Couple of questions

[art338wm]

Question #1-What about the best performing choke tube for a 12ga 3.5" 870 shooting eithor Winchester LB, or Supremes?

#2-What is the better all around shot size for long and short range, #4 or #5? I've read #5 shot size will give you over 80 more pellets (I think per OZ) VS #4 in the same size shell.

[Gooserbat]

Here comes opinions, but I'll say with what I've shoot I would opt for a Sumtoy in about .660 and I shoot #6 Win lead for years and the only one complaining was the turkey.

[allaboutshooting]

Question #1-What about the best performing choke tube for a 12ga 3.5" 870 shooting eithor Winchester LB, or Supremes?

#2-What is the better all around shot size for long and short range, #4 or #5? I've read #5 shot size will give you over 80 more pellets (I think per OZ) VS #4 in the same size shell.

Yes, everyone has an opinion on what works best and that's usually based upon what has worked best for them.

Most if not all of my guns pattern #6 shot better than #4s or #5s. I get a good swarm of shot that delivers plenty of energy to cleanly kill any turkey at 40 yards with the #6 shot.

There are a variety of chokes that work well with that gun. I try to shoot them all, in all their exit diameters and through a variety of barrel lengths.

You'll have lots of recommendations, I could give you several but I'd recommend that before you spend any money on any choke tube, you "deep clean" the bore of your gun and see what happens with the choke that you presently have. You may not need anything else.

Thanks,
Clark

[art338wm]

As I have not done a full bore re-patterning of my primary turkey slayer in quite a few years, I felt now that I have finally exhausted all the turkey loads I used to do it in the first place, it was time I do it again. All I did after I pattern it and sighted in, was prior to season fire a few rounds to confirm no change on POI.

I bought quite a few boxes of the Winchester heavier than lead Xtended range loads about 7-8 years ago when I caught them on seasons end sale of IIRC $22-$23.99 a box of 10, I bought six boxes. Now there all gone I simply can not bring myself to spend $34 for 10 shells when plane Jane Winchester turkey loads and the new Long Beards are can be found at a 1/3 less $$$ and work 90% as well. I have no plans on changing chokes unless my patterns go to h3ll.

[BandedSpur]

Most Rems do well with a JH .660 or an IC .665. I'm sure William at Sumtoy can build you one that will do just as well.

Prior to the introduction of LBs, I would never recommend 4s, huge excess of pellet energy at the expense of pattern density. However, the LBs have enabled 4s to shoot suitably dense patterns, though those patterns are usually pretty tight which doesn't allow much wiggle room. Inside 40 yds, it really doesn't matter. But to answer your question, 5s are better than 4s. They maintain plenty of pellet energy to the range that you can still get 100 of them in a 10" circle.

[d.winsor]

I have 2 - 870's one spst and one SM, also I have 2 - Winchester's one SX3 and one 1300 both NWTF.  on 870's and SX3 I use Briley straight rifled chokes in .665 in the 1300 I use .665 Truglo, the original was a .665 but did not pattern well, don't know the brand of choke.  I use #5 shot in 3 and 3 1/2" shells.  Also I have used #5 shot all my life for hunting small game, from rabbits to pheasants.  Out of my guns 5's have more than enough of a pattern to hunt anything I would like to, have had great success with them. The .665 choke shoots longbeards as tight as you would want, use a more open choke for a more open pattern, you may find it more huntable.  The supreme HV shoots great huntiable patterns, I don't know about the Double X shells as yet.

[art338wm]

Thanks for the replies so far. Tried to pattern my gun and ran into problems. I knew I was in violation of the range rules at my favorite public range, when a employee of the DNR as nice as could be informed me what we both knew concerning targets must be affixed to the back stop. So I was only able to do a limited amount if shooting.

Shot the new Winchester Long Beards. I wish I knew then when I bought them some months ago what I know now and I would have bought them in #5 shot instead of #4. I shot three life size photographic reproduction turkey targets complete with all vital organs and bones located with in a turkeys head and neck.

Shot 12 gauge 3.5" shells with a 2oz load of #4 shot. Choke is a .665" Remington Super full turkey choke. I counted and averaged the number of lethal hits as well as the number of hits with in a 10" circle. Came up with a 3 shot average of 51 hits in the head/neck area and 115 hits with in a 10" circle. That makes for around 45% of the pellets in a 10" circle at 50 yards.

Have bought a box of LB's in #5 shot and are extremely interested to see how they perform VS #4 shot.
Will be much better preped for shooting at all ranges required as I'm installing a LS recoil pad, and are going to where my PAST recoil absorber that way I will be able to shoot from a chair off my shooting sticks at 15, 30, 40, 50 and so on. have gone to a scope also as bifocals are now my newest PITA to deal with.

Will clean my barrel and try out with present .665" Remington choke before I invest any $$$ in a new choke tube.

Thanks for the education to all,
Arthur.

[d.winsor]

you will love the #5's, the .665 choke you have should do great.