an 870 for everything to start ?

[jcramin]

I am looking at getting a Remington 870 Express 12g 18" blued, black-synthetic 6+1 shot as my first shot gun.

I am more of a pistol guy, but I just joined a gun club that offers just about every kind of shooting you can think of, so I want to get into rifle and shot gun stuff now too.

This will be my 1st shotgun so I want to use it for several things just to get started in shotgun shooting. The main purpose for the 870 is home defense.

BUT, my question is can it be used as a starter gun to try out things like 3 gun competition, Sporting Clays, TRAP or SKEET, and hunting for turkey or other birds also until I figure out what exactly I want to continue in and then get proper guns for it then ?


Thanks,
J

 

[41magsnub]

It would be reasonably fine though you may want a longer barrel and different chokes for different tasks. I would suggest getting an additional barrel like a 26" or longer with a screw in choke system. that way you can make the gun do pretty much anything you want. Swapping out a barrel takes practically no time at all.

 

[fubb]

no, 24"- 28" better for trap & skeet 18" ok HD

 

[wcwhitey]

Look around for a good 870 combo package. Mine came with a 18 1/2" slug barrel and the 26" bird barrel with screw in chokes. It will run you a few buck s more but with the package you can do it all from HD to deer and bird hunting. I have shot many a round of trap with my 870, it's 24 years old now and still performs like new. Regarding the cost, the combo's are cheaper as a set than buying the parts individually.

 

[ArmedBear]

second wcwhitey

 

[Fred Fuller]

The 870 Express HD package is a good deal, especially if you catch it on sale the way some outlets sell it. The Remington factory extension costs a pretty penny if you try to get one aftermarket, and IMHO is the best choice of the commonly available extensions. Unless they've changed things, you'll get an 18.5" CYL bore barrel with the package that will do fine for range fun and serious HD.

But for your other chores, that stubby barrel won't do so well. You'll need to add another barrel, 26-28" vent rib with RemChokes more than likely, if you stick with commonly available Express barrels. You'll want one with RemChokes because that will make your 'long' barrel much more versatile. Trap can be a pretty long range proposition, while skeet is relatively short range. You'll want to be able to swap choke tubes to fit your needs.

Be sure you get one of the older style barrels that has the detent for the magazine cap in the barrel ring when you go barrel shopping. Again, unless they changed things, that's the way your 18.5" barrel is set up.

You'll also need a standard length magazine spring, for using the normal 4-shot magazine. And you'll want to get an old style magazine cap as well, because you won't want to put the magazine extension with its long spring back on when you go to the trap/skeet range or the dove field. In fact if you plan on hunting migratory birds, you'll need a magazine plug as well, to limit your magazine capacity to two rounds only as required by law.

hth,

lpl/nc

 

[rcmodel]

You would be much better off using a hunting & clays gun for HD then the other way around.

Get two barrels, or at the least, a 21" turkey gun with interchangable choke tubes.

It will work fine for HD, and do a passable job on clays & game.

rcmodel

 

[jcramin]

Well thank you all so much for the great help. I actually may think about 2 shot guns. The 870 Express 7 shot for HD and 3 gun competition and stuff like that, and then another with interchangeable chokes for Bird or Turkey Hunting and Skeet and Trap and things like that.

J

 

[Taurus 617 CCW]

You can't beat an 870, however the price of an extra barrel can cost as much as a new gun. For the money Mossbers seems to be a better deal. They come with one short barrel (home defense) and one long barrel (trap/hunting). They also come in 6 and 8 round configurations. I have seen these advertised around town for about $220-250. I own both a Mossberg 500 and a Remington 870 wingmaster. I like the controls better on the Mossberg but I like the smoothness of the 870. Just my $.02