a recent and brief encounter with a black bear on my deck when I returned from walking the dogs one night got me thinking. Not sure which of us ws the most startled but he climbed over the railing and ran off. I have a few rifles in.22, .223 and 38/357 but I don't hunt and don't have any larger calibers. I also have a Remington 1100 12 gauge and was thinking about adding a rifled slug barrel but looking at Midway and other sites I see there are different OEM variants at different prices. I know less than nothing about what the differences are, how significant they are, which would best suit me or if there is some better alternative than the OEM barrel. Barrel length 21 inches or something else? Any guidance would be very much appreciated.

Just take choke out and use 12 gauge shotgun slugs. At close range -you won't see any difference between smooth bore and rifled bore.

https://www.brennekeusa.com/hu...black-magicr-magnum/

quote:

Originally posted by SIGfourme:
Just take choke out and use 12 gauge shotgun slugs. At close range -you won't see any difference between smooth bore and rifled bore.

https://www.brennekeusa.com/hu...black-magicr-magnum/

Please don't "just take the choke out", you need to have a choke tube installed or you'll ruin the threads. In IMP cyl choke tube is appropriate.

quote:

Originally posted by SIGfourme:
Just take choke out and use 12 gauge shotgun slugs. At close range -you won't see any difference between smooth bore and rifled bore.

https://www.brennekeusa.com/hu...black-magicr-magnum/

I bought some of these for our trip to Northern Canada and Alaska (hopefully) this summer in case we had Grizzly issues.

For Black Bear you could get by with something that won’t take your shoulder off unless they’re over 500 pounds..;-)

quote:

Originally posted by GCE61:
Please don't "just take the choke out", you need to have a choke tube installed or you'll ruin the threads. In IMP cyl choke tube is appropriate.

I have seen quite a few rounds fired in shotguns with the choke removed. Yes, there is that remote chance that a load will damage unprotected threads. But it has to be a really small chance, as the threads are quite a bit wider than the bore itself.

In sporting clays, shooting at a very close target with no choke is fairly common for competitors who don't carry open chokes. I've never seen even bits of plastic wad on the threads.

I've seen sabot and rifled slugs shot with open threads. Again no damage to the threads.

Now there will be a little carbon on the open threads, but that's not a big deal.

For a random shot here and there, I don't think shooting with open threads is an issue. Personally, I'd rather have a wide choke installed, but that's just me.

I could be wrong (see above) but I don't think my 1100 will shoot 3 inch shells, only 2 3/4.

Why even bother with slugs? Any shot load will do a whole bunch of damage to Yogi. At close range, the shot column acts as a single projectile. Test it for yourself some time..

Or carry a 10mm.

You won't have time to go inside, spin the dial on your safe, find the shotty, find the ammo, load it up and go shooting. The bear won't hang around while you fiddle. If he's in a bad mood, he'll just jump on you and end your troubles.

quote:

Originally posted by kho:
I could be wrong (see above) but I don't think my 1100 will shoot 3 inch shells, only 2 3/4.

There are plenty of 12 gauge loads in a 2-3/4" shell.

You can go to your local Walmart and find a box of 5 rifled slugs for next to nothing. You have a smooth bore barrel so you won't need the sabots, just old school rifled slugs. One company makes ones called Tru-ball or something like that. The 2 3/4" will be all you need.

1100s will shoot EITHER 2 3/4" shells OR 3" shells but not both. Some have a 3" chamber, some do not.

Manufacturer recommends against shooting with no choke tube installed. I'm sure it's fine occasionally, but not something I would do a whole lot.

Also, there is a decent chance this 1100 is a fixed choke gun, as most of them are. If it is a fixed choke gun, you can shoot slugs out of Imp. Cyl. or Mod. but I might not shoot them out of Full. At the least, they are not as effective from Full as they are the more open chokes.

So, OP, you don't necessarily need another barrel.

After starting this post I did some further internet research and I am now more confused than ever. Some say a non rifled slug is fine to shoot through a smooth bore barrel but it should be a with a modified or improved choke. Whatever that is. I also read that a rifled slug should not be fired through a rifled barrel because the competing riflings will degrade accuracy. And that a regular slug should not be shot in a rifled barrel because it will foul the rifling grooves, And only a sabot slug should be used with a rifled barrel.

I don't even know what choke came with my gun, I bought it more than 40 yers ago when I was invited to go duck hunting in North Florida. Took it out of the box, loaded it and shot it.

Jeez I thought this was going to be simple, get a rifled barrel, get slugs, done. Not so much.

And before it gets suggested I already have bear spray. I just want this as another option.

Just tell me what to do. In words of one syllable or less.

quote:

Originally posted by kho:
After starting this post I did some further internet research and I am now more confused than ever. Some say a non rifled slug is fine to shoot through a smooth bore barrel but it should be a with a modified or improved choke. Whatever that is. I also read that a rifled slug should not be fired through a rifled barrel because the competing riflings will degrade accuracy. And that a regular slug should not be shot in a rifled barrel because it will foul the rifling grooves, And only a sabot slug should be used with a rifled barrel.

I don't even know what choke came with my gun, I bought it more than 40 yers ago when I was invited to go duck hunting in North Florida. Took it out of the box, loaded it and shot it.

Jeez I thought this was going to be simple, get a rifled barrel, get slugs, done. Not so much.

And before it gets suggested I already have bear spray. I just want this as another option.

Just tell me what to do. In words of one syllable or less.

The choke is plainly engraved on the barrel if it is a fixed choke. Or does it have little tubes that screw into the end of the barrel?

quote:

Originally posted by rburg:
Why even bother with slugs? Any shot load will do a whole bunch of damage to Yogi.

Maybe blind it. So it dies a horribly slow agonizing death.

quote:

At close range, the shot column acts as a single projectile.

If by close range you mean a couple feet. No thanks.
The "fist of lead" theory is iffy at best. Tight chokes and/or EXTREMELY close, then your still dealing with "maybe". The other option is to spend $6 on a box of slugs and not have to hope your pattern is dense enough to do anything.



If you're not going to be hunting with it, I'd suggest passing on the rifled barrel. To get consistant accuracy from it you'd need to use sabot slugs (much more expensive). A smooth bore slug barrel (assuming you're after a barrel that's shorter and has sights) will likely be cheaper, plenty accurate and still be usable with other ammo. (Slugs, buckshot, bird shot)


(If you're not going to shoot many slugs through it, it doesn't matter what choke is in your gun.)

Simple answer .... I would suggest since you already have a shotgun, buy a box of slugs, be happy.
I own and shoot a Remington 1100, 12 gage with a 32 inch fixed full choke barrel. To date I have several thousand rounds of buckshot and slugs through it. Yes...thousand. I fired over 300 slugs in one week alone at Gunsite.
Buy slugs ...be happy.

You say your barrel is for 2 3/4 shells then it should be stamped 12ga for 2 3/4 inch or shorter then full for full choke, mod for modified, imp cyl, for improved cylinder, ect, if it is a fixed choke barrel. If it has changeable choke tubes you can look at the muzzle and see the little "slots" where a wrench fits to remove and install the tubes. NO more than you are going to shoot slugs, I simply would not worry about it, and just shoot them. I shot a lot through my modified choke barrel years ago hunting wild boar over in Turkey when I was there in the USAF

Remington makes a smooth bore, slug barrel with rifle sights and it is more accurate, because of the proper, cylinder bore and rifle sights, but at close range really unnecessary. There are aftermarket barrel makers that make barrels with actual rifling generally better if you use sabot slugs. Personally I would go with the old what is called a Forster slug, simple, full bore size and very effective up close, and no matter what stick with a smooth bore, not rifled barrel.

If your barrel is one that takes the interchangeable choke tubes get a cylinder or improved cylinder bore choke tube and it will work fine.

quote:

Originally posted by rburg:
Why even bother with slugs? Any shot load will do a whole bunch of damage to Yogi. At close range, the shot column acts as a single projectile. Test it for yourself some time..

Or carry a 10mm.

You won't have time to go inside, spin the dial on your safe, find the shotty, find the ammo, load it up and go shooting. The bear won't hang around while you fiddle. If he's in a bad mood, he'll just jump on you and end your troubles.

yeah I thought about mentioning in my OP that I didn't plan on carrying a shotgun around with me when I walk the dogs so slug barrel or no slug barrel would not have helped in that situation. The encounter just got me thinking that I was lacking anything large enough available generally should the circumstances warrant, so here I am asking.

I think I have my answers. First order of business is to look at the gun engraving to determine chamber (pretty sure its 2 3/4 not 3 inch magnum) and the choke that came with it.And then if it is fixed or changeable. Unfortunately the gun is at a second home we have in North Carolina which I probably won't be able to get to until July. But if its improved or modified then I just buy a box or ten of slugs and I'm good. If its full choke and changeable get an improved or modified choke tube. If fixed, get a smooth bore improved or modified Remington barrel.

Thanks you all very much for indulging a novice.

quote:

Originally posted by kho:
After starting this post I did some further internet research and I am now more confused than ever. Some say a non rifled slug is fine to shoot through a smooth bore barrel but it should be a with a modified or improved choke. Whatever that is. I also read that a rifled slug should not be fired through a rifled barrel because the competing riflings will degrade accuracy. And that a regular slug should not be shot in a rifled barrel because it will foul the rifling grooves, And only a sabot slug should be used with a rifled barrel.

I don't even know what choke came with my gun, I bought it more than 40 yers ago when I was invited to go duck hunting in North Florida. Took it out of the box, loaded it and shot it.

Jeez I thought this was going to be simple, get a rifled barrel, get slugs, done. Not so much.

And before it gets suggested I already have bear spray. I just want this as another option.

Just tell me what to do. In words of one syllable or less.

Forty years old means that your shotgun does NOT have removable chokes, it's a fixed choke barrel. You barrel will be stamped with the choke it was machined to. You will find that stamping near the joint with the receiver on either the left or right hand side. In most cases your barrel will be marked either as Full, MOD, or CYL, the intermediate choke stages were usually a custom order.

Note, there are 5 "normal" stages of chokes that are as follows, Full, Improved Mod (marked IM), Modified, Improved Cyl (marked IC), and Cylinder. In really old shotguns the progression is Full, 3/4, 1/2, 1/4, and Open or Cylinder. I'll also note that there are 1/8 increments such as Skeet or Extra Full and some even tighter chokes for shooting specific species at very long ranges.

So one simple option is to look and see what your barrel is stamped with. Odds are good it's MOD because Modified is considered to be and "all Around choke". Next up in probability is Full because that is most useful for longer range birds such as Ducks.

I will also note that a 40 years old 1100 may not fit a more modern barrel and a new barrel may actually cost MORE than a new Mossberg Pump. The easy solution for your issue is to pick up a Home Defense Mossberg 500 after this current epidemic has passed. Until that Mossberg is actually available for purchase you actually can make do with a Target or Duck load. At ranges of30 feet or less the shot string of bird shot is only about 2.5-3.5 inch in diameter and and will penetrate about 12-14 inches deep into a FROZEN Turkey. In warm soft meat it will probably go a bit deeper and will certainly cause a massive amount of internal bleeding. Load 4 into your 1100 and 4 rounds will stop a black bear in it's tracks. BTW, if it's heading away I would suggest 1 shot straight up to help it's Get Along. One benefit of a Bird load is that shot falling back to ground is not lethal even if you shoot in an angular orientation. Because Bird shot is not very aerodynamic and 150 yards out it is moving slow enough to harmless.

so rifled sabot slugs and a rifled barrel is optimal?

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
so rifled sabot slugs and a rifled barrel is optimal?

No. It depends on the range and your ammo availability. Rifled slugs are typically more common and do cost less. BTW rifled slugs can also be marked as Foster Slugs. Rifled Slugs must be used in a Smooth Bore barrel, preferably choked at Improved Cylinder or Cylinder but Mod can be used if it's a newer Nitro Proofed barrel. They can be effecitve for hunting as far out as 100 yards but 75 yards is a reasonable safe limit. BTW, Nitro Proofed means Smokeless Powder.

As noted previously you use a Sabot Slug in a Rifled barrel. Benefit of the sabot slugs is a 50 caliber slug will yield a rather high velocity and shoot flatter and much more accurately at long range. So, if you have a rifled barrel and need a longer range capability the Sabot slug is worth the extra cost.

IF you want a slug for close in Defense all you need is a cylinder barrel and some slug loads. However I prefer Buckshot for defense because it produces a much larger wound channel. BTW it really is named Buckshot because at one time it was the primary choice for taking Deer.

BTW, I'm not a fan of using a rifled slug with a Modified choke. It's probably fine in a modern fixed choke gun but with removable chokes you have a much thinner profile and if there is a slight flaw in the choke it might split. A split choke in a multichoke barrel can be really really bad news because it may prove impossible to remove, in which case you have just destroyed your barrel. Not saying it will happen, just that it can and wipe out your barrel.

I'll also note that only a Fool shoots a miltichoke barrel without a choke installed. Because if you happen to have 1 single stray pellet hit the threads "wrong" you'll be spending good money to have the threads repaired. People Cylinder Chokes are sold with almost every new multichoke shotgun and if you lost yours they don't cost that much for a new one.