pistol grip
I read where the shotgun could be better supported, aimed in, as in waiting for a gobbler to present a shot, while using a pistol grip. As I've spent more than just a few agonizing minutes waiting for Ol' wartface to to do just that, I though I'd look in to the business, came up with a Choate Pistol grip /tactical number for the trusty 870 and went turkey hunting.
On the pistol grip, the hand does seem to fall into a more natural position, and the wrist is not "cranked" forward as with a conventional or straight stock. I do believe the gun can be supported/aimed in, at the ready, more easily, for longer periods of time. In fact, I'm sure of it, for me, ....bamaboy too. The boy killed his first two toms using my 870 with the Choate on it. I killed my first one for that season with it too, .......then I took it off.
What persuaded me to go back to the traditional stock was several reasons:
-the dang thing did not sling easily,and gobber hunting is much about walking, usually with the gun slung. Seems like the pistol grip was constanly prodding me at about the kidneys, no matter how I slung the shotgun
-on anything but a stationary, fixed shot, I had trouble swinging the gun, it just did not feel natural. Much like BigJimP and others described, the gun did not seem as versatile, and my brain could not get my hands to do right.
-finally, and for this as much as anything, with 3" turkey loads, recoil caused the gun/comb to climb more, and I got a dang bruise on the cheekbone. Bamaboy did not have this trouble, but his face is slimmer (he's slimmer too!!!) and he was using 2.75" mags, not the big 3" numbers. But I've never been bit like that with a traditional stock. I suspect that my thumb over the top of the conventional stock/grip helps control the upward climb.