Home Defense or Hunting

[srt 10 jimbo]

I see alot of ya'll have tactical Shotguns for Home defense.My Question is How many of you use your shotguns for just home defense ? and how many of you use your shotguns for hunting? and I'm sorry if this question was posed before and I missed it.:)

[Willie Lowman]

YES! I have shotguns for home defense and I have shotguns for hunting. I have two for shooting clay pigeons too!:D

I have six twelve gauges. Each for it's own reason.

[OLNfan]

12 gage ithica feather light my traditional never done me wrong favorite.
-Shooting pidgons
-Ducks
-grouse
-Deer

12 gage mossberg 500
-hd
-pack it with my while fishing
-pack it while bear hunting with my compound bow

12 Gage break barrel single shot winchester AUTO EJECT :D
-pidgons
-grouse
-duck
-deer
-sitting in the police station right now because gun registery is ANNOYING..registerd it on phone day I got it, 2 weeks later bring it on a weekend hunting trip cause its not the prettyest thing its old and beat up, great truck gun. When the rcmp pulled the truck over on the logging road look up its cerial number its registerd to some one else. SO I we re-registerd it in my name again after we cleared it all up and its still sitting there 5hrs away from my home in a police station waiting for me to pick it up cause I have to wait for new registery papers to arrive in the mail before I can get it. Paid 60bucks cdn for it from the gunsmith who I might add said he doesnt remember me but he remembers selling a shotgun within the last month (that sure helps) .GREAT DEAL I thought..now I have to pay more than that in gas on the way up and back then what its worth.

and soon to be alot more where those came from. Im just starting my firearm collection 9 strong baby! well 8 cause technically still waiting for the arrival of my new papers..

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j239/seaan_2006/007-1.jpg (top ones mine the rcmps new deer hunting shotgun until I get it back!)

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j239/seaan_2006/001.jpg my other stud muffins

[wyobohunter]

My BPS upland special 12 gauge pulls double duty. Interchangeable chokes and moderate weight make it good for birds/bunnies/coyotes. Shortish 22" bbl and ability to shoot rifled slugs make it good for bear/home defense. Oh, and shooting trap makes it a triple duty gun.

[levrluvr]

I have quite a few shotguns in 12 and 20 gauge, and use them for different hunting/sporting purposes.
The Mossberg 500 is the HD choice, but I have several barrels for it as well, and have used it for deer, turkey, pheasant, even shot some clay with it a time or two.

[srt 10 jimbo]

Use to Hunt Pheseant:( alot outside of Chicago. None down here in south Florida.

[hogdogs]

As I say for the tactical rifle threads wherein folks don't like the word assault used with rifle... "I feel all weapons responsibly used are *tactical* as tactics are required for a successful hunt or defense strategy?. but yes I have shot a bunch of various critters with my gun. 18 inch barrel is fine for me for the thick woods I am usually in. The 28 inch 12 gauge is rarely off the gun rack as I am not a wing shooter.
Brent

[bwheasler]

You won't find a weapon that will do more, birds, big game, and riff raff. 2 barrels and birdshot, buckshot, and slugs is all a guy will ever need.

[WagonM]

I have a single 870 Express HD with extended mag (6+1), it has 2 barrels: a 18" for "HD" and a 26" for trap....

so far, I only use the gun for trap shooting ... and I just like to keep it that way as I REALLY do not look forward to have need to shoot the 18" for it's intended purpose :)

[BigJimP]

I have a lot of shotguns ( clay's and hunting ) in 12, 20, 28ga and .410 / but I have no need or desire to own a true "tactical" shotgun. I can go "tactical", if I had to, with any number of handguns I own.

For bird hunting - any barrel under 28" in length is just not going to give you the swing characteristics or the sight plane that you want when hunting. I'm not saying you won't hit anything with an 18" barrel / but it isn't the best or even 2nd best tool for the job.

If I could only afford one shotgun - for hunting, clays and if I needed it for Defense ..... it would probably be a Browning BPS 12ga, 28" barrel ( take the plug out and load 4 shells ). Its not a "Fighting" weapon / designed to go tactical - but it will certainly do the job for defense with 4 shells in it.

[srt 10 jimbo]

Got a Mossberg 535 For Turkey, Winchester Model 12, 16 gauge for dove and I had an old H&R .410 laying around that I ordered a bunch of Tactical stuff for. but I Basicly use my .40 cal for home defense.:)

[Runswalking]

I use shotguns for both. I don't have a "tactical" shotgun tho. I do have a 12 gauge Mossberg 500 with a polychoke barrel & a deer slug barrel. For home defense I just use the short barrel. I think its 18" & a smooth bore with rifle sights. The poly barrel is for birds and rabbits & I think it's 30". I have a single shot H&R 20 gauge for squirrels.

[Tophe]

Currently I only use my shotguns for hunting and clay pigeons.

Rem. 870 with scope for hunting, rifled barrel
Win. SX2 with bird barrel, dont use this much anymore since I got the O/U
Verona O/U w/ pheasant engraving, used for birds and clay's

All are 12ga

Someday I will probably get one for HD and keep it in the closet or under the bed. Something shorter than all the other guns.

[Ian0351]

Is that it's easier to move and shoot, especially indoors, with the 18.5" barrel attached. It has wood furniture, a short cylinder bore battle barrel and a Ported, choked (usually Mod. Full) 28" clays and birds barrel. It came with an idiot's way out (PGO stock) but I have never attached it and it's not taking up space in the safe... probably in the closet somewhere.

This whole tactical business really chaps my buttocks. 'Tactics' are things you do and practice, 'Tactical' is a strategy not an accessory. It's even true in hunting sports, if you don't believe me run down to Cabela's and check out a pair of Seclusion 3D Scentlok Silent-Weave coveralls... Until a few years ago everybody hunted in wool pants and flannel. Did the deer suddenly get illuminated enhanced reticle scopes or something? Are the deer tactical too now?

/rant (for now)

[wyobohunter]

If I had a tactical shotgun it would do all of the planning and maneuvering all by itself? Boy I'm gettin one of those tactical guns for sure:rolleyes:

[Cerick]

My 12 gauge Tactical 870 does it all. Perfect as a SHTF gun, with its rifled slug barrel its perfect for deer, the 18.5 in barrel while not perfect for pheasants, is still good since I have a bunch of chokes for it. I do plan on getting a longer vent rib barrel for it, probably in either 22in or 24in.

[oneounceload]

Personally, I prefer my shotguns to have 30-32 inch barrels and if fixed chokes......IC and IM.......I would rather user my pistol to get to my rifle....JMO

[inSight-NEO]

My shotguns are used for home defense and target practice only as I personally do not believe in hunting unless it comes down to either a). I kill an animal for food or b). my family goes without. Of course, in this case, I would go with "a."

The shotgun is mainly "back-up," but occasionally serves as the primary HD weapon, depending on various circumstances.

[Ian0351]

also allow you to see everything; you're droppin' bad guys before you can even see 'em, through walls like in that navy seal movie...

but seriously.

Even the shotguns I carried extensively on sentry duty in Afghanistan were hunting inspired, run of the mill full stock, 20" pump guns with plastic furniture... well, they did have a bayonet lug!

[sholling]

I own two shotguns but my main one is a Benelli M1 Super 90 with a 28" barrel for hunting or trap (mostly trap) and a 20" barrel with rifle sights for home defense. Swapping the barrel takes less than a minute.

I'll be adding a Stoeger or two soon but only because I'm a gun nut.

[zippy13]

Except for an heirloom junk yard .410 top break single, all of my shotguns are game specific target models. Haven't hunted since the closed the local area -- a Skeet gun worked fine on the local doves. I'm with oneounceload, I prefer a large handgun or my AR for HD.

[jlv08]

I have 3 shotguns at the time and have at diferent times had more. The closest thing I have to what one would call a tactical shotgun is a Westpoint model 167H(actually a Stevens shotgun).

It had the barrel lopped off to 20 inches by the previous owner and the stock was refinished in some funky clear dark poly which looks pretty good.

I got the gun from a friend and he said he buddy back home in the Virginia mountains used it ti great effect as a slug gun.

I got it and cleaned it up and reblued it ,replaced springs,detailed cleaned it and now it stands guard in my bedroom.

It looks more like a grouse gun than a zombie stomper.

Truth be told, I don't like plastic, flashlights , pistol grips, or any of the stuff
that makes a shotgun look like a Vulcan cannon.

I also have two field guns and they are just that.field guns.

Shotguns used in past and recent wars by our troops were not tricked out as much as those I have seen by some I've seen on these forums.

[LoneStarWings]

I have a Beretta A391 and an 870 Wingmaster for Hunting

I have an 870 Express Synthetic 7-shot for "special purpose" use. I guess I would use it for hunting too if I ever needed to hit something with a slug, but I have a rifle in .308 that would probably always be a better choice.

[cracked91]

I had a stoeger nickel coachgun that i used for home defense and rabbit hunting, the extreme spread was actually a major bonus and at the end of the day I always had the most in the bag

[rem870hunter]

1 870,w/ 4 barrels.

1 of the barrels is up for sale.

[Dave McC]

Putting on Shotgun Sensei hat.....

It's not an either/or situation. Plenty of folks with Parker doubles and good bird dogs have a decent pump in the closet for when things go bump in the night.

And there's lots of folks with highntight haircuts and matte black guns that love swinging on clay frisbees and birds. Some of these folks have found that shooting clays, especially doubles, really helps when fast target acquisition and gun handling can make the difference between being history and making it.

Do both.

I do.....

[327Nomad]

You wouldn't be thinking of selling an 18" for that 870, in 20 ga., 2 3/4" chamber are you? I'm coming up empty trying to find an HD alternative for my -X model (c 1960) online.

[srt 10 jimbo]

Ok, letme put the question this way, How many of you Dont hunt and have Shotguns(tactical mostly) just for home defense?:)

[Dragon55]

A bolt action 12 gage magnum Mossberg with a 36" full choke barrel that I keep just to take to turkey shoots and pi$$ people off and because it's so awesome!!! and an old Winchester 16 gage pump for grouse hunting..... if I ever get to go again.

[rem870hunter]

Ok, let me put the question this way, How many of you Dont hunt and have Shotguns(tactical mostly) just for home defense?

i hunt,i don't have a separate dedicated HD shotgun. it takes me less than a minute to swap barrels,and pull the mag plug out.

pm replied to 327Nomad.

[zippy13]

srt 10 jimbo
Look at some of the threads that ask what kind of shotguns do you have. You'll find that many folks have only one gun: a HD gun or a combo HD/hunting. And, unlike rem870hunter's combo gun, they've done significant tactical modifications beyond the barrel. Once you've fitted a light control button to the receiver and run the wires forward, or clamped-on an extension tube support, the short barrel becomes relatively permanent. It's safe to say, an overwhelming majority of these guns don't hunt.

[Ian0351]

Jimbo-
I do not hunt but I plan to learn, and had this in mind when I picked out my combo shotgun. However, it spends most of the time set up for home defense.

[srt 10 jimbo]

What I wanted to know, got 2 shotguns for hunting was thinking to get a Hd shotgun next. But I still think the first thing I'd grab is my .40 ca in my nightstand.:)

[kmrcstintn]

Mossberg 500 'crown grade' (blued, satin wood, gold trigger) w/ several barrels: 1) 28" field barrel w/ dual bead sights, vent rib, interchangable chokes; 2) 24" sabot slug barrel w/ full length rifling, cantilever scope mount, Bushnell Banner 2-7 x 36 optical scope; 3) 18.5" 'pseudo' tactical barrel (old C-Select {poly choke} field barrel shortened) w/ new bead, sling stud

in other words...1 platform that serves multiple purposes