870 Shortie+Kicks .660+Win HV #5's

[Tom Foolery]

I took my short barreled 870 to the pattern board today with some lead.  The barrel has been highly polished and the forcing cone as well is glass smooth.  

Not great conditions 65 degress but I was having to sit between wind gusts, it was steady at around 5-10mph and gusting to 20.  This is a 20" barreled 870 with a Kicks .660 shooting Win HV 3" #5's @ 42yds.  102 - 10" and 169 in 16".  I got my 16" circle off but if it would have been correct I would have hit 170 in the 16", so it's fine.  Not bad for a little lead slinger.  I shot my new Ventilator .655 with the Hv #5's and it was aweful and the Hevi 3-2-6, it was 142 - 10" @ 42yds, nothing to write home about.  Going to try some lead 6's from it.

[3" 870 Shell Shucker]

I shot my new Ventilator .655 with the Hv #5's and it was aweful and the Hevi 3-2-6, it was 142 - 10" @ 42yds, nothing to write home about.  Going to try some lead 6's from it.

I have a .655 Ventilator choke, and a 28" 870, and my findings were similar to yours.  I got 155 in 10" at 40 yards with Hevi13 3"-2oz-#6.  Hevi13 3"-2oz-#7 didn't do any better.  Win Sup HV Lead #5's didn't do well.  However, with 1.25 ounce high brass pheasant loads of #7.5 or #6 Lead, it shoots tighter at 30 yards than any other choke I've tried.

With large payload Lead shells, I like Indian Creek chokes.  With Hevi13 shells, Star Dot chokes work well.   

[R AJ]

Your ventilator should shine with the Win 3-1 3/4-#6 and the old white 3-1 3/4-#6 load.

[Tom Foolery]

I'm going to pick up some 1.75oz #6's for the Ventilator, the old whites are scarce around these parts.

[3" 870 Shell Shucker]

Nice 42 Yard Lead Pattern with #5's.  Try some 2 Ounce Lead #6's in the Ventilator.

[Longshanks]

Great pattern with the HV  13/4 5's.  Your gun is basically identical to mine.  Rem 870, Kicks .655, 21in barrel, polished, forcing cone, etc. Ive shot 3in 5's out of this 12 guage with every choke i can find to screw in it and every gun/ choke combination for the last 30yrs and have never seen 100+ in a 10in circle at 40yds. You hit gold with that combination. 100+ with 3in Pb 6's has not been the easiet thing to do in my set up. Nice work!

[Tom Foolery]

Mine is a shade better with 6's by around 10-15 pellets I think.  I like shooting 5's in lead for some reason. 


Like an idiot I got rid of a choke that would throw 90-100 #4's with the 3" 1.75oz Winchesters.  It was in a gun I traded and when I realized what I had done it was gone when I went to get the choke.   

[Longshanks]

Thats a killer for sure with the #4's.  I think back to some of the guns/ chokes i got rid of and kick my self some times too.  Thats a killer you have there with the #5's.  Buddy of mine in Missouri had a 870 that will shoot 5's like that.  He is a professional hunter and gets guns given to him all the time but you cant talk him out of the #5 blaster.

[Tom Foolery]

That choke with the #4's started it's life as a Hastings .665" but I let a machinist/card shooter here in town get ahold of it and work it over.  When I got it back it was a .687" with 5 wad catching rings machined in it.  I have seriously thought about trying to have another one made just to see if it was a fluke.

[Longshanks]

Let me know if you do that and it works. I have a Hastings .665 that I shoot Fed HW 7's out of. It will turn 200+ @ 40 but I would be willing to tweak it to turn some good lead patterns.

[trkehunr93]

That will kill a turkey!