Will a Remington 11-87 21" cantilever smooth bore barrel work for shooting rifled slugs accurately?

"Rifled slug" is a misnomer actually, since the "rifling" on the Foster and Brenneke style slugs doens't impart any spin on the slug itself, but is there to provide for compression through the chokes, just in case people use something other than a cylinder/Imp cylinder choke with the slug. It's there to provide a margin of error so the choke/barrel isn't damaged.

For a smoothbore, a cylinder bore or improved cylinder choke is recommended for most accurate results. Use Foster for deer, or Brenneke slugs if added penetration is needed such as for bear or hogs.

Sabot slugs CAN be used in a smoothbore, but are much more expensive, and won't be any more accurate, and perhaps in some choked barrels even less accurate, than the other slugs. They shine in fully rifled shotgun barrels specifically made for sabot slugs.

Update - Never use a Foster or Brenneke in a rifled barrel, unless you enjoy cleaning out lead deposits. As far as the "rifled choke", they are hit and miss with improving accuracy. Some loads they might lend a small amount of improved accuracy. If the added expense is worth it, is a matter of opinion. Responsible hunters don't use slugs beyond 100 yards anyway.

I am 99% sure that Remington DOES NOT make a 11-87 21" cantilever SMOOTH BORE barrel. All the cantilever barrels that I know of are RIFLED. There is no point in having a cantilever mount on a smooth bore barrel because the range of smooth bores is pretty short (maybe 100 yards) and rifled slugs are not precision projectiles.

http://www.shopremingtoncountry.com/11-87-Premier-...

To answer your question. YES, you can use a rifled slug in a smooth bore barrel as long as you don't have much choke. That is specifically what they are made for. Can you also shoot rifled slugs from a rifled barrel? Probably YES (but it might foul with lead), but I would check the owners manual first. Rifled barrels do much better with Sabot Slugs and that is what I recommend if you have a rifled barrel (which I am pretty sure you do if it has a cantilever mount).

UPDATE: Apparently it is possible Remington did sell a cantilever smooth bore barrel, but it is discontinued. If that is what you have, you can also add a rifled choke to shot some sabots and possible stabilize the rifled slugs even more.

You can fire rifled slugs (Foster slugs) through a smoothbore shotgun barrel. If your shotgun has interchangeable choke tubes, place an improved cylinder choke tube in the muzzle. You can fire shotgun slugs through pretty much any choked barrel, but it is inadvisable to fire then repeatedly through shotguns choked full or extra full--as eventually the choke will be damaged. Every once in a while is okay though.

A standard shotgun barrel does not have a good sighting apparatus on it. The small bead at the muzzle will suffice for approximate accuracy to maybe 30 to 40 yards. If the receiver of the Remington 11-87 has been drilled and tapped for a shotgun scope mount, consider getting one for the shotgun.

Yes, with rifled slugs that would be perfect for your intended use.

No sabots though...sabots are for rifled barrels only.

Read Chuck Hawks article on rifled slugs for more information.