Accuracy issues with 870 cantilever

ninepointer

ninepointer

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My set up is 12 ga. 870 Wingmaster Magnum, Remington Express cantilever barrel, Bushnell Trophy Circle-X shotgun scope and Hornady SST 2 3/4 sabots.

The 100 yd performance is terrible; all over 11"x17" target paper. I'm going to try again with Rem Accutips and I'm thinking of also swapping in a spare scope I have to see if the Trophy has bit the dust.

With my .270 and .308 I shoot Looney-sized groups at 100; what should I reasonably expect from the shotgun?
Anybody else having accuracy issues out of their 870 cantilever?
 
I've heard of tapping to "settle" the crosshairs, but I've never thought to try it. Can't hurt to try.

I'm trying to isolate the issue through a process of elimination. Trying a different ammo seems like the right first step.

I'm also wondering about hold and technique, since I've heard that slug guns should be held/gripped differently in some way. But I'm a bit confused on this since it is to be a hunting gun and "bench techniques" won't apply in the field. Can someone elaborate on this?
 
Try Winchester supreme partition 2 3/4". This combo shot well on my brothers 870. Shotguns are very hard on scopes so that is a possibility. As for hold I find consistency is the key, if you put some barrel pressure to limit muzzle jump do that everytime and vise versa. Also those triggers are terrible so careful trigger control so you don't jerk the gun makes a big difference. Lead sled is highly recommended. BTW those hornady slugs have terrible on game performance, slug diameter holes and very little blood=long tracks.
 
Try different slugs and make sure everything is tight. One think most people do not research is twist rate. The sst slugs are one of the fastest slugs on the maket and may not work on a slower twist rate. My h&r is a 1 in 28 and 930 is a 1 in 35. Accutips are nice slugs. Slug guns can be picky so just need to play around and see what your gun likes. Not cheap but needed for accurancy. Be happy with 2 or 3 inch groups. My slug hunter gave me a 3 inch group with 5 shots but I will be trying different slugs to tight it up. Best advice is buy a box of couple of brands and give it at least 15 minutes before each shot.
 
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Your best bet is to try some three shot groups at 30 yards .of you can get some good three shot groups then move to 60 yards and see if it will still shoot the same groups .no scents waisting money on slugs till you find somthing that will shoot good groups at 30 yards. Dutch
 
I found the major validation component i.e. testing of accuracy with rifled barrel slug guns - given all other factors in the equation (optic/mount, irons, the individual etc) have already been addressed - is to simply shoot a variety of brands one can find. Expensive venture, however, it's one critical step that can't be bypassed. For folks using a 12ga, that could also be a painful process. :)

IMHO, the H&R USH represents the best value as a no frills, low cost product that offer simplicty of operation. Well, other than it's heavy weight. Last summer, I needed to change the rings on my 20ga USH, and consequently, boresighting indoors (at home), I shot the two groups. The target (100 yds) on the left was the first one shot with intervals between each shot around a couple of minutes only. Since then, I've shot better groups using Rem Accutips 2 3/4 but never bothered to take images. Upon a whim, I sold the firearm last night, may regret that move down the road. EDIT: I also shot Federals at the left target (wasn't even on paper)!

 
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iI use accutips in my 870 and they work great. my brother in law uses copper solids and they work great in his 870.
Defiantly try other brands.

Let us know how it worked out.
 
For years I used the 12ga 870 express with Remington cantilever barrel with Bushnel 3200 1.5-4 and 2 3/4 SSTs. 3" groups at 100 yds with the odd flyer. Make sure the base and rings are tight. Could be a scope problem too, try a different one and compare results. Ensure the mag cap is cranked down tight to eliminate the slop between the barrel and the action. Try different ammo as each barrel will shoot different slugs with a notable difference. Pull that 12ga in tight too and easy on the trigger. Keep the barrel clean of the plastic fouling, clean every five shots, and also let the barrel cool between shots. You can also improve the stability of the barrel/action by shimming and pinning. I have now used a Savage 20ga 220F for three years and 1" groups at 100yds not a problem.
 
If you're not reloading you have to try as many brands of ammo as you can to find the one or two your shotgun likes. Same as you do any firearm. And do a trigger job. I'd change the scope and look at how tight the barrel is too.
 
pin or shim the barrel. I shimmed the barrel on my mossy 500 and made a world of diference, used a pop can as a shim.There is pics and a thread on this over at w ww.shotgunworld.com
 
Coyote1664 has the right idea 90% of accuracy issues with interchangeable barrel shotguns comes from where/how the barrel mates to the action/ receiver. If you have any slop or play you will often have a hard time hitting a sheet of plywood past 50yrds. Check that if you can solid or tighten up that connection it should solve most of your problems.
 
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