[ExactlyMyPoint]

Just bought a Benelli M4 which has ghost ring sights on it. I was also planning on putting sights on my Remington 870.

I know how to sight in a handgun/rifle, but never did it with a shotgun. Do I fire slugs through it? At what distance?

Any suggestions would be helpful.

 

[Stevew]

For sighting in with sights, yes slugs. Without sights you pattern a shotgun. Use different shot from 9 shot to 00 buck to figure out which birdshot and buckshot your shot gun likes.

 

[Ram Rod]

7 1/2 shot to 00 buckshot, 10-30yds. Slugs....25-50yds. Just my recommendations. Sighting in just doesn't seem to fit shotguns without scopes. Thing is, if you sight in using slugs only, your POI may be higher than with shot at same distances depending.

 

[RETSUPT99]

I've never heard of 'sighting in' a shot gun...just setting up some card board to see what size shot makes what kind of a pattern at different distances. What else is there?

 

[Jim Macklin]

30-40 years ago I worked in a gun store in Illinois. We sold a ton of 870 Remingtons and the gunsmith drilled and tapped them for the same mount that fits a Remington 742.

At 100 yards 4 inch groups were regular with the old style hollow base slugs. This was before the new slugs and rifled barrels. Full choke or IC barrels, 20, 28, even 32 inch barrels, they all shot pretty well.

Today, I'd put a Picatinny rail on it and a RedDot or HWS rather than a scope...

 

[Mountaineer]

I used slugs to sight in mine in this fall. I sighted in at "deer hunting distances". I paced out from my blinds to some of the areas I would be shooting. The process was the same as a rifle or pistol.

What Ram Rod says is true. When I went back to shot, my point of aim was off a bit. Now I am going to have to practice with some shot, to get used to where it points because I want to keep it sighted for slugs.

It just occurred to me though, I might be able to adjust the front sight for my point-of-aim with shot, then switch to slugs but only adjust the rear sight. That might accomodate both, because I usually depend on the front more for shot and both for slugs.