What's the best load for me?

<P>Your gun having an open fixed choke poses a few problems.&nbsp; The open choke severely limits the effective range of the gun, unless you use Hevishot or tungsten iron, which&nbsp;can be up to&nbsp;about $1.80 per shot if you buy factory loads, unless you find them on sale.&nbsp; You normally can find them on sale after the season is over.&nbsp; </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0px">You might consider picking up an 870 barrel with screw in chokes.&nbsp; Even though it may be chambered for a 3" shell, you still use the 2 3/4" shells for which your action was designed.&nbsp; That would increase your options considerably.&nbsp; Kent makes a 1 1/16 oz. steel&nbsp;load at 1500 fps.? in the 2 3/4" hull that is reputed to be very effective.&nbsp; But you need the ability to change chokes to get the best patterns for the birds and at the ranges you will be shooting.</P> <P style="MARGIN: 0px">&nbsp;</P> <P style="MARGIN: 0px">Of course, if you are not particularly attached to that gun, you can buy a more modern gun with a 3" chamber and screw in chokes and your options will increase considerably.</P>

 

<P>Since you are one of us, with limited money to spend on shells, steel shot is your most likely choice.&nbsp; However, use of steel shot can present problems in guns made before 1990, which are not rated for use with steel shot.&nbsp; The barrels tend to be made of softer and thinner metal than used in barrels rated for steel shot.&nbsp; Using steel shot can cause bulges to form just in front of the choke.&nbsp; This is more likely to occur in tighter chokes than in more open chokes. Usually, if it happens at all, it is just a cosmetic defect, with no effect on performance of the&nbsp;gun.&nbsp; However,&nbsp;although it is very, very uncommon, it could also result in catastrophic failure of the barrel at that point.</P> <P style="MARGIN: 0px">Personally, I wouldn't use steel shot&nbsp;any larger than #2 in the modified, but it should give you adequate performance within normal duck shooting ranges, up to about 35 yards, using the Kent 1500 fps.&nbsp;1 1/16 oz. load.&nbsp; I would try some #3's and some #2's and see which pattern the best for you.&nbsp;</P>

 

<P style="MARGIN: 0px">You can pick up a Rem 870 3" express (26" or 28" barrel) with Mod choke for $249.99 and a Turkey Conversion kit which is on sale for $99.99 (reg. $119.99) this includes a camo synthetic forend, stock, extended/ported turkey choke and fiber optic sights.&nbsp; Extra Rem choke tubes are $18.00 each.</P> <P style="MARGIN: 0px">If you purchase one extra choke that would be about $368.00 plus tax (under&nbsp;$400.00)&nbsp;and you can get it 12 months same as cash which should be roughly $34.00 @ month or less than $10.00 @ week.&nbsp; Surely you can afford a deal like this.&nbsp; This is at the Fin-Feather-Fur, 625 State Route 250 East, Ashland, OH.</P>