i love my 870 express mag turkey gun. but after this year i want a scope. i get the worst turkey fever imaginable. this years bird, if you missed my post, i clobbered right in the wing with hevi shot. thankfully it WAS hevishot. i got the pattern and penetration to put a hurtin on him.

but i want a scope...it will force me to aim..not point and pull the trigger. and with the pattern i throw i feel i almost NEED a scope.

what are my mounting options since its not drilled and tapped like a mossberg?? or should i have it drilled and tapped??

what scopes do you turkey hunters use?? ive never used one on a turkey gun...i want something that i'll beable to see thru quickly and easily. not some tiny dinky thing that has a terrible FOV..dont really need magnification..but im open to a variable low power...even open to red dots or holo sight systems...what do you guys think???

also..it need to hold up to 3in mag abuse.

thanx guys

I have a tasco scope mount that bolts in to where the trigger assembly pins are. Remove the pins, mount the scope. Easy. Using a simmons 2x32 scope.

I got my mount at the local gunshop Remington makes them they were even camo finish to match my shotgun finish and the scope is a Bushnell Trophy also in camo finish but I'm thinking of gettingthe Leupold NWTF model thats new for 2007

I've also got a 870. I ordered a weaver base from RR arms in minnesota. It's made for the 870 super mag which comes drilled & tapped, but it also fits the 870 mag express. The part # for the base is 429M 48454 matte. you will also need a # 33 drill bit & 6-48 taper tap(395-648-101). These you can get from brownells. I just used my drill press and some straight edges and a sharpie marker for layout lines. I finished off the installation with weaver medium grand slam rings and a cabela's 2.5X pine ridge shotgun scope. i killed the only turkey that I saw this year at 55 yards with #4 hevi-shot through a rem hevi-shot choke.
A red dot sight or a compact scope like the truglo 4x won't fit because the cross slots in the base are'nt set up for it. if you choose one of these options I would suggest a picctinny rail base, badger ordinance and others make these, they are pretty expensive about $40-$60. The weaver base is about $5.

Check out this link. It has what you need.

http://cabelas.com/cabelas/en/common/search/search-results1.jsp?QueryText=shotgun+scope+mount&N=4 887&Ntk=Products&Ntx=mode+matchall&Nty =1&Ntt=shotgun+scope+mount&noImage=0

If you want rock solid dependability, go with a 1-4x Leupold shotgun scope. Plenty of eye relief and they can handle the recoil. After examining a lot of red dots over the years, I came to the conclusion that they just aren't built to handle abuse. And I didn't feel like worrying about batteries anyways. To bad you didn't post this last fall....I had the scope and mount setup for sale! I have since switched to a set of rifle sights off a remington slug gun. I have the iron v in the rear,, and a tru-glo dot up front. I can't explain why, but I like it more than the scope. A lot easier to get on a moving bird I suppose.


But since you aren't drilled and tapped, take a look at the Millet saddle mount. I liked it a lot more than the other ones on the market, and it won't hit your knuckles whenthe gun recoils.

Mike

Here's the turkey scope I suggest. It's the best option I found. The MBU Bushnell Trophy 1.75-4x32mm

http://cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0024531710064a&type=product&cm Cat=search&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&QueryText=bushnell+trophy+scope&a mp;N=4887&Ntk=Products&Ntx=mode+matchall&a mp;Nty=1&Ntt=bushnell+trophy+scope&noImage =0

It features generous eye relief to offset the hard recoil of some turkey loads and feature varible power to allow you to zoom just a bit for those longer range set-ups. Also it features the circle X retricle to frame that Gobblers head perfectly and it also acts as somewhat of a rangefinder to let you now if that big strutter is within range of not. I seriously haven't found a better option for a turkey gun.

thanx guys...after looking at the side saddles i may see if i cant just have it drilled and tapped. i had the mauser done..it wasnt expensive. i bet i can have it done comparable to the side saddles...i just dont like the look of the side saddle type mounts

i still dont know if i want a scope, red dot, or holo sight. i dont think id have any problem with a GOOD red dot or holo sight from leupold or someone good. i'll pay for it...but those low objective scopes are gunna burn me i know it. the day i put one on is the day i wish i didnt. a 32 may not be bad..but alot are 20...i know that would be like looking through a key hole in a door for me.

i just got a terrible habit of snap shooting. honestly i should have ANY spring birds to my name. i knew sooner or later i was gunna miss. thankfully the hevishot put a hurtin on the bird and i got him taken care of...guess ill have to head to a shop and see what i like best...figure i'll have my turkey gun forever...might as well do her right. also going to see if knoxx or remington cant get me their tactical stock with recoil buffer in camo...if not i know advanced technology already makes theirs in camo. then i'll have my dream turkey slayer. i broke both my wrists at the same time and the dr was nice and gave me removable air casts...he doesnt know me well. within a week or so i barely wore them. took my right one off and was fishin most of the time. didnt hurt too bad why not??!? well i have about barely any side to side motion in my wrists...holding my turkey gun is a killer. part of the reason i snap shoot. i cant keep my gun on my knee and hold it

i think a scope and pistol grip will solve my problems...and put my pattern where it needs to be.

Mauser, you should get one of those rests by HS that holds the gun on your knee for you if you don't already have one. It might give your wrist some relief.

i seen those RI...my gun is compact and light and i got a decint knee to rest it on..so i havent gotten around to picking one up...but its my right hand(trigger hand) that kills me. its hard to explain..but the way i have to move my wrist to hold any regular stocked gun kills me after a few minutes. turkey hunting is the only hunting where i usually keep my gun in my hand most of the time..or would like to. i dont mind buying the pistol grip. itll make it more comfortable for me...and make my more steady. ive tested the idea out with my m4 carbine AR15 with practically the same stock...and it makes things alot more comfortable. i actually want royalties from the collapsable camo shotgun stock! that was MY IDEA!!! lol. as soon as we got the M4 years ago i said boyyy i want this on my shotgun!! guess i should have acted on it huh!