Opinion needed: slug barrel with open sights or scope

[buckhunter21]

ORIGINAL: bowbrown

I've been slug gun hunting for 20 years and for the longest time I was against a scope on my shotgun. The majority of my families hunting style for gun season is drive hunting so most of the deer are running and close. I ended up getting a good deal on a remington 11-87 with a cantaliver scope mount so I put a nikon 1.65-5 slughunter on it and I love it. I ended up having a 10-15 yard shot with it at a running doe and had no probelm finding her or hitting her. So with a low power scope I don't think you should have any probelm find the deer for a close shot. Just my two cents. Good Luck!

 
I'm also looking at getting the Nikon Slughunter put on my rifled 870.  No complaints then?  I checked it out at the store and at low power I can't see how it could be a problem....Then you have the option of a 'higher' power as well.

[Powell1120]

I have to say go wiht the low power scope. I have a 1.5-4 x32 on my 12ga and love it. The low power make it easy to find a running deer in the scope.

[vipertech]

Another option would be a red dot scope. Most of them have either none or very low magnification.  Many are under $100.  My son uses a true-glow red dot. It cost about $50.  The only thing to worry about is making sure you turn it off after the hunt or you'll run the battery down. 

[dewey]

ORIGINAL: vipertech

Another option would be a red dot scope. Most of them have either none or very low magnification.  Many are under $100.  My son uses a true-glow red dot. It cost about $50.  The only thing to worry about is making sure you turn it off after the hunt or you'll run the battery down. 

 
I would second the recommendation by vipertech.  I have one and I love it, easy to use, easy to sight in and I just leave it on my rifled barrel all the time.  I got mine for ~$0-60.  Here is a link to what I am talking about.
 
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20712-cat320001&id=0031519712256a&navCount=1&podId=0031519&parentId=cat320001&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=IA&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat601233&hasJS=true
 
Hope this helps.
 
Dewey

[Proline]

In Massachusetts all we can use is shotguns. I do 95% of my hunting from treestands with a 12Gauge 870 and my gun is scoped.  If I do end up still hunting or pushing I always use open sights as a find a scope takes to long to get on moving deer. We dont have a lot of open woods. I dop most of my walking when the weather is foul and that also leads to fog up on the scope. 

[Ohio farms]

Ohio is a slug only state. I switched to a Redfield Widefield scope many years ago partly because of better a sight picture and failing eyes. I don't think that they even make that Redfield anymore in a 2 x 1 3/4 variable. After multiple hits from that scope to my face I switched to a Nikon Monarch. You need at least 3 inches of eye relief with a slug gun...keep it in mind when you pick a scope.