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What Do I Need to Shoot Slugs?

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PostPosted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 12:41 am
So before everybody starts laughing at the stupid question, a little bit of background: I'm not really into shotguns, I'm more of a rifle/handgun person, but I made the leap and bought my first Shotgun on Thanksgiving last year. It's a Remington 870 Express, 20 Ga.

Now normally I use my S&W M&P 15 with a Vortex Strikefire II and a good spotlight for hunting coyotes, but my parents are both a better shot with a shotgun, and my dad wanted to borrow the 20 Gauge and a box of slugs to use at his place, issue is, I don't know what I need to shoot slugs out of this thing.

It came with a Remington brand Modified Choke, and I'm not sure if the barrel is rifled or not. Can I just buy a different type of choke, throw it in, and shoot slugs or do I need a slug barrel in specific? Again, I know it's a dumb question, that's out the way, so what do I need to do?

Thanks in advance. ~Brett
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 8:10 am
There is no such thing as a stupid question. The one you have comes up quite often.

You can shoot slugs out of a modified choke, but from my personal opinion I don't like shooting slugs through them because the constriction is a bit too tight for my taste.

I have gotten the best consistency with slugs using an improved cylinder choke.

To save you some trouble searching, here's one on ebay for $16.60 with free shipping: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Remington-1915 ... SwAPVZOIH2

I doubt that the bore is rifled, but you can open the bolt (making sure it's not loaded) and look down through the muzzle and tell if it's rifled. But it's likely a smooth bore.

No, you don't have to have a rifled bore to shoot slugs.

I hope this helps, and I hope that you and your Dad do well.

Another note, if you expect to be hunting in close, you could use a turkey choke and a shell with a BB payload. I actually recommend that more than the slugs.

Obviously, if you're hunting for pelts, a shotgun isn't the most ideal to use because it tends to tear them up. But if you're wanting rid of them, and can get them called in relatively close, a shotgun is awesome.

One of the many videos with shotgun hunting coyotes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5-i2fu_igU

If you don't mind, please keep us posted of how it goes. I just love to hear hunting stories. But spending time with family, out in the woods, that's really living.
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 1:14 pm
I like John A comments. You also might try a Carlson cyl. choke tube or you could just buy a smooth bore slug barrel for Foster type slugs. Usually sabot slugs suggest a fully rifled barrel so I would stick with foster style for a smooth bore barrel.
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 1:51 pm
Also good points mauser.

I didn't consider sabot slugs. I don't ever fool with them.
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 6:26 pm
John A. wrote:Also good points mauser.

I didn't consider sabot slugs. I don't ever fool with them.

Me neither! Too expensive and my Winny is a smooth bore which would not pattern buckshot at 20 yards for beans! Tried the imp.cyl choke for foster slugs and it printed 4 inches to the left of aim. had to spring for a slug barrel but what a difference!! Accurate as heck with the Federal Tru ball fosters . Hey all guns are different I guess.
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 6:27 pm
brett_me wrote: It came with a Remington brand Modified Choke, and I'm not sure if the barrel is rifled or not. Can I just buy a different type of choke, throw it in, and shoot slugs or do I need a slug barrel in specific? Again, I know it's a dumb question, that's out the way, so what do I need to do?

Thanks in advance. ~Brett


No stupid questions here. If you have the ventilated rib "bird" barrel, it's smoothbore. Slugs come in two types, rifled for use in smoothbore barrels, and sabot for use in rifled barrels. Remington has various rifle-sighted slug barrels, both rifled and smoothbore. If you intend to use it for that, I'd get a "deer" slug barrel. They swap on/off in about 45-seconds. I have both for my 870's 12-GA, and a smoothbore slug barrel for my Mossberg 500-clone 20-GA.
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 7:15 pm
mauser9 wrote: my Winny is a smooth bore which would not pattern buckshot at 20 yards for beans!


Not all shells are created equal either. It may not have so much been the gun.

If you can find some buck with flite control wads may help.

I also like hornady's versatite wads pretty good in my reloads too.

As for where the gun patterns, that's why you pattern your gun with various loads and you'll find one which combination works the best. And they still probably won't be exactly the point of aim either.

You're right, they're all going to be different. Even different between the same brand and model.
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 8:33 pm
That's awesome! Thanks guys. Good to see some people actually enjoy being helpful. Last time I tried to ask a question on a gun forum I just got snubbed by a bunch of eltist keyboard enthusiasts.

Scorpion8 wrote:
No stupid questions here. If you have the ventilated rib "bird" barrel, it's smoothbore. Slugs come in two types, rifled for use in smoothbore barrels, and sabot for use in rifled barrels. Remington has various rifle-sighted slug barrels, both rifled and smoothbore. If you intend to use it for that, I'd get a "deer" slug barrel. They swap on/off in about 45-seconds. I have both for my 870's 12-GA, and a smoothbore slug barrel for my Mossberg 500-clone 20-GA.


That's what I've got. I'll be sure to keep an eye out for rifled slugs, next time I'm shopping for ammo. Thanks again
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 10, 2018 8:32 am
We're not like that here.

Good luck hunting with your Dad. Let us know how it went.
When people ignorant of guns make gun laws, you end up with ignorant gun laws.
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 10, 2018 7:03 pm
John A. wrote:We're not like that here.


TG no! One of the more helpful forums I've been associated with. There are other forums where my "ignore" list is longer than my "friends" list.
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 10, 2018 7:18 pm
Yeah, I have a few of those too at a certain few forums. Though I don't tend to spend much time or energy at those either.
When people ignorant of guns make gun laws, you end up with ignorant gun laws.
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Now I know they're not so ignorant and it's ATRRITION
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 11, 2018 8:34 am
I hate snobby forums. This is a very good forum to read up on all the Remington models. I have quit forums for being snobs and in fact I won't buy some manufactures guns due to forums snobs. If you can't enjoy talking about you're joy of firearms than they take the fun out of them. At least for me anyway.
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 11, 2018 5:40 pm
Experiences shared, questions asked and answered, lively discussion and debate, long may it continue!
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 12, 2018 1:07 pm
impala59 wrote:.... long may it continue!


In fact, I'd like to see more discussion, more topics, more friendly debate and banter. Let's chat it up!
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