14" 870 smoothbore barrel with rifled slugs; enough ME for deer?

[rdelliott]

A while back I picked up a 14" barrel for one of my 870s.

When I took it out to the range a couple of weeks ago, I found that with a red dot scope it was surprisingly accurate (as well as entertainingly loud); at 50 meters it was shooting well sub minute of deer.

However, at 100 meters, it was shooting several inches lower than my other 870 (a Marine Magnum, with 18" barrel and ghost rings), although still adequately tight. This got me a little bit worried about lower muzzle velocities due to the shorter barrel.

Would slugs through the 14" still be powerful enough for use on deer?

 

[Brobee]

Have killed many many many deer with a 14 inch smoothbore barrel on an 870. Has always seemed like plenty of gun...even with reduced recoil slugs (which print amazingly well from my barrel).

Brobee

 

[sheephunter]

A while back I picked up a 14" barrel for one of my 870s.

When I took it out to the range a couple of weeks ago, I found that with a red dot scope it was surprisingly accurate (as well as entertainingly loud); at 50 meters it was shooting well sub minute of deer.

However, at 100 meters, it was shooting several inches lower than my other 870 (a Marine Magnum, with 18" barrel and ghost rings), although still adequately tight. This got me a little bit worried about lower muzzle velocities due to the shorter barrel.

Would slugs through the 14" still be powerful enough for use on deer?

Not much MV difference between a 14" and 30" shotgun barrrel.......a couple hundred feet at most and likely 1/2 that.

 

[rdelliott]

Great! Thanks for the answers, guys.