Rem 870 12 gauge slug barrel- Hastings or Rem?

[JimG]

Rem 870 Express 12 gauge. Need a slug barrel. Want iron sights, not a barrel with a cantilever mount for a scope. Rem offers one in both rifled and smoothbore. Hastings offers a rifled Paradox barrel. Both come with iron or "rifle sights". Which is the better barrel? Which has the better sights? Also I strongly prefer the old fashioned foster type slugs over the sabots. How do these shoot out of a rifled barrel? Is the leading really that bad as some report? Thanks in advance.

[Busta]

Just so you are aware, there is at least six other options for your 870 barrel. Scroll down to the bottom of this page to the 870 barrels. These are made by Mossberg and are good barrels, the one at the bottom is a matte blue 24" smooth bore, cylinder choke with rifle sights. Item # 91330, dont let the suggested retail price scare you, they can be had for lots less if you shop around.

http://www.mossberg.com/products/access.asp?type=barrels&section=access


The Hastings is rifled, you dont need that for fosters. Yes the leading is that bad. After 3-5 rounds you will be sorry.

The Remington 870 Express smooth bore slug barrel with rifled sights is 20" long and has a improved cylinder choke #24622. They also have other barrels for the 870 SP and 870 Wingmaster that would work.

The SP has one with 20" barrel, rifled sights and Rem Choke tubes #24549. My son has this one on his 870 Express and it does outstanding with foster slugs. It comes with a short rifled tube and a improved cylinder tube. My sons will shoot the 2-3/4" Rottweil Brenneke and Winchester 1600 fps Fosters best.

[JimG]

Thanks for the info. I did notice that Remington did have smoothbore barrels with iron sights for slugs but thought that they would be way too inaccurate. Was not aware of some of the Mossberg offerings. What can be expected from a 870 with a SMOOTHBORE barrel with iron sights? Does a rifled choke tube really impart any spin to the slug? Will it lead up bad like a rifled barrel with fosters?

[Busta]

JimG,

You can shoot the fosters out of a rifled barrel, you will need a good lead removing solvent and a TON of elbow grease to get it out. A smooth bore will lead up after awhile too, just easier to get the lead out. The flush mount rifled choke tube does impart spin on the slugs as evidenced by a Rottwiel slug that was recovered from just under the hide after going through the spine and off shoulder on a steep quartering buck that my son shot. It indeed had the rifling ingraved into the lead collar at the base of the slug. The better rifled tubes are the extended ones that are about 5" long. Browning used to use these in their older slug guns, and ones like them can be purchased in Rem choke from some after market choke tube manufacturers.

I think you would be surprised with a smoth bore and the right slug for the job. You didn't say how far you plan on shooting? Most smooth bores with good sights are capable of shooting out to 75 yards with pretty good accuracy, 100 yards is pushing it unless the slug is stable. Some slugs are only meant to shoot 50 yards and have a mind of their own after that. The cheap Wolf slugs shoot good out to 50 yards just like they were designed to do, but after that who knows where they are going, even through a rifled bore.

Get some Rottweil Brennekes if you can find them and some Winchester, Remington and Federal Fosters. There are also lots of others like PMC, Wolf and Sellier & Bellot to name a few.

[JimG]

Buckshot ranges or just a little more. I just can't use buckshot here in Illinois. 25 yards to 65 yards. I've never had luck with foster type slugs out of regular plain or vent rib shotgun barrels with on exception. That exception was a NEF Pardner singleshot 20 gauge. I could keep 3 Winchester or Brenneke slugs in a 6" group or smaller at 55-60 yards taking shots while standing up. I've traded it off last year for a new Winchester 1300 20 gauge that just will not shoot slugs at all. Wild patterns. I'm picking up my new 870 12 gauge Friday. I doubt the vent rib barrel will group fosters at all, might but I doubt it. I'm now strongly considering a Rem smoothbore barrel with interchangable chokes and rifle type sights instead of a rifled barrel. It's cheaper and I can shoot the more economical fosters rather than the outragous priced sabots. I'd rather have wallop over speed anyway. Thanks for your help.

[Busta]

That smoothbore slug barrel with the screw in chokes works very well. My son sighted his in with slugs and when turkey season rolls around he screws in a Remington Super Full extended turkey choke and he is in business. The rifled sights are nice for the turkeys too.

You could just buy a good set of sights to mount on your vent rib and you would be all set. The bird barrels will shoot excellent as long as you have a way to aim them.

Williams Universal Vent Rib "Slugger" Fire Sights are $25.95 at Natchez right now.

[JimG]

I tried a set of TruGlo clamp on sights for my Winchester. They really tore up the rib! Took alot of effort and time to re-blue the rib. I also ran out of elevation adjustment. Would not even come close. And yes they were made specifically for the Win rib. However I think I might try the Williams version as it mounts to rib much differently. Protecting the rib from scratches from the sights with the Williams looks to be much easier as well. I could try it on both shotguns as it's a universal model and see if it's any better than the TruGlo I had on the Winchester. If this works I'd be happy with it. I don't have to have a slug barrel, just want a barrel that will shot slugs well.  Thanks for the link!

[Lazermule]

So I was looking for a slug barrel for my Rem 870 Super Magnum 3 1/2 12Ga.  Mine is the Mossy Oak break up pattern that looks to be silk screened on.  When I saw what Remington wants for a matching fully rifled cantilevered slug barrel, I almost went into cardiac arrest.  It was listed at like $360.  I don't know what the gun cost because I won it in a drawing but I would think that is darn near what the whole gun would cost.  So is that just the "MSRP" and I should be able to pick one of these up for maybe 1/2 of that? 

So what are my options?  I kind of would like a matching camo pattern...

LAZER

[JimFromTN]

You might be able to save $30 to $40 by shopping around but I don't think you will save 50% unless you are able to find one used.  Your other options would be to either live with a nonmatching barrel or have it painted which would end up costing you more than the remington. 

I am not very familiar with the super mag but I don't think there are too many aftermarket slug barrels for it as far as having a 3 1/2 inch chamber.  I assume that a barrel with a 3 in chamber will fit but I could be wrong.  If it does, then check out badger if you are willing to go the nonmatching route.  I think the 870 barrel is $209 plus shipping.  I don't have one but I have heard they are great barrels and handle the faster sabots really well.