Hate I ever saw this Forum :)

[3seasons]

Its making my buy to many guns. I decided to build an 870 for me and my little girl. Ive got an 870 12ga that I built years ago that I absolutly love, but have always wanted to build a 20 but didnt know if it would compare to my 12 pattern wise.

I've been reading a lot on here.
I've been talking to a few people on the forum that have had a ton of knowledge and have helped me out tremendously. I cant thank them enough.

I bought a youth 870 21", took it to the shop and polished the heck out of the barrel(mirror finish). Then I drilled and tapped my receiver and put my base and FF3 on top. (Sure wish there was a warbird guard for the FF3).  I also bought the SSX choke and a few boxes of the Federal HW#7's and the
Remington SF choke for a few TSS#9's that I was able to get. I've got a ATI stock ordered, cant wait for it to get here. Next is a trigger job!

Well it was time to hit the range, I shoot from my porch so its convenient to shoot whenever the weather is nice. I've got a measured 40yd target holder set up and I shoot from a sitting position like I would if I was hunting. I shot the SSX and the HW#7's first. Two shot average was 243 in the 10" circle. Before yall rip me I couldn't believe it either but two shots, it is what it is. I couldn't wait to try the TSS out.  I cleaned my barrel and loaded up the first TSS shell. Now with these "cheap" shells I didn't want to mess up any with them so I pulled out my bench and set up on it. Now by setting up my bench this cut me down to 38yds. First shot is out of the SSX choke. I saw the paper rock and when i walked up to it i was amazed. 379\10". So then i changed chokes and went to the Rem SF and sent another TSS load down range. I just laughed and shook my head, I said to myself, your gonna get bashed for this one. But here it is. (Add 3 to the total because i missed 3 in the upper left quadrant, to many holes i guess)

Not sure why or how but its producing some awesome patterns. May shoot it again one day but I'm going to have to load more shells before i kill paper with a $8-$12 shell.  Ill do them like I do my Nitro's, shoot lead to make sure everything is still sighted in and then send one downrange just to verify. Then its all heads after that. I've got 3 TSS's left and I plan on trying to finish out my single season slam with them.

Now Im going to buy another youth 870 for my little girl, i cant give this one up.

Thanks again for all the help Russ and Brian, yall dont know how happy I am with this little 20.

After I get my stock in and get her all painted up Ill post some pics of the project.

[01Foreman400]

That is just sick!


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[CntrlPA]

Those are crazy numbers! What procedure did you use for polishing your barrel? Thanks

[3seasons]

Those are crazy numbers! What procedure did you use for polishing your barrel? Thanks

I used the barrel polishing thread on the turkey gun forum.
I had done my 12ga years ago and it made a big difference.

I used a cordless drill and started out with the slow speed and full length barrel passes, 50+. I would change pads ever 20-30 passes and keep a heavy amount of the Kriol in the barrel. Also I would let the barrel cool between sessions. Then the next 50 passes I went to high speed and would intermitted short stroke about 10 passes then full length 10 back and forth. Then cool down. Then I did 50 more fast speed full length passes. I also varried the pass speed, some crept along some were fast.  I cleaned the barrel out with bore cleaner then changed to the bore brite and repeated the previous steps. After that i cleaned the barrel out again and inspected it to make sure all imperfections were gone. Then i took a scotch brite non scratch pad and put about 50 or so passes on the barrel with the bore brite. She's smooth as can be. 

Basically I polished my barrel until I could see no tool marks or lines in the barrel.

Hope this helps

[Sand Man]

Again, impressive.  Glad I could help as well as help you spend your money!   

BE WARNED!  Every and I mean EVERY buddy that sees this 20ga then sees what TSS will do will want you either build them a gun or help them build a gun and then reload TSS for them.  I'm now up to 5 friends, my dad, and myself I have to reload for.   

[3seasons]

Again, impressive.  Glad I could help as well as help you spend your money!   

BE WARNED!  Every and I mean EVERY buddy that sees this 20ga then sees what TSS will do will want you either build them a gun or help them build a gun and then reload TSS for them.  I'm now up to 5 friends, my dad, and myself I have to reload for.   

Thanks, Yeah its worth every penny.

Cant wait to shoot a bird with on of my buddies that laughed at me when i told him I was building a 20ga to hunt with.

[Hayudog]

I know the feeling.  Rack is getting full of 20 ga turkey guns.  Buying TSS vs gold- seems like not too much price difference.  Rate of return might even be better!

[gophert]

That's an awesome paper pattern, but not one I would want to enter the woods with.  There's just not much wiggle room when you add in a little nerves.  I would try to back that thing down to mid 300's at least and put the rest in that 20" circle.  If that's a 1 5/8 oz TSS load, 325 in the 10" and 250 in the 20" would be the better hunting pattern.  Right now, it's way overkill in the 10" and can present a problem if you get rattled.

None the less, it is very impressive on paper.

[3seasons]

That's an awesome paper pattern, but not one I would want to enter the woods with.  There's just not much wiggle room when you add in a little nerves.  I would try to back that thing down to mid 300's at least and put the rest in that 20" circle.  If that's a 1 5/8 oz TSS load, 325 in the 10" and 250 in the 20" would be the better hunting pattern.  Right now, it's way overkill in the 10" and can present a problem if you get rattled.

None the less, it is very impressive on paper.

I agree 10000%

It was the 1 5\8 TSS

Rattled? Rattled isn't the word for the way I get when I'm working a bird in, LOL  Its bad real bad. Once I was with my dad and we called in a jake\young two year old(6-7"beard) which was illegal and was to small to shoot anyway. I got to shaking so bad and having muscle spasms that I had to lay down behind the blind so he wouldn't spook. My dad laughed his butt off at me all while asking if I was ok. Over the years I haven't got much better. I killed my biggest bird to date the second week of season here in MS and I was dang near hyper-ventilating and shaking some kind of bad, I did have him at 90yds for 45min though so that didnt help. All the back spasms came after the shot.  I know it sounds crazy but if it ever quits I will prob quit hunting.



I prob need to shoot a modified choke, lol. 


I do a trigger job on all my guns to make the trigger as smooth and light as i can. Helps out a lot.



I'm thinking I will prob use the SSX choke because of the larger pattern. I am going to have to try to shoot one with the SF though.