Remington 11-87 Sportsman: when enough is enough

Guns Magazine, Sept, 2005 by Jeff John

Sporting auto shotguns have escalated in price in the last decade as companies meet the wider performance window many hunters demand. Dedicated waterfowlers are shooting 3 1/2" autos to launch enough steel shot for far away ducks and geese. Turkey hunters demand the same thing, but for launching buckets of lead in beachball-size patterns. What if you're like me and only occasionally hunt waterfowl and mostly hunt upland birds like dove, quail, chukar and shoot recreational skeet and sporting clays? For such occasions I don't need a gun costing in excess of $1,200. If geese, duck and turkey were my passion, then yes, I would need one. It does improve the odds.

I figure I can meet those occasional turkey and waterfowling requirements with a 3" 12-gauge gun and save enough money to maybe take a nice overnight two-day hunt somewhere. The ammunition makers have done wonders increasing the range and lethality of waterfowl and turkey loads enough to revitalize the 3" 12 gauge retailing for about half the cost of the 3 1/2" jobs--less when you find one on sale. You won't be undergunned shooting Remington HeviShot or Federal Tungsten at waterfowl or turkey.

The 11-87 Sportsman

A somewhat old design, it is sniffed at as obsolete by some of the import makers, but the 11-87 is simple, reliable and versatile. It works flawlessly with a wide range of 2 3/4" and 3" sporting and hunting amino while its gas system and weight softens recoil measurably. The 8 1/4-pound heft helps dampen recoil, yet it's not so heavy it becomes a burden. (Well, having hunted quail and chukar in the Mojave Desert, 8 1/4 pounds can get heavy, but that's why God created slings. You often need both hands in those rocky Mojave draws and the 11-87 is factory equipped with Uncle Mike's sling swivel studs.) The gun is just a good, stable platform for all around everyday use and the mechanism itself works basically like the venerable old 1100s, so, for me, using it is pretty much like meeting an old friend. Selling retail for $625, it is easy to justify for the casual hunter and shooter over its more expensive cousins.

If you get tired of the black plastic stock, you can always paint it or add a camo applique. Heck, it's a Remington. Beau coup aftermarket stocks and accessories await your pleasure. There are whole cottage industries working around Remington pump and auto shotguns for sport, games and war. They're that versatile.

Shooting Industry Masters

Last year I was invited to participate in the Shooting Industry Masters competition sponsored by our magazines and PMC for the benefit of NSSF's Step Outside program. It's a 3-gun shoot and everyone else was shooting over/unders for the shotgun part and I felt a semiauto ought to be there somewhere. I hadn't fired a shotgun for a couple of years up to that point (shame on me), so my choice was a gun I was familiar with--a Remington 11-87 12-gauge 3" with a 28" barrel and the IC choke installed. Some of the others rented shotguns at the range, but I knew an unfamiliar gun would eat into my meager point total and some of the renters dropped birds due to their O/U's automatic safety.

I only had time for a few practice sessions before the trip and it was nice to know I hadn't forgotten everything about shotguns. I never shot much better than about 75 percent at sporting clays, so I didn't anticipate a high score. I did shoot 62 percent and cleaned one station. I never had one malfunction during practice or the event. Since it was a new gun, I stuck with 1 1/8-ounce target loads to ensure reliability. The gun shouldered and shot just like I had always owned it. I find the 28" barrel swings best for me. It's a might longer than a 28" O/U, but the length smoothes out the swing.

Come dove season, I reckon I'll take this 11-87 along with me. I like having three shots on doves, especially after the doves have been shot at a bit and realize how serious things are. Knowing how I shoot--and how much I'll have to shoot--a semiauto shotgun is going to feel mighty good at the end of the day. It might get wee bit heavy in the heat, but I have a sling, too.

11-87 Sportsman

Remington Arms
870 Remington Drive
P.O. Box 700, Madison, NC 27025
(800) 243-9700, www.remington.com.

   ACTION TYPE:    Semiauto
         GAUGE:    12
         CHOKE:    Remchoke, Full, Modified and
                   Improved Cylinder provided
      CAPACITY:    4 1 (2 1 when plugged)
 BARREL LENGTH:    28"
LENGTH OF PULL:    14"
  DROP AT COMB:    1 1/2"
  DROP AT HEEL:    2 1/2"
OVERALL LENGTH:    48"
        WEIGHT:    8 1/4 wounds
        FINISH:    Matte blue
        SIGHTS:    White bead front, small
                   mid-barrel bead
         STOCK:    Black synthetic
         PRICE:    $625