It looks like you have decided on an 870. You can do two things. #1 Lever Arms has the 3.5" supermag synthetic for $499.cdn you then buy a slug barrel for $250 CDN. and you are just $50 over budget. #2 buy the super mag express combo in wood for $660CDN @Wholesale sports, and hunt as is, when and if the stock gets chewed up replace it with a synthetic camo one @ $120CDN. You are $80 bucks over budget. I wouldn' t look at a red dot sight under $300. several guys here put some cheap ones ($150-200) on there slug guns and they couldn' t take the wet weather, none have them on now. I think you should give the Mossberg a good look. The Mod 835 ultra mag turkey combo comes with 24" barrel and an extra full choke tube , you would want to buy a mod tube @$30 , and a fully rifled extra barrel with fiber optic sights. Whole sale sports has it for $700 CDN . Hope this helps.