How can I get my 20 guage Remington 11/87 Sportsman Deer Gun with a rifled cantilever scope mount barrel to shoot consistent 3"

[MinnieMouseCin]

How can I get my 20 guage Remington 11/87 Sportsman Deer Gun with a rifled cantilever scope mount barrel to shoot consistent 3" or 4" bulls eye? My scope is a 3x9x40 lenpold varix II. My amo is Winchester 260 grain saboted high velocity rifled slugs. I've checked the scope out on another rifle and it is okay as well as scope rings & screws are tight. Problem: I've sighted in for 1"high at 100 yards. However I can't get consistent 3 shot groups. I only shoot 3 shots and allow the gun to cool. The shots go as follows: 1st shot is perfect bulls eye, 2nd-3" to 5" high left or right, 3rd-5" to 8" high left or right. Not always the same pattern, 1st may be high or low off, and 2nd hit in the kill zone and 3rd can be high or low off by 5"-8". This has cost me missed and wounded deer. What is the answer to curing this problem? Thank you.

[teufelhunden]

In my opinion it sounds like your shooting position or platform is off and you are "chasing the bull". I could be wrong but most shooting problems have specific symptoms and being all over the paper is usually from trying to muscle the aim point.

If you are sure that you have eliminated the mechanical issues (including the scope)as the cause of your problem, I would work on position and natural point of aim.

[Del in KS]

Make sure the gun is rested exactly the same for each shot. Shotgun barrels can be very sensitive to pressure as they are not as stiff as rifle barrels. If that is not the problem try different brands of ammo. Last solution go to Arkansas and ask the great shooting guru Sir Clay of Cooperville to bless your weapon. Just kidding. Clay might be able to help though.

[Del in KS]

You could also be flinching. Check by having a friend load the gun for you and not put a round in after a shot or two. If you pull the trigger on an emty chamber and jump that is the problem.

[MLH]

Can be frustrating. As teufelhunden pointed out, double check the basics. Make sure rifling is clean. Check that you aren't flinching or tilting the gun sideways when shooting. Do others shoot it with the same results? If no difference then try other brands or types of slugs.

For the bench checks have you tried a more upright sitting position (raise the rest but keep it solid) or even a standing rest to reduce the effects of recoil?

If nothing seems to help, then try groups at 50 yards. If okay increase the yardage (use judgment) until 3 shot groups are no larger than about 8". Sight in. I wouldn't shoot beyond that range until I figure out how to improve the groups.

[NolanOsborne]

im new to this all, but arent you not supposed to shoot rifled slugs through rifled barrels?

[Big_D]

Nolan, sounds like he does have a rifled barrel he said he had the sportsman deer gun. When gun manufactures call it a deer gun on a shotgun that means it has a rifled barrel. Plus I have killed many deer with a smooth bore barrel shooting rifled slugs. Not the sabots but just rifled slugs.

[wallofsam]

Check your target and see if your bullet is tumbling, or it is passing through clean. Possibly change brand of slugs.

[buckeye]

Assuming that it is not shooter error it sounds like you need to try some different brands of sabots to see which one your gun like the most. Mine like Remington Copper Solids.

[steve182]

I think you may be a FLINCHER. No offense. But you need to be sure... Have you had other shooters shoot groups with this gun? Preferrably someone you know is a good shooter. If you are wounding deer you shouldn't hunt with this gun until you get it straightend out. Are you shooting from sandbags? If it's not shooter error, Try other loads until you find one the groups.

[steve182]

Or you could limit your range to 50 yds, your 8" miss(at 100) is now only 4 inches from point of aim. Aim for center of Vitals right behind shoulder.

[hjohn429]

Hold your gun the exact same way each time or get a solid rest. One thing that may be happening is you might not flinch the first time, but once you feel the recoil you automatically flinch without knowing.

[hjohn429]

have a friend who is a good shot shoot your gun and see how they group with it. you could also give them a few loaded rounds and an empty (assuming your gun will feed empties) and have them load them in without you looking. When you shoot the live rounds you won't be able to tell if you flinch or not. But once the empty is used, you'll see whether or not you flinch.

[NolanOsborne]

i suppose i wasnt as clear as i meant to be, what i was trying to say was, i thought rifled slugs were only to be shot through smooth bore, and smooth slugs through rifled barrels?

[MLH]

Nolan - excuse me if I cover something you already know, but please bear with me because others might not know.

Rifled slugs were developed for smooth bore but can be used in rifled barrels, though they might leave some lead deposits. Rifled slug is just a term that was coined when slug makers cast groves around the slug. They look like they were already fired out of a rifled barrel so the name rifled slugs stuck. They don't impart much, if any, spin while going down the barrel, but do help keep the slug aligned while flying though the air. They also allow easier compression when forced through tight barrels/chokes.

Most smooth slugs (no grooves) can be shot in smooth or rifled barrels with good accuracy. Refer to the manufacturers recommendations.

A sabot slug (French, pronounced sa-bo) is comprised of at least two parts - 1.) a smaller than bore diameter bullet, tightly fit into a .2) bore diameter plastic cup. These are meant to be fired through rifled barrels and don't work well in smooth bores. The rifling imparts spin to the sabot/slug. The sabot sheds shortly after exiting the barrel. Lighter weight bullet at higher velocity, with spin, so, on paper, should carry more power further with greater accuracy than a standard slug.