Me and my buddies always get together and have a patterning session at the beginning of each spring. Usually each of us has a different choke tube, so if we like the results with one we can go buy that choke. Each of us buys a couple boxes of shells and we all trade around and shoot multiple shells until we get a desired pattern. Its fun and it saves alot of money.

My 870 came with a advantage timber finish already painted on there and it looks really good and won't chip or come off at all. Black and wooden stock guns with dull finished work fine in the woods, but i've heard of the shiny finished guns being seen by turkeys if the sun is shining down on them. You can also by a gun sock and cut slits in it where needed to cover your gun, or by camo kits at your local sports store that work really well and won't leave a sticky substance after you peel them off.