Setting up an 870 Super Mag

[Grey Owl]

I've got an 870 Super Mag 12 ga I bought years ago. I want to set it up right for next Spring. If you were setting one up from scratch what...

1. Ammo would you prefer?
2. Choke for that ammo?
3. Sights (not a scope)?

Thank you.

[lowoctane]

 
Wow! Did you open up a discussion!
Ammo: I love Winchester's Long Beard.
Even tho that gun will shoot 3.5" rounds, my SM and my shoulder prefers the 3" round in 6's.
Choke: I have quite a few and have found that a .665(ish) pattern very well out of the SM.
Sights: I favor a red dot or a scope over rifle style sights because my gun shoots tight at all distances.
Whatever you do end up with, please remember it's the hunt that matters and be safe and have fun!

[Gobble!]

1. How much you looking to spend? I use TSS, 3.5" 2.5oz #9s. I roll my own but you can buy it from Apex Ammunition, roughly $12 a shell for the 2.5oz loads less if you load it yourself. https://apex-ammunition.myshopify.com/collections/all Second choice would be HeviShot, roughly $6 a shell. Hevi13 #7s the 3.5" 2.25oz shells is what I use to use with great results. Third Winchester Long Beards, not really sure $3 a shell maybe. As long as they don't fail and shoot a slug pattern, they are by far the best lead shells out there. Many prefer them over the HeviShot shells.

2. Indian Creek for all of the above. I would get a .665 for anything but the TSS 2.5oz shells. I use a .675 for that. The .675 opens up the core and still threw a 500 in the 10" circle and another 300 in the 20" circle pattern. 

3. I have never used sights. I use a Burris Fast Fire III.

First thing I did to my 870 though was a Timney Trigger to get all the creep out of that thing. I have a 870 Max Gobbler so it came with a pistol grip or that would have been something else I added on.

[SumToy]

Well this will get crazy.

Big thing is what you look to do.

Shells.  Cheap is Long Beard.   Mid line is HV13.   Then the New Company is Apex. (I have not shot it so can say but have seen some test patterns)

Choke.  SumToy, IC, and Trulock all in what shell you pick. Few combos that work well. 

Sight you have the Burris and Vortex.  (both are very good)

[Longshanks]

It's interesting how it ends up with guns sometimes.  I have shot allot of chokes and shells with my 870sm. Expensive chokes and expensive shells. Ended up with a $12.00 choke in my gun shooting:

270's in a 10 @ 40. Hevi 13 3/2/7's

160's in a 10 @ 40.  Win XX 3/2/6's.

Ventilator .655

[Grey Owl]

Is tss worth the extra cost?

[Gobble!]

Is tss worth the extra cost?

To me yes. I normally only have two tags a year so I want to be shooting the best.

[Grey Owl]

That's a good point .

[donjuan]

If you can find a 655 ventilator, go for it.

Supermag with 26 in barrel shoots 174 in the ten with longbeard 6s, 3 in, 1 3/4. I don't like the lack of coverage in the 20 so I shoot 3 1/2 win supreme #6 2 1/4.  120 in the ten and perfect coverage in the 20.  Loose enough at 15 steps to whack him as well.

Hevi 7 can go over 200 with this setup as well, just don't like thevcost.

[donjuan]

Also, my gun shoots true with just the bead so I'm too tight to buy any sights

[Longshanks]

Also, my gun shoots true with just the bead so I'm too tight to buy any sights

That's part of what I like with the 870sm/Ventilator .655. Shoots double beads. Traveling I don't have to worry  about anything going wrong with sights or optics. For the same reason I shoot Kicks chokes out of two 870 wingmasters with lead. POA/POI stays on. I have a Hevi 13 .662 and Indian Creek .665 to shoot Hevi 13 7's out of those wingmasters.

*if you run into trouble with POA/POI shooting HTL the tru-glo all metal adjustable sights are good. Have had them on several guns.

[dutch@fx4]

I shoot a super mag with factor rem turkey choke and winchester long beard in number 5 .great success with this combo.i hear some guys are having better patterns with a little more open choke with long beards .any body know anything about this

[Longshanks]

I shoot a super mag with factor rem turkey choke and winchester long beard in number 5 .great success with this combo.i hear some guys are having better patterns with a little more open choke with long beards .any body know anything about this

Shot the Remington extra full choke and it opened them up a bit to 140's-150's with the 3" 5's. 160's-170's with 3" 6's. Good hunting patterns. More gaps than I like for sure.  That would be .687 as compared to the super full which is .665.

[WildSpur]

I really like hevi shot magblends.   They shoot great out of the jellyhead  660.  I am also a Burris fastfire fan. 

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[Grey Owl]

Have any of you used the Rem Choke Turkey Super full?