First shotgun, how to get better and which sights to use.

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DeaconGG

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I got my RPAL recently and got my first shotgun, 12ga Remington 870 with 18.5 inch smoothbore barrel (no chokes).

I enjoy target shooting for now but at some point, I might try hunting. For now, I would like to get to know my shotgun better and become more accurate so I was thinking about adding riffle sights (right now it only has front bead) or rail and red dot but not sure which would be more appropriate.
Also if you can suggest the distances that I should be practicing at. I will be using rifled slugs and maybe 00 buckshoots.

All suggestions are welcome.
Thanks.
 
Hi, and welcome. If it's the Express Tactical model, take it apart and clean up the inside of the receiver and the chamber. Ghost ring sights work pretty well and allow fast target acquisition. Rifled slugs are good out to 100 m or more, 00 buck spreads so much that anything over 25 m is pretty much luck. Even with some choke shotgun pattern spread is about 1" per yard so at 25 m out of 9 pellets getting 6 on the paper is common. 2-3/4" shells are much easier on the shoulder, 3" versions with 12 pellets or a heavier slug get very unpleasant very quickly.
 
I like the idea of a red dot on a shotty for target blasting or hunting. Open sights, especially peeps are really good as well due to the shorter range nature of your gun. I'd Start practicing at very modest ranges - 10m.
Get comfortable, on target, learn the controls so they are second nature. Then back it out to 25m and eventually 50m with slugs. I always liked patterning different buckshot loads. I had a 590A1 for a couple years, loved it, took some tactical shotgun courses with it. Also have had a couple 870s for hunting. Currently I'm rocking a basic 590 tactical with a 18 1/2 barrel. No frills, tons of fun!
 
Spend some time learning to shoot with the bead sight you currently have, once comfortable with it you very well should be able to hit the mark out to 80-100y. Depending on the brand of buckshot you should be able to get reasonable patterns out to 30-40y, especially is using a brand with a flight control wad. Go on YouTube and search “patterning a shotgun”, Brobee223 who’s a member on here has a few good videos as well of different 12g ammo and how they perform at various ranges.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfdIkvW5jfhfwARR_Q_wTlSz5F0MBPXIL

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfdIkvW5jfhdKblO7DO0t21ehJx9moObn

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfdIkvW5jfhe4z20eqs9H0CiDHjqBomdj

I’ve tried a rds and it’s great but I always gravitate back to a bead or rifle sights, they’re more than adequate at hunting ranges and don’t need batteries. For shot I pattern at 12-15y and then again at 25-30y, slugs I sight in for 25 and 50y and will shoot out to 75 and 100y for fun.
 
What and where exactly are you shooting? If you are shooting 3 gun type stuff, then the black shotgun forum might be a better place to get the advice you seek. The gun you have is not ideally suited for clay targets or hunting birds. It would work ok for deer or turkey though. Short shotguns are meant for use indoors or in tactical applications.
 
You can buy a cantilever barrel, mount a scope/red dot to it for hunting and switch it out as needed without having to re-zero it. Just an option.
 
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Thanks for the recommendations and resources

Yes, it is express tactical and I gave it a good cleaning and Magpul furniture. I kind of regret for not spending more money and going with marine magnum or wingmaster because I am planning on keeping this one.

I shoot for fun and the gun range and I am planning to take it out on the crown land, but I got a figure what is the safe space to do so...backdrop, legal to discharge, maybe away from hunting locations so that I don't have to explain myself to conservation officers. As per plans, I might decide to compete or hunt but that's maybe this fall. For now, I just want to get proficient and get to know it better and see how it patterns with buckshot on different distances as well as how accurate I can get with slugs. I recently shot slugs at 25y from friends semiauto with rifle sights and all 5 went in 3-inch diameter, basically one big hole.
 
Also if someone can suggest a gunsmith near toronto/mississauga I would appreciate it. For some reason, internet search is not really giving me many results...or any valid for that matter
 
dilly said:
What and where exactly are you shooting? If you are shooting 3 gun type stuff, then the black shotgun forum might be a better place to get the advice you seek. The gun you have is not ideally suited for clay targets or hunting birds. It would work ok for deer or turkey though. Short shotguns are meant for use indoors or in tactical applications.
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Don't really think a fixed choke gun (open constriction) would be suitable for turkey hunting. Turkey guns require very tightly constricted chokes to produce dense even patterns to cleanly harvest birds. The gun should also be pattern tested to find the best pattern with different brand shells and shot sizes. Then max distance for your gun and shell combination can be determined. Turkeys are big resilient birds that require dense pellet impacts to the head and neck to cleanly harvest. Minimum of five pellets consistently in the kill zone or preferably many more.
 
Rifle sights on a shotgun are only advantageous when shooting stationary game...usually big game and turkey. Hunting moving targets like flying birds and running rabbits, a sight is pretty much useless. With stationary targets, a shotgun is aimed. With moving targets such as clay sports and flying birds, a shotgun is not aimed but rather pointed. Important to clarify what type of hunting you are doing.
 
Longstud said:
Don't really think a fixed choke gun (open constriction) would be suitable for turkey hunting. Turkey guns require very tightly constricted chokes to produce dense even patterns to cleanly harvest birds. The gun should also be pattern tested to find the best pattern with different brand shells and shot sizes. Then max distance for your gun and shell combination can be determined. Turkeys are big resilient birds that require dense pellet impacts to the head and neck to cleanly harvest. Minimum of five pellets consistently in the kill zone or preferably many more.
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Great point. I missed the part where it is cyl bore with no chokes.
 
Remember to apply a good choke lube when installing ur chokes. Prevents the barrel from being Permachoked so to speak. Being able to select different chokes will give you options for different shooting situations. Good luck.
 
dilly said:
might be cheaper to just buy a 26" barrel with chokes.....better for hunting anyway
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And if you learn to sight over the rib and use the same 870 for hunting, trap, skeet, and tactical games then you'll get pretty good at it!

For the tactical side, throw in about a +5 mag extension underneath that longer barrel and you should be good to go; those guys call it "modified class".
 
I found this one at Sail. https://www.sail.ca/en/remington-870-express-vent-rib-12-26-replacement-canon-190400 I would also consider used one but I am pretty inexperienced and not sure if I would be able to tell which one is in good shape.
Thank you for recommendations!!

I am trying to find a crown land north of GTA to go practice this weekend. I have a variety of slugs (different lengths, weights, velocity) and also 00, 000 and BB shots so I am curious to see how they will work. I will take photos and post them here once I am back.
 
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