Possibility of a new Shotgun

Dolsak · October 25, 2010, 06:05 PM

My friend's brother is taking me Deer hunting next Saturday, and possibly every saturday after that until some time in January.

I'm borrowing one of his shotguns for the first trip, but I'd like to get one for myself before too long.

His only suggestion was that it be a 12 gauge.

I've had experience with a 12 gauge Stevens 67 (I THINK), A Browning A-5 sweet sixteen, and some form of Benelli pump-action.

I'm just looking for leads and suggestions to look further into.
I don't have a real preference as far as pump vs. semi, but the pump would probably be simpler.

Thanks in advance for any input!

oneounceload · October 25, 2010, 06:21 PM

A pump will also be less expensive than a semi
A 12 will work just fine - if shotgun is mandatory that is; otherwise a rifle would be better
You'll want to get it soon so you can practice - you'll need to determine buck shot versus slugs and try several to see what works best in your gun

Dolsak · October 25, 2010, 06:32 PM

I'd prefer a rifle too, but I think shotguns are the name of the game with my friend's brother, and I'm not about to bite the hand that feeds me.

My friend said something about "20 ought" buckshot, which makes me wonder if she meant 00 buck.

oneounceload · October 25, 2010, 06:36 PM

Probably, but you might want to read your state and county game regs to determine what is legal - no matter what anyone says, regs DO change.

Where I used to live, if you were violating game regs, especially serious ones, they would take your gun, truck, ATV and anything else you were using at the time

Have fun and good luck

abelacres · October 25, 2010, 06:37 PM

I hope she meant 00

Get a Mossburg 500 relativly inexpensive, easy to modify and lots of after market parts.

A Remington 870 will also fit the bill but you may want to read some of the current threads involving Remingtons before you buy a new one. I was in the market for an 870 myself but after reading some of the resent threads and posts about them .... If I buy one it will definitely be an older, used one.

OOL that is still the case in North Florida.

.284 · October 25, 2010, 06:41 PM

I suppose 12 gauge is a pretty broad statement. I guess you really have two ways to go here. First, you could purchase a shotgun that would work for a multitude of applications.......birds, small game, or deer. That would be a typical 28" or 30" barrel with a seperate slug barrel. The other choice would be a gun designed to shoot slugs only. If you choose to continue hunting and would like to expand your opportunities, I would go with a combo set up. I have a Remington 870 Express that has a screw in choke system for the bird barrel and a separate fully rifled slug barrel. You can also choose a smooth bore slug barrel and use standard Foster type slugs. If you want deer only, I also have a H&R Ultra Slugger in a 20 guage that is a single shot fully rifled barrel and is a great deer gun. I have a Leupold VXII 2x7 scope and shoot the sabot slugs.

Either one will make bad medicine for Mr. Whitetail......hope it helps.

Mr Lucky · October 25, 2010, 06:56 PM

Quote:

A Remington 870 will also fit the bill but you may want to read some of the current threads involving Remingtons before you buy a new one. I was in the market for an 870 myself but after reading some of the resent threads and posts about them .... If I buy one it will definitely be an older, used one.

How many 870's have been sold? I think it is almost 12 million. It is the best selling gun in the history of the world. The vast majority of owners are happy with them. Don't believe all the crap you read especially from a criminal.

This wicked Leaks guy needs to shut his pie hole. He has also leaked government secrets, illegally.

abelacres · October 25, 2010, 07:00 PM

Mr. Lucky- I was refering to the newer 870s, not the millions that were already in use.
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=427633
And who is Leaks?

Mr Lucky · October 25, 2010, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Mr. Lucky- I was refering to the newer 870s, not the millions that were already in use.
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=427633
And who is Leaks?

abelacres,

Oops, I was skimming an article about WikiLeaks releasing classified documents. Some how by means of brain lag, I associated the Remington story with WIKILEAKS. It should have been CNBC. Both anti gunners.

The 870 Express is not the best Shotgun money can buy but everyone can afford one. At the rate they crank them out, there are going to be a few bad ones that make it out the door.

I don't know maybe FN who owns Remington and Browning is preoccupied making M-16's.

A few threads on a mostly otherwise unbiased forum would not stop me from buying or selling the 870.

Just for grins, let's say out of the last one million 870's sold, 10,000 customers were unhappy with what they bought. That still only amounts to 1%.

oneounceload · October 25, 2010, 08:14 PM

Quote:

I don't know maybe FN who owns Remington and Browning is preoccupied making M-16's.

Cerebus owns Remington;

FN owns Browning and Winchester

Mr Lucky · October 25, 2010, 08:40 PM

Quote:

I don't know maybe FN who owns Remington and Browning is preoccupied making M-16's.

Cerebus owns Remington;

FN owns Browning and Winchester

Dang, I knew that. I should not write when I am too tired. Now was it Remington Repeating Arms Co. or Winchester Repeating Arms Co? It would have only taken me a second to check.

I'm done for tonight.

Deerhunter · October 25, 2010, 09:03 PM

As far as Remington goes.....my buddy just bought a new 870 Express Super Mag. First time out he put 125 shells though it with out a problem. Might be that people have problems with them like they would with any gun they didn't break down and clean real good before and after use.

I have an 870 Express Mag that I hunt deer with. I have a Remington rifled barrel on it for deer season and shoot Hornady SST slugs out of it. Can't go wrong with it. Get the synthetic stock and then buy the slug barrel to go with it. That way you can hunt birds with the regular barrel and then put the slug barrel on it for deer. Good luck

jmortimer · October 25, 2010, 09:19 PM

For $200.00 you can get an H&R Pardner Pump. Worth every penny. It is sold by Cerebus/Remington/Marlin/H&R - all the same company. It is an 870 clone. Here are owner reviews from nine law enforcement officers and you can see that they all love their Pardner Pumps. There is no better deal. Actually make that 10 reviews from LEOs - new one added 5/5 star rating. Here is link to Police Link and the reviews - why waste $$$ when you can get such a great shotgun for around $200.00 http://policelink.monster.com/produc...pump-protector

Dolsak · October 25, 2010, 09:37 PM

Thanks for the input so far.
I just realized that another good idea would probably be to go down to the local Armory and do a little hands-on research.
I'm still open to suggestions and opinions, though.

BfloBill · October 26, 2010, 12:48 AM

Handle some guns and buy what fits you best/what you like. What is more important is trying different loads and seeing what shoots best out of your particular gun. Shot placement is everything.

I've always been partial to Ithaca Model 37's for deer.

LanceOregon · October 26, 2010, 07:28 AM

Quote:

Thanks for the input so far.
I just realized that another good idea would probably be to go down to the local Armory and do a little hands-on research.
I'm still open to suggestions and opinions, though.

Actually, there is a much better idea than that.

Give us some input regarding specifically what you are looking for in a shotgun. Your post is so brief and vague, that it is pretty much impossible to know what you are looking for in a shotgun.

First off, what is your budget?? How much would you like to spend on the gun? What is the maximum that you are willing to potentially spend?

Secondly, are you looking strictly for a shotgun to hunt deer? If so, there are many specialized deer models that we can recommend. Or you do you want a versatile gun, that could also be used for bird hunting and clay shooting as well? Do you have any interest at all in those sports?

What state do you live in? A number of states now limit rifle hunting for big game substantially, or have even banned it. So depending on where you live, shotgun deer hunting may be your only option available to you. But does that apply in your situation or not? We don't know.

Without knowing any of the above information, a person would just be stabbing in the dark in making any recommendations to you.

Provide some additional information and guidance, and I think that you will be able to get far better feedback from the forum than what you have received so far.

.

zippy13 · October 26, 2010, 10:19 AM

To add to LanceOregon's request for more information: What is your intended shooting environment? I've hunted down-east in Maine and in southern California and the conditions are not quite exactly the same.

Dolsak · October 26, 2010, 02:21 PM

Sorry for being so vague.

I'm in the VA Beach area and I don't know much about where we're going to actually hunt.

As far as budget goes, I don't really know. Probably not an exorbitant amount. I'm still in high school, still living with my family, I really don't have the final say. I just want to know if there's anything I should try and sway the parentals towards.

I don't really want a specialized model, because my Uncle trapshoots a lot, and if it's at all possible, I'd like to consolidate multiple uses into one gun.

I don't know yet if we'll be hunting with slugs or shot. When I find out I'll put that in here.

Thanks for the help. Both with the shotgun question and more effective methods of asking those questions.

oneounceload · October 26, 2010, 03:11 PM

For consolidation - you will be having to compromise in all areas - not that the gun can't do a decent job, it just most likely won't be the best application for any of them either.

Be that as it may, something along the lines of the Remington 870 or Mossberg 500 system, utilizing spare barrels - one for trap, one for buck/slugs, will be the least expensive way to go. As you get older and start to favor one particular activity over another, you should then be able to get different guns better suited to particular applications

Good luck and have fun!

Dolsak · October 27, 2010, 02:34 PM

I have no problems with it not being the most top of the line, super expensive, gold-plated, cd player included shotgun.

This is just to get me started.

I probably will go with either the Remington 870 or the Mossberg 500, as so many have suggested.

Just as long as it works, I'm happy.

Although, a nice little bonus would be to find something with wood or wood-like furniture. The black plastic is okay, but I have a thing for the classics.

Deerhunter · October 27, 2010, 02:47 PM

You can get both the 870 and the 500 in wood. If you want want that looks nice go find a used one. When my buddy was shopping around we looked at a new 500 and the wood stock looked cheap.

I know things aren't made the way they were years ago, but......I broke my 500 (1988-89 model, got it in 89) and wasn't real thrilled about the trigger group being all plastic. (yeah I know I should have taken it apart long before I did but I was young and didn't know any better so I just cleaned it the best I could without taking the trigger out) It held up over 6 years of dove hunting and other small game. Just seemed cheap to me. I more or less retired it when I got my 870 in 1998. Point is I am not sure how well the new 500 are made.

Dolsak · October 27, 2010, 10:04 PM

Can a "super magnum" chambering, (3 1/2" chamber) accept standard 2 3/4" and 3" shells, or is that an iffy prospect?

Deerhunter · October 27, 2010, 10:08 PM

Yeah you can put 2 3/4, 3 and 3.5 inch shells in the 870 Express Super Mag chambered for 3.5. The chamber size is max. My 870 is a Express Mag and will only chamber 2 3/4 and 3 inch.

I have a Browning Maxus autoloader (chambered for 3.5s) and it has no problems with the 2 3/4 inch shells.

raven11 · October 28, 2010, 07:32 AM

if you want to save a bit of money I have been using a NEF Pardner Pump 28in 12ga

its reliable, most 870 parts interchange, and its much cheaper than the 870

idek · October 28, 2010, 12:10 PM

Keep in mind that if you buy a gun that accepts 3.5" shells, it means the gun's receiver has an extra 1/2" of length and therefore extra weight. It also mean you have to slide the action an extra 1/2" every time you pump the gun. These may not seem like big issues, but if you don't have serious intentions of shooting 3.5" shells, you may want to stick with the 3" chamber.

October 25, 2010, 06:05 PM	#1
Dolsak Member Join Date: May 20, 2010 Posts: 78	Possibility of a new Shotgun My friend's brother is taking me Deer hunting next Saturday, and possibly every saturday after that until some time in January. I'm borrowing one of his shotguns for the first trip, but I'd like to get one for myself before too long. His only suggestion was that it be a 12 gauge. I've had experience with a 12 gauge Stevens 67 (I THINK), A Browning A-5 sweet sixteen, and some form of Benelli pump-action. I'm just looking for leads and suggestions to look further into. I don't have a real preference as far as pump vs. semi, but the pump would probably be simpler. Thanks in advance for any input!

October 25, 2010, 06:37 PM	#5
abelacres Senior Member Join Date: August 5, 2010 Location: Jackson County Florida Posts: 207	I hope she meant 00 Get a Mossburg 500 relativly inexpensive, easy to modify and lots of after market parts. A Remington 870 will also fit the bill but you may want to read some of the current threads involving Remingtons before you buy a new one. I was in the market for an 870 myself but after reading some of the resent threads and posts about them .... If I buy one it will definitely be an older, used one. OOL that is still the case in North Florida. __________________ If something seems too good to be true it's best to shoot at it just to be sure

October 25, 2010, 06:41 PM	#6
.284 Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 2009 Location: davison, michigan Posts: 665	Well...... I suppose 12 gauge is a pretty broad statement. I guess you really have two ways to go here. First, you could purchase a shotgun that would work for a multitude of applications.......birds, small game, or deer. That would be a typical 28" or 30" barrel with a seperate slug barrel. The other choice would be a gun designed to shoot slugs only. If you choose to continue hunting and would like to expand your opportunities, I would go with a combo set up. I have a Remington 870 Express that has a screw in choke system for the bird barrel and a separate fully rifled slug barrel. You can also choose a smooth bore slug barrel and use standard Foster type slugs. If you want deer only, I also have a H&R Ultra Slugger in a 20 guage that is a single shot fully rifled barrel and is a great deer gun. I have a Leupold VXII 2x7 scope and shoot the sabot slugs. Either one will make bad medicine for Mr. Whitetail......hope it helps. __________________ Guns have only two enemies, rust and politicians! Deer are amazing creatures....so please don't burn the sauteed onions and I'll pass on the steak sauce, thank you.

October 25, 2010, 07:00 PM	#8
abelacres Senior Member Join Date: August 5, 2010 Location: Jackson County Florida Posts: 207	Mr. Lucky- I was refering to the newer 870s, not the millions that were already in use. http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=427633 And who is Leaks? __________________ If something seems too good to be true it's best to shoot at it just to be sure

October 25, 2010, 09:03 PM	#12
Deerhunter Senior Member Join Date: April 15, 2009 Location: Northern VA Posts: 607	As far as Remington goes.....my buddy just bought a new 870 Express Super Mag. First time out he put 125 shells though it with out a problem. Might be that people have problems with them like they would with any gun they didn't break down and clean real good before and after use. I have an 870 Express Mag that I hunt deer with. I have a Remington rifled barrel on it for deer season and shoot Hornady SST slugs out of it. Can't go wrong with it. Get the synthetic stock and then buy the slug barrel to go with it. That way you can hunt birds with the regular barrel and then put the slug barrel on it for deer. Good luck __________________ My idea of fast food is a mallard. -Ted Nugent

October 25, 2010, 06:21 PM	#2
oneounceload Junior member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: N. Central Florida Posts: 8,518	A pump will also be less expensive than a semi A 12 will work just fine - if shotgun is mandatory that is; otherwise a rifle would be better You'll want to get it soon so you can practice - you'll need to determine buck shot versus slugs and try several to see what works best in your gun

October 25, 2010, 06:32 PM	#3
Dolsak Member Join Date: May 20, 2010 Posts: 78	I'd prefer a rifle too, but I think shotguns are the name of the game with my friend's brother, and I'm not about to bite the hand that feeds me. My friend said something about "20 ought" buckshot, which makes me wonder if she meant 00 buck.

October 25, 2010, 06:36 PM	#4
oneounceload Junior member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: N. Central Florida Posts: 8,518	Probably, but you might want to read your state and county game regs to determine what is legal - no matter what anyone says, regs DO change. Where I used to live, if you were violating game regs, especially serious ones, they would take your gun, truck, ATV and anything else you were using at the time Have fun and good luck

October 25, 2010, 09:19 PM	#13
jmortimer Junior member Join Date: January 24, 2010 Location: South West Riverside County California Posts: 2,763	For $200.00 you can get an H&R Pardner Pump. Worth every penny. It is sold by Cerebus/Remington/Marlin/H&R - all the same company. It is an 870 clone. Here are owner reviews from nine law enforcement officers and you can see that they all love their Pardner Pumps. There is no better deal. Actually make that 10 reviews from LEOs - new one added 5/5 star rating. Here is link to Police Link and the reviews - why waste $$$ when you can get such a great shotgun for around $200.00 http://policelink.monster.com/produc...pump-protector

October 25, 2010, 09:37 PM	#14
Dolsak Member Join Date: May 20, 2010 Posts: 78	A Brilliant Idea! Thanks for the input so far. I just realized that another good idea would probably be to go down to the local Armory and do a little hands-on research. I'm still open to suggestions and opinions, though.

October 26, 2010, 12:48 AM	#15
BfloBill Senior Member Join Date: August 2, 2010 Location: Buffalo, N.Y. Posts: 457	Handle some guns and buy what fits you best/what you like. What is more important is trying different loads and seeing what shoots best out of your particular gun. Shot placement is everything. I've always been partial to Ithaca Model 37's for deer.

October 26, 2010, 10:19 AM	#17
zippy13 Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 6,442	To add to LanceOregon's request for more information: What is your intended shooting environment? I've hunted down-east in Maine and in southern California and the conditions are not quite exactly the same.

October 26, 2010, 02:21 PM	#18
Dolsak Member Join Date: May 20, 2010 Posts: 78	Woops! Sorry for being so vague. I'm in the VA Beach area and I don't know much about where we're going to actually hunt. As far as budget goes, I don't really know. Probably not an exorbitant amount. I'm still in high school, still living with my family, I really don't have the final say. I just want to know if there's anything I should try and sway the parentals towards. I don't really want a specialized model, because my Uncle trapshoots a lot, and if it's at all possible, I'd like to consolidate multiple uses into one gun. I don't know yet if we'll be hunting with slugs or shot. When I find out I'll put that in here. Thanks for the help. Both with the shotgun question and more effective methods of asking those questions.

October 26, 2010, 03:11 PM	#19
oneounceload Junior member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: N. Central Florida Posts: 8,518	For consolidation - you will be having to compromise in all areas - not that the gun can't do a decent job, it just most likely won't be the best application for any of them either. Be that as it may, something along the lines of the Remington 870 or Mossberg 500 system, utilizing spare barrels - one for trap, one for buck/slugs, will be the least expensive way to go. As you get older and start to favor one particular activity over another, you should then be able to get different guns better suited to particular applications Good luck and have fun!

October 27, 2010, 02:34 PM	#20
Dolsak Member Join Date: May 20, 2010 Posts: 78	I have no problems with it not being the most top of the line, super expensive, gold-plated, cd player included shotgun. This is just to get me started. I probably will go with either the Remington 870 or the Mossberg 500, as so many have suggested. Just as long as it works, I'm happy. Although, a nice little bonus would be to find something with wood or wood-like furniture. The black plastic is okay, but I have a thing for the classics.

October 27, 2010, 02:47 PM	#21
Deerhunter Senior Member Join Date: April 15, 2009 Location: Northern VA Posts: 607	You can get both the 870 and the 500 in wood. If you want want that looks nice go find a used one. When my buddy was shopping around we looked at a new 500 and the wood stock looked cheap. I know things aren't made the way they were years ago, but......I broke my 500 (1988-89 model, got it in 89) and wasn't real thrilled about the trigger group being all plastic. (yeah I know I should have taken it apart long before I did but I was young and didn't know any better so I just cleaned it the best I could without taking the trigger out) It held up over 6 years of dove hunting and other small game. Just seemed cheap to me. I more or less retired it when I got my 870 in 1998. Point is I am not sure how well the new 500 are made. __________________ My idea of fast food is a mallard. -Ted Nugent

October 27, 2010, 10:04 PM	#22
Dolsak Member Join Date: May 20, 2010 Posts: 78	Quick question... Can a "super magnum" chambering, (3 1/2" chamber) accept standard 2 3/4" and 3" shells, or is that an iffy prospect?

October 27, 2010, 10:08 PM	#23
Deerhunter Senior Member Join Date: April 15, 2009 Location: Northern VA Posts: 607	Yeah you can put 2 3/4, 3 and 3.5 inch shells in the 870 Express Super Mag chambered for 3.5. The chamber size is max. My 870 is a Express Mag and will only chamber 2 3/4 and 3 inch. I have a Browning Maxus autoloader (chambered for 3.5s) and it has no problems with the 2 3/4 inch shells. __________________ My idea of fast food is a mallard. -Ted Nugent

October 28, 2010, 07:32 AM	#24
raven11 Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2009 Posts: 120	if you want to save a bit of money I have been using a NEF Pardner Pump 28in 12ga its reliable, most 870 parts interchange, and its much cheaper than the 870

October 28, 2010, 12:10 PM	#25
idek Senior Member Join Date: August 20, 2009 Posts: 903	Keep in mind that if you buy a gun that accepts 3.5" shells, it means the gun's receiver has an extra 1/2" of length and therefore extra weight. It also mean you have to slide the action an extra 1/2" every time you pump the gun. These may not seem like big issues, but if you don't have serious intentions of shooting 3.5" shells, you may want to stick with the 3" chamber.