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Stupid shotgun question.

bfunkbfunk MemberPosts: 113 Member
in General Firearms #1
I have a stupid shotgun question. I have a Remington 870 Express Magnum (3 Inch). Is it safe to shoot slugs through the modified choke tube or do I need a different choke/barrel.

My brother shoots slugs through his Benelli Nova with the modified choke, but I've never shot any through my gun. I like shooting slugs, impressive power that doesn't cost a whole lot. Is it an ok thing to do?

Brian
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Replies

  • jbohiojbohio Senior Member Posts: 5,615 Senior Member
    #2
    Yep, you're fine. Some say they do better with an Improved Cylinder choke, but YMMV. Just make sure you shoot rifled slugs. No sabots. Sabots are for rifled barrels only.
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  • gunrunner428gunrunner428 Senior Member Posts: 1,018 Senior Member
    #3
    You won't hurt anything by shooting the sabots, though. You're just blowing money out the muzzle - without the spin of rifling, the sabot won't separate from the slug cleanly. You're going to be more likely to damage a choke tube with steel shot than you will with a slug, and the Remington tubes are IIRC rated for steel shot (with the provision of opening up the choke a step or two to get your desired performance. Looking for full-choke patterns, use a Modified tube, etc...
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  • sakodudesakodude Senior Member Posts: 4,552 Senior Member
    #4
    Some of the sabots can be fired with the addition of a rifled choke tube, most however, require a full rifled barrel.
    Out of my Winchester 1400 and Browning gold hunter I got very good results out to about 75 yards with the basic Winchester super X foster type rifled slugs. For just a bit more money, the Remington Tru-Ball were good to about the same range but shot a bit tighter groups.

    Sako
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  • HAWKENHAWKEN Senior Member Posts: 1,720 Senior Member
    #5
    I thought that I was the only one tat owned a 1400. They didn't keep them on the market for long and I don't know why. The only other semi auto shotgun I have is an Remingto 1100, and I am happy with both.....Robin
    I don't often talk to people that voted for Obama, but when I do I order large fries!
    Life member of the American Legion, the VFW, the NRA and the Masonic Lodge, retired LEO
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  • Big Al1Big Al1 Senior Member Posts: 8,502 Senior Member
    #6
    I 2nd the use of a rifled slug choke tube.
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  • sakodudesakodude Senior Member Posts: 4,552 Senior Member
    #7
    HAWKEN wrote: »
    I thought that I was the only one tat owned a 1400. They didn't keep them on the market for long and I don't know why. The only other semi auto shotgun I have is an Remingto 1100, and I am happy with both.....Robin

    My 1400 has been a wonderful shotgun, never a hiccup and in my eye, a pretty good looker as well. Slugs are the way we hunt around here so a good slug shooter is something to cherish. I gave mine to my brother last year to replace his worn out Mossberg 500 he has used for years.
    I am sporting a Savage 220f these days and loving the accuracy and extended range it offers.


    Sako
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  • snake284snake284 Senior Member Posts: 22,429 Senior Member
    #8
    How will that work with a regular slug? I have a chance to put in for a shotgun-blackpowder hunt here at Lake Texana, which is only 20 miles up the road. I was thinking of either using my 12 gauge Citori with improve Cyl. Tubes or using my 20 gauge Mossberg 500 with a modified choke barrel. What y'all recommend?
    Daddy, what's an enabler?
    Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.
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  • snake284snake284 Senior Member Posts: 22,429 Senior Member
    #9
    Bye the Way Funk, this isn't any stupid question. It's a very good question. Thanks for putting it up.
    Daddy, what's an enabler?
    Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.
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  • sakodudesakodude Senior Member Posts: 4,552 Senior Member
    #10
    snake284 wrote: »
    How will that work with a regular slug? I have a chance to put in for a shotgun-blackpowder hunt here at Lake Texana, which is only 20 miles up the road. I was thinking of either using my 12 gauge Citori with improve Cyl. Tubes or using my 20 gauge Mossberg 500 with a modified choke barrel. What y'all recommend?

    Snake, can't guess how a slug would do out of a double so of the two I would choose the Mossberg 20ga. I am guessing it does not have screw in chokes so I would suggest the Remington tru-ball ammo. My Winchester 1300 20ga shoots these very well again out to about 75 yards. Seems that is the reasonable limit for foster type slugs for me anyway.

    Sako
    P.S.

    Put a set of there on and be amazed at the improvement in accuracy you will see.http://www.williamsgunsight.com/gunsights/image_s.htm
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  • WeatherbyWeatherby Senior Member Posts: 4,953 Senior Member
    #11
    snake284 wrote: »
    How will that work with a regular slug? I have a chance to put in for a shotgun-blackpowder hunt here at Lake Texana, which is only 20 miles up the road. I was thinking of either using my 12 gauge Citori with improve Cyl. Tubes or using my 20 gauge Mossberg 500 with a modified choke barrel. What y'all recommend?

    The one that shoots a slug more accurately :jester:
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  • snake284snake284 Senior Member Posts: 22,429 Senior Member
    #12
    Duh! Why didn't I thunk a that? Hey true enough Bro. I was wondering about looking for a barrel for the Mossberg, you know, a rifled slug barrel and get some good 20 gauge slugs and mount a Pro Staff scope on it. Hunting around Lake Texana I don't think you'd give up a thing to a rifle as thick as the brush is around that lake. Actually just sighting down the barrel with regular slugs would probably be accurate enough there. Most shots probably won't be over 50 yards. I think my O/U would be fine with regular slugs. I think the vent rib would be a good sighting tool for close range shots that will be the rule there. It's a doe/antlerless hunt.
    Daddy, what's an enabler?
    Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.
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  • WeatherbyWeatherby Senior Member Posts: 4,953 Senior Member
    #13
    If your going to do enough slug hunting to warrant the rifled slug barrel and scope then yeah go for it
    Otherwise I'm fairly certain you will get all the accuracy you'll need out of your regular barrel.
    I've used both and was never hampered by my regular barrel it even shot saboted slugs very well
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  • JayhawkerJayhawker Moderator Posts: 18,118 Senior Member
    #14
    sakodude wrote: »
    Snake, can't guess how a slug would do out of a double

    A doubles barrels are regulated to shoot to the same point of impact at some point out there...with slugs, discounting the effects of the choke, beyond that point with a SxS the left barrel will tend shoot to the right and the right barrel will shoot to the left. With an O/U the lower barrel will shoot high and the top barrel will shoot low...I've seen some open choked doubles that threw slugs fairly well and others with the classic f/m configuration that were miserable...
    Sharps Model 1874 - "The rifle that made the west safe for Winchester"
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  • snake284snake284 Senior Member Posts: 22,429 Senior Member
    #15
    OK Bro, you talked me into it.
    Daddy, what's an enabler?
    Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.
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  • snake284snake284 Senior Member Posts: 22,429 Senior Member
    #16
    Jayhawker wrote: »
    A doubles barrels are regulated to shoot to the same point of impact at some point out there...with slugs, beyond that point with a SxS the left barrel will tend shoot to the right and the right barrel will shoot to the left. With an O/U the lower barrel will shoot high and the top barrel will shoot low...

    Good food for thought, but I would guess an O/U would be regulated at less than 50 yards and I doubt it will make enough difference at those ranges anyway. However, before I go hunting with it you can bet I'll shoot it at a white paper back stop to see what it does at several ranges. Also, with my Citori I can choose which barrel shoots first, top or bottom and if it shoots to very different POIs I can compensate (That is if I Remember to).
    Daddy, what's an enabler?
    Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.
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  • bfunkbfunk Member Posts: 113 Member
    #17
    snake284 wrote: »
    Bye the Way Funk, this isn't any stupid question. It's a very good question. Thanks for putting it up.

    Thanks for taking it easy on me. I've been around guns and shooting them for over 20 years, but I'm no master. I appreciate the kind comments, I'll be off to buy some rifled slugs to see what I can hit with them. I was able to hit an 18x24 inch piece of cardboard at 100 yards with my brothers gun, standing with no rest. I'm anxious to try to see what I can do with my 870.

    Thanks again.

    Brian
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