870 express 28" or 870 express combo 28"/23"/scope

[AppleSeeds]

You guys have a lot of information here. I've never posted because I've been busy reading a lot of the information. I am in the market for my first shotgun. Primary purpose will clay target shooting and possibly pheasant hunting.

Secondary uses include: home defense, deer, etc.

I have been wading through information and have decided that the 870 express is good for me price wise and I've shot it before so I know what it's like. My question is should I get the combo (comes with the extra rifled barrel and scope) or save my money and just.

The price difference is about $180 from what I see. It would cost me more than 180 to get an additional barrel and scope if I were to go with the gun alone. The barrels are both remington as is the scope.

Anyone have any guidance?

 

[flintoid]

Well, the rifled barrel and scope would be handy for deer hunting or possibly turkey hunting (if you like using slugs for that matter). You can use sabot type slugs with a rifled barrel for better accuracy, or you can use non-sabot slugs for the smooth bore barrel that comes with the cheaper version.

I have had an 870 express magnum since I was 14 years old. I never have put a rifled barrel on it as I only used slugs for turkey. Let me warn you though that using a non-sabot slug on a smooth bore barrel isn't exactly accurate- you need to be pretty damn close. I never found it to be a problem as my dad was an excellent caller and we had great camouflage.

If you never intend on hunting deer with the shotgun, I wouldn't waste my money on the rifled/barrel package. But if this ever piques your interest, then it'd be worth while. You can probably successfully tree stand hunt a deer with a non-sabot slug, but you're going to have to be pretty close and have a good deal of luck.

In my opinion, I was more thankful I went with the 'magnum' version because it allowed me extra firepower to hunt migratory geese. But either way you look at it, the 870 is a very versatile shotgun.

and fyi, I've got the 28" barrel as well. It's long (and great for getting as much shot on a goose as possible ). So home defense wise, it's not your ideal street sweeper pistol grip, but it still would get the job done IMO.

edit: ah! I missed the fact that 'deer hunting' is your secondary use! lol. Get the rifled barrel. Buck shot still works on deer, but I'm assuming you want it for meat harvesting, yes? Buck shot is a PITA to get out of a deer hide. It's why I only hunted deer with it once

 

[AppleSeeds]

Thanks very much for your help flintoid, that's great help.

I know I am going to shoot clays and I may hunt deer in the future that's why I'm kind of on the fence about the combo.

My understanding is that the 23" rifled barrel would be compatible with a sabot slug and that a sabot slug would be reasonably accurate and would be easy to clean, correct?

Edit: can the rifled barrel also shoot the "federal rifled slug" as show here:
http://www.angelfire.com/tx/ShotGun/

 

[flintoid]

Thanks very much for your help flintoid, that's great help.

I know I am going to shoot clays and I may hunt deer in the future that's why I'm kind of on the fence about the combo.

My understanding is that the 23" rifled barrel would be compatible with a sabot slug and that a sabot slug would be reasonably accurate and would be easy to clean, correct?

sabot slugs are designed for rifled barrels on any shotgun, so yes, it would definitely be compatible. I can't say anything about it's accuracy, but from what I hear, they're pretty reasonable. All I know is that non-sabot slugs sometimes don't go where you're pointing the barrel There are two turkeys that had thanksgiving written all over them that I've missed in my adolescence lol

That 28" barrel will slay sporting clays. I had a lot of fun with mine in high school competition. I seriously need to join a club with a skeet range and start enjoying that once again.

Cleaning, I'm assuming, would be just like any other rifled barrel - easy as pie.

And as far as the rifled slug goes, I'm not sure about it's usage. I've never seen one, really. I do know, however, that a non-sabot slug works in a rifled barrel too, and it has increased accuracy over it's use in a smooth bore barrel. But a non-sabot slug in a rifled barrel still beats it in accuracy.

 

[Coyote33]

Are these compatible with older 870's? If so, let me know if you should choose to NOT get the combo, because I am thinking about getting a deer barrel. I haven't found one much under $180 to date. Thanks.

 

[RFWAVELENGTH]

You guys have a lot of information here. I've never posted because I've been busy reading a lot of the information. I am in the market for my first shotgun. Primary purpose will clay target shooting and possibly pheasant hunting.

Secondary uses include: home defense, deer, etc.

I have been wading through information and have decided that the 870 express is good for me price wise and I've shot it before so I know what it's like. My question is should I get the combo (comes with the extra rifled barrel and scope) or save my money and just.

The price difference is about $180 from what I see. It would cost me more than 180 to get an additional barrel and scope if I were to go with the gun alone. The barrels are both remington as is the scope.

Anyone have any guidance?

When I purchased my 12-gauge 870 Express, it came with a 28" vent rib barrel, which I didn't want or need. I ordered a 20" rifle-sighted smooth bore barrel with RemChoke removable chokes. The new barrel came with Improved Cylinder and Rifled chokes. I purchased a Modified choke at WalMart, installed it in the new barrel, and sold the 28" barrel and Rifled choke for cash at Kittery Trading Post. My gun is short and handy and I use it for deer hunting and home defense. You don't need a scope for trap, pheasant or deer. The typical woods range for deer hunting is 50 yards or less.

 

[Coyote33]

I don't think there is anything wrong with a 28" modified choke barrel for deer, is there? This would be before there were removable chokes.

 

[hminsky]

I got the combo with 28" smooth barrel (or maybe it was 26?) and the short smooth barrel. I use the long barrel for trap shooting. I keep the short one on for storage and HD use.

 

[mac1911]

If your looking for a round about gun the 870 combo is hard to beat. Also as you get hooked one way or another a swap of stocks and barrels is easy enought to convert it to any thing you want. You will find in the future though that you will want a seperate gun for each set up.

Things to consider,
Depending on the stock the scope may seem to high when mounting the gun.
2nd the express was designed to try and fit into the multipurpose shotgun...hence the combo.
I have 3 shotguns well more really but 3 in use
1. Browning UltraXT 12g over and under for trap shooting it has a very high comb and a fancy aftermarket LH fully adjustable stock. This is set up for only trap shooting. For targets that are always riseing and going away from you
2. is my Browning gold with a custom wood stock for LH shooting and a slightly higher comb than stock. This is my trap doubles gun.
3. is my Express, I use this for sporting clays along with my Gold.
Thr Express is now back to being set up with the smooth bore rifle sight barrel which for 75 yardds or less puts those rifled slugs with 5" off hand. Personally I have not tried to shoot a deer much more than 50 yards, for one they are tough to see in the brush where they love to be, very seldom have I had a clear field shot at a deer in mass.
The express is by far one of the best do it all guns if there is a do all shotgun.
Limited yes but not useless, take the time to know what yours like to eat for ammo and where it shoots with what it likes
My Express seems to like the remington slugsters which is the cheaper fodder. 50y this stuff is more than accurate out of my 870
Things look for, I have found a few great deals on used 870, botched tacticool piant jobs. pitted external metal but fine inside and used gun coat to pretty them up and made my HD guns or other projects. I have sold off most of the firearms I owned and not in use to go into military surplus arena.
The 870 can be transformed into anything and on a low price if you shop around and ask. I got a great 30" trap barrel from a shooter just by asking at the trap range "whos selling what"