I personally love the stepped rib. It's not super tall like a skeet model. Just slightly raised maybe 1/8"-1/4" I believe. It all depends you. I really have to jam my cheek into my 870 to get a good look down the rib. I'm sure with shotguns that come with shims and spacers some of that can be adjusted out but it still may not be enough for some. Do yourself a favor and go to your local gun store and shoulder a Beretta A400 or a Browning Maxus and look down the barrel. For me I really have to work to make the rib disappear so all I see is the bead/hiviz sight. On a Benelli, Remington Versa Max or, like what I'll be replacing my 870 with here soon, a Winchester SX3, once shouldered, it puts the rib right where it needs to be. And before anyone tells me that the SX3 and the Maxus are basically the same gun (and they are), the SX3 has a gradual step and the browning does not. Here's an example of the difference:
Beretta A400 (non stepped)
Benelli M2 (stepped)
