New Hastings barrel, first impressions

H

HerrJaegermeister

New member
The much-anticipated UPS truck arrived today with my new Hastings Wadlock 26-inch barrel for my 870 Wingmaster. The factory 30-inch modified barrel is now designated for duck and goose duty. I ordered it from Cabela's. Service was perfect, as expected.

I wanted a shorter barrel for pheasants with the option of choke tubes. It came IC, MOD and FULL. The bluing was deep and perfect and the inside was a mirrow with straight Wadlock grooves to supposedly help shot patterning.

One shotgun, three barrels, a complete hunting system

I also have a Hastings 24-inch Paradox fully rifled with the cantilever mount. It wears a 1.5 to 5x scope. It will put Federal Barnes Expanders in the same hole at 50 yards if I do my part.

A friend and I will smoke some clays on Thursday to try out the new barrel and to get ready for roosters here. I already like the improved balance of the shorter tube. (Two years ago, I installed black composite stocks to keep my fancy gloss wood with the fleur-de-lis pressing nice.)


A quick question: I have a choke tube holder with an open slot, so should I get an improved modified or a skeet choke? What are the benefits of each.

Thanks
 
I have a hasting 34" wadlock barrel and it is great and works wonder in my 870. I also have the 20" hasting rifle barrel (cantilever) and @ 100yrds I can produce 2.5" groups with regular fed/rem foster slugs. Slightly smaller groups with Lighfield or Brenneke Sabots.

As far as chokes the IM would be a tighter restriction than the skeet. I have never really had a need for the IM but have used the hasting skeet-II choke in my regualr 28" VR bbl and it works fine as general purpose choke. Best suggestion is to pattern you're loads with the IM and skeet choke and see what comes up.
 
Let us know how the bbl does, thanks.

26" is a nice compromise length. How it balances for your shooting style is the question.Of course, balance can be tweaked easily in an 870.

IM is a very useful choke, so is skeet. Advances is shells have basically made most chokes perform like they're tighter. IOW, a Skeet at present shoots patterns like an IC, an IM shoots like old Full.

If your shots run to long, get the IM. If there's quail in the forecast, get the Skeet or even a Cylinder.....
 
I bought a WadLock II last year for my Browning Mag 12 A-5. I bought mine from Cabela's also.

26 inch vent rib, the choke tubes, plus an extra full for turkey.

I can't say enough good things about this barrel. The 32 inch full choke barrel that was the origional, made it a wall hanger, the new barrel puts it back in the duck blind again.
 
Road construction, argh

I was supposed to go trap shooting today with a co-worker. There was road construction and the range was closed. We couldn't get within a mile of the public range. Major road redo.

I had the car loaded with hundreds of rounds of shells, a couple of boxes of clays and two different types of throwers. I was majorly bummed.

I still like the quality of my Hastings barrels, both of them. I'll have to try another location next week.
 
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