Need a choke for my 870 Express

[sleepyone]

I am an avid deer hunter and have shot turkeys with my .270 while hunting deer, but now I want to do some serious turkey hunting.

I have a new 870 express that I bought last year and have not even cleaned out the factory oil. My cousin, who is an avid turkey hunter, said I should get a full or extra full choke for turkey and use either number 4 or 6 shot. He did not have an opinion on steel vs lead shot.

He said my shotgun should have come with a modified choke installed and a wrench to remove it. I did not get a wrench, and I see something in the barrel that looks like a sleeve but not like the aftermarket chokes I have been looking at lately. I would like to stay below $30 on a choke, since my shotgun only cost about $279 new. Like I said, I know a lot about deer rifles but next to nothin' about shotguns. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[ArmedBear]

You can remove the choke with a nickel and a pair of pliers. The stainless steel sleeve in the end of the barrel is a screw-in choke.

The screw-in choke changes the constriction at the muzzle end, and makes the pattern of shot larger or smaller at a given distance. Full is a tighter pattern, Improved Cylinder is a more open pattern, Modified is in between. Extra Full or "Turkey" is tighter than Full.

The wrench is a flat black thing. It should have come with your gun. If you buy the "choke upgrade kit" from Remington, it comes with a nicer crank wrench, but the one that comes with the gun works fine.

See this page:
http://www.remington.com/products/accessories/gun_parts/remChoke_tubes.asp

Wal-Mart often has Rem-Chokes.

 

[slabuda]

FYI, unless you are required to use steel I would use lead. You get lead is heavier than steel so you can use smaller shot (more pellets). If for some reson you do use steel you cant use full choke or above as it does not compress and can damage the choke or barrel.

And with such a tight choke its even more important to pattern your gun.

 

[ArmedBear]

WRT Full Rem-Choke and Steel (or Hevi-Shot, etc.):

Many Full chokes are not steel-shot rated. I have one Full Rem-Choke that is Lead-Only, and one that is Steel/Lead. Go figure.

It usually says on the choke what it is rated for, so check before shooting anything but lead through it!

Note that steel or other hard metals will produce a tighter pattern than lead, i.e. steel through a Modified is like lead through a Full. That's the rule of thumb, anyway.

 

[sleepyone]

thanks for the info. mine did not come with the wrench that i remember, but I'll try the nickel and pliers if necessary. thanks for the wal-mart tip. I have an Academy sports near by as well.

 

[Virginian]

I believe Remington also makes an extra-full RemChoke, and that and some 2 ounce 3" loads of #5 plated lead shot ought to have you in business. I hope you are not recoil sensitive.

 

[JimKirk]

http://www.briley.com/
http://www.choketube.com/

Jimmy K

 

[Dentite]

Remington makes two "Turkey" Rem-chokes:

TURKEY REM™ CHOKES

Turkey Super-Full Rem™ Choke
• Constriction reduced to .665"
• Delivers 85%+ patterns at 40 yards when used with Premier® Magnum
Turkey Loads
• Front of tube is knurled for a good grip and easy removal, and extends out
beyond end of barrel by approximately on inch
• Not for use with steel shot


Turkey Extra-Full Rem™ Choke
• Tight .687" constriction
• Puts 80% of pellets in 30" circle at 40 yards
• Not for use with steel shot
• Offers extremely tight patterns and dense pellet concentrations at long range

 

[sleepyone]

i found a Carlson's extra full choke at my local gun shop for $18.95. Last one he had. It has a .690 restriction vs .680 for their turkey choke version.

i also went with Remington Nitro Turkey and Winchester Super X 3" 1 7/8 oz 4 shot shells. I'll probably get one of the Remington Turkey Super-Full chokes eventually, but I'm leaving tomorrow and most places are picked clean on ammo and choke tubes. One tube I did not want was the ported kind if works anything like a rifle muzzle break. Thanks for the advice!

 

[Fred Fuller]

Do yourself a favor and give the gun a good cleaning- at least the barrel and chamber- to get the 'factory oil' out of it before you start shooting it. Remington uses a heavy cosmoline-type preservative as rust protection while new guns are stored and shipped, and it can cause fired shells to stick in the chamber if not removed.

Good luck with the gobblers,

lpl