Need advice on my first shotgun: Which one?

[Oreo]

My wife said I could buy a gun as my father's day / birthday present. I don't own a shotgun so that's what I want. I know very little about shotguns though so I could use some help getting pointed in the right direction.

I had considered an 18" 870 but I've already got my home defense needs covered with other guns, and the Benelli M4 is out of the budget, so maybe I should get something I could have a little more fun with. I don't hunt (yet). The local gun club does have a very active trap league. Can I get a gun for trap and later use it to hunt?

Should I be shopping for a magnum gun that will shoot 3.5" shells?

What barrel length?

My budget is maybe $500+/-. I usually have expensive taste so maybe I just put that money aside till I have more for a quality piece?

School me please?

[montana_charlie]

I've already got my home defense needs covered with other guns,
I don't hunt (yet).
Can I get a gun for trap and later use it to hunt?

My budget is maybe $500+/-. I usually have expensive taste so maybe I just put that money aside till I have more for a quality piece?

I'd say wait until you know why you want a shotgun.

CM

[Mk42gunner]

Personally, for a general use shotgun, I would stay far away from a 3½" 12 gauge. Mine doesn't do anything a shorter chambered one won't, except recoil horrendously.

Otherwise, I'd say Montana Charlie gave you good advice.

Robert

[Major Danger]

Assuming 12 gauge, you don't need a 3.5" chamber unless you know you're goose or turkey hunting, etc. You will shoot 2-3/4" shells most of the time anyway.

For trap/ target use with the potential for hunting, look at 26-28" barreled "field grade" mossberg 500, Remington 870, etc. You might find an auto in that price range too. For fun look at stoeger side by side too.

[Oreo]

The local shop just showed me an over-under by CZ. Neat gun that I hadn't considered.

[DougGuy]

I'd say wait until you know why you want a shotgun.

CM

^^^^THIS... is GOOD advice..

Ok it goes like this.. The BEST home defense INSIDE the home, is a 12ga shotgun loaded with goose loads. 2oz of fine shot at magnum velocities at the length of most houses even in a cylinder bore barrel will do a nasty and very final job on an intruder that happens to be unlucky enough to be on the receiving end of such a load. It also will NOT shoot through brick walls unless you are right up on them. <<-- One very important thing you CANNOT say about buckshot of any size.

So for this choose a Mossberg 500A 12ga pump model with a 20" cylinder bore barrel and an 8rd magazine tube. Load 2 Winchester slugs, 4 rounds of 00 buckshot, and finally 2 goose loads. It will feed the 2 goose loads first, then the buckshot, then the slugs. If they aren't convinced by the first two rounds, it's time to get serious.

If you want to hunt game with it, buy a rifled barrel with cantilever scope mount and put a red dot on it, bada$$ deer medicine, this setup will cloverleaf a playing card at 100yds with plain jane wallyworld Winchester slugs.

For turkey or other fowl, buy a 28" barrel with some screw in choke tubes.

Mossy 500A with these three barrels, plus the ammo, and maybe even the optics could be had for near $500 total if you buy a used shotgun and then hunt down the rest of it.

This would be the most frugal and practically spent $500 you will ever spend on a gun, it may be the GEO of 12ga shotguns, but they hold up really well and offer the best utility for the buck that I can think of. You can always buy better quality but dollar for dollar, you won't get near as much gun.. Just sayin'

[country gent]

One thing to remeber is when wing shooting or trap shooting is the guns fit to you is very important. length of pull hieght angld of cheek piece. Shotguns are pointed not aimed. I wouldnt rule out the used rack for good shotguns also. I would look at a 12 ga with 2 3/4" chamber 26-28" barrels with screw in choke tubes. Pump overunder side by side semiauto or single shot is up to you.

[doc1876]

They make a thousand different shot guns for a thousand different reasons. You really need to decide what is yours

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

start with the question what do you want to shoot ?

budget is a good second question

unless you after ducks or geese Magnums only punish you , there are no need for them in shooting games most ranges don't allow them

trap is probably the easiest game to play with a off the shelf shot gun , abd most hunting guns make decent trap guns.

most new guns will shoot 3 inch shells and the 2 3/4 , that is generally enough unless again after high flying geese

I teach shotgun to the 4-H kids we shoot trap , and most of the kids are using rem 870s , mossberg 500 , winchester 1200 and some rem 1100 or 1187 but a few kids have dedicated single barrel trap guns or Berettas , or bennelli , the score between 2 shooters has a lot more to do with their focus and skill than the gun they are holding

given you can spend more than the 325 for an entry level gun I would suggest a semi auto they are less punishing on old bones as the gas system helps with recoil.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

I got my last 2 mossberg combo guns for about 225-250 each a 500A 12ga and a 500C 20ga each with a vent rib with screw in accu-choke and a slug barrel

I haven't shot them a lot but I can be one a rabbit fast with either one and represent a terrific bargain in hunting arm with easy to find parts and accessories , chokes are reasonably priced and they pattern well and fit me well

I grew up on Remington products , 870 and 1100 and I still like them but that safety on top is fast for jump shooting rabbits and pheasants , my dog is gun shy , rescue dog came that way , so when I go out i am the dog I stop through till I flush one then have to get it quick

[Blammer]

Get a rem 1100 12ga that shoot's 3" shells. I'd recommend a 28" barrel, Modified or full choke.

Learn to shoot it and you can hit pretty much anything in the air.

I've used one for YEARS and years shooting trap and skeet, hunting ducks, quail, pheasant, dove, etc...

soft of the shoulder and good shooting.

so there is my suggestion, if not that type and brand, get a good pump gun with the same barrel and choke setup, hard to go wrong in my opinion.

[Oreo]

What's the difference between the Rem 1100 and the 11-87?

Something like a Rem 11-87 appeals to me. Looks like a gun that can do almost everything.

I don't have a specific purpose to buy for other then I don't own a shotgun and I'd like to. I want a versatile one for whatever opportunity comes up. All recreational shooting is fun to me. I'm an NRA certified instructor so occasionally I'll take a person shooting for their first time. I've been asked twice now about going to shoot a shotgun so whatever I buy is going to get used for that too.

[HarryT]

Shotguns are like golf clubs, you need a full set for all the various shots. (Acually, you can do it all with a pump shotgun and a few extra barrels and stocks.)

[bob208]

the thing most are over looking in the 870. you want to shoot trap put a trap barrel on it. you want to hunt rabbit put a mod. barrel. hunt deer put the slug barrel on. home defense the slug barrel or the police barrel. with a barrel change it covers all the bases.

[Ithaca Gunner]

Get something that fits you. Something you can swing and come on target with naturally, even with your eyes closed.

[ShooterAZ]

You can't go wrong with the good ol' Remington 870 12 GA. I have the screw in choke model with extra chokes, cylinder, modified, and full. I also have an 18" riot barrel for it. The 18" barrel stays on when I'm not hunting...and is usually within reach should I ever need it inside the house. Hopefully I never will!

[AggieEE]

All good advice, my $0.02 go to the trap range and talk to some of the shooters. Most are really good guys once you get to know them. Buy a box or two of factory ammo, some are picky about who's reloads they'll let shoot in their guns, and ask them if you can try a round or two with one of their guns. You might decide that shotguning is not for you or you may find out that the gun you thought you wanted is not it. You may decide that you need to hold off and add some money to the fund. Fair warning, once you get the smell of shotgun powder up your nose and it catches it can really start to get expensive. I know, I used to shoot about 20 boxes a week just in practice. Good luck, I hope you find the answers to the questions you have.

[Oreo]

Are 870 barrels easy/quick to swap?

[badgerblaster]

Yes they are.
Make sure it's unloaded, rack the slide back, unscrew the magazine cap, swap barrels.
Piece of cake.

[Dragonheart]

I can't tell you what is right for you, but I own or have owned, single barrels, bolt actions, double barrels, pumps, automatics and over and unders. I also have short barrels defensive guns in pump and automatic, so that about covers the gantlet for types of shotguns. You say you know you don't want a defensive shotgun, so you can rule out the short barrel, cylinders in both pump and automatic. However there is an option of having more than one barrel, but the cost goes up. I haven't hunted in years, but when I did, or when I now decide to go break some clay birds, I take an over & under. As far as balance and shotgun that is a pleasure to shoot I personally don't think you can beat an O&U, I know some will disagree. However, quality O&Us get pretty expensive. There are some guns available in in $500 range, but you might want to check out gunbroker.com for a good used gun for a good price if this is the direction you want to go. A good O&U will definitely outlive the original owner. But as already mentioned you need to put your hands on a lot of guns before making your decision. If you have any shotgun friends a trip to the range could tell you more than visiting a whole lot of stores.
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