Sabot Slug Advice?

[JIvers]

Last fall I bought a Remington 870 with a rifled slug barrel. I used rifled slugs in it last season, and had no real problems with that. They were accurate out to a hundred yards or so, and the rifling in my barrel was not seriously fouled with lead deposits. BTW, I have heard differently from other people who have tried this and had terrible luck using rifled slugs in a rifled barrel.

Even though I wasn't unhappy with using rifled slugs in my rifled barrel, I've decided to use sabot slugs this deer season, as I have heard and seen how accurate they are, and what their range is compared to rifled slugs. I am wondering what sort of sabots work well in an 870, so any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

[carpshooterdeluxe]

a winchester 870? sounds pretty rare! im guessing you meant a remington 870. when it comes to sabots or slugs and slug guns in general, it all boils down to what shoots good in your gun. your buddy might have an 870 with the same type of barrel and be able to pull 1.5 inch groups with el cheapo slugs, while the same slugs wouldnt hit a pie plate at fifty yards through your gun. best bet is research some of the different loads and select four or five you think might perform the best and get out and sight in. ive slug hunted for 12 years now in minnesota and in that time probably shot every slug load there is from reduced recoil sabots to heavy magnum sabots to european imports to the basic winchesters and federals. all through about 5 different shotguns, two of those having rifled barrels over the years. last year after a day of shooting about 10 boxes of shells, i determined that through my winchester super x2 26" barrel with rifled choke that the remington buckhammer slugs shoot the best for me. but in my old rem wingmaster activ red hull slugs by far are the best. in my 20 gauge 1187 with slug barrel winchester supreme sabots are the best. so like i said you just gotta decide how much money your willing to spend to find what works the best for your gun.

[JIvers]

You are correct --I meant a Remington 870. I owned a Winchester slug gun with a smooth barrel before I got the Remington, so I had Winchester on the brain.

[lawdog]

You are definitely going to want to shoot sabots through that rifled barrel. The rifled slugs and the rifled barrel do not really belong together. They are kind of fighting each other with what they are trying to do...

Shoot a few kinds of sabots and pick one and get it zeroed in good and you should be good to go with that barrel for a long time.