$179 Express 870 with a screw in rifled choke tube.
$229 1300, again with a screw in rifled Choke tube.
$85 JC Higgens fixed IC tube [pawn shop find]
$250 1100 bought used with again screw in rifle choke tube.
My observations:
-Makes no difference what mfg, platform, barrel, choke, screw in choke, box of ammo, magazine article, Internet scuttlebutt, or Joe/Josephine Blow down the street "says" or is "marked".
-Mr./Mrs Pattern Board are the only ways to know for sure what YOUR gun does with YOUR ammo, for at the distance YOU are going to use for YOUR tasks.
-Screw-in chokes have grouped just as tight - in most cases MORE tight than fully rifled barrels.
This not only affords more versatility , but pellet loads out of a fully rifled barrel suck big time.
Now back in the day, Ithaca Deerslayer with its fully rifled barrel, was exceptional,and there is a reason why.
If you have read Brister, you understand the phrase " Matter of bore, not choke".
I once used a $8 Winchoke on a 1300 to totally blow the minds of folks that had spent Big Bucks, with a "advertised" Gun Guru , one I refuse to buy anything from, and this "guru" is in my state. One that does not install the safety you requested with his "magic", you have to get someone else to install this.
That 1300 kept 10 slugs in a playing card at 35yds, and 50 yds. Using front bead with a midbead.
Recently a Wood & Blue SX2 with 3" chambers, put five 2 3/4 " slugs in a playing card at ~ 35 yds.
Gun fit to shooter, loads have to match bore/ barrel/ choke as well.