Greetings,
I'm going to pick up a Rem 870 express combo, and the options are: with extra deer barrel (rifle sight, smooth bore for buckshots and rifled slugs), OR, deer barrel (rifle sight, rifled barrel or grooved for Sabots and buckhummers).
The question is: which one is the most versatil and best option?? By the way, both are 20" and the smooth bore one has fixed imp. cil. choke.
Please advise, and thank you..

I hunted extensively with the smoothbore version when I lived back east. I was completely satisfied with it, since it gave good accuracy with Brenneke and Activ slugs (about 3" at 75 yds), and I occasionally used it for rabbits and such as well.

The only reason I would choose the rifled bore would be if I really wanted to try to stretch the usable range of the gun. I never needed to reach extra far, and I preferred the versatility of the smoothbore. I also prefer the heavier, hard cast slugs such as the Brenneke to the smaller saboted slugs (although those have come a long way in recent years I believe).

Thank you for the info IDShooter. Now, was the 20" barrel plenty for rabbits and others as you said?? wouldn't you need any longer one?? The reason I'm asking is that I'm an entry level hunter and good experiences are more than welcome, also I have a SxS Stoeger coach gun and I always thought that wouldn't be good for hunting because of its 20" barrels (fixed mod. and fixed imp.). Let me know if I missed the whole concept. Thanks.

The longer barrel will aid in a smooth swing and follow-through, but the choke determines the pattern, or percentage of shot within a 30" circle at a given yardage. My 20" barrel throws a pattern similar to improved cylinder when using birdshot.

For general upland game, I would use the longer barrel, but if you don't have time (or don't feel like) switching, the 20" slug barrel works fine. Mine thows a plenty tight enough pattern for rabbits or quail in the woods, and I never had any trouble pointing it, either.

Just a little anecdote - my hunting partner's house burned down while we were deer hunting one year, destroying all his firearms (and two of mine) except the 870 slug gun - with 20" smoothbore barrel - he was hunting with that morning. He used that gun as his only hunting gun for several years after that with good success.

Thanks again, I totally agree with you on the vesatility of the smoothbore deer barrel and probably will be my choise specially in my case where I'm willing to keep it with the open iron sight and take shots no further than 75 yards (otherwise I will miss anyway). That also gives me the option of shooting rifled slugs and birdshots as needed out of that 20" barrel. I'll be fun, and I'll keep in mind the names Benneke and Activ for some shooting tests.
Good shootin'..

I go along with what IDShooter said. I have several 870's & set-ups: 20" rifle sight/smoothbore, 20" rifle sight/rifled bore, and 20" rifled bore/cantilever scope mount with 1.75-5x scope. The rifle sight/rifled bore is usually the one that sits in the closet.

The rifle sight/smooth bore is more versatile in that it's designed for the finned slugs as well as shot. The rifled bore will give you a little better accuracy, but out to 75 yards you won't notice too much difference with slugs. The rifled bore is really intended for use with sabots, but I have used slugs in the rifled bore and haven't had a problem with leading the barrel so far.

I'd suggest getting the rifle sight/smoothbore combo for now. If you want to try something at longer ranges later, then get another barrel with the cantilever scope mount and a low power scope or variable, and try sabots. I like this set-up much better than the rifle sight/rifled bore for deer hunting here in Ohio.

I would also suggest getting the fiber optic replacement sights. They don't cost much, and they help a lot.