Hey all,
So here's the deal… I'm taking my PAL this weekend and will take my CORE soon after that. My plan will be to get a gun fairly quickly and get as much range time in as I can before the fall seasons open up. My motivation in getting into hunting (at the ripe ol' age of 39) is purely as a food source, so I hope to be as diverse as I possibly can, here on Vancouver Island. I don't have very much expendable income so I'm really trying to maximize my budget. Because of this, my plan has been to get a Mossberg 500 combo kit with the rifled barrel. That would put me in a position to shoot everything from ducks, and upland to deer and (from as far as I can tell with research) possibly elk and black bear. My eyeballs nearly exploded out of my head today when I discovered the cost of sabot shells are around $3-$4 per round. Which is fine when you're actually hunting, but makes range practice a bit of a killer on the wallet.
I'm wondering if there is anyone out there that has experience with shooting sabot that might be able to recommend a more cost-effective way to get proficient with shooting slug. OR am I not headed down the right path with trying to make a shotgun operate as an all-in-one and would be wiser to just get a .270 or .30-06 for the medium game and save the duck/geese/upland for further down the road.
Any thoughts/inputs/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I wouldn't say you're headed down the wrong path but you are limiting yourself as far as deer go. You should probably be looking for a rifle for deer(270 .308 30.06),these calibres because of the availability of ammo, and a shotgun for every thing else(should be able to find a cheap one used). If you're on a budget think used and with the best optics you can afford. Welcome to hunting
It's not legal to shoot elk with slugs. I'd look into a 308, 30 06, or 270 for big game as ammo is common and is cheaper than most of the new calibers. get a 22 for small game and cheap practice then pick up $100 single shot shotgun from one theses sites or a gun show for the short term then go from there.
It doesn't seem so long ago that I was in your shoes... just a few years younger when I started. You are in for an amazing life altering learning experience.
A shotgun for a first island gun... its an interesting idea. In theory it would do you for birds and deer. My main concern with the idea would echo yours. I would really worry about being able to practice enough to be a confident and ethical hunter if I were in your shoes. Slugs will wallop you in both your pocket book and in your shoulder. I have been shooting a while now and if I am not careful I start flinching when shooting buckshot through my 12 gauge. I have to really dial back the amount I shoot through it at one time. Slugs are even worse than buckshot. I would shudder to think how miserable I would have been if this was the gun I chose to learn how to shoot with. Birdshot is fine, but buck and slugs are just a different beast. In the end I predict you would probably find yourself running to the gun store to find something easier on you, thereby not saving much in the way of cash.
Personally I recommend you pick up a 22 and learn how to shoot and worry about the big game rifle after you have a better idea of what you can handle. Going to the range with your 22 would be a great way to see what other guns are like. One commonality ranges seem to have is I meet genuine good people there. Often people are open to letting you handle or try out their rifles especially if you are new. At the very least it is a good place to go and talk guns.
Wow... awesome info. Can't thank you all enough for taking the time to shed some light. I forgot to mention that I've got a .22 Plinkster waiting for me the day I get my PAL and plan to shoot it by the bucket load! Hoping to do my part to control the island rabbit population and see if I can't find the odd grouse. And I've also started dabbling with archery and made the quick realization that any notions of bow hunting will have to be held off for a few seasons while those skills are honed.
Safe to say the research will continue for the next 6-8 weeks until that card shows up... then it'll be time to make that final decision.
Thanks for the warm welcome to HBC. I think I'm gonna like it here.
I would suggest a .30-06, .308, .280, .270 or .25-06 If you look around you should be able to find a good one between $350 and $500. A good second hand pump shotgun will only cost about $150 if you look a little
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