Slug barrel for 870

[Craig M. Bellis]

I recently bought an 870 Express and want to buy a slug barrel with cantilever mount for a backup deer gun. What should I look for? What kind of accuracy can I expect? Any pitfalls to avoid? Any help would be appreciated.

[Daveinthebush]

the reason they call it can-ti-lever is because it  is a "lever-that-cants" under every pressure.  Don't buy one.

Buy a standard barrel and get a scope mount that stradles the reciever on both sides and put the scope on that.  

The accuracy will be much better and you will be much happier.  You should be able to get 2" at 75 yards with no problem.

[Bullseye]

I get better accuravy than Dave mentions from my 870 with a Cantalever scope mount.  It is consistent from year to year and I have never had a problem with it.  I would suggest buying the fully rifled barrel if you get one, the accuracy is much better and groups are much more consistent.

[savageT]

Daveinthebush brings up a valid concern.  With the cantilever barrels, the scope is mounted to the barrel in the hope that if the barrel moves the scope will continue to track right along with the barrel.  Problem is that the cantilever can be pushed or bent, knocking the scope out of alignment.

The receiver mounted scope is stronger, but if the non-cantilevered barrel was to be removed and remounted after sighting in, then you have to sight the gun in again (theoretically, at least).  With pump guns, it is wise to clean the barrel before sighting-in, tighten down the barrel screw securly, and leave it on till after hunting season is finished.  Both designs have positives and negatives. :roll:  




Jim

[Craig M. Bellis]

I did fail to mention that the 870 is also my turkey gun and I'll need to switch back and forth between turkey and deer. Are the receiver mounts a lot of trouble taking off and on and would it be worth the hassle? It sure is appealing to be able to take the barrel and scope off in less than a minute. Also, I've averaged the shots on several dozen deer I've taken in PA at 40 yds. I don't necessarily need a tack driver. Your thoughts?

[Daveinthebush]

I have seen many turkey hunters use scopes so the real problem is finding a barrel that could shoot slugs and shot.

If you are going to use a scope you don't need open sights on the barrel.

If your only worried about 40 yards then you don't even need an accurate barrel.  In that case the cantilever is probably all right. You might get by with a 20" Rem choke barrel and just changing the chokes between seasons.  I had a 20" vent rib Rem choke that I sold up on the Yukon, wish I still had it.

Remember that if you do change your turkey barrel to try a few patterns through it before turkey season.  You may have to experiment with some loads to get a decent pattern.  They all do not pattern the same.

Your in that old delima, 'I want one gun to do it all."

[Muddyboots]

I've been using Hastings cantelever slug barrels for over 20 years and have never had any trouble with accuracy. Currently, I have a 870 with a Hastings bull barrel on it and no trouble with 2" groups at 100 yards. My experience is with Hastings so I can't vouch for others but would buy a Hastings in a NY minute for sluggin. Killed 20" 8pt at 125 yards perfect hit behind shoulder and wasn't at all concerned over accuracy at that range with it. I shoot tons of slugs and the barrel/scope never loses zero. I'm shooting slugs now from:
www.shotgunslugs.com
and they are simply awesome to reload and shoot well in several rifled barrel slug guns tried at the range. I will say I am not impressed witht he older Remington cantelever barrels and they seemed to move around abit but the Hastings (I have had 4 different barrels over years) have always shot extremely well. The bull barrle is heavy but is a joy to shoot 450 gr slugs off bench with extrta weight. I hunt woodlots anyway so lugging it around is no big deal. No heavier than my 54 hawkins really. Anyway, I would recommend a Hastings for your 870. Can be pricy but you get what you pay for.
Muddyboots

[tms]

Craig, I have a 870 express also. Since I was using it for deer and turkey, I bought the 21" fully rifled barrel with sights for deer and use the 28" vent rib barrel with chokes for turkey. I had my gunsmith drill and tap the receiver and mount a scope base and put a Bushnell Trophy red dot on it. This was 2 years ago and have 2 deer and 1 turkey to show for it, plus all the sighting in and target shooting I've done it has never given me a problem. The scope base on the receiver is permanent, that might be the only drawback, but it is well worth the performance.
With factory Winchester slugs I can shoot under 3" at 100 yds all day.
Good luck.

[Bullseye]

Well now, I might have to eat some crow here.  At least I am a big enough man to eat that crow.

I got my slug  gun out Friday with the cantalever scope mount and a Leupold scope.  I have used it the last 3 deer seasons and as stated earlier have never had to resight it in.  Last I shot it was last November and hit a deer right where I aimed at 50 yards.  Thought I would shoot it for verification and put it up until November.  The thing would not hit the target.  Have no idea where it was shooting or why it is off.  Really pissed me off, but I guess I will figure it out.  I will take more than 5 slugs to the range next time.

[Big]

I have a smoothbore slug barrel on my 870.  Killed a bunch of deer with the open sights on it, but decided to mount a scope on it.  Have had no problem with the B-Square saddle-type mount (Leupold 2-7x32 shotgun scope), once I tighten it down and sight it in.  For some reason (maybe like firing settling rounds for artillery pieces), it takes about ten shots before the group size comes down to acceptable range, but then it's 3-5" max at 100 yards with Remington slugs.  I learned not to disassemble it to clean it, because I'd have to sight it in (with "settling rounds") all over again.

Really wanted a cantilever barrel (don't really see how you could move that lever without bangin' the hell out of it), but they don't come in smoothbore.

I'm leaving my 870 as is - bought an 11-87 for turkey.