870 for Predator hunting

M

Michael J. McCasland

New member
About 15 years ago I bought a Remington Express for one purpose, killing coyotes with 3" shells. For the first 10 years of it's life it never saw anything but a steady diet of those shells, except for a short flirtation with a Browning 10 ga. it has killed all my shotguned coyotes. Here's the spin, I don't know why the planets lined up the way they did for me and this shotgun, but I have NEVER shot it well. Please be aware, I'm a fairly respectable skeet/trap/5 stand shooter, before the price of shotgun shells exploded, I'd shoot several thousand rounds a year. That was written only to illustrate that I KNOW how to handle a shotgun. Basically, if I'm to kill a coyote I need to put the beed between the coyotes feet and shoot until the animal stops moving. For the past 5 years I've used the 870 for trap, shooting relatively light competition loads, but finally gave up on it. I've never worked so hard to scratch down 20 birds on a trap field. For some reason the gun shoots high in my hands.

So here's the project.

1 - Pull the 28" barrel and replace it with a 20" deer barrel with Rem. Chokes. I like B-B shot so I'll find the tightest turkey or predator choke I can find.

2 - Put a red dot sight of some kind on the action. Shotgunning predators can occasionally require aquard shooting positions and I like the idea of just sticking the dot on a coyote and taking the shot right or left handed, with the gun partially seated in the shoulder or to high in the back. From what I understand, with a red dot sight, if you can see the dot you will hit where it's pionted.

3 - Just for grins I'll add a 3 shot mag. extension. We can only have 5 shots in a shotgun, but the extensions sure look cool.

4 - It'll all be painted to match ... I often dread the idea of dropping the 870 with the paint job it has right now for fear of loosing it. The gun will be painted again with the same colors.

What I'm looking for is any suggestion you fellas might have on: Scopes, mounts, barrels, extensions or what the heck after market stocks... Oh yeah I'd like to add extra places to store shells on the gun. I want this shotgun to scream PREDATOR KILLER whan it's done.
 
Interested in this thread as well. I'm looking for a shotgun too, but I unlike you am absolutely horrible with a shotgun. I can do surgery at 200 yards with some of my rifles but can't hit the broadside of a barn from the inside with a shotgun. Go figure.

Chupa
 
I just bought a 870 express super mag for the same purpose. Was thinking about getting the thumbhole stock. Looks really badass.

Thumbhole stock

I am also gonna paint mine with a rattlesnake skin paint job. Will post pics when done.
 
MJM, I have killed 1,000's of waterfowl. From my experience, you don't have a shotgun problem, but rather a STOCK problem. The older 870's had stocks that were combed too high for the average guy. High head = High shot. There is a kit out there that will shim the stock and bring the sight picture down to the appropriate level. (Sorry...but I can't remember who or where to get it /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif) My A303 Beretta came with several different shims to adjust it to the shooter.

Rather than change stocks / change barels / etc, I would suggest that you research a way to bring the comb down a little. It won't take much. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
#1) Get a quality .670" choke for a good starting point and shoot 3" .12 gauge Remington HD-BB's. They hit hard and so far the results from the four critters I've killed with the HD-BB's have all been pole axed on the spot! You can over choke this load, so too tight a choke probably won't be good for it. I found sweetness at .670” after experimenting with both .660” and .680” constrictions.

#2) I'm not a fan of glass on a shotgun, but if I were I'd be looking really hard at the Burris Speed Bead.

#3) I wouldn't mess with an extension. If you can only have five shots, then by law will the extension have to be plugged? That extension will be a hassle if you get checked by a game warden. Extensions can also jeopardize reliability. It will also add weight and bulk that just isn’t going to be useful to you.

Some people like side saddles or butt cuffs to have extra rounds on the gun. If you go that route both will affect the handling of the gun. To me, side saddles make the gun dead weight between the hands and butt cuffs make the gun butt heavy and barrel light. I also don’t like side saddles because I shoot with both eyes open and the clutter on the side of the gun is distracting to me. Some guys like them and have adapted to the feel. Other guys like the “tacticool” look… I tend to go with what works best for me and not what looks best. As an example, I really dislike the thumbhole or pistol grip shotgun stocks. Neither one is great for fast handling and both add bulk to the gun. While they may look “bada$$” they are only a “pain in the a$$” to me and hinder my shooting. Other guys like them… /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif
 
GC may be right about the "pain in the a$$" part I wouldnt know I have never tried one. The Remington thumbhole stock does come with the new Supercell recoil pad that is suppose to make your pump have less kick than an auto loader. It has a raised cheek rest that might help with your shooting high problem or might make it easier to use your red dot sight. I have a synthetic stock on my 870 its a little light with the 28" barrel. I don't like the idea of more bulk in the stock but the little extra weight and the shorter barrel should make the pistol grip a good handling weapon. Remington is putting out there turkey rigs with both the shorter barrels and thumbhole shock.
 
I was thinking of doing the same on an 11-87. I do like the AR-15 style stock, maybe it's from shooting an M16A2 for years now, but I feel I can pull the stock in to my shoulder tighter without as much strain on my wrist. I am also going to add a side saddle on the reciever, as GC said it does add weight, but after shooting a couple of times you'll get used to it. My old duty shotgun had one, and I loved it. If I needed to reload quickly, I could continue holding the stock with my right hand and extract shells from the saddle and reload with my left, all while never removing my finger from the trigger or moving my head off target. Lot better than fumbling in my pocket or vest for extra shells.
 
Michael, I've had (and still have one) three shotguns with the extended tubes (8-10 rounds) for three gun competitions, along with using a variety of extra ammo carriers...

I used to look like a replica of Pancho Villa with the bandoliers, belt carriers, side saddles, forearm carriers, and butt carriers..

Some competitors even had theirs set up for use of shotgun speed loader tubes...

You would be better off to keep yours with a commercial factory configuration and get you a 4 round belt carrier...
The firearm mounted ammo holders really throw off the balance of the weapon.

Shotshell Speed Loader

With a little practice, you can peel out 3-4 rounds with your weak hand and speed load them in the weapon in seconds...They can usually be found in 2&3/4" and 3" models, some have inserts to make them what you need...
 
Quote:
About 15 years ago I bought a Remington Express for one purpose, killing coyotes with 3" shells. For the first 10 years of it's life it never saw anything but a steady diet of those shells, except for a short flirtation with a Browning 10 ga. it has killed all my shotguned coyotes. Here's the spin, I don't know why the planets lined up the way they did for me and this shotgun, but I have NEVER shot it well. Please be aware, I'm a fairly respectable skeet/trap/5 stand shooter, before the price of shotgun shells exploded, I'd shoot several thousand rounds a year. That was written only to illustrate that I KNOW how to handle a shotgun. Basically, if I'm to kill a coyote I need to put the beed between the coyotes feet and shoot until the animal stops moving. For the past 5 years I've used the 870 for trap, shooting relatively light competition loads, but finally gave up on it. I've never worked so hard to scratch down 20 birds on a trap field. For some reason the gun shoots high in my hands.

So here's the project.

1 - Pull the 28" barrel and replace it with a 20" deer barrel with Rem. Chokes. I like B-B shot so I'll find the tightest turkey or predator choke I can find.

2 - Put a red dot sight of some kind on the action. Shotgunning predators can occasionally require aquard shooting positions and I like the idea of just sticking the dot on a coyote and taking the shot right or left handed, with the gun partially seated in the shoulder or to high in the back. From what I understand, with a red dot sight, if you can see the dot you will hit where it's pionted.

3 - Just for grins I'll add a 3 shot mag. extension. We can only have 5 shots in a shotgun, but the extensions sure look cool.

4 - It'll all be painted to match ... I often dread the idea of dropping the 870 with the paint job it has right now for fear of loosing it. The gun will be painted again with the same colors.

What I'm looking for is any suggestion you fellas might have on: Scopes, mounts, barrels, extensions or what the heck after market stocks... Oh yeah I'd like to add extra places to store shells on the gun. I want this shotgun to scream PREDATOR KILLER whan it's done.

I got the same 870 as you described. Two years ago I started changing the gun with a 22" vented Rem choke barrel with Extra full Turkey choke (.687) came together from Remington parts. Bought a Remington Scope saddle and put a Bushnell Trophy Red Dot on it. The red dot was a little high with factory stock so I then bought the Thumb hole stock from Remington with an RX3 pad. All I can say is it is SWEEEET! If I were you I would not put extra shells on the gun. It has a good feel and weight as is,all the other would just be added weight. If you cant Kill them with five shots its time to go home....Jeff /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
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I have a Mossberg 535 and I shoot high with it too. Higher than I could adjust the sights down. I bought a Bushnell HoloSight for it and now have plenty of adjustment but the sight sits too high to have my cheek solid on the stock. I didn't like the recoil to begin with and put a limbsaver pad on it, it helped a bunch but I was really wanting a Knoxx SpecOps adjustable stock with recoil reduction. After stumbling on the owerPak kit that has cheek risers for the SpecOps I took the plunge. It's supposed to arrive Monday so I can't report on results yet, but it sounds promising from what I've read. They make the stock and powerak to fit Remingtons too. Here are a coule of links:
http://cgi.ebay.com/KNOXX-POWERPAK-SYSTE...A1%7C240%3A1318
http://cgi.ebay.com/KNOXX-SPECOPS-POWERP...A1%7C240%3A1318
I just put my slug barrel on the gun the otherday and I'm debating if I should scoe it or try the Holosight out first. Probably be a month before I put the turkey barrel back on and try to pattern it again.

peace.
unloaded
 
Bushnell accupoint, Knoxx cop stock,or a good folder, before they are banned. Mag tube extension is a great idea. I have not painted any of my long guns yet I am still flirting with the idea myself. But a shake skin pattern sure looks good. Just go with your instank
 
I just put a burris speedbead on my benelli m2 21" gun, to make it simple the shot hits where the dot is! Hadn't killed any deer with it yet but it hasn't been for not trying. This thing is light weight and fast!
 
Richards, as I said above, I'm not a fan of bolting a hunk of glass and plastic on my shotguns. But... if I were going to do so, the SpeedBead would be a top contender.
 
I picked up a smothbore, rifle sighted, remchoked barrel for my 870 and I LOVE it for coyote hunting. I put a extra full extended turkey choke in it.
 
shooter44n45,
I just did the same thing as you. I ordered the Remington 12 gauge 870 barrel part number 24545 12/20" Wingmaster.RS Rem Choke barrel. I just got it put together and have not killed a coyote with it yet. I did use camo paint to camo the shiny finish on the barrel. Got the Rem Super Full turkey choke jsut like you did. The rifle sights alow me to adjust to the pattern. It patterns Number 4 shot really well at 50 yards. Number 4 buck seems to doughnut a little at 50 yards leaving a empty spot in the center of the pattern??? I left the 3 round extension on this former 3 gun shotgun. I did remove the 6 round sidesaddle. I'm looking forward to trying it on coyotes soon.

Jim
 
Hi Michael,

Your idea of putting a red dot sight on your shogun rig is a great one, for a couple reasons...

For one, it will allow you to "sight" in your pattern to hit where your dot is. This is especially helpful when shooting through a tight choke or have a misbehaving pattern that doesn't center down the barrel & bead. Once your rig is cut down & choked you may find a killer load that patterns off center. Just dial the dot over to center and go killin'...

Secondly, using a red dot scope will most likely keep your cheek off the comb of the stock when acquiring sight picture. This definitely helps in the recoil dept. as you are not getting smacked in the face from those heavy 3" loads...

If you do go the red dot route, make sure it is a parallax free scope! Not all of them are, especially the "cheapo" variety. A parallax free red dot scope will center your pattern where the red dot is regardless of your eye's relation to to the scope. This is a big deal when shooting from awkward positions at fleeting targets...

It'd be hard to do better than Aimpoint. Parallax free, good glass, 10,000 hr battery life and very rugged & impervious to heavy recoil.

Aimpoint Comp M2 on my turkey gun...
turkey2008014.jpg
 
Well got my new stock and powerpak today. Put the stock on and installed the high cheek piece, left the sheel holder and battery holder off. The stock lines up great with the red dot now. I wasn't aware of em slapping your cheek too hard, hope it doesn't happen. I'm hoping the recoil reducers in the stock solve that problem. It is spring loaded in two places, the part attached to the receiver and the adjustable butt art of the stock. Can't wait to see how it works, it's a nice idea if it works as advertised. I like the adjustable stock because I'm not a big fellow also like the pistol grip myself as it feels similar to my AR. After I try her out I'll get some Krylon action going if I like it. Here's a pic of it now:
knoxx1.jpg


peace.
unloaded
 
Here is my 870 express super mag. Airbrushed with automotive paints. Cant decide if I want to buy another barrel or just spend a little more and just get another whole gun. Not sure if I am done with it. I think I want to add more detail for realism and maybe paint the barrel.

snakeskin870.jpg
 
I had Bansner's from PA cut my barrel and change the 2-3/4" to 3" and put in a long forcing cone for turkey- predators. I tried one load from Win, didn't work pellets stopped on fox skull. They told me to try Federal #2 ,a warm load, worked good with that. I found , before modification that the 00buck was better than 4buck, for me.
 


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