The new Remington 870 Express Super Magnum proved to be a smooth-shooting, well-balanced waterfowl killer. (Photo credit: Jace Baseman.)
January 31, 2025
By Jace Baseman
As I popped the lid on the cardboard box and peeked inside, a flood of waterfowl memories hit me. There, cloaked in all-new Kryptek Flyway camo with Burnt Bronze Cerakote on the barrel and receiver was Remington’s renovated 870 Super Magnum Waterfowl.
My first-ever waterfowl shotgun was a standard Remington 870. For 12 years that duck hunting legend filled my freezer and made my waterfowl dreams a reality.
First Impressions As I opened the 3-½” chamber and dropped the 28” barrel over the forend, a wave of nostalgia washed over me. After tightening down the knurled magazine cap, the shotgun came to life. The synthetic forearm welcomed my hand like gripping the steering wheel of your favorite pick-up truck. Depressing the slide release button, the pump action was silky smooth.
Remington Arms may have hit a few bumps in the road in recent years, but they are back, and better than ever. Though over 13,000,000 Model 870s have been created, each one sports a touch of personalization when a relationship between shooter and shotgun is formed. The thin stock throat felt terrific in hand, and I love that Remington added a padded cheek comb atop the stock. The rubbery pad promotes remarkable fit and feel which ensures exact cheek placement no matter the weather conditions, while also reducing felt recoil.
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Though a Super Magnum, meaning the shotgun handles 2-¾”, 3”, and 3-½” shotshells, the receiver size on this shotgun matched my original 870. This purposeful Remington feature ensures all 870 models have the same balance point.
With the chamber open and push-button safety on, I stepped out of my backdoor and shouldered the shotgun multiple times. It was like bringing an old friend into my shoulder pocket each time, and the SuperCell Recoil Pad promoted rapid mounting.
Testing the gun While testing, the Remington 870 Express Super Magnum handled each shot, and was easy to use. (Photo credit: Jace Baseman.) Before heading afield to take this waterfowling icon for a dance, I used the included choke tube wrench to remove the extended Remington choke. The ink on the tube read: REMINGTON REM CHOKE OVER DECOYS. I also swapped the front bead sight with the included HIVIZ Sight Kit with replaceable fiber optics. A simple snap of the sight over the rail, push it up to the bead, and you’re set. I love it when a shotgun manufacturer provides additional options for purposeful sight customization.
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My first volley of shotshells was Remington’s 2-¾” #2 Sportsman Steel and 2-¾” Fiocchi Flyway #4s —two of my all-time duck hunting favorites. Neither shotshell breaks the bank, and when ducks are in tight, straps get filled.
I’m happy to report that my first four shots at clay targets, two crossings and two going away, turned the flying discs into puffs of orange dust. The triangular-shaped Litepipe on the HIVIZ sight is a treat. I love the fit and feel of this shotgun, and the redesigned forearm allows for rapid cycling. I had zero problems manipulating the slides and staying on target.
I also found the 14” length of pull perfect, and I loved the slim trigger with ideal curvature.
My next series of shots included several 3” Hevi-Shot Hevi-XII #2s and 3” Black Cloud BBs. I busted clays and did some pattern testing with the included choke at 30, 40, and 50 yards. Though the choke was designed for ducks in decoy range, I was ultra-impressed with the 50-yard patterns both shotshells produced. I can report that this shotgun will do its job, the rest is up to you.
As I jumped up in payload (1-3/8-ounce Hevi-XII and 1-1/4-ounce,) shoulder abuse increased. Still, I was impressed. Remington did a fantastic job with recoil management. Chalk this to the overall build and the newly designed SuperCell Recoil Pad. Force was absorbed efficiently thanks to the complex matrix of SuperCells located within the pad.
This shotgun swings with elegant grace, and the longer 28” barrel should balance well for a wide range of shooters.
One of the many things I love about this pump-action is that it’s designed to handle all lengths of shotshells. This makes it ideal for fast-flying teal, and a winner for giant Canada geese hanging on the edge of the spread.
Final thoughts The shotgun handled Hevi-Shot’s Hevi-Metal 3-½”, 1-1/2-ounce payload shotshells with ease. Though I’m not a massive fan of 3-½” shotshells, the recoil pad did its job, and twice I cycled a trio of shotshells as fast as I could to ensure proper ejection with no hang-ups. The first three shots were fired in 2.35 seconds, and each spent hull flew far from the ejection port. The second three shots were a tick faster, and just like the previous trio, I experienced no issues.
Just for laughs, I asked my wife to stand next to some marsh grass on a bright sunny day. I stood back 100 yards while she loaded and unloaded the gun, shouldered it, and used the included sling to toss it over her shoulder. Not once did I detect a hint of fowl-spooking shine. Something that can quickly ruin a hunt. Remington thought of everything when they crafted this meat-and-potatoes 12 gauge, and with a price point under $700, there’s no excuse not to add one to the safe.
Over four days, I fired 250 rounds of steel shot through Remington’s Model 870 Super Magnum Waterfowl. I experienced no jams or mechanical failures—the shotgun is a joy to shoot. Much of this credit falls to the legendary 870 receiver, crafted from a single solid steel block. There isn’t much on this shotgun that can go wrong. I didn’t clean it once during testing, and the slides never felt stiff or rigid to manipulate. The fit and feel injected me with shooting confidence, a vital part of shooting well. This 48 ½” long, 7 ½-pound 12 gauge was a killer before, and it looks to be a killer once again.