Right now I am in bit of a dilemia. I am in need/want of a shotgun. I'm looking at the Remington Tactical series, but I'm trying to figure out of I can build the shotgun I want. Really I just want an 18" 870 with a Speedfeed IV-S stock. I could just get an HD model, but it seems that Imp. Cylinder bores are more preferred for a tighter pattern of buckshot. Is it really worth it to go IC, or can Cylinder do most of what I need it to do (Informal Skeet & HD)?

If you really want an Improved Cylinder, you're in luck, according to the new 2006 Remington catalog, it looks like all the short barreled HD type guns will now have the Improved Cylinder choke as standard factory.

What you'll need to do, is be SURE the gun you order is a new, current factory model with the change in chokes.

Might want to wait a bit as I bought another 870HD yesterday and it had a CYL choke. There are still some in the pipeline that have the cylinder bore. I've shot both chokes and I don't have an opinion either way. Good luck! Milldude

ETA- CYL will do everything you need it to. IC will tighten your pattern slightly. If it were me; I would just pick up a 870 HD (#5077). It comes with the +2 extension installed. I paid $279 for mine............ Add the stock of your choice and enjoy!

I really doubt you could tell the differance between the 2. Maybe your pattern is 30" insted of 32" at 25 yards?

Quoted: I really doubt you could tell the differance between the 2. Maybe your pattern is 30" insted of 32" at 25 yards?

[b/]

True, but if you are taking a 25 yard shot at someone who is smaller than your shot pattern, you need to know where the misses will be going.

My 870P-Max has an Improved Cyl.  When I first got it, I shot 12, 00 rnds into a silhouette target at thirty yrds.  I only had one pellet miss, which was high and to the right--away from the rest of the hits.  I believe this was an anomaly, possibly due to a flat spot on the pellet.  All the other shots would have been kill shots and had a tight pattern.  I shot the at the same distance with an older "un"improved cylinder bore with a much different result.  The patterns weren't as tight and there were about 12-15 pellets that did not hit the sillhouette portion of the target.

From this, I still held my belief that 00 buckshot should be used at 25 yards and in while slugs can be used up to 100 yards without a problem.  I would go with the improved cylinder.  It is better to have it when you need it than to want it when you need it.  Sorry for being so long-winded