870 Scope Mounts - Pros and Cons

Discuss all accessories and upgrades available for the Remington 870 shotgun: stocks, forends, barrels, chokes, magazine extensions, followers, safeties, sights etc.
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Scorpion8
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870 Scope Mounts - Pros and Cons

Post by Scorpion8 » Wed Nov 06, 2019 10:01 pm

Thinking of adding a scope mount to one of my 870 slug guns. There are all sorts out there, from the drill-n'-tap route to saddle-type mounts to Mossberg's cantilever scope-mount and barrel.

Who uses one, and what's your take on mounting a shotgun scope? Not a red-dot or competition optic, but a deer-slaying hunting scope.

Who has drilled and tapped their own receiver, and please share that experience (we have no gunsmith in town locally).

And lastly, pics of your favorite or recommended mount would be great. Thanks.
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Re: 870 Scope Mounts - Pros and Cons

Post by Germansheperd » Fri Nov 08, 2019 12:39 pm

Ive never used a scope on a shotgun so I cant give first hand advice but a cantilever seems more appealing to me personally. Maybe someone else will chime in?

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Re: 870 Scope Mounts - Pros and Cons

Post by Scorpion8 » Fri Nov 08, 2019 4:38 pm

Vitaly has a nice article on scope mounts, and a video on drilling and tapping your own. It doesn't look hard or beyond me. Well, except for the fact that the workbench is a disaster right now. I may go that way. I picked up a used side-half-saddle mount (B-Square?) and it's junk, and I have a saddle-type mount on order. I'm just wondering how much repeatability those will have since they are receiver-mounted and if you swap barrels, how much will the POI be moved? Or if you remove the trigger group, you also disturb the scope mounts.
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Re: 870 Scope Mounts - Pros and Cons

Post by Scorpion8 » Fri Nov 15, 2019 4:18 am

So for anyone who uses the saddle-type mount that attaches via the trigger action pin holes, if you remove it later after the scope is sighted in, does the scope need to be re-zero'ed?
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Re: 870 Scope Mounts - Pros and Cons

Post by Stonesg » Fri Nov 15, 2019 12:00 pm

More years ago than I care to think about, I was in a gun shop that had a scoped 870 on the wall with a target behind it with a three shot slug group that was probably no more than 4 inches across.

The captain on the target read, "100 yard door lock removal tool."

Back then it was a dedicated set of scope rings. These days it'd be a Picatinny rail and not difficult to do with a decent drill press and some care.

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Re: 870 Scope Mounts - Pros and Cons

Post by Scorpion8 » Tue Nov 19, 2019 9:49 pm

So I got in both the plain B-Square saddle mount as well as the DB Tactical slotted saddle mount. Both seem comparable in quality and stiffness. I also have on order a top-mount rail that I would need to drill and tap for installation. I can do that. I like the saddle mount (either flavor) but am sure about scope alignment after the mount is removed for any reason such as cleaning the trigger group. Maybe it's a low concern since the removeable barrel will/may also alter the scope point of impact if the barrel is removed also.

I know these aren't supposed to be tack drivers with slugs, but a 4" group at 100 yards isn't bad at all.

Of course all of that concern goes away if the top rail mount is used, except for any issues with removing the barrel.
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Re: 870 Scope Mounts - Pros and Cons

Post by Rich56 » Sun Nov 24, 2019 12:31 pm

I've used a AimTec saddle mount for years with no problem mounting and dismounting. i think it is a little higher than if you did the receiver mount but thats not a problem for me. I'm using a Remington synthetic montecarlo sock and its a good hight for the scope or the sights

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