Scoped slug guns....

Dave McC · November 20, 2000, 12:08 PM

Age and infirmity has left me with bifocals, and now the doctors tell me I've got cataracts. That's fixable, they say, but they won;t fix them until they get worse. $%^&* HMOs, anyways.

So, it has become harder and harder to use open sights, even my peep sights are giving me trouble. So, until they fix my cataracts, and correct my myopia, I'll have to go to a scope sight on a slug gun. And maybe afterwards also.
I do not want to scope my deer 870,it's an excellent WIHTF tool as is, and my eyes will work well enough for that if I need to.

Here's the best options available....

First, buying another shotgun(Whoopee!!). First choice is one of the NEF Slug Hunter single shots. A friend has one and has done well with it. He's overscoped,IMO, with a 3X9.
The problem here is the triggers on these are definitely too heavy for the best work,and that action is not easily opened by the amateur.
Buying one of these AND a decent scope of appropriate power will not bust the bank account,and it will fulfill the mission of getting the freezer meat in.

Second, getting one of the cantilever bbls for either the bird 870 or the 20 ga Youth Express 870 I got for the kids.

Upside, already have the shotgun and these have decent triggers. Downside, it ties a gun up. I'd lose versatility, and I dislike mounting and dismounting bbls, since zero is a cruel joke afterwards.

Third, even cheaper. Use a saddle mount on the bird 870 and get a decent low power scope, like a 1.5X-5X. Probably a Leopold, I've never had a problem with them, unlike a few other brands I could name. I do have an extended rifled tube that fits the bbl here(not Remchoke),so this could be an answer.
Does anyone have any tips on using saddle mounts? I've an old Simmons here that will not stay zeroed for long.

BTW, the gun season here starts on Saturday,and I'll use my deer 870 for now. As long as the shots are close, no problem and I kill most of my deer at less than 35 yards.

Thanks....

Ledbetter · November 20, 2000, 02:19 PM

Hi Dave,

I have a B-Square mount on my Mossberg 590A1, on top of which sits a Trijicon Reflex amber dot sight. The mount has stayed on 50 yard zero through at least 50 slugs and 150 rounds of trap loads. The Mossberg mount replaces the trigger group pin with a bolt that goes through the receiver and secures both sides of the mount to the gun. There is also a longer screw that replaces the extractor screw and secures the mount in front on the left side of the receiver. You must have the same HMO as I do.

Regards and good luck.

Edited to add that the saddle mount can be removed from the shotgun without removing the scope from the mount and that the Weaver rail forms a hole about 3/8" square through which you can see the front bead.

[Edited by Ledbetter on 11-20-2000 at 06:56 PM]

M1911 · November 20, 2000, 04:47 PM

I've got a saddle mount made by Leupold that I've put on my 870. I have a 20" smooth bore barrel. Scope is a 1-4x Leupold shotgun scope. It keeps its zero just fine. Not hard to install or remove, but you do have to rezero when you put it back on. Also, the saddle mount blocks the sights, so you can't just remove the scope rings (I have QD rings) and leave the mount on.

M1911

Ron L · November 20, 2000, 11:17 PM

I'd get a cantelever barrel and put a 1.5 X 5 scope on that. You'll save money, get a rig that works pretty well, and you'll be able to continue to use a gun that already fits and works well for you.

PJR · November 21, 2000, 12:07 AM

Hi Dave:

I've used two saddle-type mounts on 870s -- a Millett and a two piece Weaver. The full saddle Millett didn't work out for me because the right rear portion kept banging into the side of my hand just below the index finger. The Weaver featured a plate that mounted on the side of the receiver (like a side saddle) and the scope base was attached to this plate by two screws. I was skeptical about its stability but I didn't notice any difference in accuracy out to 100 yards. The advantage of the Weaver system is that if you wanted to remove the scope all you had to do was unscrew the base from the sideplate.

My preference is to use a smoothbore because I like to use buckshot while dogging and Brenneke slugs the rest of the time. If I were to go with slugs only I would likely get a cantilever barrel. I've used several scopes including a Bushnell Holosite but prefer my Leupold 2.5x shotgun scope.

Dave McC · November 21, 2000, 08:12 AM

Thanks for the input, folks. A coupla things....

Buck is not an option where I hunt, and if it was, I'd have a gun specifically for same. No shotgun I've ever shot puts both slugs and buck in the same place.Currently, the HD 870 puts 00 COP about 16-18" below POA with POA/POI the same with slugs. The deer 870 is similiar, but I cannot recall the exact figures.

Haven't made up my mind, but I was struck by another option, and I'm kicking myself for not thinking of it sooner. What makes this a bit embarrassing is that I had the very shotgun years ago, and sold it in a classic case of the Wild Hair. Friends called it, "The Ugliest Shotgun in Howard County".

I was just back from living in Ca and had no shotguns of my own. Financially challenged, too. Of course, I could borrow any of Pop's, but he wasn't a slug shooter, using 30-06s for deer and a variety of shotguns for birds and clays. And he didn't want any of his shotguns altered.

Meanwhile, Mom found a garage sale, good condition, Mossberg bolt action 12 ga,and bought it for a song. While she could shoot, she knew little about shotguns, and thought it was some kind of rifle. So, my slug shooter was the Mossy, by default.

I'd a friend that was a gunsmith. After saving up carefully, I had him bob the barrel to 18", and solder on a front sight ramp and bead. There were two little protrusions on the receiver that functioned as a sighting aid,and I drifted the front in its' dovetail and filed down those protrusions until it zeroed with the old Remington 7/8 oz slug. I hunted with it a couple of years and took some deer with it, including the big$%^& 9 point over the fireplace. By that time, it had been camoed, glass bedded, etc. Then the Wild Hair hit....

So,maybe my post season project will be finding a used Mossberg BA at a reasonable price, bobbing/recrowning the bbl, doing the trigger, mounting a scope and shooting it in.

Greg Wolf can install a rifled tube and lengthen the forcing cone, and it should be an outstanding deer catcher.

Nice thing is I can do this incrementally, one thing at a time as money allows until it's set up.

Scope will be a low powered Leopold.

November 20, 2000, 02:19 PM	#2
Ledbetter Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2000 Location: California USA Posts: 4,533	B-Square Mount Hi Dave, I have a B-Square mount on my Mossberg 590A1, on top of which sits a Trijicon Reflex amber dot sight. The mount has stayed on 50 yard zero through at least 50 slugs and 150 rounds of trap loads. The Mossberg mount replaces the trigger group pin with a bolt that goes through the receiver and secures both sides of the mount to the gun. There is also a longer screw that replaces the extractor screw and secures the mount in front on the left side of the receiver. You must have the same HMO as I do. Regards and good luck. Edited to add that the saddle mount can be removed from the shotgun without removing the scope from the mount and that the Weaver rail forms a hole about 3/8" square through which you can see the front bead. [Edited by Ledbetter on 11-20-2000 at 06:56 PM]

November 20, 2000, 12:08 PM	#1
Dave McC Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 13, 1999 Location: Columbia, Md, USA Posts: 8,811	Age and infirmity has left me with bifocals, and now the doctors tell me I've got cataracts. That's fixable, they say, but they won;t fix them until they get worse. $%^&* HMOs, anyways. So, it has become harder and harder to use open sights, even my peep sights are giving me trouble. So, until they fix my cataracts, and correct my myopia, I'll have to go to a scope sight on a slug gun. And maybe afterwards also. I do not want to scope my deer 870,it's an excellent WIHTF tool as is, and my eyes will work well enough for that if I need to. Here's the best options available.... First, buying another shotgun(Whoopee!!). First choice is one of the NEF Slug Hunter single shots. A friend has one and has done well with it. He's overscoped,IMO, with a 3X9. The problem here is the triggers on these are definitely too heavy for the best work,and that action is not easily opened by the amateur. Buying one of these AND a decent scope of appropriate power will not bust the bank account,and it will fulfill the mission of getting the freezer meat in. Second, getting one of the cantilever bbls for either the bird 870 or the 20 ga Youth Express 870 I got for the kids. Upside, already have the shotgun and these have decent triggers. Downside, it ties a gun up. I'd lose versatility, and I dislike mounting and dismounting bbls, since zero is a cruel joke afterwards. Third, even cheaper. Use a saddle mount on the bird 870 and get a decent low power scope, like a 1.5X-5X. Probably a Leopold, I've never had a problem with them, unlike a few other brands I could name. I do have an extended rifled tube that fits the bbl here(not Remchoke),so this could be an answer. Does anyone have any tips on using saddle mounts? I've an old Simmons here that will not stay zeroed for long. BTW, the gun season here starts on Saturday,and I'll use my deer 870 for now. As long as the shots are close, no problem and I kill most of my deer at less than 35 yards. Thanks....

November 20, 2000, 04:47 PM	#3
M1911 Senior Member Join Date: March 28, 2000 Posts: 4,055	I've got a saddle mount made by Leupold that I've put on my 870. I have a 20" smooth bore barrel. Scope is a 1-4x Leupold shotgun scope. It keeps its zero just fine. Not hard to install or remove, but you do have to rezero when you put it back on. Also, the saddle mount blocks the sights, so you can't just remove the scope rings (I have QD rings) and leave the mount on. M1911

November 20, 2000, 11:17 PM	#4
Ron L Senior Member Join Date: March 16, 1999 Location: Livonia, MI USA Posts: 386	I'd get a cantelever barrel and put a 1.5 X 5 scope on that. You'll save money, get a rig that works pretty well, and you'll be able to continue to use a gun that already fits and works well for you.

November 21, 2000, 12:07 AM	#5
PJR Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2000 Posts: 1,127	Hi Dave: I've used two saddle-type mounts on 870s -- a Millett and a two piece Weaver. The full saddle Millett didn't work out for me because the right rear portion kept banging into the side of my hand just below the index finger. The Weaver featured a plate that mounted on the side of the receiver (like a side saddle) and the scope base was attached to this plate by two screws. I was skeptical about its stability but I didn't notice any difference in accuracy out to 100 yards. The advantage of the Weaver system is that if you wanted to remove the scope all you had to do was unscrew the base from the sideplate. My preference is to use a smoothbore because I like to use buckshot while dogging and Brenneke slugs the rest of the time. If I were to go with slugs only I would likely get a cantilever barrel. I've used several scopes including a Bushnell Holosite but prefer my Leupold 2.5x shotgun scope.

November 21, 2000, 08:12 AM	#6
Dave McC Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 13, 1999 Location: Columbia, Md, USA Posts: 8,811	Thanks for the input, folks. A coupla things.... Buck is not an option where I hunt, and if it was, I'd have a gun specifically for same. No shotgun I've ever shot puts both slugs and buck in the same place.Currently, the HD 870 puts 00 COP about 16-18" below POA with POA/POI the same with slugs. The deer 870 is similiar, but I cannot recall the exact figures. Haven't made up my mind, but I was struck by another option, and I'm kicking myself for not thinking of it sooner. What makes this a bit embarrassing is that I had the very shotgun years ago, and sold it in a classic case of the Wild Hair. Friends called it, "The Ugliest Shotgun in Howard County". I was just back from living in Ca and had no shotguns of my own. Financially challenged, too. Of course, I could borrow any of Pop's, but he wasn't a slug shooter, using 30-06s for deer and a variety of shotguns for birds and clays. And he didn't want any of his shotguns altered. Meanwhile, Mom found a garage sale, good condition, Mossberg bolt action 12 ga,and bought it for a song. While she could shoot, she knew little about shotguns, and thought it was some kind of rifle. So, my slug shooter was the Mossy, by default. I'd a friend that was a gunsmith. After saving up carefully, I had him bob the barrel to 18", and solder on a front sight ramp and bead. There were two little protrusions on the receiver that functioned as a sighting aid,and I drifted the front in its' dovetail and filed down those protrusions until it zeroed with the old Remington 7/8 oz slug. I hunted with it a couple of years and took some deer with it, including the big$%^& 9 point over the fireplace. By that time, it had been camoed, glass bedded, etc. Then the Wild Hair hit.... So,maybe my post season project will be finding a used Mossberg BA at a reasonable price, bobbing/recrowning the bbl, doing the trigger, mounting a scope and shooting it in. Greg Wolf can install a rifled tube and lengthen the forcing cone, and it should be an outstanding deer catcher. Nice thing is I can do this incrementally, one thing at a time as money allows until it's set up. Scope will be a low powered Leopold.