Skeet shooters check in

For skeet, Full choke is way too much. You want Cylinder, Skeet, or Improved Cylinder.

As for store bought ammo, I usually find the best deals when Dick's Sporting Goods has sales on their Remington Game Loads and Gun Club Target Loads. Most recently I've found them for about $5.95/box. Walmart might have some similar deals, but I've never purchased shells there.

Any load bigger than 1 oz (for 12 gauge) and any shot between 7 1/2 and 9 will do the trick.

As for beads, I don't have any suggestions. I use the stock brass bead on my Browning BPS.

looks fun somthing i want to get into at a local range here in tx looks pretty cheap to try, 8 bucks for a round and a round includes 100 birds/clays im guessing... quick question though im new to the gun scene all together. i was wondering with the 870 express that i got its still stock have not done anything to it at all can i use it stock to skeet shoot or will i need to make some mods? im reading alot about chokes as well so i look in the barrel on the new shotty i bought and it does not appear that anyting is on the muzzle of the gun....

Remington makes a "skeet" screw in choke for the 870. You can get them from Midway or Gamaleils. If you are doing the skeet for fun for now, mods are optional. If you get serious, you will need a different shotgun.

I like the winchester featherlite ammo in #8 for clays.

Richard713 said:

im reading alot about chokes as well so i look in the barrel on the new shotty i bought and it does not appear that anyting is on the muzzle of the gun....

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You need to read the side of the barrel where it says what it is chambered for. It may not be made for chokes.

yocan said:

Just got an adjustable trigger put into my rem870 12 gauge express. 28" VR barrel.

Its good enough unless I get my eyes done there isn't a point in getting a better shotgun.

Heres my question what choke do I want to use? It came with an extra full choke, I figure thats way too much.

Only use for this is clays, and theoretically dove in Texas if I'm ever there in season again.

If you can't tell I have no idea what I'm doing. Oh, suggestions for starting shooting clays what type to shoot, and loads (I'm not reloading right now, so store bought) to go with.

Oh if there is a bead out there you find helps on the eyes let me know I'd appreciate it.

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You need a modified or skeet choke, standard target loads and if you want a better sight, here's one. TruGlo Tru-Bead Sight. TG949A, TG949B. TruGlo Tritium & Fiber Optic Night Sights.

gordonw1 said:

You need to read the side of the barrel where it says what it is chambered for. It may not be made for chokes.

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what will i be looking for exactly?

imonfire said:

Remington makes a "skeet" screw in choke for the 870. You can get them from Midway or Gamaleils. If you are doing the skeet for fun for now, mods are optional.

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wont be anything serious, but i would like to try it to see if i can do it, the muzzle of the barrel does not appear to have any threads for a "screw in" does that mean i need a diff barrel or can i use the stock barrel? also while on this topic, does this mean i can shoot slugs with out a problem?

thanks for all the help guys, im really new to this and i wanna make sure i dont mess it up...:roll:

Richard713 said:

what will i be looking for exactly?

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Well, I honestly don't know exactly what it will say. It will indicate if the barrel is "modified" or "cylinder" bore I believe, if it does not take chokes.

My Mossberg says "Accu-choke" on the barrel under where it says what shells its chambered for. I assume that the Remmy will have Rem-Choke somewhere on there. If it takes chokes, that is.

gordonw1 said:

Well, I honestly don't know exactly what it will say. It will indicate if the barrel is "modified" or "cylinder" bore I believe, if it does not take chokes.

My Mossberg says "Accu-choke" on the barrel under where it says what shells its chambered for. I assume that the Remmy will have Rem-Choke somewhere on there. If it takes chokes, that is.

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Well reading in the manual just says cylinder bore but makings on the barrel just show 12ga 2 3/4-3 in with a star in front of it.... any thoughts?

Richard713 said:

Well reading in the manual just says cylinder bore but makings on the barrel just show 12ga 2 3/4-3 in with a star in front of it.... any thoughts?

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Your shotgun is chambered for 2 3/4" and 3" shells. A cylinder bore which means no choke.

My 26" barrel with a removable choke also says *12 GA, 2 3/4" or 3".

You can easily tell if your shotgun has a removable choke by looking at the end of the barrel. If you see a silver cylinder with 4 notches (one on each side) then it can be screwed out and changed. If not, then you are likely running a cyliner bore. You can verify this with a micrometer. Here is a table that will tell you the difference in size between the various chokes. Shotgun - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The nice thing is you can easily replace the barrel. A new barrel will run about $130 and can be swapped in under a minute with no tools.

I hope that helps.

seawolfxix said:

For skeet, Full choke is way too much. You want Cylinder, Skeet, or Improved Cylinder.

As for store bought ammo, I usually find the best deals when Dick's Sporting Goods has sales on their Remington Game Loads and Gun Club Target Loads. Most recently I've found them for about $5.95/box. Walmart might have some similar deals, but I've never purchased shells there.

Any load bigger than 1 oz (for 12 gauge) and any shot between 7 1/2 and 9 will do the trick.

As for beads, I don't have any suggestions. I use the stock brass bead on my Browning BPS.

Click to expand...

and all three chokes you mentioned can fire slugs so thats a nice extra feature.

imonfire said:

Remington makes a "skeet" screw in choke for the 870. You can get them from Midway or Gamaleils. If you are doing the skeet for fun for now, mods are optional. If you get serious, you will need a different shotgun.

I like the winchester featherlite ammo in #8 for clays.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice on ammo. I know about the shotgun, but from my perspective I'm shooting to become a better shot not win a competition, the side of the family that paid their way through college shooting isn't my side. I'd put 2k into my eyes before I spent 2k on a skeet shotgun. My uncles cost him 13k or something similarly ridiculous.

gsh341 said:

You need a modified or skeet choke, standard target loads and if you want a better sight, here's one. TruGlo Tru-Bead Sight. TG949A, TG949B. TruGlo Tritium & Fiber Optic Night Sights.

Click to expand...

Well if I get mad at the bead I'll do that thanks.

Rich, from what they are saying, you don't need to do a thing to go skeet shooting your good.

I used IC choke on my Beretta AL390, and 1oz #8 Remington shot-shells.

I'm not sure about other people in here, but eventually I stopped using the sight altogether just lead with the barrel, amongst other odd things.

Personally I'm not shooting slugs out of anything but open choke, but that's me.

Good luck and have fun shooting.

I put an EasyHit Sport Shooting Bead on my 870 and noticed an improvement in my shooting immediately.

Man, different chokes for different folks. Just try out a few different ones and go with the choke you are most consistant with. For me I started with modified and went to improved cylinder and started hitting in the 90%. For you it may be different as everyone is and you'll get different answers from everyone on what choke to use.

Ive been using a stock 870 the whole time without issue. Would a different choke help? Probably. But I do just fine with it as is.

Are you shooting skeet or trap? For skeet a modified choke is fine, if its trap you'll want a full choke for sure. I use an unmodified 870 Wingmaster for trap with a full choke and whatever 7.5 shot is on sale.