Yesterday, I bought a used Remington 870 Express Magnum with about a 20" barrel. It is chambered for 2 - 3/4" and 3" shells. Cost was $180.

Today, I went looking for chokes (improved cylinder for slugs). The guy at Walmart asked me if I was going to use it for turkeys... I said No, slugs. He replied, "Will that even shoot slugs? Some shotguns, if you shoot slugs through them, will ruin them. That Mossberg 500 there was made for slugs. You can shoot bird shot in it, but it won't work as well."

It sounded to me like he was trying to get me to buy a new mossberg ($300?). Was he?

I thought that if you had a cylinder bore, or an improved choke, that you could shoot slugs in a shotgun...

There's a problem with buying guns at Wal-Mart; the same guy running the gun counter may be sweeping the floors or restocking the women's underwear section on the next shift :D You're not exactly talking to the brain trust there.

So.... a couple of thoughts here.... first, go as the manufacturer and see what they recommend! Not only does Remington make shotguns, they make slugs... think about it :)

Note also, Remington even sells rifled slug barrels.... and there are several aftermarket (ie Hastings) barrels & chokes for shooting slugs.

Rifled barrels with integral sights will probably be the most accurate; rifled choke tubes may help some, and smoothbores likely the least accurate.

It's true you can stick a choke tube in a barrel shooting slugs through it. Ask me how I know this :( ..... so, definitely go with nothing tighter than improved cylinder to start with. However, the Remington factory choke tubes are rated for steel shot and are pretty tough; the one choke tube I stuck was an aftermarket design and not rated for steel... steel shot is a little tougher on a choke tube than regular lead shot, and being rated for steel means it's probably fairly tough.

Sounds like more a case of ignorance than trying to sell you a new gun.

There's a problem with buying guns at Wal-Mart; the same guy running the gun counter may be sweeping the floors or restocking the women's underwear section on the next shift :D You're not exactly talking to the brain trust there.

...

Sounds like more a case of ignorance than trying to sell you a new gun.


Unfortunately, he seems to be a regular at the sporting goods counter...

Remington also sells rifled choke tubes. I have the same setup on my 870, and when I change loads I change chokes. Also, the rifled slugs with the rifled tube hits the same point of impact up close as any of my shot chokes.