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Old October 19, 2009, 11:47 AM   #1
DRice.72
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Newbie Question

Hello everyone!

I'm not only new to this forum, but I am new to hunting as well. I did hunt as a child,but as an adult I haven't been the woods hunting as much as I would like to have been.

I have been invited to hunt some private land over Thanksgiving Holiday. They require the use of a shotgun with buckshot. I have no clue where to start on getting set up to make the most of this trip. We will be hunting out of tree stands so I will be able to wait for a close shot.

As far as I know there are not restrictions on what shot I can use, I do know we can't use slugs. It must be buckshot, but the size of the buck does not matter.

The gun I'm using is one I have had since I was a Teenager, its a Stevens savage 77d 12ga, 2 3/4" pump.

I would appreciate any advice on this.
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Old October 19, 2009, 07:13 PM   #2
Lee Lapin
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DR,

Welcome to TFL! What part of NC are you in?

I'd suggest you try several different brands and buckshot sizes- you can usually get 5-round boxes of most loads. I'd look at 000, 00 and #1, and nothing any smaller.

I've had good luck with the Federal loads using their FliteControl wad- you might want to look for some Federal Premium 00 with the FliteControl wad, if you can find some. Usually the 'big box' sporting goods stores have a good variety of buckshot loads in stock. You'll want to pattern it with your gun and see how it does.

What choke is your barrel? if you have a Mod choke or tighter, you might want to try some #1 buck if you can find any. I wouldn't go any smaller than #1 for deer, because pellet weight IMHO is more important than pellet count- you need the weight to get penetration.

You'll want to keep your shots within the distance you gun patterns well.

hth,

lpl
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Old October 19, 2009, 08:18 PM   #3
DRice.72
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Thanks for the help!

I live in Western NC, it tough to get a decent sized deer in this area. I'm going to be going to SC to hunt this year.

I have a modified as well as a full choke.

I was reading some threads where people shot the neck of the animal to keep down meat damage. I'm going to want to keep the meat as well, and will not want more than the horns. Will this effect my load selection, and what would a good pattern be to try for that kind of shot?
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Old October 25, 2009, 11:30 AM   #4
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Ok, I have have been doing some reading on here and that has led me to some more newbie questions. I also have better info on my shotgun to, so I hope it helps in getting the answers I'm looking for.

I guess I'll start with exactly what I'm shooting. It is a Stevens Savage model 77D. It has the Savage Super choke. It adjusts for cylinder, improved cylinder, modified and full. It shoots a 2 3/4" shell. The barrell is 21" measured from the chamber opening. It is then vented for 3", then goes through the adjustable choke.

I have decided to try thr Federal rounds with flite control for my initial testing. I'm going to go with the 000, 00 and #1 suggested by Lee above.

My first question is very basic. How do I know what setting my choke is on? This is actually my fathers shotgun. I haven't even looked at it in 20 years. This is my first time trying to do this and I have never set a choke (I also have to find a choke wrench too the one for this gun has been lost).

Thanks in advance for any help.
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Old October 26, 2009, 07:02 AM   #5
DRice.72
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New information

Ok, I talked with the guys I'm going hunting with, and was informed that I CAN in fact use slugs on this property. This changes things around for me a bit, and raises some new questions.

As I have described the gun I'm using is a Stevens Savage model 77D. This gun is equipped with the Savage Super Choke. I went and got the gun from my fathers house last night and noticed that there is a muzzle break between the cylinder and the choke. Is it safe to shoot a slug through that configuration?
Also Does anyone know where I can find the measurements for the choke settings? I have no idea what the choke is currently set on, my guess the best way to find out is to take calipers and measure the opening at the end of the barrel and match it against what the measurements should be. I have looked on the internet but haven't been able to find them.
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They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety - Benjamin Franklin
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Old October 26, 2009, 09:57 AM   #6
TimT
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If you can use slugs, I would personally take them over buckshot.

I personally think that gun will be safe to fire slugs through, but it is your gun so you should verify it. More open chokes will generally produce better accuracy from the gun than tighter chokes will. I use an IC in my deer gun.

Once you verify it is safe to use slugs in, buy a couple boxes and see what it shoots best - it will have one or two brands it shoots better. I wouldn't go crazy about distance, test at shooting distance (ie - less than 100 yards, and more like 50).

One thing that helped me out a great deal is the clip on/magnetic sights. They are normally around 15 bucks, and are well worth the money if you shoot a smooth bore without irons on it like I do.

Don't forget to practice in your field positions, and not just off the bench. If you put a slug in a deer in the right place, it will DRT, but if you don't, you will be chasing it, and it will probably die a bad death, IMO.
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Old October 26, 2009, 10:23 AM   #7
DRice.72
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Thanks! I believe I'm going to go the slug route for sure. I have a list going on things to do to prep. First and foremost is a good cleaning!! That gun has been in a closet for years, I'm not going to do a thing till I get it clean and lubed real good. I'm in the process of trying to find a cleaning guide for that particular gun. I have found exploded drawings, but I don't need to completely disassemble the gun to clean it, just be able to take out the trigger ass'y and slide etc.
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They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety - Benjamin Franklin
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Old October 26, 2009, 10:48 AM   #8
musicmatty
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Walmart has a great selection of gun cleaning supplys. They have a small wire brush and pick set for the hard to reach areas in the trigger housing unit along with the solevant and oil that will be needed.
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Old October 26, 2009, 11:02 AM   #9
DRice.72
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Musicmatty, thanks I'll go there and have a look! Still on the hunt for a maint. manual, I called the factory, they don't have them available to download or buy, Customer service gave me a number for numrich, but they didn't have it either. I guess I'll have to go with a full exploded view.
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They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety - Benjamin Franklin
Light is faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright unitl you hear them speak!
They should have stopped with "Congress shall make no Law...
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Old October 26, 2009, 05:58 PM   #10
musicmatty
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If that Shotgun is like most others...you should be able to remove the barrel just by unscrewing the cap at the end of the magazine tube. Aside of that, there should be just one pin in the side of the reciever to tap out so you can remove the trigger housing.

Beyond that, you should not have to break down any further parts of the reciever for field striping to clean. Keep it simple and test out the gun soon in the field..if it starts displaying any problems, Take it to a gunsmith ASAP so you can have it back soon for hunting.
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Old October 26, 2009, 06:48 PM   #11
DRice.72
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Thanks again musicmatty. A quick look at my gun and I thin k you might be right. I haven't got a cleaning kit yet. I'm not going to attempt to tke it apart until I am ready to clean it. From the looks of it I have a brass drift pin I can use and a screw driver that will fit thr cap screw at the end of the tube.
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They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety - Benjamin Franklin
Light is faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright unitl you hear them speak!
They should have stopped with "Congress shall make no Law...
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Old October 26, 2009, 07:16 PM   #12
musicmatty
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The cap screw at the end of the mag tube should just be hand tight..should not have to use a tool. If you do have to remove with a tool, I wouldn't screw it on any tighter than your own strength.
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Old October 26, 2009, 07:39 PM   #13
DRice.72
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I'll have to use a screw driver on that screw as there is no other way to access it. Its a slotted head cap screw recessed into the bracket that jions the tube to the barrell. I'll be sure to only go hand tight on re-assembly though.
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They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety - Benjamin Franklin
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Old October 26, 2009, 07:45 PM   #14
Lee Lapin
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DR,

That's kind of a funky design, and there are some things you need to know before you go whamming on it with pin punches and screwdrivers and stuff.

The barrel comes off, by loosening the knob at the front of the magazine all the way first, then turning the barrel clockwise (looking from the front) till it stops and pulling it out of the receiver.

You can remove the cross screw in the end of the magazine tube and take out the magazine end piece that the knob which holds the barrel in place screws into. NOTE that the magazine end piece is under pressure from the magazine spring- be sure to control it when you remove the screw, or you'll launch it behind the refrigerator or somewhere equally inaccessible. (No one else here has ever done that sort of thing either, you'll be the first ). Then you can take out the magazine spring, magazine plug if any, and magazine follower and clean the inside of the magazine tube. And lightly re-lubricate it when you're done.

Next step is to remove the buttstock. Take off the buttplate or recoil pad, and remove the stock screw with a long shank screwdriver.

YOU MUST REMOVE THE BUTTSTOCK before you try to remove the trigger plate assembly, because the buttstock screw goes into an extension cast into the aluminum trigger plate. Thus the buttstock screw puts pressure on the trigger plate assembly when it is tightened, pulling the trigger plate back against the pin and screw. That tension must be releived before the trigger plate can be removed.

BE SURE the safety is on and stays on with the trigger plate assy out of the gun. Be sure you don't accidentally detach any of the parts of the trigger plate assy while it's outside the receiver. Things like the slide latch (on the left side looking from the rear) are just sitting there unstaked on a stud, under spring pressure, and waiting for a nudge in the wrong direction to come off. And pulling the trigger with the safety off while the assembly is outside the receiver can sometimes result in an energetic self-disassembly. Did I mention you should be careful with the trigger plate assembly while it was outside the receiver?

To get the bolt assembly out, slide the forearm all the way back till the bolt appears at the back of the receiver (with the stock off and the trigger plate removed, there's nothing in the way). Gently spring the rear of the action bar from its notch in the side of the bolt slide with a thin screwdriver, and remove the bolt and bolt slide to the rear.

On the LEFT side of the bolt slide is the action bar contact lug. This lug is a separate piece on some models and is staked into its notch in the bolt slide. Be sure it isn't loose and doesn't fall out when the bolt slide is removed, if yours is one of these. It can be re-staked with a centerpunch if necessary.

I wouldn't go any further if I were you. You can clean everything that needs cleaning as an assembly without taking it apart any further. There's some weird stuff about removing the forearm assembly that I don't even want to try and describe. The bolt assembly and trigger plate assembly can be soaked in HOT water with some dish soap for a while, rinsed out with more HOT water, and either left to dry from residual heat or gently blown out with compressed air, then re-lubricated carefully.

The inside of the receiver can be cleaned out with a spray of WD-40 and wiped out carefully with paper towels if necessary. Then the places where parts move can be re-lubricated.

The Stevens/Savage pumpsguns from that era are pains in the butt to mess with (compared to more maintenance-friendly designs). And they are somewhat fragile in several places- the cast aluminum trigger plate and the single action bar to name a couple.

If you can clean it well enough to suit you without field stripping it, that's what I would advise...

hth,

lpl (and when you can, buy yourself an 870...)
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Old October 26, 2009, 08:55 PM   #15
DRice.72
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Ah, I see. I was kind of wondering just what steps were needed to field strip this gun. I have been looking for manual before making an attempt. I believe after your post I'm going to stay that course. I will just give it as good a cleaning as I can assembled. Test it with some light rounds see how it does. If it does well move onto slugs. I'll aslo look into that 870. LOL!
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They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety - Benjamin Franklin
Light is faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright unitl you hear them speak!
They should have stopped with "Congress shall make no Law...
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