redoing my 870 for next year, need help

[dzsmith]

So my mississippi season closes tomorrow. I have an 870 express with a primos jellyhead 660. i shoot nitro 4x5x7 load and it patterns fairly well. i missed a bird this year, that i wound up killing two days later, so i decided to change a few things. Ive already bought a burris speed bead, a boyds laminate thumbhole stock and matching forend. a magpro 4lb trigger spring vs the stock 6lb string. an extra heavy magazine tube spring and new feeder plug from wilson combat. Now...its down to getting rid of the stock 26" barrel. I would prefer to shoot a 21" barrel being that Nitro shell company runs most of their shotshell tests for my gun out of a 21" barrel. I have found a remington replacement 21" barrel for my 3" express from midway usa for 180ish. I have also found a carlson chromlined 24" barrel with fiberoptic front bead for 170ish. Im not really sure what the right choice is. ive talked to william at sumtoy and he mentioned simply reworking my stock barrel. getting it cutdown, forcing tube lengthened , and what not. Now whichever barrel i buy im going to get the forcing cone lengthened. What is not the only the economical choice, but also the best choice for the best pattern and fewest issues. Money really isnt an issue, but i want to make the right choice vs having to keep buying and swapping around.

[dzsmith]

need some input fellas

[allaboutshooting]

So my mississippi season closes tomorrow. I have an 870 express with a primos jellyhead 660. i shoot nitro 4x5x7 load and it patterns fairly well. i missed a bird this year, that i wound up killing two days later, so i decided to change a few things. Ive already bought a burris speed bead, a boyds laminate thumbhole stock and matching forend. a magpro 4lb trigger spring vs the stock 6lb string. an extra heavy magazine tube spring and new feeder plug from wilson combat. Now...its down to getting rid of the stock 26" barrel. I would prefer to shoot a 21" barrel being that Nitro shell company runs most of their shotshell tests for my gun out of a 21" barrel. I have found a remington replacement 21" barrel for my 3" express from midway usa for 180ish. I have also found a carlson chromlined 24" barrel with fiberoptic front bead for 170ish. Im not really sure what the right choice is. ive talked to william at sumtoy and he mentioned simply reworking my stock barrel. getting it cutdown, forcing tube lengthened , and what not. Now whichever barrel i buy im going to get the forcing cone lengthened. What is not the only the economical choice, but also the best choice for the best pattern and fewest issues. Money really isnt an issue, but i want to make the right choice vs having to keep buying and swapping around.

In most cases a 24" barrel will be much easier to get good patterns from and have fewer "issues" than a 21" barrel. My personal choice would be a 26" barrel for the same reasons.

I'd recommend that prior to having any work done to your new barrel, you put as many rounds downrange through it as you can. They don't have to be turkey loads but the very act of shooting it will do 2 things. It will break-in the bore and allow you to see how well it shoots unmodified. It may do all that you need or want, just the way it is, saving you money which can be spent in whatever way you choose.

I hope that helps some.

Thanks,
Clark

[dzsmith]

well im going with the shorter barrel for mobility. ive been hunting field and flatland birds most of my life and this year for the first time I joined a club in very harsh steep terrain, mostly big woods. also I shoot nitro shells, and nitro test their turkey loads on an 870 out of a 21" barrel so that's why I was kinda leaning towards that. Carlson makes a chrome lined 24" barrel with a fiber optic bead. its very reasonably priced and cheaper than a stock Remington barrel.

[taylorjones20]

Sounds like you know what you want...

[adamg]

I re-did my 870 last season simply because I didn't hunt with it as much as I used to.  Swapped the 28" barrel for a 23" Super Mag barrel(used $75).  It's a 3" Express so I still only shoot 3" ammo.  Added sling swivel studs, new Remington Super Cell recoil pad, B-Square Mount, Bushnell TRS-25, Patternmaster Code Black Turkey, and a Mossy Oak Bottomland graphics kit from MO Graphics, boom ...new turkey gun.

3" Magblends or Longbeard XR #5s.  Have killed birds out to 50 yards with no problems.  The 23" barrel seems to be the sweet-spot for me.  Can save yourself a few bucks if you can find a used one, and probably won't even notice the difference between that and a 21".  Good luck!

[gatrkyhntr70]

I used to alot of trading with turkey guns; Probally set up about 20 870's. I used to be a fan of the 21" bbl. After alot of patterning and different shells including nitros and chokes. My preference is to have a good 26 or 28" bbl. with a good smooth bore cut down to 24". But that Carlsons 24" chrome lined bbl. would be my choice and it  should be a shooter! Ive had several of the 23" bbl. guns from Remington and not one of them had a good smooth bore. Lots of tooling marks in them and never patterned like I wanted them to.

[dzsmith]

I really appreciate the input fellas. yeah the Carlson seems like a good buy. ive never had a chrome lined shotgun barrel, I know chrome lined barrels have a longer shot life, but ive heard you cannot polish them. my stock 26" barrel does pattern well. even if it doesn't have the smoothest bore. it still puts 210 at 40 yards with a 3" nitro 4x5x7 which is plenty good for me. but at the end day I want a shorter barrel for mobility reasons. I may look more into the Carlson, does anyone have any experience at all with a chrome lined shotgun barrel? also is it possible to simply get my stock 26" barrel cut down , and cleaned up

[Snoodsniper]

I really appreciate the input fellas. yeah the Carlson seems like a good buy. ive never had a chrome lined shotgun barrel, I know chrome lined barrels have a longer shot life, but ive heard you cannot polish them. my stock 26" barrel does pattern well. even if it doesn't have the smoothest bore. it still puts 210 at 40 yards with a 3" nitro 4x5x7 which is plenty good for me. but at the end day I want a shorter barrel for mobility reasons. I may look more into the Carlson, does anyone have any experience at all with a chrome lined shotgun barrel? also is it possible to simply get my stock 26" barrel cut down , and cleaned up

PM sumtoy. He can fix you up.

[gatrkyhntr70]

I really appreciate the input fellas. yeah the Carlson seems like a good buy. ive never had a chrome lined shotgun barrel, I know chrome lined barrels have a longer shot life, but ive heard you cannot polish them. my stock 26" barrel does pattern well. even if it doesn't have the smoothest bore. it still puts 210 at 40 yards with a 3" nitro 4x5x7 which is plenty good for me. but at the end day I want a shorter barrel for mobility reasons. I may look more into the Carlson, does anyone have any experience at all with a chrome lined shotgun barrel? also is it possible to simply get my stock 26" barrel cut down , and cleaned up

Sumtoy can take care of your bbl. if you want to cut it down shorter. In my experience a good clean chrome lined bbl. is hard to beat for good patterns.
So either way you should come out happy. The Carlson bbl. will give you a 2nd. bbl. you could use the 26" if you do any wing shooting.

[dzsmith]

the Carlson is what I want to go with...but I think im still even gonna have it cut down some. and the forcing cone lengthened

[lowoctane]

Send yers to William @ Sumtoy...he builds guns.

[Jbird22]

I must've gotten lucky cause my 23" bbl SM shoots a great pattern. I did polish it using jb/kroil method though.

dzsmith, I'd be willing to bet you'll LOVE that SpeedBead. I have one on my 870 and can't see myself not using one for turkeys ever again!

[dzsmith]

thanks for the tip on that....unfortunately I may be shooting led next year because nitro seems to be having issues getting together ammunition. I shot my last 3 shells of this year. I may go to the Winchester extended range stuff

[gophert]

Vanilla Ice Cream killer speaks truth


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