I shoot both, but spent a lot of time and ammo figuring out what to shot in each gun. My formula was to purchase all available sabot slugs(what a rifled barrel shoots) and shot each brand at a target. I ruled out any that did not group. Then I shoot the two or three that the guns handle the best in groups of five and then shoot the best slug for the gun during season.
I have had pretty good luck getting 3 to 4 inch groups at 100 yards.

I just got a new 870 for my boy for deer season and I have had the same thoughts because the barrel is totally rifled with a cant. scope mount.The shop I got it from said to shoot lightfields sight it in at 2 3/4 high at 50yds and it would be on all the way out to 150.So now i'm on lightfield.com trying to figure this all out before I take him to the range and wast all kinds of money on shells lightfields arent cheep.

bfarr; like I stated above mount your scope, bore sight, and you will be close then buy a box of all/or those sabots you want to try, go to the range shoot a group of three eliminate all that do not group, then zero in with the best performing shell. My smooth bore shoots a 3" group @ 100 yds. with Breneke lites non-sabot and my mossberg 835 rifled shoots a 2" group at 100yds. with Winchester plat.

Hey bschertz , What round worked best in the smoothbore?
Thanks,
Rock

Breneke light work the best for the gun I have

just got a 870 special purpose fully rifled got the hornady 12ga.with balistic tip $9.80 box and getting 2'' or less groups at 100yrds. useing nikon bdc slugmaster scope also.

Well, I have looked at both and when I was able to hunt deer, alot of the areas where I hunted was shotgun only. I found that the smooth barrel worked better for me for the distance i shooting. But if I was gonna be shooting at a distance of 90 yards and better I'd opt for the Rifled Barrell. That's my reasoning but I'm sure there are others that would like to argue the point.

hornady sst are great out of my rifled barrel

My 870 rifeled barrel likes lightfields best, I get one half inch groups at 50 yards and one inch at 100 yards, I spent alot of time and money figuring this out. It all depends on the gun.