Help! Bead Sight Picture

[Model12Win]

All I have an 870 Police with bead sight barrel. The Remington does not have the bead stuck right into the barrel. Instead there is a little "platform" the bead sits on top of. What I am wanting to know is what is the correct sight picture?

Should that little platform be visible as in the left, or should I just see the bead as on the right?

Thanks in advance!

 

[stuckinthe60s]

is your bbl plain and tapered?
if so......right.

 

[Drm50]

If you are taking about shooting slugs every barrel is different. You should bag the gun and
see where it shoots. Then you designate your own sight picture. On plain barrel Rems the
bead is threaded into platform and can be replaced. The Vent rib guns screw into rib.

Getting a shotgun that shoots slugs over the bead is rare. If you are shooting buck or shot
at the range it's good for the bead is good enough, the sight picture means very little. You
are better off to pick up a slug barrel with sights for slug shooting. Rem 870s & 1100s
are capable of under 6" at 100yds with smoothbore and Foster slugs.

I have years of slug shooting experience. I shot in slug matches, had to deer hunt with slug
and have built dozens of slug guns out of every model shotgun you can think of. I have only
one gun that shot slugs with rifle accuracy over the bead. It was a Rem m31 12g with Mod
barrel.

 

[RMcL]

All I have an 870 Police with bead sight barrel. The Remington does not have the bead stuck right into the barrel. Instead there is a little "platform" the bead sits on top of. What I am wanting to know is what is the correct sight picture?

Should that little platform be visible as in the left, or should I just see the bead as on the right?

Thanks in advance!

Excellent illustration!

If I recall correctly, in the late 1980s Remington changed to a slightly elevated bead on 18 inch LE shotguns. This was in response to complaints of the guns shooting high with slugs. The 1980s saw an increase in rifled slug diameter and weight from the big three US ammo manufactures for greater accuracy. LE agencies also began to incorporate rifled slug ammo in the usual cruiser load out for longer distance use.

The second image with a bead on a flat sight picture would generally be the correct choice. That said, with the multitude of slug on the market designed for smoothbore use, I suggest conducting range tests at 50 yards with one ounce rifled slugs loaded to different velocity levels. With one ounce slugs, those loaded to higher velocities (1600 fps) tend to shoot lower due to a shorter barrel tim. By the same token one ounce reduced recoil/velocity slugs have a greater barrel time and will usually impact higher with a given sight picture. Low recoil slugs of this type are available with nominal velocity levels from 1200 to 1350 fps.

While testing various rifle slugs, be aware that smoothbore slugs of this type do leave lead deposits in the barrel that tend to build up rather quickly. Unless the bore is cleaned often, accuracy distortions can occure. I suggest using a 10 gauge bore brush with a wrap of 0000 steel or bronze wool. Mount the cleaning rod in a handheld drill and simply run this combination throgh the barrel between tests of different slugs.

While you are at it, I would suggest patterning some Federal FliteControl 00B Buckshot - both 1330 fps and 1145 fps. These are designed to pattern tightly from cylinder bore barrels.

After all this you will know what to actually expect from your shotgun.

Most shotgunners have no idea.