In my experience a receiver mounted scope or dot may not return to zero when the barrel is taken off, like for cleaning. I have had much better luck with canti-lever barrels. I have an accurate Ithaca 37 that is frustrating if the barrel is removed. If ranges are short the factory iron will kill easily to 75 yards, 100 with the right combination. I will add if you find a good grouping load buy a bunch, different lots may not shoot the same.
Whatever sight you use make it a good one. 12 gauge slugs are hell on optics. I puked an older B&L 1.5x6 on my 1187 and it started randomly opening up from an inch at 50 yards to 3 feet. I doubt I had 50 rounds through it.
One of the downsides to the straight-wall phenomenon is slugs are back being second class citizens in the ammo manufacturing business. We reached the high water mark and now many of the really accurate slugs are either off the market or unobtainable. In Connecticut public lands require slugs or a muzzle loader and lately I find that for my woods hunting a rifled choke tube with old fashioned rifled slugs and iron sights works just fine.
Last edited by Mike_S; 03/16/24.
