Remington questions?

[Ranger351]

Ok so here are a few questions I'd like some shared knowledge about. I am considering picking up a 870 12ga soon.
1. Vent ribbed or plain barrel and why?
2. Express or Wingmaster and why?
3. 3" or do I really need the 3.5" and why?
4. Do you need a gun with adjustable chokes or can I use an older one with fixed chokes just fine?
I am mainly doing upland as of right now but in the near future I plan on doing waterfowl and would rather not have to buy a new gun for that. Thanks for your knowledge and opinions.

[nikegundog]

1) buy the vent rib, it has a much better site picture. I have older guns without them that I shoot for fun, but bottom line you will hit more with one.
2) The express has nicer wood and a blued barrel it looks 100% IMO, but you can get sun glare off them and that will occasionally flare ducks and geese.
3) If you goose hunt I would diffenently get the 3.5, if you don't I wouldn't bother. I know some guys who like them for pass shooting divers, but never for upland.
4) Buy the adjustable chokes you will kill more birds. The older one will work just fine, but with a fixed full choke your pattern is going to be much smaller. If the gun is made in the last 50 years you can probably get away with shooting steel through a fixed full choke, any older and I wouldn't be doing it.

[ezzy333]

I thonk you got No. 2 backwards. The express is therir cheaper gun and lacks the finish the Wingmaster has.

Ezzy

[nikegundog]

I thonk you got No. 2 backwards. The express is therir cheaper gun and lacks the finish the Wingmaster has.

Ezzy

Your right, got them backwards.

[displaced_texan]

I know a guy that probably kills more geese a year than anyone. A month in Canada and just about every day of the season here. He hunts with 3" shells and doesn't have any problems.

I'd get an Express, IMO a pump is a beater gun. Especially one you will waterfowl with.

If the price was right I wouldn't be to afraid of a fixed choke that was IC or M...