1187

[jmeier1981]

Ive got a 12g 1187 slug gun Ive hunted with for a few years now and Ive always shot 2 3/4 buckhammers and an Aimpoint. It shoots great at close range, out of a leadsled it will put every shot inside of a 2" circle sticker @50yds but with zero magnification and a 4moa dot its not exactly long range friendly.
Im thinking about going to a Leupold VX-R 2-7x33 Im thinking that I can run it on 2x and the lighted reticle as bright as it will go when a red dot type sight would be good and crank up the power for 100yd plus type shots. I realize that buckhammers arent really a long range type of slug and that theyre discontinued but they shoot great, hit like a freight train and I have almost 40 boxes so I wll continue to shoot them until Im out.

Alright to my actual question... is there anything I can do to improve the accuracy of an 1187?
Ive heard people talk about pinning barrels but Im not 100% sure what that actually does and if it will actually benefit me as far as accuracy.. this is a dedicated slug gun no barrel swaps, it only comes out a few days a year. Also what about the cantilever scope mount... is that actually solid enough to hold a zero? Would it be better to have the receiver drilled and tapped? I like the idea of the scope being slightly lower if it was mounted on the receiver but not sure which option is actually better.

 

[Dr. Vette]

I have an 11-87 with a Hastings slug barrel which has a cantilevered mount. It has a 2-7x33 scope on it, and it works great. There are good and bad points to the saddle-type scope mounts as well as the cantilevered mount. My shotgun came with 2 barrels, so I use the one that it came with.

I've been shooting the Hornady 300gr FXT slug as it shoots better in mine than all the others I've tried. This year I swapped from the smooth barrel (turkey hunting) to the rifled slug barrel and accidentally forgot the valve and O-ring that normally allow the shotgun to shoot in semi-auto mode. Ironically it shot better than ever, and my son took deer at 125 and 175 yards with it this year, excellent hits on both. I'm half tempted to leave it alone because it shoots that well! You just have to remember to manually cycle it after each shot.

I'm not saying it would help your accuracy to do the same but I found it interesting that I went from 2-3 inch groups at 100 yards previously to <2 inch groups at 150 yards this year. I have it sighted in at 150 because it gives me the ability to easily shoot to 175 as my son demonstrated.

I also mark the nut at the end of the forearm so that I can always tighten it back to the exact same spot. It seems to loosen with only a few shots.

Good luck with your 11-87

 

[snox801]

Pinning the barrel does help it removes all the movement that you can get by tightening the nut. Although if you are shooting buckhammers that may be your issue. I have an 870 setup just to shoot them and love them. That being said I did that after I got my HR and knew I would not be using it for long range. I will not shoot my hammers over 100 yards cause they just start getting crazy patterns.
As far as scopes just take a look at the Burris m-tac. 1-4x.,i have one on my 458 socom for exactly what you are talking about. I replaced my eotech with it after shooting one. Wasn't a big fan of Burris and still not but that scope fits the bill.

 

[BOWHUNTERCOP]

I own a total of three 1187, one is the 12ga super magnum with the shurShot stock this is my turkey gun. The other two are set up the same....Leupold VX-II 3-9x40, both with the rifled/cantilever barrel. The 12ga is shooting both the Lightfield EXP and the Remington Accutips both 2-3/4" the same at 100 yds, beyond that the Accutips are much better. The 20ga is shooting great with the Accutips in 3".

I'm no fan of the saddle mount, I really like the rifled/cantilever barrel, now pinning it will help, not by much but the down fall is if you want to use this gun for other types of hunting like small game, turkey, clay shooting etc your beat cause the barrel is pinned. So your best opinion I think is to get yourself the rifled/cantilever barrel, here are my two 1187 shotguns for deer

 

[engineer40]

the down fall is if you want to use this gun for other types of hunting like small game, turkey, clay shooting etc your beat cause the barrel is pinned.

I thought the benefit of pinning the barrel is that you CAN still exchange the barrels because most of the time it is pinned with allen screws?

If pinning a shotgun barrel was permanent, wouldn't people just use red loctite on the barrel threads instead for the same effect in accuracy?

There is a good chance I'm not correct in my thinking.

 

[BOWHUNTERCOP]

pinning it, you use small pins/screws that make the barrel permanently to the receiver

 

[engineer40]

pinning it, you use small pins/screws that make the barrel permanently to the receiver

Thanks. Without your response I wouldn't have known some gunsmiths use a permanent method of pinning.

I did call a gunsmith today. He said he's pinned quite a few 870 barrels. He always uses removable hex screws unless the customer says they want it permanently pinned. But he also said, he only does 1 screw. Which I wouldn't be a fan of. Seems like that would torque the barrel crooked against the receiver.

Right now I'm leaning towards bedding the barrel and possibly using a bit of low strength purple Loctite on the barrel threads and the forearm cap nut.

I'll update results if I do that...

 

[BOWHUNTERCOP]

Friend of mine had his 870 pinned and customized by Tar-Hunt, he uses the same ammo as I did at the time, my 1187 is the standard rifle/cantilever barrel, and my 1187 out shot his even when we shot each other's shotgun.....Find the right ammo, and there is no need to spend the money on pinning