I'd like to try hunting for whitetail for the first time this season around St. Louis ,Mo. I don't have a deer rifle, so am considering buying a longer barrel for my 870 with some good rifle sights. Will this be a good option for up to 100 hard shots? Anybody have a line on a barrel? Should I go rifled or smooth bore? What about ammo?

Just buy a slug barrel for your 870 sights already on it. I use a bolt action shotgun with a scope I am very comfortable shooting up to 100 yards but the furthest  kill shot with it was within 60.

Are you considering a smoothbore or a rifled barrel for your slug gun?  I believe Remington makes both types of barrels for the 870 (there are also a lot of aftermarket makers of 870 barrels as well).  A smoothbore barrel most likely good to 100 yards once you find the brand of slugs it likes, a rifled barrel with sabots most definitely.

Hey there neighbor !

A rifled barrel on your 870 may group better than a smoothbore, but it isn't really a necessity inside of a 100yds.  So, IMO, it really depends on what you can afford.

Sabots will cost more and there are quite a few choices for you to try before you find the ammo that works best for your gun.

Smoothbore and associated ammo will certainly get the job done inside 100yds, and cost a bit less.

Also, whatever you decide I'd reccomend looking for a used barrel on Ebay, Gunboker, EE, etc.  There are a ton of barrels out there for 870's, and with a little searching you can find some very good deals on perfectly shootable barrels.

Practice standing shots at 50 yards. 90% of my deer have fallen in there,
Bow- 30 yards, but practice 10 and know your pins.

I've only killed paper with my 870 rifled barrel + Hornady SST sabot slugs ($12-ish per 5 shells, here in TX), but I'm quite sure I could ethically harvest a deer at 100 yds with it.

IAC HAWK 12 gauge $200 - $250 at most stores. Excellent rifle sights. Throws Walmart Winchester slugs perfectly.

Thanks for the replies, I'll keep my out for a used barrel...

I'l be the difficult one here.

An 870 is a fine deer shotgun. I used one for my first few years, and im starting my nephew out with the same smoothbore 870 this fall. I disagree the a smooth bore is good to 100 yards. I'd say 60-75 max, while a rifled barrel will get you to 100 or so.

That being said, for about the same price as a rifled barrel, you can get a pretty good savage axis from http://www.sportsmansoutdoorsuperstore.com/products2.cfm/ID/98195/19222/savage-axis-243-win-black-synthetic-stock in 30-06, 270, 308, or 243 and get $50 back through the savage rebate on the company website.

Just something to ponder if rifles are good to go in your area.

I was thinking along the same lines as you as I read his post Lattimer; so maybe we're both difficult!

I wouldn't say you're being difficult, just practical.  While I do know guys you can ring steel with regularity at 100 yards with slugs out of a smoothbore, that is a product of lots of practice, and most likely some help beyond the Mk I eyeball.  I probably should have added the caveat to my original post that hunting with a smoothbore at 100 yards wasn't anything like hunting at 100 yards with a rifle (which I think most any shooter that has a firm grasp of the basics can perform).  A rifled slug barrel with a scope will get you out to 100 yards with a little practice, and if you have the right gun, ammo and some time I think most rifled slug barrels could be pushed to 150.  I know there are hunters who can take slug guns out to 200, but IMHO that requires a particular, purpose-built slug gun.

The only reason I have a slug shotgun setup is because there are areas of my state where deer hunting is shotgun only.  I think your advice about a Savage Axis is spot on, and I would encourage anyone who wanted to hunt at range to use a rifle if possible.  This is even more important for people who are also developing their shooting skills, because practice takes ammo and shotgun slug ammo is not cheap.

I looked for rifled slug barrels for my 870 a few years ago when I had a lease in Illinois. For the price of a barrel I could just about by a dedicated slug gun so that is what I did. Bought a Savage 212, put a 3.5-10 x 50 Leopold on it, I had a custom reticle made for my sabot loads. I would not hesitate to shoot a deer at 200 yards with that gun, it is amazingly accurate for a slug gun. The longest shot I have taken with it while hunting was 163 yards and a big doe was dead in her tracks.

I lived in Weldon springs for many years and took quite a few deer at the St. Charles Conservation area with a 12 gauge A5, smooth barrel and sabot rounds.

My setup was purchased 17+ years ago - Used Remington 1100 ($250) rifle barrel($200) good scope($350) after a lot of testing shooting and using $15+(box of 5 sabots) (Remington copper solids) shoots great at 100 yards (2-3"), but it took a long time and a lot of money to get there.

This summer I picked up a $220 Ruger MK77 II off of armslit a nikon scope for $140 and within 6 shots off the back of my 4wheeler I got 3" groups at 150 yards - I actually bought this for a hunt in MO.  

If I could use a 30-06 or similar for deer hunting I would in a second.

Now that 44 Mag is legally allowed  in lower michigan I am thinking about using my lever action if I do not go north to hunt this year.

Yeah Ohio just changed the laws on this too.  I'm going to use my 44mag lever gun this year.