[DrMaxit]

Hey guys, just as the topic said, I bought an 870HD with 18" and extended mag. I thought it had the same barrel as the Police model with the Imp Cyl. Well to say the least the groups arnt as tight as Id hoped, accually about 50% bigger than my Winchester 1300 defender with a cyl bore.

Anyways, whats my cheapest route to get tighter groups? Vang system seems kinda high for me, I want to either buy a Police barrel, or get a choke installed with some of those quick change chokes. Any opinions?

Also, I would like to add some irons or ghost rings on it as well.

Thanks,
Chuck

 

[mike100]

I did the choke route since I have moved on to a nicer 870. the express is a testbed/loaner now. I don't know what it is, but even the mossberg 20 inch cyl bbl groups better (spreads an inch or two less over 10 yards or so). chokes are fun, but it is one more part you need to think about (keep tightened).

also specialty tactical buck shot works best out of a cyl bbl- so no loss there.

As far as remington is concerned, the cyl bbl 870s are for close shots down your hallway or across a room indoors by a person who is a bad shot. shooting it over longer distances is just plain not fun, unless you like damaging range target frames with buckshot.

The choke works wonders, of course, but all it made me realize is that there is nothing wrong with a high quality 28 inch SG that shoots well.

 

[DrMaxit]

How much was it to get your choke installed? I have seen some tactical shotguns that had the choke stick out of the barrel maybe an inch or so that had a checkered type grip you could take on and off by hand (or so it looked) without using a tool. I wouldn't mind going that route. Do you know anything about that?

I just want versitility, I have my 1300 for my true home defence shotgun as it seems to shoot better to me, smoother, lighter and I have about 600rds of practice through it and maybe like a box through the 870, haha. The 870 I bought is more for fun/play toy.

Thanks,
Chuck

 

[mike100]

How much was it to get your choke installed? I have seen some tactical shotguns that had the choke stick out of the barrel maybe an inch or so that had a checkered type grip you could take on and off by hand (or so it looked) without using a tool. I wouldn't mind going that route. Do you know anything about that?...
Chuck

were you looking at the green 870 pics I put up a couple or three months back? that's mine.

I shot it about 6 weeks ago. that's when I discovered that tighter chokes actually disrupt specialty ammo slighlty and that cyl bore is best for them.

I used a site sponsor to do the choke-->http://www.americhoke.com/. It was $75 labor plus the cost of the choke. you could do a flush remchoke, which looks normal , but needs a tool to tighten it. the express barrels definitely have enough thickness to do a remchoke.

There is a moderator here that does it even cheaper, but I used Bob Day at R&D bbl service because he was geographically convienient and had some good advice to give me over the phone.

Of course being an 870 means that you can go ahead and start collecting barrels like trading cards. they are everywhere.

I shoot trap with my wingmaster police (30 inch full choke VR bbl) with a one shot extension that detactifies it a little.

 

[DrMaxit]

Yeah thats kind of why I went with an 870 this time, the barrels are everywhere and any 870 barrel will work on any 870, unlike the 1300 Defender, which will only take defender barrels, which limits you to like three.

So you would suggest that the chokes accually make some ammo group worse by sort of beating them together and disrupting their natural pattern? Could you give me some examples? Do you think a simple improved cyl would do the same, as I might just shop around for a police barrel instead of getting a choke job on my 18". Thanks

Chuck

 

[mike100]

the buckshot disruption was only for the very special stuff like federal tactical and Hornady TAP with the special shotcups that keep to together for a few yards past the muzzle. It negates the need for a choke and a constriction actually tweaks the shot cup on the way out.--bear in mind that I said it disrupts the pattern SLIGHTLY. those special shells still work thru a choke, but they are designed to make a CYL bbl work like a full choke (tighter actually)--sort of. police like it because they can keep track of stray pellets in longer outdoor shots and shoot a 2 or 3 inch groups at 8 yards in a situaton where people all all around and the bad guy is in with them.... anyways, that same ammo would work fine with an IC choke..which also seems to be the best for slugs as well.

I still have the MOD choke, and would use any of the above ammo in it. At the most it caused a 3 inch pattern to be a 4 inch one at 12 yards. Now for regular shot, of course the MOD would make a tighter pattern than CYL. The conclusion here is that with less exotic ammo shot thru a tighter choke, you can use some buffered shot with a regular shot cup and get good medium spread patterns that won't spray out like a pilgrims musket.

The good thing about chokes is that you can change your mind and/or the ammo to many different setups without taking the barrel off.

my extra barrels are a blued 2-3/4 30 inch fixed full vent rib for trap shooting and maybe someday turkey killing, and a 26 inch blued no-rib bead site IMP CYL birdie barrel for doves. The latter is a killer slug barrel for whatever reason. That one also has no choke(fixed choke). That said, my autoloader puts out some good patterns with it's IM choke(all shot sizes).

the easiest to find are matte finish express barrels. you do pay a premium for bbl's with remchokes and or blueing. Typically the blued chokes are for 2-3/4's only (which is what my wingmaster police is).

 

[Ironballs]

did the full vangcomp on my 870 and really think it is worth the change...

last month shooting clays with two 870's side by side, identical in every way, both new 18" express's, except one has the vang and the other doesnt...

the % of hits were way higher on the VC 870 than on the standard, no matter who was shooting...
and the ability to hit the clays way out further was really increased with the vc. A real keeper imo. (plus both have the specops as well, real pussycats to shoot all day)..