Remington 870 12ga Shotgun

The Remington 870 is a pump-action shotgun. This one is a Model 870 Express Super Mag Turkey/Waterfowl. It accepts 2¾", 3", and 3½" shells and comes in a Mossy Oak Bottomland camouflage finish. It has a 26" barrel, SuperCell recoil pad, and HiViz fiber-optic sight. Overall length: 46", weight: 7¼ lbs, capacity: 4+1 (3+1 with 3½" shells). My primary purpose for owning this shotgun is for turkey hunting.

It takes Rem Choke tubes, and it came with two: Turkey Extra Full and Wingmaster HD Waterfowl. However, I have purchased a Hevi-Shot (made by Carlson's) Hevi-13 Extreme Range Turkey Choke, and that's what I am using for turkey.

I purchased this shotgun in 2014.

Shooting 3½" super-magnums through this thing is a lot like firing my .450 Marlin. I don't think it hits my should as hard, but the gun jerks out of my hands and the finger guard hits my middle finger.

Refinish

I hate this Bottomland camouflage. I would like to have it re-wrapped in Mossy Oak Forest Floor. I need to find out where I can have that done locally.

Then again, maybe I need to re-think how I will use it. This pattern seems best against tree bark. If I buy matching camouflage clothing, which they sell, maybe I can blend in sitting against a tree.

Shotshells

I took the recommendation of the guy at Dunn's and bought a couple boxes of Hevi-Shot Magnum Blend, product code 41205. They are 3½" shells with 2¼ ounces of Hevi-13 shot in a blend of #5, #6, and #7. Muzzle velocity is 1200 fps. Reviews talk about a reliable range of 60 yards.

I patterned this ammunition using the choke tube marketed for it. My 60 yard target put three pellets through the brain and two through the spinal column, plus 14 others in the head and neck region; a kill that time, but maybe not always a sure thing. My 40 yard target put five through the brain, five through the spinal column, and about 55 others through the head and neck region; a guaranteed kill every time. The 10 yard target would have completely severed the neck if it had been a little better centered, and the entire pattern landed within a 10" circle.

Hevi-13 is a tungsten-nickel-iron alloy that is almost 20% denser than lead (Hevi-13 has a density of 13 g/cc; lead has a density of 10.9 g/cc). It retains velocity and penetrates better than lead. Hevi-Shot and Hevi-13 are considered non-toxic.

Chokes

This shotgun came with two choke tubes, and I bought a specialty choke tube.

Choke
"Over Decoys" .006
Turkey Extra Full
Hevi-Shot Hevi-13 Turkey