The first one placed dead in the shoulder.I like the fact that the 11-87 hold 5 shells.But I wont to be able to shoot accurate to.Any info would be greatly appriciated.

[Busta]

Congratulations on the buck!

I think this is what you are looking for. Sorry, I haven't experienced this one first hand yet.

http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/shotguns/model_11-87/model_11-87_SP_thumbhole.asp

[NYH1]

I had to shoot my deer 3 times to get him down at 20 yards.The first one placed dead in the shoulder.I like the fact that the 11-87 hold 5 shells.But I wont to be able to shoot accurate to.Any info would be greatly appriciated.

If you hit the deer in the middle of the shoulder, that was probably all you needed to do for a good clean kill.  More often the not, a deer will run a little bit before falling.  This past Sunday one of the guys at hunting camp shot a 6 point.  He hit it in the front shoulder at about 60 yards.  The deer ran 15 to 20 yards after being hit.  With the exception of hitting through both shoulders (in and out) the deer is probably going to run a bit.  If I know I hit them good, I wouldn't shoot again.  I've shot four deer with a total of five shots.  Only one needed to be shot again.

That being said, I/we (my father and I) have two 11-87's.  Both have 21 inch fully barrels with the cantilever scope mounts.  One is a 12 ga. with a 2-7x33mm Leupold Shotgun Scope, the other is a 20 ga. with 2-7x32mm Nikon Prostaff Shotgun Scope.  So obviously I/we like the 11-87's.  They're good shotgun/slug guns.  Neither of us has shot a deer with a shotgun yet.  All my deer were taken with rifles.  I can't wait to shoot one with my shotgun.       

[hunterjoe21]

I've killed many deer with various shotguns, although I've never used an 11-87. With the quality rifled barrels and saboted slugs available these days, 1-2" groups @ 100 yards are achievable with most shotguns. Not to dissuade you from purchasing the Remington (it's on my wishlist too), but don't think that Mike Hanback's accuracy cant be duplicated with other slug guns.

Check your local laws before you load up any slug gun with 5 shells though. Shotguns here MUST be plugged, and if I'm not mistaken, it's a pretty common requirement.

[NYH1]

I've killed many deer with various shotguns, although I've never used an 11-87. With the quality rifled barrels and saboted slugs available these days, 1-2" groups @ 100 yards are achievable with most shotguns. Not to dissuade you from purchasing the Remington (it's on my wishlist too), but don't think that Mike Hanback's accuracy cant be duplicated with other slug guns.

Check your local laws before you load up any slug gun with 5 shells though. Shotguns here MUST be plugged, and if I'm not mistaken, it's a pretty common requirement.

Rifled shotgun barrel can be very picky on the slugs they like, more so then rifles.  A lot of the problem is the rifling twist rate amongst manufactures is inconsistent.  Remington uses a 1:35 twist and Hastings uses a 1:34 twist in their 12 ga. barrels.  The faster sabot slugs like the Winchester Partition Golds, Remington Core Lokt Ultras, Hornady SST ect. seem to like the faster twist barrels like Brownings, Winchesters 1:28 twist.  That's not to say the slower twist barrels won't shoot the faster slugs good.  They just don't seem to do it as consistently as the faster twist barrels.  To tell you the truth if I was going to buy a new semi auto slug gun today I'd look at Browning Gold Rifled Deer Stalker/Hunter or the new Winchester Super X 3 Slug gun.  They cost more then the Remington 11-87's, but they're nice slug guns that seem to shoot very well with the faster slugs. 

I've never heard of using a "plug" for deer hunting with a shotgun.  In New York we don't have to do that anyway's.  I guess it could be different in other states.  Here we only need the "plug" when hunting waterfowl.  That's interesting. 

[hunterjoe21]

I've killed many deer with various shotguns, although I've never used an 11-87. With the quality rifled barrels and saboted slugs available these days, 1-2" groups @ 100 yards are achievable with most shotguns. Not to dissuade you from purchasing the Remington (it's on my wishlist too), but don't think that Mike Hanback's accuracy cant be duplicated with other slug guns.

Check your local laws before you load up any slug gun with 5 shells though. Shotguns here MUST be plugged, and if I'm not mistaken, it's a pretty common requirement.

Rifled shotgun barrel can be very picky on the slugs they like, more so then rifles.  A lot of the problem is the rifling twist rate amongst manufactures is inconsistent.  Remington uses a 1:35 twist and Hastings uses a 1:34 twist in their 12 ga. barrels.  The faster sabot slugs like the Winchester Partition Golds, Remington Core Lokt Ultras, Hornady SST ect. seem to like the faster twist barrels like Brownings, Winchesters 1:28 twist.  That's not to say the slower twist barrels won't shoot the faster slugs good.  They just don't seem to do it as consistently as the faster twist barrels.  To tell you the truth if I was going to buy a new semi auto slug gun today I'd look at Browning Gold Rifled Deer Stalker/Hunter or the new Winchester Super X 3 Slug gun.  They cost more then the Remington 11-87's, but they're nice slug guns that seem to shoot very well with the faster slugs. 

I've never heard of using a "plug" for deer hunting with a shotgun.  In New York we don't have to do that anyway's.  I guess it could be different in other states.  Here we only need the "plug" when hunting waterfowl.  That's interesting. 

Plugged guns are required for Deer here, along with any migratory birds. I only have 3 shotguns, (a deer slug gun, a turkey gun that is used for waterfowl, rabbits, doves, etc, and a home defense gun) so I normally just leave the plugs in the deer gun and the the turkey gun.

[Phoneman]

I have shot an 870 for years. but have always wanted an 11-87. So yesterday I found one. A 20ga with realwood. very nice shotgun. going to take it out today and sight it in. The gun is light and points like a dream.
As for three shots for a deer. Last year I was using brenneky KO slugs. Very accurate. But no power. I broke both shoulders on that deer and still had to cut it's throat. those slugs didn't penetrate. I switched to hornady sst and have had nice 1 shot kills since. My hastings barrel printed nice three shot groups although the Gun shot very high compared to anyother slug I tried. When you find your new gun buy a couple different types of slugs and see which one shoots the best. I bought six different ones for testing today.

[AL Longwood]

I read that article from hanbeck in outdoor life.The part that caught my attention is when he claims 1 inch groups with the 1187 which is an autoloader.I have a couple of friends with them and they cannot get anywhere close to 1inch groups with copper solids.The norm for their guns is 0ver 2 inch groups and usually are bigger than 2 inches.Some of these outdoor writers tend to stretch things quite a bit in their articles.If he has a 1187 that shoots 1 inch groups then he should hold on to it because its a once in a lifetime gun as far as autoloading slug guns go.I just hope people don't base their purchases on this baloney and expect these type of groups because it  won't happen.If you wan't the tightest grouping slug gun get a h&r 980ush,A tc encore.Pump and bolt guns are accurate too.The best thing I can see about the 1187 is the quick follow up shots.Other than that they can have it.I'll stick with my single shot.It will shoot a 1 inch group on a good day.

[kb]

I have an older 1187 with a rifled choke, and it is the best shotgun that I have.  I shoot the cheap foster slugs as it has a smooth barrel and a rifled choke.  It shoots minute  of whitetail out to 75 yards with open sites, but every year Im tempted to put a rifled barrel on the gun to see what it can do. 


The sabot slugs are so expensive though.....

kb

[eye shot]

A couple of years ago I saw an 1187 group one ragged hole on the bull at 100yds. with Lightfields. I have grouped one ragged hole at 100yds. with my 1100 and original BRI's. Can a Rem. autoloader group an inch at 100yrds.- You bet!

[Phoneman]

My new 11-87 20ga put six slugs inside a 2 in circle at 50 yards with open sights and a smooth bore barrel. I was useing cheap winchester slugs.

[Varmint Hunter]

Code: [Select]

Can a Rem. autoloader group an inch at 100yrds.- You bet!
What's even more interesting is that your 100 yard group is even smaller than your 50 yard group.

 

That's a very unusual slug gun, actually one of a kind.

[eye shot]

The scope is 4 power and the cross hairs covered the dot better at 100yrds. That cheap scope took one more 8pt. and fell apart. I have replaced it with a Burris 2x7 Ballistic Plex handgun scope. The barrel isn't one of a kind, thats the way Hastings used to put there scope mounts on. IMO it's alot stronger mount than a cantilever!