Mobile Bay Reef Keepers

Hello everyone!
For Christmas this year, I got my first gun! From what little i know, its a fairly good one. Its a Remington 870 Express 12 gauge 28" barrel. I have always wanted to bird hunt and from what I hear, this is a good one for just that. I know we have a couple of hunters on here, so any advice on where I can learn to bird hunt around here (preferably closer to p'cola) and practice, would be greatly appreciated. Also, I know you can get longer barrels for more accuracy, would a longer barrel(~30")really help a newby like me?

I'll always remember good times when I was growing up, duck hunting with my trusty 870 wingmaster

I prefered my Ruger Red Label. Does is have screw in chokes? I don't think a longer barrel will help much unless you are planning on a goose hunt. Find a target range that has skeet. That is the best way to go. If you know someone that has some land you can buy a couple of boxes of skeet, 100 shells and a skeet thrower. Start off with a skeet choke if you have one then work your way up as your skill improves. It's hard so be patient. Start off by shooting them going away from you (this is the easiest) then keep the skeet thrower moving away until you are 90 degrees apart. Lead time increases as you get to that 90 degree mark so it will change the way you shoot.

A target range with skeet will have different stations so you can practice different senarios.

Have an 870 express had for years. Use it deer hunt, turkey hunt, dove hunt, you name i have shot at it with my 870. Great guns. At the wilcox road exit you can shoot skeet at styx river shooting range. Unless you are going to turkey hunt barrell is fine. You can change chokes to help with pattern. But most is shooter not guns......