Need to pick a choke

[alloutdoors]

I'm setting up my 870 as a backup gun and have a 21" barrel on the way. I'm planning to run 3" Longbeard 5's through it. Anyone have choke suggestions? I'm not interested in chasing numbers, just want a nice even 40 yard hunting pattern and considering it's a backup gun if I can do it with one of the cheaper tubes then all the better. I do have a Ventilator and a couple factory super full chokes I can try, need to check but I may have both the Hevi and lead only versions.

[Rem Man]

    I shoot the same gun and shell. The 2 best chokes that i found were a Jellyhead .660 and a Indian Creek .665 They shoot awesome!! at 42 yards i get around 160-172 with a very even pattern. I just saw on here where a member was getting goods results with a .665 jellyhead. GOOD LUCK!!!

[alloutdoors]

That would certainly do. Seems like the Longbeards are going to outshoot any other lead I ever put through this gun no matter what choke I use. The funny thing is my 870 is going to be more tricked out as a backup than it was during the 20 years it spent as my primary gun.

[TJK68]

I have a 870 express I bought as a backup and an all around shotgun. It has a 26" barrel that shoots great with the Hevi-Shot .662 choke tube and the Jellyhead .660. I have patterned it with Longbeard 3" 5's and 6"s with nice even numbers in the 160's to 180's.

[BandedSpur]

I bet both those chokes will get you what you want. I have heard that Winch used an IC .665 when developing those loads. The Rem SF Lead is .665 and should do well. But a member on here is getting killer patterns from a Sumtoy .650 so the Ventilator at .655 may be right in there as well.

My backup gun is a 3" 1187 with a FF II on board. Currently shooting TSS 9x8s out of it, but I would not hesitate to set it up for the LBs. I've got a JH .660 and an IC .665. I need to find a box and give them a run.

Good luck.

[Gobble!]

I will always be a fan of Indian Creek chokes in 870s becuase thats the experience I have first hand but you cant go wrong with a JellyHead, Rhino, Hevi Shot, SumToy, or PureGold choke.

[SKFOOTER]

I shoot the 3" LB #5's in my Rem. 1187 w/21" barrel thru a Kicks .660 and it puts 150+ in the 10 inch circle @ 40 yards every time.   

[d.winsor]

I have 3 870's & SX3 I shoot Briley straight rifled choke .665 in all of them with #5 Shot, supreme HV and Longbeard.  Longbeard shot so tight at 40 yards I will not use them to hunt.  With longbeards if you like a more open pattern buy you a choke that is more open.

[alloutdoors]

Thanks for all the suggestions, if I go with a $50+ choke I'll probably just get a SumToy because I like dealing with William and know I'll get a shooter. I think I'll start with just trying the Ventilator and Rem Super Full chokes and see what I can get with those, if I can get into the 130's I'll probably just call it a day. Has anyone run the Longbeards through one of the cheaper chokes like the Undertakers, Primos Tight-wad, or TruGlo Gobble Stopper? I'm curious if those would out perform the Ventilator and Rem choke. Otherwise if I'm not happy with what I have I'll just jump to the SumToy.

[d.winsor]

alloutdoors, the remington super full choke is a .665 choke, it is a good choke for 870's

[alloutdoors]

Thanks, I know it's .665, just wasn't sure if the Longbeards have been particular about choke internals or if they are working in pretty much anything in the right constriction range.

[Longshanks]

Kicks .655/ .660 ..It don't matta..lights out. They do tend to shoot high so you may need some sights.

[d.winsor]

Thanks, I know it's .665, just wasn't sure if the Longbeards have been particular about choke internals or if they are working in pretty much anything in the right constriction range.

I would say for #5's anything .660 and lower would be too tight, I have read some people say it does ok though.  I have read a lot of people say .665 does well,  Personally with a longbeard #5 I would shoot a more open choke than a .665, just my opinion.   If I would shoot #6's personally I would probably go with a .655 - .660 maybe even a .665 in a longbeard as tight as they shoot.   This information is based on 870 and SX3 I think it would hold true for 1100 and 1187 but don't know.

I shoot Winchester supreme HV #5, in an SX3 NWTF with .665 Briley straight rifle and ported choke, the winchester supreme HV #5 will shoot higher than the longbeards, in a 3 1/2 " shell.  In my opinion anyone shooting supreme HV and Longbeards should at least have a set of sights, I prefer fastfire III or some sort of scope, you could miss easy especially up close.

[Henshaw]

You might even try just a straight full choke. Don't bother with the tighter constrictions. Try the 870 full choke first before you spend anything else. My dads O/U shoots the 3" 5's LB's and at 40yds its a perfect pattern. It may not be the numbers that some of the folks on here are getting but you still have a dead bird at that range. Even with just a full choke anything under 20yds your going to have to be right on or its a miss.

[Longshanks]

Seems that this interest in opening up LB patterns by shooting open chokes (675+) is basically going backwards. If you want a more open patterns this could be achieved by just shooting Win XX or HV lead loads. Open chokes with LB's gets you about the same patterns as other Win loads. It's all lead after all.

Ex: 160-170 in a 10 @ 40. Win XX 3" 6's
      140-150 in a 10  @ 40. Win HV 3" 6's
      120-130 in a 10 @ 40. Win HV 3" 5's

* I can tell you that LB 3" 5's, 6's through kicks .655/.660 and an 870 21" bbl makes for one serious turkey gun.
                   214 in a 10" @ 40 LB 3" 6's

* These chokes will also shoot Win XX and HV 5's, 6's 3" well over 100 in a 10 @ 40 easy. They will give you a gun that will shoot a number of shells well. This way you don't end up with a one shell gun shooting an open choke.

Just my experience with the 870 lead slingers. Favorite guns.