Slug shooting w/o rifle sights...

Dave McC · December 12, 2000, 10:15 AM

Got E'd about this, so it must be a mystery to some folks. Here goes,and this applies to most shotguns, but pumps are what I use....

Most folks have some kind of basic pump, say a riot type with plain bbl and bead sight. Mount the gun and place the bead on the machined strip on top of the receiver in the middle.Neither hide the bead nor let any bbl show between bead and strip.

If the bead is mounted directly on the bbl without any ramp/base, the thing WILL shoot high, maybe a foot at 50 yards or so. Hold low and fire off enough to know where it hits. If it has a base, aim straight on and see where the impact is.Vent rib bbls should be treated the same.

Some bbls have a mid bead also. Get a sight picture that has the beads superposed, or stack them into what looks like the figure 8.

In the decades long evolution of my slug shooting 870s, I used a plain bead for a while,and did OK out to 50 yards. I hunt close, and the setup was adequate.

Hope this helps...

December 12, 2000, 04:37 PM

I concur. My Mossberg 590, even with the bead on a short stem, shoots 10" high at 50 yards. It initially took half a dozen or so shots to dial it in. Somehow, though, "Kentucky elevation" doesn't sound as good.

Dave McC · December 13, 2000, 07:14 AM

Yup, it will, Jeff. I've had folks tell me that changing the size of the bead changes POI sufficiently to be useful, but I've not tried it with slugs. Did use a smaller bead on the bird 870 for other reasons, but never a slug I've fired in that one.

December 12, 2000, 10:15 AM	#1
Dave McC Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 13, 1999 Location: Columbia, Md, USA Posts: 8,811	Got E'd about this, so it must be a mystery to some folks. Here goes,and this applies to most shotguns, but pumps are what I use.... Most folks have some kind of basic pump, say a riot type with plain bbl and bead sight. Mount the gun and place the bead on the machined strip on top of the receiver in the middle.Neither hide the bead nor let any bbl show between bead and strip. If the bead is mounted directly on the bbl without any ramp/base, the thing WILL shoot high, maybe a foot at 50 yards or so. Hold low and fire off enough to know where it hits. If it has a base, aim straight on and see where the impact is.Vent rib bbls should be treated the same. Some bbls have a mid bead also. Get a sight picture that has the beads superposed, or stack them into what looks like the figure 8. In the decades long evolution of my slug shooting 870s, I used a plain bead for a while,and did OK out to 50 yards. I hunt close, and the setup was adequate. Hope this helps...

December 12, 2000, 04:37 PM	#2
Jeff, CA Guest Posts: n/a	I concur. My Mossberg 590, even with the bead on a short stem, shoots 10" high at 50 yards. It initially took half a dozen or so shots to dial it in. Somehow, though, "Kentucky elevation" doesn't sound as good.

December 13, 2000, 07:14 AM	#3
Dave McC Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 13, 1999 Location: Columbia, Md, USA Posts: 8,811	Yup, it will, Jeff. I've had folks tell me that changing the size of the bead changes POI sufficiently to be useful, but I've not tried it with slugs. Did use a smaller bead on the bird 870 for other reasons, but never a slug I've fired in that one.