870 Choke Tube Recommendations

[PoorMansWrangler]

Hi guys,
Currently have a 870 12 gauge, with a 30 inch barrel. I shoot Longbeard XR's, in number 5's, 3 inch. I have been using the Primos Tightwad Choke tube (.660 I believe) for the past couple of years, and I would like to switch to something better. It is the only choke tube I have tried, mainly due to price. Any recommendations on what I can try to get a tighter pattern and more pellets downrange? I've only killed 3 turkeys with it, ranging from 10-35 yards, but want something a little more clean. Hate to see them flop as much as the last two have. I know ever gun patterns differently, but my local big box store has the longbeard xr choke tube, as well as some others. Not opposed to ordering online either.

[b wilt]

Lol, I tried several and ended up with The TightWad, I use a Remington Super Full also.


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[Greg Massey]

Hi guys,
Currently have a 870 12 gauge, with a 30 inch barrel. I shoot Longbeard XR's, in number 5's, 3 inch. I have been using the Primos Tightwad Choke tube (.660 I believe) for the past couple of years, and I would like to switch to something better. It is the only choke tube I have tried, mainly due to price. Any recommendations on what I can try to get a tighter pattern and more pellets downrange? I've only killed 3 turkeys with it, ranging from 10-35 yards, but want something a little more clean. Hate to see them flop as much as the last two have. I know ever gun patterns differently, but my local big box store has the longbeard xr choke tube, as well as some others. Not opposed to ordering online either.

Check with William on the forum or call him at Sumtoy Customs and he can fix you up with the choke you need for your gun...

[Tom007]

Hi guys,
Currently have a 870 12 gauge, with a 30 inch barrel. I shoot Longbeard XR's, in number 5's, 3 inch. I have been using the Primos Tightwad Choke tube (.660 I believe) for the past couple of years, and I would like to switch to something better. It is the only choke tube I have tried, mainly due to price. Any recommendations on what I can try to get a tighter pattern and more pellets downrange? I've only killed 3 turkeys with it, ranging from 10-35 yards, but want something a little more clean. Hate to see them flop as much as the last two have. I know ever gun patterns differently, but my local big box store has the longbeard xr choke tube, as well as some others. Not opposed to ordering online either.

Check with William on the forum or call him at Sumtoy Customs and he can fix you up with the choke you need for your gun...

X2, great advice here

[Gooserbat]

My honest opinion is if you're not having clean kills and you don't shoot over 35 I'd get some adjustable sights and make sure that the poa and poi are the same. 

[hoythunter]

I also shoot a 870 with the exact same longbeard loads as you. I also have the longbeard xr choke. That combo puts up excellent patterns for lead. As previously stated adjustable sights make a big difference. I use William's firesights and absolutely love them.

[Wvdanimal]

If you don't wanna see them flop switch toTSS and Indian Creek choke.  Just my experience, not knocking.

[Oljamo]

Loved my supermagnum with the longbeard #5 2oz loads n the jebs .650

[captpete]

  First of all

Like said above check your POA & POI. Longbeards with a .660 choke is going to throw a very tight pattern especially at 15-20 yards(easy to miss at that range)...you might be only hitting them with the edge of the pattern. With that said I have shot a couple birds at 20 yards and pretty much taken their heads off. They flopped as much if not more as birds taken at 30+yrds. I think it depends on the bird. Kind of like bowhunting deer. Some will run 100 yards on a double lung shot and others will run 40yards and pile up. 
Personally, I think TSS in a 12ga. is a waste. A bird isn't going to be any more dead with 300+ TSS pellets in a 10" circle at 40yards than they are with 130 lead pellets in a 10 at 40. Where it shines is in the sub-gauges.

[Kylongspur88]

Rem super full in .665?? Is the most consistent in my 870 super mag. But what's good in mine might not be good in yours. Also tighter isn't necessarily better. At my personal turkey killing ranges I'll take even over super tight any day.

On the longboards. I was shooting those until I got a bad batch. Very inconsistent patterns from that box. Went back to what hevi 6 I have stockpiled.

With respect to birds flopping... Some flopping doesn't necessarily mean it wasn't a clean kill. I dang near decapitated one and he had a few kicks and wing flaps in him. Just like chickens their nervus system can still be active even after you've taken out the brain. In fact lots of different animals can move after they're dead due nerves and muscle spasms...people included

[PoorMansWrangler]

Thanks for all the advice! Heading to go look at adjustable sights now! I would love to switch to tss eventually, but I have 3 boxes of long beards, and around here TSS is super expensive (justifiable because it stones them). Going to give sumtoy a ring today as well

[OJR]

I started with my 870 many years ago with 3" Winchester Super X #5's and a Remington extra full .665 choke. Changed shells to Double X (black box) a few years later. Killed quite a few with that set up. I got on the Longbeard bandwagon when the Double X shells became hard to find a few years ago and switched to a Carlson LB XR choke in .660. Was a great combo. Would rip a head off at 40 yards. Then.....TSS came into my life. Still shooting the same old 870 but now with a Carlson TSS choke in .640. OMG! I know dead is dead, but what a lethal combo it is. I still like 'em inside 40 yards, but I ain"t skeered of 60.

[PoorMansWrangler]

Got my choke tube from Sumtoy ordered Monday, also installed a set of upgraded fiber optic lights. Crazy how much brighter they are compared to the white bead on a stock 870. Looking forward to patterning it when it warms up.

[hoythunter]

If you don't already know get your new sights dialed in using field loads to save on money and your shoulder. Thean shoot turkey loads to confirm poa poi. Good luck.

[OJR]

If you don't already know get your new sights dialed in using field loads to save on money and your shoulder. Thean shoot turkey loads to confirm poa poi. Good luck.

Absolutely! Get you some dove loads, 7 or 8 shot, step off ten steps and shoot at a marked place on some cardboard. You'll have a hole about the size of a fifty cent piece. It will tell you where your POI is. Adjust your sight, red dot, scope, etc. until you hit the mark. Then you can start moving back and using your turkey load to fine tune.