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bought a 3-1/2" 870 and having problems getting it to shoot a consistent pattern with Nitro's and Hevi-13. I have a friend that recently bought a 20ga 870 and it shot horrible. he has a friend that claims to have straightened many barrells on 870's. is there much to this. i don't like the idea of a shotgun that is this bad off right out of the box.

Buy a browning

i would think that if the barrel is bent it would consitantley shot in the worng spot.

i am sure they are good duck guns, but they don't hold a candle to the remi's for patterning turkey loads.....

Every gun shoots ammo differently. Try different loads and manufactures.

You'll surprise yourself.

what he said

Throw it in the mud, stomp on it a couple of times, then get in a boat and use it for a paddle one whole afternoon... should be about ready to go.

Kinda like when you open a bottle of wine, and have to let it sit before you drink it

Love mine...never had a problem (12 Gauge)

Consistantly shoots Nitro #5's at 40 yds.

Ole' Bessy is 6 for 6 since I purchased her in 2002 I don't think she'll let me down in Missouri in 2 weeks...

If your shootin 3.5's go to 3's they will pattern better than the 3.5's.Go get ya some Nitro 4x5x7's and ya will dust that booty out to about 60 yrds.

i would like ot stick with the hevi-shot and i have tried the hevi-13 and the 3" 4x5x7 nitro's, but they were not consistent. they would also jam in the barrell after you shoot. i had to beat the butt of the gun against the ground to get the shell out. they had another instance of the shell sticking the same day with a brand new 870 at van's. maybe i am expecting too much for a shotgun, but there are several targets that they have shot with the same setup at van's that are putting over 300 pellets in a 10" circle at 40 yards, but i don't know if they will consistently do that. another problem that i have had with both of mine is the little ejector sticking in the forward position and not letting you close the breech. i still think for some reason the 870 is the best gun for the money, but has the quality dropped of that bad in the last few years. my 1986 model 11-87 that i lost was a much better gun, and i really wish i had it back

Is this gun new? If so you might want to go to a dealer and see what they can do about it

brand new.....bought yesterday

Those targets that van's had were with a turkey shell that cost $7.00 a shell. What choke are you using. Also you might consider getting an aftermarket sight. Can make a big difference. No 2 shotguns, even if they are the same set up, will shoot the same. Ask Cameron when you go in there the next time about a guy with a brand new Mossberg and he will tell you about all the chit I went through getting mine to pattern like I want it too without spending a whole lot of money. Took some time and a sore shoulder but i have shot two turkeys this year. One at 48 yds and one at 54 yds. As to the shells jammong that has to do with the shell/wad mostly in the 3.5 in. guns, not uncommon.

After my ol reliable mossy bit the dust year before last, I purchased a brand new Rem. 12 Ga 870 Supermag ---shoots 2 3/4, 3, and 3 1/2 shells.
Right out of the box, it was having trouble cycling 3" and 3 1/2 inch shells. I took it back to my gunsmith and had it worked on about 3 different times to fix this problem, but never could get it just right. I liked the feel of the gun, the balance, the weight, etc., but just could not tolerate having gun jams due to cycling problems. So, I took it back to my gunsmith one last time and traded it for a used Browning 12 Ga. BPS. This gun has the same weight and feel of my ol mossy and performed flawlessly this past season. A new stainless steel spring kit, a camo paint job, and a new limbsaver recoil pad, and I now have my new duck slaying machine.

IF the only problem you are having with the 870 is patterning, then as Dan said, such can probably be cured by just experimenting with different brands and loads of shells. Every gun seems to shoot a little differently and you just have to find the right shell for your gun and quarry. I doubt that a bent barrel is causing your problem.

i know the bent barrell sounds funny. when the guy told me that his friend had fixed many 870's that kind of got my attention though. i think since it is going to be for turkey only i might just put a scope on it and be done with it. it shoots a good pattern, but seems to be sporadic on where it hits??? maybe it is just me?