870, 3" or 3 1/2" ?

You answered your own question.

3" can take down anything you need if your hunting, and if its just for target shooting 3" is more than enough.

3" mag slugs are fun :evil:
 
I dunno, the bigger the shell the harder it will take something down. Hopefully one of the hunting guys will chime in. IIRC 3 1/2 was preferred for some stuff, but well placed 3" will do the job. Than again what do I know.
 
Yeah right... sometimes the logic used here simply astounds me....
3.5 shoots heavier payloads... Most waterfowlers are shooting 3.5 inch guns... Most Turkey hunters are shooting 3.5 inch guns and anyone who hunts with buckshot for coyotes knows about the effectivness of 3.5 inch guns.
Last time I checked no one was trading in their 3.5 inch shotguns to get a 3 inch shotgun. But everyday somebody comes in to trade up to a 3.5.
Sarcasm aside... if your going to hunt there is absolutely no reason not to get 3.5 inch shotgun.
The difference in price for an 870 super mag is about 30 dollars.:bangHead:
 
BIGREDD said:
Yeah right... sometimes the logic used here simply astounds me....
3.5 shoots heavier payloads... Most waterfowlers are shooting 3.5 inch guns... Most Turkey hunters are shooting 3.5 inch guns and anyone who hunts with buckshot for coyotes knows about the effectivness of 3.5 inch guns.
Last time I checked no one was trading in their 3.5 inch shotguns to get a 3 inch shotgun. But everyday somebody comes in to trade up to a 3.5.
Sarcasm aside... if your going to hunt there is absolutely no reason not to get 3.5 inch shotgun.
The difference in price for an 870 super mag is about 30 dollars.:bangHead:
Click to expand...
That's funny I have a 3 1/2 in gun that all I ever shoot is 3". Go figure.
 
Being that you want a pump gun (specifically the 870); get the super mag 3 1/2"; you can always use 2 3/4 or 3" in it if you choose to do so. On the other hand, if you get a 3", there will be times when you wished you could use a 3 1/2".

Short answer, it's a little more in price (like Bigredd stated), but it is more versatile to your needs.
 
BIGREDD said:
Yeah right... sometimes the logic used here simply astounds me....
3.5 shoots heavier payloads... Most waterfowlers are shooting 3.5 inch guns... Most Turkey hunters are shooting 3.5 inch guns and anyone who hunts with buckshot for coyotes knows about the effectivness of 3.5 inch guns.
Last time I checked no one was trading in their 3.5 inch shotguns to get a 3 inch shotgun. But everyday somebody comes in to trade up to a 3.5.
Sarcasm aside... if your going to hunt there is absolutely no reason not to get 3.5 inch shotgun.
The difference in price for an 870 super mag is about 30 dollars.:bangHead:
Click to expand...

:agree:

If you decide to sell it down the road, it'll be a lot easier to unload as well.
 
TYE said:
I'm going to buy an 870 within' the next while, but I can't decide whether I want a Magnum 3" or Super Magnum 3 1/2".

I don't really know why I would bother getting the 3 1/2" gun?
Click to expand...

Let me just toss in my two cents here. Last spring I bought a Rem 870 3 1/2" Super Magnum Combo. Nice shotgun, loved the fact it comes with a ribbed barrel and a rifled barrel!

Here's my issue. Most of the time I shoot 2 3/4" Winchester shells. I use them when I spot a grouse near the road when on the log trails up near the cottage (Minden). From the day I brough this gun home it wouldn't fire a short shot without jamming.:( There isn't an issue if I shoot 3" sabot or if I use deer shot through the rifled barrel, only if I shoot these "light" loads. I bought a box of 3" Kent and they went through just fine.:)

I've sent the gun to a Remington repair center up near Bracebridge, and it was returned with the note that the barrel had been reamed to allow for proper ejection. Seems that the shells (when hot, as in just fired) expanded and got stuck! The extractor isn't strong enough to pull them out, and I had to "pound" the butt of the gun on my knee (once I cleared the remaining shells from it) to manually extract the round. Yet, after it's first repair, it continued to perform this way. A second trip to the repair shop, this time I included the box top from the offending shells, so the repair tech may have the opportunity to correctly simulate the problem. The gun came back with a note saying they couldn't replicate the problem. :mad: Yet the gun still mis-behaves! I have several hunting pals as witnesses!

I will still use the gun in it's "rifled" form, as it's one of the best guns out their, but for birds (including Turkey!) I now have a Beretta 391 in 3". It's a gun I trust won't let me down no matter what the circumstance.:rockOn:

Good luck with whatever choice you make. As you see, it easily becomes one of personal preference as well as necessity.
 
csmith99 said:
Here's my issue. Most of the time I shoot 2 3/4" Winchester shells. I use them when I spot a grouse near the road when on the log trails up near the cottage (Minden). From the day I brough this gun home it wouldn't fire a short shot without jamming.:( There isn't an issue if I shoot 3" sabot or if I use deer shot through the rifled barrel, only if I shoot these "light" loads. I bought a box of 3" Kent and they went through just fine.:)

I've sent the gun to a Remington repair center up near Bracebridge, and it was returned with the note that the barrel had been reamed to allow for proper ejection. Seems that the shells (when hot, as in just fired) expanded and got stuck! The extractor isn't strong enough to pull them out, and I had to "pound" the butt of the gun on my knee (once I cleared the remaining shells from it) to manually extract the round. Yet, after it's first repair, it continued to perform this way. A second trip to the repair shop, this time I included the box top from the offending shells, so the repair tech may have the opportunity to correctly simulate the problem. The gun came back with a note saying they couldn't replicate the problem. :mad: Yet the gun still mis-behaves! I have several hunting pals as witnesses!QUOTE]

Let me guess, you're using the cheap WalMart/CTC cheap steel/alooy based shells.:slap:

For the last time, THEY ARE CRAP! They are the greatest source of problems.:bangHead:
Click to expand...
 
I bought the 870 express 3 1/2" and often feel I did not need the extra 1/2" but I am still glad to have it. Hmmm....
 
Have you guys patterned your 3.5" guns with 2-3/4" shells? Its my experience that the pattern is impacted in a bad way with such a long path to the forcing cone. Maybe somebody has some good ammo/gun/choke combinations that refute this?

In the end I went for a 3" 870 Wingmaster. It knocks down geese just fine with Hevi-shot.
 
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Spear said:
I bought the 870 express 3 1/2" and often feel I did not need the extra 1/2" but I am still glad to have it. Hmmm....
Click to expand...
Guess you could allways use an extra 1/2" ;)
 
TYE said:
I think I'm just going to get a 3" 870. I don't need a cannon, lol.
Click to expand...

A 3.5 inch chamber is not a "cannon", but it is a nice option IF you ever plan on hunting geese. What it means is a bigger payload of BIGGER pellets. Take the time and sit down with a calculator, the web and figure out just how many pellets you toss with a 3 and how many you toss with a 3.5...

I personally have a 3.5 chambered shotgun, and I think I might have fired a half dozen 3.5 inch shells out of it for ducks... For ducks, my usual load is 3 inch #4 steel going 1550fps... But, if I was chasing geese, I'd do some math and find the shell that tosses the most pellets. From my calculations, you can toss one size larger pellet with a 3.5 and NOT loose any pellet density in the pattern. Heck, I think you might even be up a couple pellets in the pattern...

Cheers
Jay
 
I bought a 3 inch chamber 870 3 years ago and I sold it to go with a 3.5 inch chamber gun. There is really no difference between the two guns except that the ejection port is bigger. The trigger is the same and the bolt is ppretty much the same. I would go for the 3.5 gun as it's more virsitile and the extended chamber reduces recoil so you can shoot longer. The other option is buy one of each.:D HEHE
 
Let me just toss in my two cents here. Last spring I bought a Rem 870 3 1/2" Super Magnum Combo. Nice shotgun, loved the fact it comes with a ribbed barrel and a rifled barrel!

Here's my issue. Most of the time I shoot 2 3/4" Winchester shells. I use them when I spot a grouse near the road when on the log trails up near the cottage (Minden). From the day I brough this gun home it wouldn't fire a short shot without jamming. There isn't an issue if I shoot 3" sabot or if I use deer shot through the rifled barrel, only if I shoot these "light" loads. I bought a box of 3" Kent and they went through just fine.

I've sent the gun to a Remington repair center up near Bracebridge, and it was returned with the note that the barrel had been reamed to allow for proper ejection. Seems that the shells (when hot, as in just fired) expanded and got stuck! The extractor isn't strong enough to pull them out, and I had to "pound" the butt of the gun on my knee (once I cleared the remaining shells from it) to manually extract the round. Yet, after it's first repair, it continued to perform this way. A second trip to the repair shop, this time I included the box top from the offending shells, so the repair tech may have the opportunity to correctly simulate the problem. The gun came back with a note saying they couldn't replicate the problem. Yet the gun still mis-behaves! I have several hunting pals as witnesses!

I will still use the gun in it's "rifled" form, as it's one of the best guns out their, but for birds (including Turkey!) I now have a Beretta 391 in 3". It's a gun I trust won't let me down no matter what the circumstance.

Good luck with whatever choice you make. As you see, it easily becomes one of personal preference as well as necessity.



Sell it and buy a Benelli, it digests everything!
 
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