Is a Hasting barrel worth the extra $$

[Johnch]

I know they are good quality


I am going to order a fully rifled / scope mount barrel for my 870

I was looking at dealer prices
Cheapest is a Fully Rifled Express It can be had with a scope for a few $ more , scope is probely junk
Then for $40 - 50 more the blued or SP barrels
Then for about $50 more or about $ 240 the Hastings barrel

Being a cheap SOB
I don't want to spend anymore than I have to

But if a product is lots better I am willing to spend extra for quality
And I realy don't want to buy a Remington barrel and find I screwed up and buy the Hasting barrel to get good accurcy

I plan on using the Balistic Products sabot at least to start

John

[357maximum]

I have been impressed with the 3 Hastings slug barrels I have played with....especially the 20 gauge tubes.

[BABore]

I've been quite impressed with Mossberg's Trophy rifled bbls with cantilever scope mount. Both of mine will do under 1 1/2" at 100 yards using handloads. They do offer one to fit the 870 for about $150, dealer price. Could never understand why the Remington 870, a much better gun than a Mossberg 500, wouldn't have a good slug bbl. Most all of the 870 slug shooters I know get chitty accuracy with stock bbls.

[mikenbarb]

I have tried about every slug barrel on the market and have come to realize that your paying for a name with the expensive barrels. I have a Remington 1100 with a Badger barrel on it that will outshoot the top dollar ones any day. Look at Cabela's for the American Barrels(Badger) and you will love the way it shoots with any high speed sabots for half the price of a Hastings. If you buy a Hastings barrel, Try BRI sabot slugs because Hastings built their barrels abound that slug and their supposed to shoot the best out of them. I have found that my barrel loves Hornady SST's and I can take it to 230yds. with them accuratly. I also cast the Lee Keyed slugs and im getting great results with them out to 150yds. Good luck and let us know what you decide on.
PS- Ithaca gun and Mossberg both make a good rifled barrel for the 870 and worth taking a look at.

[Johnch]

I have tried about every slug barrel on the market and have come to realize that your paying for a name with the expensive barrels. I have a Remington 1100 with a Badger barrel on it that will outshoot the top dollar ones any day. Look at Cabela's for the American Barrels(Badger) and you will love the way it shoots with any high speed sabots for half the price of a Hastings. If you buy a Hastings barrel, Try BRI sabot slugs because Hastings built their barrels abound that slug and their supposed to shoot the best out of them. I have found that my barrel loves Hornady SST's and I can take it to 230yds. with them accuratly. I also cast the Lee Keyed slugs and im getting great results with them out to 150yds. Good luck and let us know what you decide on.
PS- Ithaca gun and Mossberg both make a good rifled barrel for the 870 and worth taking a look at.

Looks like Cabelas dosn't carry them any more
I looked up the Badger web site and I see they are selling barrels

Might just order one from them

John

[mikenbarb]

John, The Badgers are great barrels and don't let the price fool ya because everyone I know with one loves it and getting the same type of accuracy as mine. My average group with the Hornady SST's are around 3-4"@ 150yds and around 6-8 @ 200yds. They drop off in accuracy around 240yds and I wouldn't trust a clean kill after that yardage so my shots are kept within the 220-230 yard range max but prefer my shots withing 200yds. Plus the great thing about the SST slugs is that their putting out almost 4000 ft.lbs. of energy so they have tremendous knockdown power and I have literally knocked deer off their feet with them at close range. Heres the ballistics for the Hornady SST slugs,
Muzzle velocity- 2000fps.
50yds., +2.4"
100yds., +2.7"
150yds., 0.0"
200yds., -6.7"
As you can see, Their a real flat shooting slug and even flatter shooting than a couple rifle calibers I shoot. I have been shooting slugs for about 25+ years and have seen lots of changes over that time. They just keep getting better because of the demands of hunters that can only use shotguns in the state they hunt in and my state(N.J.) is one of them. Good luck with your choice, Mike

[big boar]

I'm happy with the rifled bbl on my 870 but I use it for the thick stuff so I'd never get a shot at anything over 100 yds. I was sighting in yesterday and 3 shots into 2.50" @ 50 yds was OK using Lee sabot slugs I cast. Win BRI sabots will cut that in half easily but at $5 a pull, well I'm just a little cheap. With all the info about shooting slugs beyond 150 yds I was wondering if anyone has done any penetration tests? Last year we tested 3 brands of sabots and none penetrated over about 6-7" into wet phone books @50yds. Just for comparison a 400gr FN from my 450 Marlin at about 1600 went through over 16" and I never found the slug. Hope you post your results whatever you buy.BB

[mikenbarb]

BB, Every deer I have shot out to 200yds has been a passthru or the slugs been beneath the skin on the other side. You gotta figure that the SST slugs are getting rifle like ballistics with twice the shocking power. Forget the wet phone book test because their nothing like the chest cavity of a deer or bear. Lungs are basicaly like jello so the only thing slowing them down is the skin and some muscle. I have also busted them thru both shoulders from 100 yds and never found the slug but found an exit hole about 3 inches around.:-D