What a 870 Express make a good skeet gun?

[jakeiscrazy]

Would a 870 Express make a good skeet gun?
My local Dick's sporting goods has a Remington 870 for $270.I called them up and asked how it was choked and the guy didn't have a clue. So I ask, "Do you think it would make a good skeet gun?" Again he didn't know. So now I come to The High Road, I'm sure someone knows?

BTW, I'm going with a pump instead of O/U or other guns because I can slap a 18.5 inch barrel on it and have a decent HD gun with 5 shots ready to go.

 

[ArmedBear]

No. It would work for skeet, with the right choke screwed into it (conveniently called a Skeet choke), but it would not make a good skeet gun.

People do passably well with a Model 12, but those are a good deal smoother. If you got it smoothed up and kept it oiled with the right stuff (Bullfrog Lubricant and Rust Blocker really makes my Express shuck a lot better -- RemOil doesn't), it will work. The reality is, nobody shoots skeet seriously with a pump gun, nor have they for years, unless it's a club shoot that has a "pump gun" division or something. So, it wouldn't be right to say it would be "a good skeet gun".

 

[jakeiscrazy]

Not so much looking to do it formally, not competition or anything. Just some informal shooting between friends maybe 1 every month or 2.

 

[ArmedBear]

Skeet is hard enough to master without having to deal with a clunky pump. The Express is not smooth, and mine still isn't after around 10,000 rounds. At least consider a used Wingmaster. A semiauto is a lot more fun, though. The 1100 pretty much marked the end of the pump gun for Skeet, a half century ago, because it was relatively cheap, and worked reliably enough. Semiautos, and even more so, O/Us, have been the top choices since then.

Of course, you can go to the skeet range with anything that can shoot two rounds in succession. But that's not what you asked.

I found the Express to make a pretty decent Trap gun, but Trap is a one-shot discipline, generally.

 

[nofishbob]

I shoot skeet with an 870 express 12 ga.

It is not optimum.

It is what I have.

I have no trouble pumping on doubles.

(It's funny to watch me try to pump a borrowed O/U though!)

I have fun, and I learned a lot while waiting to buy a more suitable shotgun.

Hope this helps!

Bob

 

[content]

Hello friends and neighbors // The 870 Express would make a "good" all around shotgun including informal skeet.

I had two 10 year olds tearing up some skeet with an 870 Express 20ga. last Sat.

Informal, in a field ,a tarp spread out to collect the spent shells, men, women and children welcome. Fun for all.

We used a seat thrower, mostly singles and at least three of the shotguns were variations of the 870 Express. One of the guys has a thrower mounted to a reese hitch so we can double up but he was not there. We are all getting ready for dove hunting season.

The multiple barrel idea is a great one and one of the biggest pluses of the 870.
Good luck finding what works for you.

 

[Packman]

It'll work, but like others have said, it's not the best pick. I love mine, but I'm primarily a trap shooter. Truth of the matter is, I'm so far behind the targets on skeet that it's much more me hindering the gun than it is the gun hindering me. My brother shoots a decent amount of skeet and trap, and he's pretty good at skeet with his 870 express. He has the 3inch magnum model though. He's good enough to consistently put out 20 and up scores. I'm lucky to shoot a 15 at skeet.

If it's what you want, go work with it. I've never been able to figure out the leads in skeet, to be honest with you. I do much better at trap.

Whatever you get, have fun! I love shotguns.

 

[Mr. T]

The fastest and smoothest pump I've ever shot is a Ted Williams 12 gauge that was sold by Sears and Roebuck, but it was manufactured by Winchester and is the same thing at the model 1300. That gun rivals some semi-autos in the right person's hands. Personally I use it for hunting ruffed grouse and anyone who's ever done that knows how hard that is. I've been able to get 4 shots off before on jumped birds and that's also with guys present with semi-autos who might only get 2 or 3 shots off. Personally I think a pump would do just fine for the uses you've stated. The Express though is no where even close to as smooth or as fast and I would know since I own one of those as well. A used Wingmaster would do better for you but I would still have to recommend the Winchester 1300 or even a used Ted Williams.

 

[jakeiscrazy]

Thanks for all of the responses. I heard they come with screw in chokes so I can put a skeet choke on it. Can anyone back this up?

The fastest and smoothest pump I've ever shot is a Ted Williams 12 gauge that was sold by Sears and Roebuck, but it was manufactured by Winchester and is the same thing at the model 1300. That gun rivals some semi-autos in the right person's hands. Personally I use it for hunting ruffed grouse and anyone who's ever done that knows how hard that is. I've been able to get 4 shots off before on jumped birds and that's also with guys present with semi-autos who might only get 2 or 3 shots off. Personally I think a pump would do just fine for the uses you've stated. The Express though is no where even close to as smooth or as fast and I would know since I own one of those as well. A used Wingmaster would do better for you but I would still have to recommend the Winchester 1300 or even a used Ted Williams.

I've only shot skeet once and it was with a 1300 20g. It was super nice I loved it. My uncles had a Ted Williams before I was around and he is still angry at himself for selling it. I would go with a Wingmaster or 1300 but my father, who is getting the gun, is against used guns, he just likes it new. I did get to rack one at my local gunshop and it was pretty smooth IMO. It wasn't the Winchester but it will do.

 

[mljdeckard]

I us an 870 express for everything, but it's mostly because I'm too stubborn to learn more than one kind of gun. I suffer no illusions that it's the best gun for any particular thing.

Maybe one day when I'm rich, I'll get a Browning Citori or something, but for now I guess I don't know what I'm missing. I shoot clays, but I wouldn't call it skeet or trap, I call it.....go out with friends, throw the clay frisbee thingys into the air and try to shoot them until we run out of ammo. I'm sure there are more complicated rules than that, I've never investigated them.

 

[NoAlibi]

As a police recruit in 1971 I trained with an 870, so the logical thing for me to do was to get an 870 when it came time to buy a skeet gun. It was the only shotgun I had any experience with and in no time I had my first 25 straight and many more followed it.

Is it a good gun for skeet? At the time I was convinced there wasn't a better shotgun made for skeet untill I "bumped into" an 1100 in 1975. The semiauto had a softer recoil and picking up the second bird of a double in international skeet (shot starting with the with toe of the stock below the crest of the hip and a few other impediments to perfect scores) was a whole lot more relaxed.

When you said informal skeet and that it had to do other duties, the 870 is a fun gun and it will do the job. But for serious skeet semiautos like the 1100 and the Beretta 391 are serious enough for the occasion. If you're really serious about skeet then it's apparent after seeing what the champs use that a good O/U is about as serious as you can get along with a very serious price tag.

BTW, I occasionally break out the 870 for a round of skeet and after I embarrass myself I put it up and realize that I don't miss it at all. .....Doc

 

[herkyguy]

Look at it this way, if you shoot halfway decent with an 870 you'll be congratulated by those shooting with $2000 guns. If you don't shoot that well, just blame the gun!

I shoot trap and 5 stand with an 870 express 28" barrel. Don't like skeet all that much. an 870 will vaporize clay pidgeons just fine. pumping rounds at 5 stand is a lot of fun. i say go for it.

 

[ArmedBear]

jakeiscrazy, if you've shot a 20 Gauge 1300, you will probably be disappointed with an Express. Sadly, they don't make the 1300 any more. However, I've seen them on used racks now and then. They never had the volume of the 870, so you have to look harder, but I really like how they handle and shuck (as in, I got an Express, tried someone's 1300, and my first thought was, "Oh crap! I should have bought one of THESE!").

 

[jakeiscrazy]

jakeiscrazy, if you've shot a 20 Gauge 1300, you will probably be disappointed with an Express. Sadly, they don't make the 1300 any more. However, I've seen them on used racks now and then. They never had the volume of the 870, so you have to look harder, but I really like how they handle and shuck (as in, I got an Express, tried someone's 1300, and my first thought was, "Oh crap! I should have bought one of THESE!").

Yeah I know what you mean but to be honest the action on it(express) wasn't to bad or rough. I have shot a Wingmaster too but I think I can live with the 870. Plus my father just doesn't want a used gun. It[s a dumb think to say, I know, but hey I'm shocked he even wants any guns. He has never been much for shooting targets sitting still but he really enjoy skeet. (We were only throwing one a time)

 

[Steve C]

Lets make sure we are talking about the same thing. Many people don't know the difference between Skeet and Trap though they are both shotgun sports the games are different.

Skeet is a close range game with 2 houses, one high and one low, that throw the birds the same way every time and the shooter moves between the houses to change the angle of the shots, the targets come toward the shooter it some stations. Skeet also has a doubles position where 2 birds are thrown at once in every course of fire. Handicap in skeet comes from shooting smaller gauges like the 20ga, or if you are really good the .410. Skeet would be more akin to shooting wood grouse. Skeet is shot with open chokes like improved cylinder, or "skeet" choke.

Trap on the other hand is a longer range game with a single low house position in front of the shooter. In trap the targets are thrown at random angles away from the shooter within a certain angle range and they're always going away from the shooter. The shooter moves from position to position in the fantail behind the thrower to change the angle extreems, handicaps are determined by range with the further back being more difficult. Trap is shot with a full or modified choke. Trap is similar to jump shooting pheasant or quail.

Informal clay pigeon shooting is usually just a friend with a thrower flinging birds, usually from behind with ranges being fairly close.


The 870 Express is a field gun and you can shoot informal targets with it just fine. Usually the barrel is a bit long for skeet even with a cylinder choke installed since the birds come fast being that the houses are close to the shooter and a short 24" barrel swings much quicker than the typical 28" found on a hunting field gun.

You can shoot trap just fine with the express and a modified or full choke but since the targets are generally rising when shot you need to "blank out" the bird while a true trap gun is set up to put the center of the pattern above the the front site so the bead on the target with a trap gun will put the target into the center of the pattern when the shot gets there.

 

[oneounceload]

The 870 Express is a field gun and you can shoot informal targets with it just fine. Usually the barrel is a bit long for skeet even with a cylinder choke installed since the birds come fast being that the houses are close to the shooter and a short 24" barrel swings much quicker than the typical 28" found on a hunting field gun.

And thatv24" barrel will also stop as fast as it starts to swing. LONG barrels mean SMOOTH swings - something imperative shooting skeet. A pump just adds something else to take the gun off the target line. Can it be done somewhat successfully? Sure..is it the best gun to use - not even close when compared to a semi, over under, or even a side by side..........

 

[mgkdrgn]

It would depend on -why- you are shooting skeet.

If you are shooting skeet to learn how to shoot YOUR gun better, it would be excellent.

If you are shooting to break as many clays as you can, you would be much better off with an OU or a semi-auto because of the doubles.

That said ... I shot in a combo trap/skeet league some 20 years ago back in Maryland with my 870 Wingmaster (one I still have), and it did well enough to get me the couple trophies that are on the wall behind me.