January 8, 2013, 01:07 PM | #1 |
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Hiking Shotgun
I am new to shotguns and would appreciate some advice. My goal is to have a 12 gauge shotgun for protection while hiking. I'm thinking something like a modified Remington 870? I would like to put a collapsible or telescoping stock with a pistol grip on it and the shortest legal barrel for slugs yet able to carry a sufficient number of shells. Additionally, I would like a sling or holster with quick draw access. I'm not looking for the most expensive gear either. What would be a good reliable gun, stock, barrel and sling for this? Thanks for your help.
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January 8, 2013, 01:29 PM | #2 |
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I'm an 870 man, but ah... This might be an option:
http://www.mossberg.com/products/sho...urpose/500-jic |
January 8, 2013, 03:49 PM | #3 |
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Any of the three main pump makers - Remington, Mossberg or Ithaca would work. I believe the Ithaca would be the lightest of the three
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January 8, 2013, 04:18 PM | #4 |
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When I hike, my gear weighs about 16 pounds total.
No way would I even consider adding a shotgun and ammo... Learn to shoot a handgun.
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January 8, 2013, 05:28 PM | #5 |
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Taking a shotgun would require leaving behind imporant things, like food. I wouldn't carry the weight of a dozen shells, let alone a shotgun. A handgun, and the smaller the better, is the only real option.
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January 8, 2013, 06:16 PM | #6 |
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I carried a NEF 20 ga youth gun with a 22" mod choked barrel as a woods bumming / camp gun. Handy little gun.
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January 8, 2013, 06:29 PM | #7 |
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Unless you need bear protection, a handgun would be more practical. Even for bears, spray and a powerful handgun will weigh less and be easier to hike with..
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January 8, 2013, 06:38 PM | #8 |
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And, AFAIK, posession of any firearms in a National Forest is against the law - IF your hiking takes you through one .................
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January 8, 2013, 07:37 PM | #9 |
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Guns in Natl PARKS are generally prohibited. Guns in Natl Forests are generally allowed, depending on what hunting seasons are open and regulations will vary...
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January 8, 2013, 09:25 PM | #10 |
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I would take along a LARGE caliber, long barrel magnum revolver(think Clint Eastwood) with waist holster in order to keep my hands free for other uses. Lighter and more ammo could be carried. As far as bear spray goes, if I was faced with a charging bear and had the choice of using my magnum sidearm or my bear spray I would choose door number 1. My life is more valuable to me than the bears. Let them arrest me.
Regardless of what you choose, if your not proficient with shot placement nothing is going to help. |
January 8, 2013, 09:35 PM | #11 | ||
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Quote:
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January 8, 2013, 10:26 PM | #12 | |
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Quote:
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January 9, 2013, 05:36 AM | #13 |
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Serbu Super Shorty 12ga...
For a slick SBS(short barrel shotgun) you can take in a daypack or outdoor hike, I'd see; www.serbufirearms.com . You can convert a 870 or Mossberg 500 pump shotgun. They have 20ga too. You would need a tax stamp & meet certain ATF requirements, www.atf.gov .
For outdoor use, you may want to get a 12ga treated with Robar NP3+ or T2. Bearcoat, www.bearcoat.com is a good value too. Clyde |
January 9, 2013, 11:38 AM | #14 |
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i agree with the others on the size of the shotgun bring prohibitive to packing along while hiking. My woods gun is a g29 in 10mm, we only have black bears and 2 legged predators here to deal with and i feel good about my chances.
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January 9, 2013, 11:51 AM | #15 |
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Some folks just don't worry with pack weight...
I reckon an ex-mil, or even current perhaps,looks at a 50#+ pack as an easy carry... Some likely prefer their old surplus pack and frame over civvie offerings... That being said, either my M-500 with 18 inch barrel or my Stevens 5100 double gun with 20" barrels, Both sub 6 pounds, both 20 gauge, will lash vertically to my modern mil-surp pack and alloy frame nicely... Brent |
January 9, 2013, 01:06 PM | #16 |
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This is a case of packing the keyboard along.
I'd welcome company for a typical 15 mile hiking day by someone carrying what they *need* and then add on the shotgun and ammo. I'm betting that before we reach camp, the shotgun is offered for sale for a very cheap price.
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Above is based on the opinion of a 20 year Small Arms Marksmanship and Training Unit USAF instructor with more than 30 years in competitive shooting sports. Your mileage may vary. |
January 9, 2013, 04:26 PM | #17 |
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For a daypack that has a gun sleeve, I would prefer a Stoeger Coach Shotgun in 12 or 20 gauge. It's probably the shortest "legal" barreled shotgun, that you can purchase. I would slide it in a Voodoo Shotgun Scabbard.
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January 9, 2013, 05:11 PM | #18 |
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The shortest would be the Serbu mentioned above -but they are not nice to fire, especially with anything more powerful than basic target loads - but they are short and compact.
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January 9, 2013, 05:55 PM | #19 |
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The OP might consider canoe or kayak trekking as an alternative to hiking by foot. You can carry a lot more supplies, including a shotgun via a canoe or kayak. A good friend of mine did this up in the boundary waters of Northern Minnesota and said it was the trip of a lifetime. He and his sons camped along the waterways, using two canoes. They did a lot of fishing and sightseeing. In a typical canoe you can carry 3 to 4 hundred pounds of supplies.
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January 9, 2013, 07:20 PM | #20 | |
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Quote:
I feel a lot safer in the boonies than in the city or on the highway, but were I to feel the need for a defensive tool, I'd rank the choices: #1 -- bear spray (also effective on 2-legs); #2 -- whatever handgun I'm comfortable with, and #3 -- a shotgun if I'm going into brown bear or (especially) polar bear country, as a last resort after #1. (And, #1a, a nice little .22, just to plink and have fun with. Take that to the woods any ol' time. ) |
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January 10, 2013, 02:37 AM | #21 |
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I recently bought a single shot H&R pardner for its light weight and simplicity. Refinished the stock, put on a grind to fit recoil pad, a butt cuff to carry five rounds and sling swivels. I really like it (now) and it's as light a 12 gauge as you'll care to shoot and its super easy to carry with a sling. I totally understand liking to have a shotgun somewhere nearby. Good luck.
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January 10, 2013, 04:48 AM | #22 | |
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Vanya:
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However, if I were to visit and camp in Brown bear country, I could see having the added insurance of a shotgun, loaded with 1 3/8 oz Brenneke Black Magic slugs (or similar) on hand. That's a 600 gr, magnum slug, with an effective range out to 100 yds. In my younger days, I could carry a lot more gear on my back. Day hikes are all we do now. However, the idea of camping/trekking by canoe/kayak sounds very appealing. Last edited by Rifleman1952; January 10, 2013 at 04:57 AM. |
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January 10, 2013, 10:58 AM | #23 | |
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Rifleman, I think we're basically in agreement. It isn't an either/or proposition, but I'd come down on the side of "carrying a shotgun is excessive" whether hiking or canoeing, except under the circumstance you and I both mentioned, i.e. traveling in very-large-bear country. And even then, it would depend -- if you're in a group of 4 or more and practicing routine "bear hygiene," you're unlikely to be bothered by brown bears in actual wilderness, where they're not acclimated to humans. On the other hand, a friend (no longer with us, alas) who was addicted to solo canoe travel in the far north never went without her Winchester Defender, and, yes, Brenneke slugs (totally with ya on those). And I'd never travel in polar bear country without one.
But carrying a shotgun on a local dayhike, outside of hunting season, would feel a bit... ostentatious... to me. And I'm not gonna lug the weight of something that's no fun to plink with! Quote:
Last edited by Evan Thomas; January 10, 2013 at 12:50 PM. |
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January 10, 2013, 12:48 PM | #24 |
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A single shot is smaller and lighter but if you miss you will have a big problem. I've never been hiking in my life, so this is just my guess. I'd rather have a revolver and atleast a .357 Magnum. But, if I was dead set on a cheap long gun, maybe a Mossburg 500 with an 18 inch barrel. To save weight, could use a synthetic stock. But I'd rather have a handgun. You could go with a 20 gauge to drop a little weight.
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January 11, 2013, 01:48 PM | #25 |
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Thanks for all the replies. I guess I should clarify. Hikes will be up to 5 miles in distance. I will also use the gun at camp. So weight isn't a big issue but lighter is better. The largest predator I could encounter is a grizzly bear. I do carry spray but would also like to increase my defenses with a shotgun. The gun doesn't have to fit in a pack. I would like it to have a folding or telescoping stock with a pistol grip, rather than just the pistol grip. Additionally a shorter barrel for slugs while still holding maximum amount of shells and a quick draw sling or holster of some kind. Hopefully this clarifies things a bit.
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