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Posted: 7/24/2006 9:38:29 PM EDT
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I'm 18, and my family's never really been into hunting, but I have been trying to get into it for quite some time. I own one rifle for plinking already, and I was thinking about picking up a .30-06 or a .308 to hunt with, but I realized all you can use a .30-06 or .308 for is deer basically, in the South East where I live, I'm not the type to drive down to Florida and hunt Boar or anything like that, I'm a college student. Anyway, cutting to the chase, I'm looking at Shotguns, and I'm thinking they're alot of money, but I want one that lasts and it's a good gun by a good brand, going with a Browning. My question is I was in a Sports Authority a couple of weeks back and saw a Browning I liked, it was a 3 1/2'' 12 GA, the guy said it could take 2 3/4'' I figure, I could use it for Dove, Turkey, and maybe even goose hunting since it's a magnum. All I'd have to do is change out the chokes for whatever I plan on doing. I don't know necessarily if the man was telling me the truth about the 2 3/4'' through 3 1/2'' magnum shells would all work, I've heard some shotguns can take 2 3/4'' and 3'' magnums, but I just that was a red flag to me. The Browning I looked at was going for about 850, I looked up what I assume it is, it had a gold trigger, etc, which I know they don't do standard like they used to, so I assume it's this model. http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/firearms/detail.asp?value=010B&cat_id=011&type_id=102 Which looks like a good shotgun, a good deal, and it looks like I'd have all of my bases covered, I'm not big on a finely finished shotgun with a hardwood stained stock etc, maybe later, but for now I just want something I can take out, and not have to worry too much about scratching or use, the synthetic works for me, the gun works, I've shot a browning with a friend of mine, fell in love with them. Just wondering, thanks for any time and input that you guys give, I appreciate your time. |
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A shotgun chambered for 3" or 3 1/2" can take shorter shells. My sgt. at work is a big hunter and shoots mostly 3" 12 ga shells, even though his over/under can take a 3 1/2". If this is your first shotgun, why not a pump, instead of a semi? You can get an 870 Express 3" for less than $250 in most places. When I was on detail in Alabama I found one for $199 at Academy Sports. I paid $279 for mine (26" bbl 12ga 3"), bought a full set of chokes, a 18" IC bbl for home defense, and a lot of ammo. but I realized all you can use a .30-06 or .308 for is deer basically A 30-06 or .308 with the right loads will handle just about any game on the north american continent, excepting big brown bears and maybe really big elk, and there are hunters that have taken brown bears successfully either caliber. 30-06 is a bit more versatile for big game cause it can take heavier bullets. |
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hell, you can take deer with a shotgun. A slug is an awful effective hunting tool. (better sometimes, it doesn't go as far as a big rifle bullet) and as the previous poster stated, a 3.5" chamber will take a 2.75" hull About all you need 3.5" for is Turkey and/or goose. the smaller loads are better for most bird hunting. a pump is a mighty effective hunting shotgun. Nothing to go wrong and they start at about $250 and max out at about $600. |
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A shotgun will give you the chance to get in the field more often and hunt more variety of game. Then you will decide what types of game, if not all of them you like to hunt. In the mean time a shotgun can kill them all just by varying the loads you use, and assuming you don't suck at shooting. Cheap and easy to practice with a shotgun too. My first gun purchase was a 12 gauge. At 42 I just bought my first .308 last weekend. Lots of guns in between. I would buy a used 870 and then beat the crap out of it going through all kinds of brush and terrain as you learn to hunt. |
Where I live, I'm not going to go bear or any other kind of large game hunting, realistically the farthest I'd go is to a dove field or a friend's land about 1 hour and 30 minutes away to hunt turkey. I dunno, I just assumed, browning were good guns. I could get a Savage MP 110 in .30-06 for $511, Stainless Steel barrel, etc., etc. I just won't have a whole lot of use for one, is all I'm saying, it'd be very seasonal, I'd only get out and hunt probably with a rifle 3 or 4 times a year, probably shoot it less than 10 times a year given the caliber, but a 12 gauge, you can shoot skeet, you can shoot dove, all kind of bird, turkey, maybe deer (I wouldn't.) etc. I just think a shotgun is alot more realistic for hunting with me. Yea, I just thought Browning were some of the best on the Market so I looked into them. But they are expensive, but deals can be had, I dunno, thanks for the input. What kind of pumps would you guys recommend Mossberg, or what? |
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If you are concerned about shotguns being too expensive, then you should look at a Remington 870 Express. Get the combo model, that way you will have a 28'' (?) shot barrel and a 21'' slug barrel. Spend an extra $10 for the express upgrade kit and you will have all the chokes you could need. The express magnum takes 2 3/4'' and 3'' shells. That would allow you to do just about everything it sounds like you want to do. why spend $850 when you could spend $400 and get the job done just as well? just my two cents |
Remington 870 10 million made can't be wrong. The mossberg is a fine gun too Mount them both, see which one feels better. Fit is very important on shotguns. |
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Yea I'm noticing that, I picked up a Mossberg M500 today, at Dick's Sporting good, I realized, if you can't pivot, or move rapidly, how do you expect to shoot down a bird? I read somewhere I believe in this forum Mossberg stocks are hard to deal with, my brother had a Maverick, and I held a M500 today, and I've noticed that. I think I'll go around on my day off (Thurs.) with a friend of mine, we'll go shop shotguns, he uses shotguns, and he's the one who I know who uses primarily brownings, his father has one, his grandfather has one, he has one, his great grandfather has one. Kind of a family tradition. One thing he said that was bad with the Browning that he noticed, was that the endcap screw on the loading tube comes loose when you fire for extended periods of times, say dove hunting or skeet shooting, and the foregrip comes loose, and the barrel knocks against it, he said all of them had cracked their foregrip that way, and replaced them with Synthetic, problem went away. I'm kind of shying away from a pump, I dunno why, but I just feel like I couldn't get a good follow up shot with a pump, You know? I like pumps, they're fun to play around with and use, but, for hunting purposes, I think I am going to end up going Semi, I could be wrong, but that's where I think I'm heading. I'd almost consider an over under, but eh I don't think it'd be useful past small bird game. EDIT: In short, sorry I came on here with an opinion and don't seem to be listening but, why do you guys prefer pump just out of simple curiousity, is it easier to use? The ones I've used were just kind of a hassle to deal with in some cases. |
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I don't hunt, but I went from a pump shotgun to an autoloader, mainly 'cause it's cool and it's fun to shoot. Follow up shots with a pump gun will become second nature the more you shoot. Consider taking up trap or skeet shooting as well, it's just like anything else, the more you do it, the better you'll get. If you want a shotgun to drag around in the woods that you wouldn't feel too bad about, I'd roll with a pump gun from Remington, Mossberg, Winchester or Ithaca. Any will do their job if you do yours, and they'll all be cheaper than a comparible autoloader. Which means more you can spend on ammo and shootin', which means the mo betta you get - which is the ultimate goal of any kinda shootin. |
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there is less to go wrong with a pump The only error is between the trigger and the stock. :-) You, in other words. A pump can be VERY FAST after you learn to use it. Pumps are cheaper, you will always get your money out of a pump if you don't like it. it does take some practice to shoot a pump well and quickly, but after you figure it out you'll be quick. Remember, fit is everything, how you mount the gun and it fits with you is everything, all guns are different. Most guns built today are fine for anything. besides, pretty quickly, you'll have more than one shotgun, so don't get bogged down in which one for the first one.  |
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I'm looked at a Beretta, Browning, and Benelli today, I'm sorry to say but for a commercial shotgun I was very pleased. That's mostly what they offered where I went, Pumping does become second nature, for example, a friend of mine said he got so used to pumping he'd forget if he had or hadn't, and had to check the chamber every once in awhile, because he wouldn't remember, it was just you fire, and pump, period. Alright, next question, pump or semi, what's the best brands, I've held a few bulky shotguns today, and I noticed some stuff I didn't care for, I also noticed Beretta's and Benelli's are lighter, which when hunting all day is a plus, any comments on that? |
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Update, today, I went and shot a 12 gauge Browning, nothing wrong with the recoil, nothing wrong with the weapon, works fine, works for me,a pump's cheaper but I think, with a 3 and a 1/2'' magnum available all the way to 2 3/4'' inch, I think it'll cover all of the bases, it has an easy, and internal choke mechanism, it's recoil's alright, but then again I weigh 225 and I'm 6'0'' so, not a problem. Sunburnt as all get out, but I took out a few things today, it was enjoyable. Beretta don't know alot about Benelli offers some quality stuff as well, but I see nothing wrong with Brownings, personnaly. Most of it's design and options have been pretty much exploited by Beretta and Benelli anyway, it's simplicity, they may have fewer parts etc, and maybe lighter metals, but it's preference at this point. EDIT: Thanks for everything guys, you've been great help. |
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