the 870 is a great choice and i agree with rammer that the 3 1/2 isnt what its hyped up to be. its not really that great. 3 inch stuff is probably more then enough for what you will use it for. shooting ducks with a 3 1/2 is kinda silly aint it. do you pheasant hunt with 3 1/2 i kinda doubt it but o well and as far as the turkeys go 3 inch is plenty. ive got 3 usin my 870 with winchester 1 3/4 oz. 5 shot. a neighbor of mine shot one with a 20ga last year and dropped it 1shot so the 3 1/2 is only more money. its not really worth it.