870 Super Mag Help

[stanze464]

Hi All,

New to the forum and wanted to pick everyone's brain.  I currently own a Remington 870 Express.  It was actually my dad's gun that he passed down to me.  I love it, but it only shoots up to 3" shells. I want a turkey/goose gun that can handle 3.5's.  I'm pretty sure I've settled on a 870 Super Mag.  I don't really want to drop $1,200+ on a SBE and between the nova and 870, I think I'm just going to go with what I'm comfortable with. 

I plan to doing the following modifications to it:
- Replace stock with the Remington ShurShot
- Add a sling
- Pick up a new choke tube (leaning towards Carlson .660)
- Add a fiber optic sight (looking at the Williams Fire Sight Set- front and back)

I have a couple questions though:
- What barrell length would you recommend?  26" or 28"? 
- With the new front and rear sight on it, could you still use it for ducks/geese?  Or would I want to take it off in those situations and just use the stock bead? 

Thanks in advance for any insights. 

[allaboutshooting]

First of all, welcome to OG, we're glad you're here and look forward to hearing more from you.

I'd recommend the 26" barrel for mixed hunting. It's just about the perfect length. If you were using it for waterfowl exclusively, I'd get the 28" however.

I actually favor 3" guns since with the loads we have today, they are really all that you need for waterfowl, upland game or turkeys.

I'd recommend the TRUGLO Pro-Series sights. They are easy to install and remove and once they are sighted in you can take them off and not have to re-zero as long as you put them back in the same location. All metal and fully adjustable for windage and elevation with fiber optic inserts. You can hunt waterfowl or upland game with them on.

Good luck with whatever you choose. Please let us know how it goes.

Thanks,
Clark

[stanze464]

Thanks Clark.  Yeah I do like that TruGlo sight a little better.  Does it attach to the rail from the side with screws?  That would definitely be easier to take on/off. 

I'm really just looking for an excuse to buy a new gun and decided adding a 3.5 to the arsenal was the best reason I could come up with.  My 870 Express is definitely going to stay my upland game gun.  Thinking I could use the magnum for turkey and waterfowl.   

I guess one other question I have is has anyone used the ShurShot stock for goose/ducks?  Is it comfortable to swing with and not just hold steady to shoot turkeys with? 

[surehuntsalot]

 

[SumToy]

me I like the longer barrels because I like to wing shoot but if you want a do all the 26 is a good one.  Now the Williams Universal Slugger is a good sight to put on the gun.. We run them on some of the guns we target shoot with. 

[jordanz7935]

While i love 870's, i think the super magnum is about the least desireable 870 of them all. Recoil on that gun with a 3.5 can be brutal. A friend of mine who is a big guy got one last year and couldnt get rid of it fast enough. It would make a good turkey gun though because your only gonna shoot a few times a year. I just got into waterfowling this year and i shot better and bagged more birds once i made the switch to 3 inch mags from 3.5s. And i shoot a gas operated, semi auto, back bored Mossy 935. Faster recovery time after shooting and no flinch/anticipation of recoil like i had with the 3.5s. Pass shooting geese is the only time id reccomend 3.5s for waterfowling. I did shoot another buddys supermag turkey with a shurshot stock shooting 3.5s and that stock definately tames recoil compared to the regular stocked one i shot. Not sure about the shurshot for waterfowling but my guess would be that it wouldnt be ideal for wingshooting. If your deadset on on 3.5 gun for around $500 id reccomend a mossberg 835 or even better the 935. They will kick less and pattern better than your average 870 any day of the week.Also, the overall quality of the 870s that remington is now producing is nowhere near what they once were.Good luck and let us know what you decide to get.

[West Augusta]

My Super Mag isn't that bad to shoot.  I put a Remington laminated stock on it, LimbSaver pad, 24" barrel, .665 Jellyhead choke and a very cheap BSA red dot scope.  It will throw 200's in 10" at 40 yards with 3 1/2" Hevi13 MagBlends.   I'm also not all that big.
About 180 lbs or so.

[340_Dart]

Just my personal preference, but if I were to buy another 870 right now this would be it in 26" barrel. I just love the camo pattern. Personally, having owned a shurshot stock, I wouldn't bother with another one. It just seemed to really "bulk up" the gun, and the pistol grip just felt too large in my hand.

[Gooserbat]

If you can get a SP instead of an Express.  Both are great quality guns but Remington dose cut corners on the express and one of those is the barrel finish.  A SP will have a much better bore.