Best shotgun/scope for deer

I am looking at getting a rifled pump shotgun with scope for deer hunting, what can anyone tell me about them and ammo recommendations

I really like the 870 20gauge with cantilever rifled barrel.

Guy I hunt with has the non-cantilever barrel so he mounted the scope directly on the receiver and it stays there as he only uses the gun for deer hunting.


If your not set on pump action, There's some great semis and bolt action 12-20ga rifled slug guns out there too.

Id personally go 20ga over 12, Better ballistics, lighter recoil, Easier swinging gun too.

I also have the 870 in 20g, with the cantilevered rifled barrel. It’s much lighter to carry, and with Hornady sabots, 100yd shots are capable. I have it topped with a Bushnell trophy 1.75 -4 power. The tough part is getting slugs. My 870 likes the Hornady much better than the Remington Accutips. Friends have Savage bolt action 220 and like them a lot. They use the Accutips in them with great results

i got a 870 12G with the super mag receiver. got it as a combo. have been able to hunt anything and everything with it.

If we could use shot guns on 92B I would buy a savage 220 tomorrow and mount a nice Vortex 3x9x40 on it.... :)

I agree with others, get a 20 gauge over the 12. Also unless your dead set on a pump I'd check out the savage 220. I know a couple OLD TIMERS that have switched to the savage due to shoulder issues and the inability to easily rack the pump anymore. I previously had a 12ga 870 and now use an SX3 rifled shotgun and I'm still thinking of getting a 220 to try. One buddy had an 870 but couldn't get the accuracy out of it no matter what he did. His gunsmith said they were hit and miss back then due to the short 18 inch barrel. He now is very happy with the SXP he has. 22 inch barrel, the downside to it is he bought the combo and they don't have a cantilever so the scope has to come off if he wants to use the other barrel. Just get the dedicated deer barrel and leave the scope on. Sabots are too $$ to switch barrels. I use a bushnell trophy shotgun scope on mine and can't complain, it's been fine. If I were to upgrade I'd look at the leupold freedom ultimateslam scope. As for sabots I use the remington accutips but I'd recommend getting as many different ones as you can find to try first. Sabots in a rifled shotgun are more finnicky than any centrefire rifle to sight in.

I have an 11-87 and an 870 with fully rifled cantilever 12 ga. barrels and use Bushnells Red/Green Dot scopes. I hunt bushlots and fields and find most of my shots are 100 yards or less. I have a buddy who was a marksman in the cadets that once reached out to 196 paces to drop a big buck but it stood up again and required a second shot to finish him off. I believe he was using a Stoeger 12 ga. semi with fully rifled cantilever barrel c/w Vortex 3-9x40 scope and was up in a treestand on the edge of a cornfield when he did it. I myself would have hoped for a closer shot but he is younger with better eyesight and shooting skills so kudos to him. As for 20 ga. vs 12 ga. ? Ballistics ? Recoil ? I don't feel a thing when I pull that trigger because I make sure that first shot counts. So it depends on where you are shooting, if it's long ranges get a good 3-9 scope for all round use a Red/Green Dot works fine for most spots. I prefer the Red and Green as the Green works much better in low light conditions (like in the bush) whereas Red works best in brighter conditions. If you choose a variable scope here's a tip ; Always , always, always keep it set to the lowest power magnification because you can acquire your target then ramp it up otherwise you will see the deer but when the scope meets your you won't see him because of the high magnification... been there , done that as my 870 originally had a variable scope on it but now a Red/Green Dot.

Best scope for a shotgun is a leupold ultimate slam scope in my group of friends hands down, Mine is sighted for 100 and the next dot 150 and the last one 200 works perfectly,
Awesome for last legal light, seems like daylight still when looking through it. it is mounted on a savage 220 and about as close to a tac driver you can ask for with a shotgun

i have a bushnell 1.5 x 3 on my 870 slug thrower. I have it set to 75yd as almost never shoot over 40yds. I know where it shoots at 100yds so if I had to I could. Last years gun deer was at 25yds. I find that the remington accutip in 2 3/4 are the most accurate

There is something to be said about buying a quality scope as in buy the best you can afford and turn a so-so gun into a great gun, I would also caution using a saddle mount for a scope as they have a tendency to shift point of aim if bounced around compared to a cantilever.

I have a saddle mount on my xs3 and have never had an issue with it moving. I don't see how it could as the screws fit where the trigger pins go and there is no movement.

Screws ? They use to have bigger pins to hold them , I guess they figured it out and updated their design ? I stand corrected.

I had a saddle mount on my 12ga 870. Pop the receiver pins out, put the saddle on and tap the pins back in. Solid as a rock. I would prefer the cantilever but were not available yet when I got mine.