I've got a Remington cantilever slug barrel on my Rem 1100, and cannot find a load that will stay on a 9" paper plate at 100 yards. Average 3 shot group is about 10". I've checked the scope mounts, used (all sabots) Win, Rem, Fed and Lightfield slugs, had my trigger brought down to 3 lbs. I shoot with a bag of lead shot between the gun and my shoulder and the crosshairs are steady on target. I've sanded out the inside of the fore end to eliminate any wood/metal contact. Still no help. I'm out well over a hundred bucks for ammo and have results that I could have gotten with iron sights! I'm certainly open for suggestions. I saw one post on another forum refer to "pinning the barrel". Does anyone know what this is, how it's done, what it costs, etc.?? Thanks for any help you can give.
My slug barrel is terrible - why?
- Thread starter Shufigo
- Start date
I use a 20" barrel on my 870. Rem copper slolids and Rem Core Lockt do the best for me. I get about palm size groupings at 100yrds with a red dot site. I get an occasional flyer(more than likely my fault). The Winchester slugs don't work good at all for me(Part Gold). However the X ones do fine.
Im not sure what to tell you.
Im not sure what to tell you.
Pinning the barrel refers to using a pin or screws to attach the barrel to the receiver so that it cannot move. I have done something similar using epoxy bedding compound. I basically glue the barrel to the action and it has helped in SOME cases. The epoxy bond can be broken by carefully heating the barrel/receiver (not too hot, just enough to soften the epoxy). It IS A PAIN to get all the epoxy off, but it can be done.Good luck
Before all that pinning. do this....
Take a set of channellocks and pad the jaws. Tighten the mag cap ONE click past hand tight. Then, see if the barrel moves in relation to the receiver. If not, try some groups.
Most of the highly inaccurate repeaters I'm asked to "Look At" are loose between the barrel and receiver.
HTH....
Take a set of channellocks and pad the jaws. Tighten the mag cap ONE click past hand tight. Then, see if the barrel moves in relation to the receiver. If not, try some groups.
Most of the highly inaccurate repeaters I'm asked to "Look At" are loose between the barrel and receiver.
HTH....
here's the deal. the more moving parts, the less accurate the gun will be. most accurate being a single shot break, least being semi-auto. i like to stay in the middle with a rem 870 wingmaster 12ga. it is accurate enough, and you still get your 3-5 shots. most accurate barrel is the rifled barrel. you said you're using sabbots. those are for smooth-bores. there's no use scoping if you don't have a rifled barrel. you're wasting your time. that's my opinion.
I have been following this post with some interest as I am thinking about getting a similar setup to that mentioned in the opening.
For clarification, sabots are for rifled barrels primarily, they can shoot well out of a smoothbore but that is the exception not the rule.
Rifled slugs are for smoothbore barrels, again with exceptions.
For clarification, sabots are for rifled barrels primarily, they can shoot well out of a smoothbore but that is the exception not the rule.
Rifled slugs are for smoothbore barrels, again with exceptions.
Poodleshooter
New member
Rifled slugs also see improvement from rifled barrels. I shoot nothing but rifled slugs through my rifled barrels,and they exceed performance from a smooth barrel fitted to the same weapon. Brenneke and foster slugs shoot just fine from either rifled or smooth bores.
Always had the best luck with Brenneke
But, of course YMMV...
Having said that, I'll get on my plank (and put my flame suit on) and say that 100 yards is beyond the extreme limit for shotguns/slugs...Yes people do it, and with some guns it might be OK... But, I would never take a shot over 75 yards, and realistically would limit my shots to 50-60 yards with a slug gun...They just aren't accurate enough to be sure of a humane kill beyond that....
But, of course YMMV...
Having said that, I'll get on my plank (and put my flame suit on) and say that 100 yards is beyond the extreme limit for shotguns/slugs...Yes people do it, and with some guns it might be OK... But, I would never take a shot over 75 yards, and realistically would limit my shots to 50-60 yards with a slug gun...They just aren't accurate enough to be sure of a humane kill beyond that....
I have this EXACT same problem with my 11-87 with cantilever scope mount barrel. It is fully rifled and I've been shooting Federal Premium 3" Hydra-Shok sabot slugs. I can't get it to stay on a paper plate at 50yards. I'd like to think it's not the scopes fault (Bushnell Banner series), because that thing cost me like $100. I wonder what gives?
I thought you were supposed to get the best accuracy from sabot loads in a fully rifled barrel?
I thought you were supposed to get the best accuracy from sabot loads in a fully rifled barrel?I reread your post and missed the part about you having a cantilever mount. The main object with this is that the scope mount and barrel are as one peice. The scope should be looking where the barrel points. I have a couple of slug guns and have done tons of testing. Different brands WILL shoot differently and to different places. I would suggest you try a couple of brands and see if that helps. In one of my guns Rem copper solids shoot great, in another, not so good. Unless you just lucked out with a bad barrel, changing brands and some testing just might take care of the problem.. Best of luck
Thanks for your inputs -
Thanks all for the inputs. I am definitely going to put the channel locks on the magazine cap and see ir that helps. That costs zero and could indeed help. I'm pretty sure the problem is just because of the nature of the rig - the barrel floats in the receiver. Even tho the scope is aligned with the barrel by use of the cantilever, I just suspect there are some vibrations or something with the barrel loose in the receiver that affects the group. As for trying different brands of slugs, once is enough. As I posted, I've already gone that route, and the pattern of the flyers was common to all the brands. I was hoping that someone here had had some knowledge of pinning the barrel, or knew a gunsmith that has done it. This gun in also my primary field gun, so doing the epoxy thing wouldn't work. I was hoping for a drilled, tapped hole thru the receiver into the barrel flange(?) that slides into the receiver. Insert set screw, crank down hard and shoot slugs. Then, remove screw, put in smoothbore barrel and shoot normal lead shot. If I can't get improvement, I'll probably put the barrel up on EBay and the scope back on my .243! BTW, this is a great site. I got more useful help here than anywhere else I've posted.
Thanks all for the inputs. I am definitely going to put the channel locks on the magazine cap and see ir that helps. That costs zero and could indeed help. I'm pretty sure the problem is just because of the nature of the rig - the barrel floats in the receiver. Even tho the scope is aligned with the barrel by use of the cantilever, I just suspect there are some vibrations or something with the barrel loose in the receiver that affects the group. As for trying different brands of slugs, once is enough. As I posted, I've already gone that route, and the pattern of the flyers was common to all the brands. I was hoping that someone here had had some knowledge of pinning the barrel, or knew a gunsmith that has done it. This gun in also my primary field gun, so doing the epoxy thing wouldn't work. I was hoping for a drilled, tapped hole thru the receiver into the barrel flange(?) that slides into the receiver. Insert set screw, crank down hard and shoot slugs. Then, remove screw, put in smoothbore barrel and shoot normal lead shot. If I can't get improvement, I'll probably put the barrel up on EBay and the scope back on my .243! BTW, this is a great site. I got more useful help here than anywhere else I've posted.
vibration ?
due to a lighter barrel and more moving parts compounded by the slug being in the barrel for a longer time than on a rifle, vibration has a lot more affect then with a rifle especialy if you shoot a hot load.
this months [dec 05] buckmaster magazine pg 60 has a whole article on this along with directions on how to pin a barrel. the author Dave Henderson also has a book shotgunning for deer that helped me alot.
how much pinning the barrel will help depends on how much play you have between the barrel and reciever. the gunsmith only charged $25 to pin my 870 and the pattern definitly improved. but it is still not as good as my muzzle loader.
next step for me is a bolt action shotgun, if I can find and afford one at the same time.
due to a lighter barrel and more moving parts compounded by the slug being in the barrel for a longer time than on a rifle, vibration has a lot more affect then with a rifle especialy if you shoot a hot load.
this months [dec 05] buckmaster magazine pg 60 has a whole article on this along with directions on how to pin a barrel. the author Dave Henderson also has a book shotgunning for deer that helped me alot.
how much pinning the barrel will help depends on how much play you have between the barrel and reciever. the gunsmith only charged $25 to pin my 870 and the pattern definitly improved. but it is still not as good as my muzzle loader.
next step for me is a bolt action shotgun, if I can find and afford one at the same time.
I suspect pinning the barrel will not help that much unless the barrel is really loose in the receiver. Even then, the cantilever model should eliminate the discrepancy/play that sometimes exists between the receiver and the barrel, because the scope is mounted to the attached cantilever and not the receiver. I think the scope might be the culprit, not being able to handle the recoil. If I was faced with the same problem, I would go buy a set of leupold rings and a Nikon shotgun scope. By the way use blue loc-tite on the screws that attach the rings to the cantilever.
Last edited: