870 all the way, had friends that bought the 835 and had probs with them. I have an SPS 21" bbl with a TruGlo Turkey choke, patterns great. The short bbl is nice when duck huntin' in the woods also when walking in with it on your shoulder, doesnt get caught on branches and stuff as much. I have shot 2 3/4, 3, and 3 1/2" guns, and the 3 1/2 has not impressed me at all, especially if you factor in the price diff in steel shells. I still duck hunt with 2 3/4 sometimes when I go with a certain friend. So the shell thing has no bearing on what I buy, but my 870 has done wonders for me.

Why am I sittin here on this stupid PC when I could be huntin'