[tag]

Just thought I'd ask this question that most people should know but I don't.....

I have a Remington Model 870 Pump. I use 2 3/4 shells and have not done anything to it since getting it new several years ago. My wife and I have used it for some trap shooting and we also have it for home defense. It works well.

Question....... Can I use slugs in it or do I have to do some modifications including a different choke?

I know, I know, I should know this but I don't. I am assuming the slug would need the barrel rifled and therefore, they could not be used in this without changing it.

Thanks much.

 

[gvw3]

I just read that you shouldn't use slugs in a barrel that has screw in chokes. I am not sure this is correct but the writer stated you can shoot the choke out of the barrel. You can buy a rifled barrel pretty cheap for an 870. Be advised they kick like a mule.

 

[Alpo]

If your barrel is smoothbore, you use standard "rifled slugs", more correctly know as Foster slug. They are designed for smoothbore use.

If your gun has a rifled barrel, you use the sabot slugs. They were designed for rifled barrels.

Rifled slugs run about 4 bucks for a box of five. Sabot slugs run about 10 bucks for a box of five.

You will not get the accuracy with the Fosters out of a rifled barrel that you would with sabots, but they will work.

You won't get the accuracy with the sabots out of a smoothbore that you would with rifled slugs, so you are just throwing your money away if you buy them.

I have no idea if a slug will damage a screw-in choke.

 

[WHSmithIV]

See gvw - there is no such beast as a stupid question when it comes to firearms I would have asked the same question had I thought about it and I learned something from the answers that have been posted already!

This brings up another question to me: If I use rifled slugs in my smooth bore 12 gauge will that end up actually rifling the barrel to any degree?

 

[soundguy]

lead creasing steel?

 

[carver]

Alpo is correct with what he has posted. Rifled slugs (Forster Slugs) will pull the threads loose in the choke, or the barrel with continued use. Rifled slugs are best when used in fixed choke, smoth bore barrels. Full choke barrels will give you less accuracy than Modified, or Improved Cylinder. Improved Cylinder being the best choice, and is capable of placing hits, with the Foster Slug on a target out to 100 yards. Sabot slugs in a rifled barrel will give you hits on a target out to 150 yards, and little beyond.

 

[tag]

Thanks much to all. Good answers and I am now a smarter man.

 

[WHSmithIV]

Thanks much to all. Good answers and I am now a smarter man.

As am I Tag

 

[Oldeyes]

On all of the replaceable choke, multi-purpose (field, defense & deer) shotgun barrels from Remington, Mossberg and Browning the manufacturers recommend using a cylinder or improved cylinder choke when shooting a standard Foster type soft lead slug. Some rifled choke tubes also work fairly well with some Foster and Brenneke type slugs, but you'll have to do your own A:B comparisons there with your own set up. All of the pretty much wide open chokes will allow the slug to exit the barrel with a bare minimum of stress on the threads of the choke. Under no circumstances shoot a Foster type slug out of a replaceable choke barrel with either no screw in choke in place or with a more restrictive (I-M, M, M-F, or F) screw in choke in place.

 

[carver]

On all of the replaceable choke, multi-purpose (field, defense & deer) shotgun barrels from Remington, Mossberg and Browning the manufacturers recommend using a cylinder or improved cylinder choke when shooting a standard Foster type soft lead slug. Some rifled choke tubes also work fairly well with some Foster and Brenneke type slugs, but you'll have to do your own A:B comparisons there with your own set up. All of the pretty much wide open chokes will allow the slug to exit the barrel with a bare minimum of stress on the threads of the choke. Under no circumstances shoot a Foster type slug out of a replaceable choke barrel with either no screw in choke in place or with a more restrictive (I-M, M, M-F, or F) screw in choke in place.

I agree, and you make some good points. The diameter of the Foster type slug is .729", which is also the measurement of the Improved Cylender bore. A modified is .710", and a full choke is .694". You can see that the tighter the choke, the more friction placed upon the slug, and the barrel.

How did we come up with the different gagues in shotguns? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gauge_(bore_diameter)

Shotgun choke specifications: http://www.colonialarms.com/chokespecs.html

 

[roscoe38]

Just thought I'd ask this question that most people should know but I don't.....

I have a Remington Model 870 Pump. I use 2 3/4 shells and have not done anything to it since getting it new several years ago. My wife and I have used it for some trap shooting and we also have it for home defense. It works well.

Question....... Can I use slugs in it or do I have to do some modifications including a different choke?

I know, I know, I should know this but I don't. I am assuming the slug would need the barrel rifled and therefore, they could not be used in this without changing it.

Thanks much.

I just ran 12 federal slugs through my 20 gauge 500 C, reason being to see if the damned thing was shooting flat. all 12 through the X at 30 yards. 26" barrel. full choke. Took me an hour to flush all the lead and grime out of the cone and upper barrel. Will find out Tuesday if I can still break clays with it. So yes you can shoot slugs, better to buy a dedicated slug barrel.

 

[WHSmithIV]

I think I'll stick with 00 buckshot...