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

[MinnieMouseCin]

How can I get my 20 gauge 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 shot is 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.

[Bo]

I have several questions.
No. 1.What kind of rest are you using? I would try sandbags and make sure you have a completely stable platform from which you are shooting.
No. 2. Are you keeping the same cheek to gun point of contact from one shot to another? Inconsistency here will give you an inconsistent pattern.
No. 3. Have you had someone else watch you shoot? Sometimes we do things that don't seem to be important and we may not even be aware of and an outside observer can pick up on that.
No. 4. Have you had other people shoot your gun and did they find the same problem?
No. 5. Have you had other people check the tightness of your screws and rings? After I had my stroke, I didn't pick up on the fact that one of the screws had become loose and my groups got really bad.(OK, in a sense, I did have a screw loose.) I showed it to gunsmith friend of mind and he found the problem right away.
Without looking at the gun, those are the only things that immediately come to mind.
Good luck in working through this, I know how frustrating this can be.

[Hunter4life]

it most likely is a distance factor. Slug guns are NOT rifles. People expect them to shoot like rifles. I would suggest changing your max distance to 75 yards, and try different brands of ammo. It should work out for the better.

[haresear]

You did not mention how often you were cleaning the barrel of the gun.  Buildup of plastic from the sabot can cause accuracy problems.  If what you say is correct and all screws, mounts and rings are indeed tight and the scope performed well on another weapon, I would look at your ammunition.  Everybody wants the high performance, high velocity ammunition believing that it will shoot better and have more knock down power.  However, sometimes the high velocity ammunition does not perform as well as the standard velocity ammunition.  I have noticed groups opening up on many occasions from different rifles ranging from.22’s on up to .45/70.  I’m not sure why but would guess the projectile is moving faster than the lands and groves are able to grab and stabilize the projectile.  Different barrels with different rates of twist may have some affect on tightening the groups with that particular ammunition.  That however is a lot to experiment with just to keep shooting the high velocity ammunition.  There are many standard velocity loads available today and most likely would be less expensive to purchase as well.  I have always believed that what really count’s is a well placed shot rather than excessive power and a poorly placed shot. Be sure to share with us the results of what you find out.

[DeerPatrol]

I would stick with 2&3/4 loads for starters. I went through 200 dollars worth of ammo, used every available 20 gauge slug or sabot combo from Hastings, Winchester, Federal, Remington, Lightfield, 2& 3/4 and 3 inch loads, etc. IMHO, the higher power/velocity loads hang on to the sabot longer and this degrades accuracy. With my Mossberg 500, I found the Lightfield 2&3/4 loads shoot a one inch group at 50 yards and still plenty accurate for deer at 100 yard shots are a no brainer. Best part was they are about the cheapest sabot type slug. Make sure you use sandbags or a rest such as the Caldwell for sighting in. You must have the gun steady and rock solid to maintain consistency and determine the best ammo for you particular gun. Good Luck, DP

[groundpounder]

i use rem accutip they are expensive so like the rest of the guys said solid rest is price less if your shooting off a wooden bench make a rest out of 2 by fours bolt it down i use a cald well lead sled and 50 lbs of shot my 870 stoch is filled with shot my gun weights 18 lbs but is a tack driver one inch groups at one hundred yrds you have to be sure the gun is very stable or all your work is wasted you need some one to help you they need to move the cross hairs in the scope so yuo can look at the target yuo canot do both at the same time rem web site is real no joke i have put many sabots through the same hole at 50 yards take your time it will work out and remember pound the ground stay out of the trees there for monkey boys that cant hunt indans did not have 4whellers and treestands carry a rope drag it out proud you wont have to go to the gym like monkey boy four wheeler you are a true hunter also deer drives a for the handy caped

[yobuck185]

I'm having the same problem with my 12ga. 1187 cantilever. I've had it for 6 years and it's been absolutely leathal to 150 yds. This year it will not hold any sort of pattern. Checked hardware and changed scope and same ammo. Shot gun locked in a weighted rest with 2-3 shots ok and the 4th and 5th progressively worse. I've never had a problem with needing to clean the barrel between shots or let it cool down. I'm completely stumped at this point!

[Sean Baxter RN]

it most likely is a distance factor. Slug guns are NOT rifles. People expect them to shoot like rifles. I would suggest changing your max distance to 75 yards, and try different brands of ammo. It should work out for the better.

Firstly you are using a 12 gauge cantilever rifled barrel. I have used the Cantilever 870 magnum 3 inch, barrel is smooth then a rifled choke when I first put on a Leupold Vx2 1x4 remember this the practicing of shooting is most important, I used sand bags 20 years ago I bought the first cantilever 12 gauge. I only use Remington 2 3/4 in sluggers they are 1 oz lead and sight in for 50 yards I can actually put one hole three shots at 50 yards. I do not shoot more than 75 yards for the woods I hunt are thick I cut out lanes and always face west for I live on the East coast I hunt the edges. I do not walk deep into the woods, that scares the deer out of the food source I set up ground blinds at the corner of the food source, when I was younger I hunted tree stands 15-foot metal field and stream. For some reason, deer enter the food source at the corners. I set up with the west winds either South-west or Northwest in the winter months on the other side or the corner- south-east side of the corners. I also put one blind up for a stormy night when the wind blows out of the East. I use doghouse blinds with a Ten Point crossbow. I shoot more deer early season with the crossbow than with the shot gun. Now for your issue since you are using a fully rifled barrel I concur with the one guy that stated use a 2 3/4 1 oz with a sabot sleeve use finger nail polish or lock tight went you screw in the scope mounts, the eye relieve on the cantilever you should be able to hold the gun standing with the cross hairs level not with the little level device, you will need a friend to turn the scope in the mounts for your hold remember you want to see the entire round circle both eyes open your cheek placement should be second nature. it is different for every person. I was lucky enough to be trained by the famous Carlos Hathcock if you pick up any of my scoped guns my crosshair will be a little to the right because I hold my rifle tight into the crotch of my shoulder. Like I said every person holds a rifle differently but practice is the most import now I will say this and many people will disagree, the first shot of and Season I foul my barrel this makes my groups tighter. The if I use a Muzzle loader I do not clean the gun until I shoot three deer the I clean it. Shoot again and foul the barrel again, Before I hunt with it. I do the same on Big Game hunts, I have taken the following Caribou 2, Black Bear 2, Moose 1, Elk 1, Whitetail deer over 100. I can legally take 12 "whitetail" a year "were" I live most with the crossbow I donate 90 % of meat to the Needy. Good luck I am about to set up and 11-87 20 Ga with and Improv cylinder, with a wrap around mount Picatinny and a red and green dot. I have told you more than I know. But for one thing 2 3/4 slugs are best 3 inch is sometimes too much the powder sometimes does not totally burn and can cause erratic grouping,