Remington 870 - How many rounds until it feels natural?

[rc601962]

I have shot a Benelli M1S90 for about 20 years. I hunt and occassionally shoot skeet and sporting clays. I am not a great shot. But, in skeet, I consistently shoot about 20.

I went out with my son's 870 last weekend. I felt like a complete clutz. The fact that I had to manually pump the gun destroyed my rhythm on doubles. My second shot was very late and rushed.

For those of you that have made the switch to pump guns, how long did it take you to make the gun flow from shot to shot?

I also noticed an 870 kicks much more than my M1S90.

 

[Strahley]

Yeah the 870 will kick more since you aren't using some of the energy of the round to work the action. Just imagine how much fun slugs would be

As for speed, I think it would depend on the user. I've never shot a semi-auto, I started with pumps and have always used them. If you will be using it more, you could always get some snap caps to practice with

 

[ArmedBear]

What kind of 870?

 

[rc601962]

It was a 26" Express.

 

[jmr40]

Others will disagree with me, but this is where thousands of cycles of dry firing will pay dividends. Not only will you get used to the gun, but it will smooth up tremendously. Some people are convinced it will ruin your gun, but I've been doing it religiously for nearly 40 years with every gun I've ever owned and never broken the first thing.

 

[ArmedBear]

My Express has not smoothed out much after about 10,000 rounds of use.

However, some good lube (I like Bullfrog Lubricant and Rust Blocker for this) on the action bars and other parts that slide against each other will make shucking feel a good deal smoother, which translates to a more natural feeling.

That said, it never has felt that great, to me, and I'd rather shoot a shotgun with a solid forend that doesn't force me to hold the forend in any way that isn't comfortable and natural.

 

[Virginian]

I bought my first 870 in 1974 after shooting an 1100 exclusively for 11 years. Before I bought mine I borrowed a buddy's brother's and got 12 doves with 16 shots, including two doubles. The first two shots out of mine I got a double on geese. I never remember the slightest problem switching to the pump. I have switched back and forth ever since, with a few BPSs thrown in, no problems.

 

[ArmedBear]

I also think that a pump can distract you: if you shoot one round at a time, it's not THAT different, assuming your hand position isn't uncomfortable. The anticipation of having to pump can make it harder to focus on the present target; it's best to block out that thought if you can.

 

[bobelk99]

The anticipation of having to pump can make it harder to focus on the present target; it's best to block out that thought if you can.

Now to differ with Bear, but you will not have anticipation of having to pump once you become fully comfortable with the gun.

I switch back and forth between 1100 and 870 for personal reasons. If I have not used an 870 for a few months, I find myself 'forgetting' to work the slide. It takes me about 50 rounds to get back the flow.

If I stick with the 870 for a few weeks, I find that I can shoot two shots with the 870 nearly as fast as with the 1100, without thinking about it.

BTW: All my 870s are Wingmasters. They do seem to smooth out better than the Express models.

 

[ArmedBear]

Oh, I never meant that you have to do that forever. It's just part of initially training to use a pump: concentrate on the shot, not pumping the gun, that's all I meant.

And yes, a Wingmaster does shuck more naturally than an Express, IMO.

 

[bobelk99]

Thanks ArmedBear.

I have to respect the opinion of anyone with 21k posts

 

[philpost]

Yeah the 870 will kick more since you aren't using some of the energy of the round to work the action. Just imagine how much fun slugs would be

I regularly shoot an 870 with slugs at an indoor range, and I got 2 words for you: brutally punishing

 

[redneck2]

FWIW...I've shot my 870 a LOT. That said, when I switched to a O/U with a recoil reducer, I upped my SC scores from the mid 50's to well over 85.

Laws of physics apply. There is no way that most guys are going to be able to take the recoil of a solid action, then shuck in a new round, then pull up on a new target nearly as well as an auto. Ain't gonna happen.

There's a reason SC shooters use O/U's or autos.

 

[rc601962]

On an 870, does the synthetic stock feel like it recoils less? Maybe there is more give compared to wood?

 

[RebelRabbi]

Um............why switch?

 

[HuntAndFish]

I've heard it said that at least 1000 repetitions are needed until you can perform a gunhandling skill without thinking about it. This is where you want to be. Every time the trigger is pulled you need to have an automatic response to pump the gun. Same principle applies to a bolt gun.

I've found that statement to be roughly true, so my experience is that if you practice at it, it will take about 1000 repetitions initially (maybe a combination of dry and live fire?). Then you will need to keep practicing regularly to keep the skill.

 

[Youngster]

Um............why switch?

Ditto.

 

[Fred Fuller]

How many rounds? It depends on your individual learning curve.

You ought to see me trying to pump a semiauto...

lpl

 

[OregonJohnny]

I spent so many summers as a teenager shooting starlings out of blueberry fields with my 870, that now I physically CANNOT shoot an 870 without automatically pumping it, even if I have loaded 1 shell.

I use my 870 Marine for "mole patrol" at my parent's country property, and even when I load 1 single #4 shell, and tell myself to try not to eject the shell after shooting, guess what...As soon as the mole hill twitches and I hear the boom, I look down and see a smoking empty shotgun shell on the ground beside me. It's just become a reflex.