shotgun advice?

[Black Bird]

Hi folks,

I am still new to hunting - I got out last year for my first hunt ever (http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=28127&highlight=Black+Bird)...

...and now I am hooked. I daydream about that trip very often. One thing in particular that struck me was how many grouse I came across. This got me to thinking...

I have a great old Mossberg 151K .22 that I picked up from Reliable (great guys). I also bought a Savage 7mm Mag package from them as well (good gun with a bit of a finicky scope). What I don't have is a shotgun. I know that many people hunt grouse with a .22 On that same trip I took one shot at a grouse and missed (I was aiming for the head). It is not that I am against hunting grouse with a .22 - I think it is a very good idea. It is just that I would like to buy a shotgun that would be good for grouse/ducks and maybe geese as well.

I have done a bit of research on-line (on this site, chuck hawks site, and others). It seems to me that either a 20 gauge or a 12 gauge is the way to go (both can and will take down grouse/ducks and geese). In my research they also talk about fit and the feel of the shotgun. I have never fired a shotgun so I can only imagine what they are talking about.

So, my plan is to shell out about $300 for a used shotgun (either a 20 gauge or a 12 gauge) that is reliable. I had good luck with my Mossberg .22 and I now have a far better idea what kind of second .22 I might want in the future (the .22 only cost me $115 second hand at Reliable). For example, while I really like the semi-auto fun factor of my .22, the lack of an effecive, or even partially effective, saftey is a bit of a turnoff.

Am I off my rocker? Is $300 reasonable for a reliable, kicking-around-the-bush 20 or 12 gauge shotgun? Something like a 2nd hand Mossberg 500 or Remmington 870? I would also consider an over/under or side-by-side shotgun as well. I think I would like to stay away from the single shot.

Oh, and odds are I won't be doing any trap shooting with it (unless I am out with a friend flinging clay pigeons around).

Any input would be most welcome!

Cheers,
BB

[kyleklassen]

i've said it before and will say it as many times as it needs to be said. remington 870 express 3" you don't need the super mag ..excellent starter gun. for clays, grouse , ducks, geese, deer, coon, possum, snipe, cat shittin' on your kids sand box, bear, rabbits, squirrel, somebody kickin' your door down.

[JRG94]

12ga. remington 870 express with 28 or 30" barrel (if u can find one with a 30" barrel,if not 28" will work just as good)
u could use the 12ga. for grouse but if it was me i would use the .22 with long or short shells

[Mr. Dean]

I've taken many a Grouse with a 12ga. Trust me, it works like a charm. 300 clams should buy you a decent shaped pump gun. I prefer the shorter barreled ones myself, for this type of hunting. The gun I run with is a cheap Maverick pumper. w/ an 18.5" tube.

Also, you should consider yourself fortunate. Many fella's have a hard time even finding birds. You must have 'The Eye'. :wink:

[Mr. Dean]

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/DSC_0070a.jpg


Go ahead and shoot.
You know you wanna... :razz:

[Black Bird]

Thanks! So far it is 3 - 0 for the 12 gauge over the 20 gauge. Mr. Dean, that is a nice looking pic. I don't know if I have the 'eye' but I didn't find it too difficult to find grouse (at least where I was hunting north of Kamloops). On my 3 day hunting trip, I probably saw about 5-10 each day.

Cheers,
BB

[f350ps]

Personally I would stay away from a 20 Gauge just for the fact that it's too light for geese, though they will kill geese. Secondly, the ammo is more costly for the 20. I wouldn't consider anything that isn't tubed. Good luck. K

[Mr. Dean]

I don't think you mentioned anything about waterfoul..... If this is a consideration, stray away from my short barrel advice. But if its to be a brush beater, shorter is better IMO and chokes aren't a worry.

[eaglesnester]

Save your pennies and take a look at a Browning BPS Hunter in 12ga. I just bought one and it is just beautiful. The fit and finish is perfect. The blueing is as nice as the blueing on my 2500 dollar 300 Weatherby. The pump action is as smooth as butter. The empty hulls eject down and out and not to the side. The thumb safety is right there where your thumb is. The action is made from steel and is very precise and smooth. Have heard about some QC problems with 870, jamming and so on, don't know if they are true or not. A 12ga will do everything you can do with a shotgun, from deer to bunnys, just choose the right load and give er.
Cheers & tighter Groups: Eaglesnester:wink:

[Mr. Dean]

Save your pennies and take a look at a Browning BPS Hunter in 12ga. I just bought one and it is just beautiful. The fit and finish is perfect. The blueing is as nice as the blueing on my 2500 dollar 300 Weatherby. The pump action is as smooth as butter. The empty hulls eject down and out and not to the side. The thumb safety is right there where your thumb is. The action is made from steel and is very precise and smooth. Have heard about some QC problems with 870, jamming and so on, don't know if they are true or not. A 12ga will do everything you can do with a shotgun, from deer to bunnys, just choose the right load and give er.
Cheers & tighter Groups: Eaglesnester:wink:

Too "High Class" but without a doubt, a very nice gun.


I find that my Grouse Specials get horrible abuse. I want them too be handy, yet out of the way. Normally these firearms lay loose on the floor in the back of my Jeep or p/u, uncased w/ the action open and tend to get rubbed, bumped and knocked around with other gear (like axes, chainsaws, jack...). Just not the kind of enviourment I want for my Ruger Red Label or my Browning Auto.

A wise man once told me; We men need something that can be abused and if we don't find an outlet for this, we just end up being grumpy at home and it weighs on our families.


A 'cheap' truck gun yields many benefits... :smile:

[moosetaken]

Even if you find the right "one gun does it all" most of us are hard wired to want more. Unless you're one of the few that can resist the magnetic pull of the sporting goods store in which case you're much tuffer than I am.

[Mr. Dean]

I'm weak.
Very, very,,,, weak. :redface:

[eaglesnester]

Even if you find the right "one gun does it all" most of us are hard wired to want more. Unless you're one of the few that can resist the magnetic pull of the sporting goods store in which case you're much tuffer than I am.
I am not allowed to go in there no more.
Cheers & Tighter Groups: Eaglesnester

[heliwrench]

you can get a NEW remington 870 for around 300-350.

Go with synthetic stock

[Mr. Dean]

Also - Check out our for sale forum. I noticed an ad there yesterday for something that might fit your needs.

[Black Bird]

Also - Check out our for sale forum. I noticed an ad there yesterday for something that might fit your needs.


Thanks. I have been lurking around in there seeing what people are offering. I am going to post a 'looking for' add in the next while - but I thought it might be best to see what people had to say first.

Heliwrench, that is good advice. I am also looking into to how much more 'bang for my buck' I can get going second hand.

Cheers,
BB

[870]

get a 12 gauge 3" 870 express with a 28" barrel. simple, inexpensive and will last forever. I have shot deer, grouse, ducks, geese, and carried it hunting as a backup while I was bear hunting and my partner had a scoped rifle. It is also a great gun for throwing in the back of your car, dropping in the water, filling with sand, and then shooting 300 rounds of skeet. I made the mistake of buying a stoger first, and it was a huge mistake. go with the 870.

[scallywag]

i found my BPS STALKER 12 on here i paid 275 for it and it was mint condition.. i have shot it side by side with my buddies 870 and he always seems to want to shot my gun(my ammo too hmmm??) more then his own and me too. i would take a look Canadian gun nutz they have tons of shotties for sale.

[Black Bird]

Thanks for the advice, everyone.

I just picked up a 2nd hand Remington .870 express magnum w/ 2 chokes for $400 at Lever Arms. They were very helpful there. It seems in great shape and I look forward to testing it out soon.

Cheers,
BB

[jharhod]

i have a remington 870 express and a dominion arms grizzly 12 g mag fed, so far express is the way to go, holds more ammo and all around will benifit u most it wasnt expensive either and solid as hell

[jharhod]

mag feds for sale 300 dollars

[7mag700]

I'd been puzzling over this same question for the last few months in anticipation of shooting some ditch chickens on the wing this fall.

Today I bought a Mossberg 535 ATS Waterfoul. It shoots 2 3/4" - 3" - and 3 1/2", has a 28" barrel, comes with 3 chokes (full, mod, and imp. cyl.), fibre optic front sight, etc.

$290 brand new over the counter :grin:

Range report to follow. So far I like the weight of it over the 870 (it's lighter so will kick a bit I bet, but it swings really nice and easy), and the action release is behind the trigger guard, which I much prefer to in front as on the 870.

Man new gun days are awesome :biggrin:

7m7

[BRP700]

try to find a .22 over a 410 perfect grouse gun

[416]

try to find a .22 over a 410 perfect grouse gun


My savage 30/30-20 gauge is my favorite chicken killer/truck gun..........THEN you go looking for your stand alone duck/goose scatter gun, you can't have too many guns :)