Originally Posted By WiseguyThreeOne: I've got a remington 870 rifle-sighted 20" smoothbore barrel, anyone want to trade? I try to get rid of it about every six months.

I sold one on the EE for 85 bucks recently. There's a market for them.

I'll try again. I posted that I was looking for an even-up trade for a used 18" riot barrel and had zero takers.

I am making my Remington 870 into a home defense weapon. I just ordered the Pachmayr Vindicator Pistol Grip and Forend set and I plan on using the 20" Deer Barrel w/ Rifle Sights with Improved Cyl.
Since it's a smooth bore it should be fine to shoot slugs and/or 00 buck with no problems correct?
Joe

I only own one shotgun. It was bought as a deer gun and has a rifled slug barrel. Now I'm considering using it in a Three Gun match where some bird shot is used. That would be one of several reasons a troop might wonder about birdshot in slug barrels.

I picked up a set of the Trijicon tritium replacements for the slug sights. It's given new life to the barrel for me. Y'all might want to try it, Brownell's had 'em pretty cheap.

Originally Posted By WiseguyThreeOne: I've got a remington 870 rifle-sighted 20" smoothbore barrel, anyone want to trade? I try to get rid of it about every six months.

I was looking for one for my 870 Express for informal 3-gun matches. What are looking to trade or price + shipping?

Czar

Originally Posted By Allerian: As much as I hate to post in a sticky... I have patterned buckshot extensively (I am not a professional) and come to the conclusion that a rifled barrel fires comparable patterns to a same-length smoothbore with several brands of ammo (we tried Remington, Fiocci, S&B, and Federal). Such a question might arise if you wanted only one barrel that was "all purpose". To me, the accuracy benefit of the rifled slug barrel outwieghs the minimal patterning loss for buckshot. Again, no science here - just a guy who loves to fire shotguns and has done so with glee for many years. Go ahead, ask me about my 200 yard slug gun

Besides you, looks like all the experts who say don't do it for either lack of accuracy or lethal leading of the barrel are failing to state they have actually patterned a shot through there slug barrel.

Two years and no one has patterned a shot yet besides Allerian?

Assuming one just wants to use it for home defense, which is what, maybe 25-feet max distance, I bet it would still do the job.

I just today bought a rifled barrel for my 870 and installed it. I too had the thought about the pattern opening up as soon as it left the barrel. Maybe I should just use slugs!

If I get a chance I will try to pattern it and report back to all. Birdshot, slugs, and buckshot when I have a chance to.



Pav

So which makes for a more accurate slug shot? A rifled slug barrel, or a smooth bore with a rifled slug?

If I have a tactical 870 with one of the smooth bore barrels on it, could I get away with hunting deer effectively (with a slug) without the need for a rifled barrel?

How can it lead up when the shot is in the wad cup?

Ok, not to throw a wrench into something that seems to going well. But... here is is...

WHAT IF... I fired Federal 00 buck with the flitecontrol wad out of a 20 inch rifled slug barrel. Do you guys think that will keep a tighter pattern? These are the LE127 00 rounds, and I bought up about 70 of them in Tucson last time I was up there.

One more question. Does anyone know of a marine/nickel plated replacement barrel for an 870?

According to one poster on this thread, the rifling starts to break up the wad, which exposes it to the rifling. Take that for what it's worth.

No the wad will keep the buck shot together and start its spin as soon as it is fired, as the wad and shot leaves the barrel the wad will open and be left behind and the buck shot will continue to spin and spread out due to centrifugal force . More open patterns not tighter. At very close range you can shoot it and at moderate ranges pattern will be way opened up.

Can't help ypou on the BBL , I'd bet you will need to call Remington on it.

i have a smooth bore 870 slug barrel, its good with cheapo remington walmart slugs past 125, and will shoot whatever shot, buck, bird i put through it. you really can t go too wrong with a smooth bore slug barrel, and if youre really lucky you can find one that likes cheap slugs. a buddy has a rifled barrrel that chokes on anything that isnt brenneke. that gets expensive. as far as 200 yards goes, i wouldnt know, never tried.

Well boys, I've answered the question, if you want to see the results.

Look here: http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot43.htm

so it is safe to shoot buckshot/birdshot from a smoothbore slug barrel i assume?

It is "safe" to shoot buckshot/birdshot from a smoothbore slug barrel.

It is also "safe" to shoot them from a rifled slug barrel, but it will ruin your patterns.

right, but there is no real difference between the slugged smoothbore vs. an open cylinder with no choke, right?

just a shorter barrel?

sorry for the questions!

That is correct. No choke is needed for slugs, if a smooth bore is used.

right, i know no choke is needed for slugs.

rather, there is no diff between unmodified regular non-slug barrel and a smoothbore slug barrel?

We have 870's with 14" barrels with rifled chokes and red dots. They will cloverleaf sabot slugs at 25 yards, and pattern buckshot Horribly at 15 yards. I don't know if that has more to do with the 14" barrel or the rifle choke.

What if you shot slugs of a shotgun with the MD choke in it?

Do you mean with a Modified choke?

Modified?

With foster style (Rifled) slugs, you will be fine.

I was told that you couldnt and also told that you could?
I dont know who to believe, This is my first shothgun