I've got an 870 Super Mag 12 ga I bought years ago. I want to set it up right for next Spring. If you were setting one up from scratch what...
1. Ammo would you prefer?
2. Choke for that ammo?
3. Sights (not a scope)?
Thank you.
:morning:
Wow! Did you open up a discussion!
Ammo: I love Winchester's Long Beard.
Even tho that gun will shoot 3.5" rounds, my SM and my shoulder prefers the 3" round in 6's.
Choke: I have quite a few and have found that a .665(ish) pattern very well out of the SM.
Sights: I favor a red dot or a scope over rifle style sights because my gun shoots tight at all distances.
Whatever you do end up with, please remember it's the hunt that matters and be safe and have fun!
1. How much you looking to spend? I use TSS, 3.5" 2.5oz #9s. I roll my own but you can buy it from Apex Ammunition, roughly $12 a shell for the 2.5oz loads less if you load it yourself. https://apex-ammunition.myshopify.com/collections/all Second choice would be HeviShot, roughly $6 a shell. Hevi13 #7s the 3.5" 2.25oz shells is what I use to use with great results. Third Winchester Long Beards, not really sure $3 a shell maybe. As long as they don't fail and shoot a slug pattern, they are by far the best lead shells out there. Many prefer them over the HeviShot shells.
2. Indian Creek for all of the above. I would get a .665 for anything but the TSS 2.5oz shells. I use a .675 for that. The .675 opens up the core and still threw a 500 in the 10" circle and another 300 in the 20" circle pattern.
3. I have never used sights. I use a Burris Fast Fire III.
First thing I did to my 870 though was a Timney Trigger to get all the creep out of that thing. I have a 870 Max Gobbler so it came with a pistol grip or that would have been something else I added on.
Well this will get crazy.
Big thing is what you look to do.
Shells. Cheap is Long Beard. Mid line is HV13. Then the New Company is Apex. (I have not shot it so can say but have seen some test patterns)
Choke. SumToy, IC, and Trulock all in what shell you pick. Few combos that work well.
Sight you have the Burris and Vortex. (both are very good)
It's interesting how it ends up with guns sometimes. I have shot allot of chokes and shells with my 870sm. Expensive chokes and expensive shells. Ended up with a $12.00 choke in my gun shooting:
270's in a 10 @ 40. Hevi 13 3/2/7's
160's in a 10 @ 40. Win XX 3/2/6's.
Ventilator .655
Is tss worth the extra cost?
Quote from: Grey Owl on June 02, 2017, 07:06:13 AM
Is tss worth the extra cost?
To me yes. I normally only have two tags a year so I want to be shooting the best.
That's a good point .
If you can find a 655 ventilator, go for it.
Supermag with 26 in barrel shoots 174 in the ten with longbeard 6s, 3 in, 1 3/4. I don't like the lack of coverage in the 20 so I shoot 3 1/2 win supreme #6 2 1/4. 120 in the ten and perfect coverage in the 20. Loose enough at 15 steps to whack him as well.
Hevi 7 can go over 200 with this setup as well, just don't like thevcost.
Also, my gun shoots true with just the bead so I'm too tight to buy any sights
Quote from: donjuan on June 03, 2017, 08:11:35 AM
Also, my gun shoots true with just the bead so I'm too tight to buy any sights
That's part of what I like with the 870sm/Ventilator .655. Shoots double beads. Traveling I don't have to worry about anything going wrong with sights or optics. For the same reason I shoot Kicks chokes out of two 870 wingmasters with lead. POA/POI stays on. I have a Hevi 13 .662 and Indian Creek .665 to shoot Hevi 13 7's out of those wingmasters.
*if you run into trouble with POA/POI shooting HTL the tru-glo all metal adjustable sights are good. Have had them on several guns.
I shoot a super mag with factor rem turkey choke and winchester long beard in number 5 .great success with this combo.i hear some guys are having better patterns with a little more open choke with long beards .any body know anything about this
Quote from: dutch@fx4 on June 03, 2017, 07:28:50 PM
I shoot a super mag with factor rem turkey choke and winchester long beard in number 5 .great success with this combo.i hear some guys are having better patterns with a little more open choke with long beards .any body know anything about this
Shot the Remington extra full choke and it opened them up a bit to 140's-150's with the 3" 5's. 160's-170's with 3" 6's. Good hunting patterns. More gaps than I like for sure. That would be .687 as compared to the super full which is .665.
I really like hevi shot magblends. They shoot great out of the jellyhead 660. I am also a Burris fastfire fan.
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
Have any of you used the Rem Choke Turkey Super full?
Ok gonna give you some things to think about n by no means detracting from others. Anything besides iron sights could be a prob for starters. I tried ff3 red dot. It's too fragile n flimsy for me. Anything w a battery could go bad but maybe you want optics. I'd say maybe try a scope.
The type shot depends on what you're looking to do. Shooting real far is prob not the best option. A true mid range load would be best to start. I've been at this since the early 80s n never shot anything but lead. Never once in an awful lot of birds wished I had dif shot. Dead is dead.
Chokes, I've used mostly factory turkey loads w some "customs" or aftermarket.
Mark Basner, if anybody remembers him used to do my shotgun work n make turkey chokes for me. Had some nuline and Indian creeks. My daughter uses a jelly head.
Point is you gotta find a choke n load that works for you.
We all have dif things we're tying to accomplish but I think we may push the issue too much in some areas. Just my 2 cents
Quote from: Grey Owl on June 06, 2017, 10:08:30 AM
Have any of you used the Rem Choke Turkey Super full?
Yes. There was a RSF flush choke that came with some NWTF guns that did an excellent job. I think I still have one around somewhere. The patterns were dense and without large gaps, which is always what I want. If you have one, or can find one, you might want to give it a try.
Quote1. Ammo would you prefer?
2. Choke for that ammo?
3. Sights (not a scope)?
1. As you know and have seen from the responses, folks successfully shoot lots of different kinds of ammo. The "secret" of course is finding what works in your gun and staying with it. That may mean that you only take shots at distances that don't exceed "X" yards and that's just fine. The best 12 gauge shells that I see today are the Hevi-13s and the WLBs. I would recommend 3" shells in both, #6s, #7s or Magnum Blend in the H.S. shells and #5 or #6 with the WLB shells. They all work well.
2.Several good/excellent chokes. With the H.S. or the WLB shells the JEB'S is great and a one-time investment. The Hevi-Shot choke is also an excellent one, the ported model with steps in it. If you're shooting H-13 the SSX is also quite good. There are others but those are my first choices.
3.If your guns shoots to point of aim, I would not bother with sights. If not, I'd go with the Pro-Series open sights from Truglo. They work well, fully adjustable and stay on your barrel until you remove them. Keeping it simple has some real advantages.
Lastly, I would "deep clean" the bore of that gun to get started in the right way. https://allaboutshooting.com/blogs/blog/98772615-deep-cleaning-a-shotgun-barrel
Thanks,
Clark
I really appreciate the time invested in these replies.
Quote from: Grey Owl on June 06, 2017, 04:22:43 PM
I really appreciate the time invested in these replies.
Great gun and you won't have any trouble coming up with a combination that will make it a lifetime turkey gun.
Recently took my Rem 870SM and put the Remington Extra Full .687 in the gun. Shooting Winchester 3.5 6's Longbeards it will turn an awesome hunting pattern. It shoots fantastic with Win XX 3/2/6's and the Ventilator .655,,just needed to find a way to use some of the shells I had in stock. Hevi 13 3.5 6's is a turkey killing pattern to 40yds as well.
26in. barrel, indian creek choke tube I believe 660'ish. 3in. longbeard xr's #5 shot. And champion easy hit fiber sights. And sure shot stock
Chokes and shells are to be determined by patterning.
First thing I'd do is replace the stamped extractor the Express comes with and install a Timney trigger sear/spring. The spring is optional the extractor should be mandatory.
My nephew has a Super mag and gets really good patterns with Winchester 3" #5s, the old black box Supreme loads and Remington Turkey extra full choke. TSS is about like blinds or decoys some will never kill a Turkey without them, some have never touched them.
Quote from: LaLongbeard on April 07, 2020, 04:06:05 AM
Chokes and shells are to be determined by patterning.
First thing I'd do is replace the stamped extractor the Express comes with and install a Timney trigger sear/spring. The spring is optional the extractor should be mandatory.
My nephew has a Super mag and gets really good patterns with Winchester 3" #5s, the old black box Supreme loads and Remington Turkey extra full choke. TSS is about like blinds or decoys some will never kill a Turkey without them, some have never touched them.
Yup, have th e Ventilator .655, Super Full .665, and Extra Full .687. With the stock pile of Winchester 3" lead loads XX, Super-X, HV and LB 5's and 6's I'm bound to hit a combo that will kill turkeys. Have found that with the Ventilator .655 and XX 3" 6's. 160's in a 10 @ 40. Bound to be another combo.
Have 3.5" LB's, Hevi 13 6's, and Federal TSS 9's as well.
My shoulder is not looking forward to it but my check book is.
My guess is Hevi 13 3.5 6's or XX 3/2/5's / Remington Super full .665
Quote from: Gobble! on June 02, 2017, 09:13:45 AM
Quote from: Grey Owl on June 02, 2017, 07:06:13 AM
Is tss worth the extra cost?
To me yes. I normally only have two tags a year so I want to be shooting the best.
Said it in 2017 and will stick with it. TSS and any brand choke you want to screw in including the Remington Improved Cylinder, Full, and Super Full depending on what kind of pattern you want. Do like the Timney trigger in my 870.
Tru0glo head banger and federal 3 1/2 in. grand slam #4.
Quote from: Gobble! on April 07, 2020, 05:00:08 PM
Quote from: Gobble! on June 02, 2017, 09:13:45 AM
Quote from: Grey Owl on June 02, 2017, 07:06:13 AM
Is tss worth the extra cost?
To me yes. I normally only have two tags a year so I want to be shooting the best.
Said it in 2017 and will stick with it. TSS and any brand choke you want to screw in including the Remington Improved Cylinder, Full, and Super Full depending on what kind of pattern you want. Do like the Timney trigger in my 870.
What's up Gobble. This will be my first experience with TSS. Probably gonna shoot well out of my Beretta Extrema 2 and Hevi 13 choke. That gun will turn 330's in a 10 @ 40 with a Hevi 13 3.5 7's. With the 3.5 7's not quite turning the numbers they used to might as well try the TSS. Got a box of TSS for free which was nice.
Quote from: Gobble! on June 01, 2017, 10:09:20 AM
1. How much you looking to spend? I use TSS, 3.5" 2.5oz #9s. I roll my own but you can buy it from Apex Ammunition, roughly $12 a shell for the 2.5oz loads less if you load it yourself. https://apex-ammunition.myshopify.com/collections/all Second choice would be HeviShot, roughly $6 a shell. Hevi13 #7s the 3.5" 2.25oz shells is what I use to use with great results. Third Winchester Long Beards, not really sure $3 a shell maybe. As long as they don't fail and shoot a slug pattern, they are by far the best lead shells out there. Many prefer them over the HeviShot shells.
2. Indian Creek for all of the above. I would get a .665 for anything but the TSS 2.5oz shells. I use a .675 for that. The .675 opens up the core and still threw a 500 in the 10" circle and another 300 in the 20" circle pattern.
3. I have never used sights. I use a Burris Fast Fire III.
First thing I did to my 870 though was a Timney Trigger to get all the creep out of that thing. I have a 870 Max Gobbler so it came with a pistol grip or that would have been something else I added on.
^^^ currently shooting this exact combination and it is wicked on turkeys
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Quote from: Longshanks on April 07, 2020, 05:40:45 PM
Quote from: Gobble! on April 07, 2020, 05:00:08 PM
Quote from: Gobble! on June 02, 2017, 09:13:45 AM
Quote from: Grey Owl on June 02, 2017, 07:06:13 AM
Is tss worth the extra cost?
To me yes. I normally only have two tags a year so I want to be shooting the best.
Said it in 2017 and will stick with it. TSS and any brand choke you want to screw in including the Remington Improved Cylinder, Full, and Super Full depending on what kind of pattern you want. Do like the Timney trigger in my 870.
What's up Gobble. This will be my first experience with TSS. Probably gonna shoot well out of my Beretta Extrema 2 and Hevi 13 choke. That gun will turn 330's in a 10 @ 40 with a Hevi 13 3.5 7's. With the 3.5 7's not quite turning the numbers they used to might as well try the TSS. Got a box of TSS for free which was nice.
I've not missed the Hevi #7s once since making the switch. Good luck.