scope mount vs rifle sights on rifled slug barrel?

[yondering]

I've been shooting slugs in my smoothbore slug barrel with rifle sights on my Moss. 500 for a while now, and now I'm wanting to try a rifled barrel. What are you guys' thoughts on scopes on these things? I shoot very well with iron sights, but won't deny that scopes can be an advantage sometimes. What I'm not sure about though is if these rifled barrels are accurate enough to be worth using a scope? What do you guys think?

I may have to just buy both and then sell one after I try them.

[StarMetal]

I've been shooting slugs in my smoothbore slug barrel with rifle sights on my Moss. 500 for a while now, and now I'm wanting to try a rifled barrel. What are you guys' thoughts on scopes on these things? I shoot very well with iron sights, but won't deny that scopes can be an advantage sometimes. What I'm not sure about though is if these rifled barrels are accurate enough to be worth using a scope? What do you guys think?

I may have to just buy both and then sell one after I try them.

I think many of them setup as such will shoot as small groups at 100 yards as many common rifles and calibers used for deer hunting. I had one of the H&R heavy barrel rifled shotguns in 20 gauge setup as such and it was an eye opener.

You may have to try many slug combo's until you find the one that shoots the best in it.

Joe

[Blammer]

I have a NEF rifled slug barrel and put a scope on it. Works just fine!

When load developing it helps me eliminate or reduce the "me" factor. If I were using iron sights I'm sure some of my good groups, wouldn't be.

I've yet to attain the 1" group at 100 yds with my slug gun as I can with my rifles, but I'll settle for a good 3" group at 100yds that's consistent.

[yondering]

Thanks guys. If I could get 2-3" groups at 100 yds, it would be worth using a scope, to me, partly just because the rifle sights on these barrels aren't conducive to fast shooting.

Something I wonder about though, is these mossberg barrels, unlike the NEF, aren't fixed as solidly to the action, so I wonder if that will hurt accuracy to the point where a scope is useless.

[StarMetal]

Thanks guys. If I could get 2-3" groups at 100 yds, it would be worth using a scope, to me, partly just because the rifle sights on these barrels aren't conducive to fast shooting.

Something I wonder about though, is these mossberg barrels, unlike the NEF, aren't fixed as solidly to the action, so I wonder if that will hurt accuracy to the point where a scope is useless.

I'm not real sure on the Mossberg barrels, but they may be available with a barrel mount that extends rearward to place the scope in the normal position overtop the receiver. If so this has not effect of a loose barrel to receiver fit.

Well I looked it up on Google for you and this is the first one I looked at: http://www.cabelas.com/p-0005579212148a.shtml

Joe

[Bob Krack]

I usta have a Savage .223/20ga mag and I used the factory rifle sights. I added a 1x4 Leupold scope and "see thru" mounts.

Best of both worlds!

Bob

[Four Fingers of Death]

What about an aimpoint/red dot thingo?

My friend had a Franci/SPAS with a red dot, with Winchester slug loads and the Aimpoint, it was one big ragged hole at 100yards hard to measure but it would have had to have been between 1 3/4- 2 1/4" . We took him out spotlighting one night, all he bought were slug loads and he shot every rabbit, fox and feral cat that came into the spotlight. Ranges were 75-85 yards on a misty winter's night. Impressive stuff.

[Hardcast416taylor]

The plain and simple reason why I put a low powered variable scope on my 870 is I was having a little more trouble aligning the rear and front sights on the target. At 1 1/2 power I am back in the ball game with fast target acquistion and taking the shot. At 4 1/2 power I can take a better look at the animal I may want to take.Robert

[big boar]

I'm a big fan of peep sights and have used them for 40 years. However my eyes are getting a bit rusty and now find it difficult to use them well. For rapid shooting at 50yds they are still hard to beat and in a hunting situation allow for an easier to carry (lighter) firearm. That said for load development a nice low powered scope (Leup 1-4) works very well and as this scope doesn't have a front bell, carries easy and looks really nice. A scope is nice if you hunt early/late as they do allow for better light gathering esp in a forest. If I were doing drives during daylight I wouldn't bother as the open sights are great for rapid offhand shots.

[ihunts2much]

I use a scope mounted on a cantilevered rifled barrel for my 870 and it is absolutely worth it. I get much better accuracy with a scope. I like a 2-7x for the shotgun. My effective range with iron sights was 75 yards or less. Scope and rifled barrel with the right ammo gets me past 100 no problem.

[jsizemore]

When I can't see the sights and the target clearly, I put a scope on it and I'm back in the game.