I could use some advice on my 870 for hunting.

[teddy12b]

I have an 870 that I'd like to leave over at my parents house this upcoming season in the chance that I'm over there and a deer shows up, I'd like to have something capable of taking a deer.   Well the model of 870 I have is the 18" barrel with extended tube magazine type of gun for home protection.  I get reasonably good accuracy using federal truball slugs out of it, but the sights are the limiting factor.  My front sight is a bead with no rear sight which is fine for most shotgun work, but I want something better for hunting.

http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/shotguns/model_870/model_870_express_synthetic_7-round.asp

Would I be better off putting on a bolt through mount and a scope on my existing barrel, or would I be better off buying either a rifled barrel with iron sights or a barrel with the cantilever scope mount.  I would prefer the least expensive route, but it's got to work and practice time is running short between now and this upcoming season. 

I just need something capable of a 75 yard max shot on flat land, and the bead front sight just doesn't cut it.

Any thoughts?

[hunt-m-up]

This is my second time typing this because I was going to suggest the scope mount first. Then I decided that was just because I like scoped slug guns. For shots under 75 yards I think you should just look for a used smoothbore slug barrel with rifle sights. With the foster type slugs, this combo will do everything you need it to do. You should be able to find a used smoothbore barrel fairly inexpensive because the rifled barrels are so popular for guys trying to extend their range with a slug gun.

If you can find one, the rifled sights/choke tube Remington barrels make good combo turkey/deer guns,but they do get pricey.

[jjas]

Teddy,

I think hunt-m-up has a good idea there.  A good open sight slug barrel should do the trick in the situation you're talking about.
 
http://havlinsales.com/ sells barrels for Remington 870s that mossberg makes.  They are advertising an open sighted smoothbore slug barrel for $89.95 new.

You might give them a call....

Hope this helps,

Jim

[ttank0789]

I agree with the two posts before me that you should just go with a smooth bore open sighted barrel. Another option is using the barrel you have and putting fiber optic front and rear sights that some people put on their deer and/or turkey gun. One other thing that should be addressed is the extended tube magazine. I don't know what state you live in but here in Ohio the gun has to have a plug in it so it is only capable of holding 3 shells, including the one in the chamber. It would be a good idea to check the regulations and see if that's the case for where you live so that you don't get busted if you happen to run into the game warden. I used hunt with a guy who got fined for that and if I remember correctly it cost him about $180.