New Shotgun ?

[onemoreridge]

LAST EDITED ON Dec-08-10 AT 03:04PM (MST)[p]I am in the market for a new shotgun and have limited experience with various brands so I want to get other opinions. It will be a 12 gauge shotgun that I would like to use for everything from trap to geese. I have only had pump shotguns but would like to consider a semi-auto as well. I really do like pumps and am considering the browning BPS with the bottom eject and the safety on top since I shoot left-handed. Shells ejecting across my face hasn't bothered me in the past so a right handed gun will work, I just need easy access to the safety. What shotguns do you guys have and what are the cons/pros of them. I need a shotgun that can take some abuse. Thanks for the replies.

 

[440sixpack]

Im my opinion there are autos and over unders and then a bunch of junk. yes I'm opinionated but I'm also an avid bird hunter and a competitive sporting clays shooter. a guy shooting a pump is dead meat when you get past the novice class.


While I prefer to shoot an O/U the auto really has all the advantages. lighter recoil, ( if gas operated ) holds more shells, lighter and cheaper. since you didn't say anything about an O/U I'll just say if I was buying an auto and recoil was an issue I'd buy a Beretta, if I wasn't going to shoot competetive sports then a Beretta or a Benelli.

 

[Hardway]

Real uplanders shoot a fine side by side. Over unders are for sports bets.

"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

 

[hntbambi]

For upland or clays (trap, skeet, sporting) I shoot o/u guns. Being able to use multiple chokes can be a big advantage. For turkey, waterfowl, and deer hunting with buckshot (some states back east mandate it) I liked my 11/87 Super Mag. It cushioned the big 3.5" mag recoil much better than my 835 Mossberg. The 835 Mossberg was a better turkey gun with a triplex load (4x5x7)of Hevi Shot from The Nitro Company as the pattern was superb. A serious 75 yard turkey gun.

One thing that is more important than model/brand/type, is the fit of the gun. If it does not fit you, the best quality gun is useless for upland (moving targets) work. If it does not shoot where you look, it's useless. This is unless you can make it shoot where you look. Stock build up/sanding away/shimming/etc, is a way to get the point of impact to match the point of aim much like sighting in a rifle.

 

[Gator]

Hard to beat a 1100 Remmington
I just picked a 303 berreta that is pretty sweet shooting.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".

 

[woodruffhunter]

Dustin:

I shot Browning Auto's for the first 25 years I started hunting. When it got cold, they would always jam. I have heard the new auto's are better???

However, I switched to a Benelli Pump and ove it. I never have any problems with it.

Having said this, I will agree with part of what 440 said. An Auto or an Over Under would be better for trap/skeet shooting...

 

[onemoreridge]

Thanks for the replies, i should have clearified a little when I mentioned shooting trap, that will be just for fun with my dad and brothers, no competitions, but bragging rights are on the line. I do like the pumps as I love to jump shoot ducks and geese on rivers when all the lakes are froze and temps are around 0 or lower so I need something I know will work at those temps. I don't want to get an auto and have it freeze on me during these times.

I have thought about the binelli pumps, looking at their safety it almost looks like the safety is recessed and not flush with the rest of the trigger guard, am I correct in what I am seeing? If so it might be difficult for me switching it off of safety.

 

[sageadvice]

AS a kid of 12 years or so, i won Bacon after Bacon at our yearly range club shoots that my family always attended. It wasn't because i practiced shooting trap, i didn't, i practiced at hunting game birds every day of the season. The guys i competed against back then all had fancy vests with loads of patches on them and fancy guns. I found it hard to not win if you don't miss any and shooting in them shoots came natural, i rarely ever missed.

I beat them guys then and now as an older guy, i figure that i could still give them a hard go, all with my pump gun. I'm not saying to get one but don't listen to anybody that says or implies that a pump gun is not a good choice for a all around gun! They are just being ignorant or snobbish,... a pump gun does lots of things well!

Joey

 

[440sixpack]

Trap and sporting clays are apples and oranges. try to find a sporting clays model pump.

Don't worry about a quality auto giving you trouble, if it's really a serious concern then go for the Benelli auto and forget it. my 20 ga montefeltro I chuckar hunt with looks like I drag it behind the pickup and it has never given my one bit of trouble.

 

[sageadvice]

Dude, What's up with the sporting clay topic? The guy is looking for a shotgun to hunt with and you got to bring up sporting clay guns cause that's, again and again, what you shoot!

You were gone foe awhile and i for one did not miss you. Go back to the political stuff and take your high dollar biased, over and over again, attitude with you!

Joey

 

[tailchasers]

that Browning BPS is tough to beat. I got one in 10 gauge and have drug that sucker through the muddy spring manure soaked corn fields of Iowa chasing snow geese, then later in the spring after turkey, finally ducks and greater canada geese in the fall up to freeze up walking rivers, sitting in corn fields, lakes, ponds, and marshes for years with not one issue with this gun even covered with mud and sand in the chamber. If you are checking out the older used ones just be sure to get one that handles 3 1/2" shells. I am also more of a fan of the 28"+ barrels over the shorter ones. You get better range and for jump shooting ducks you can use all the help you can get. pretty versital gun with awesome quality.

 

[440sixpack]

Sage the guy asked about an all around shotgun, there isn't any clays game more fun or more useful to a hunter than sporting clays so maybe he'll do it someday. besides you can't go wrong with an auto or an O/U even if you don't shoot sporting clays.
you have a problem with that?

You really have a chip on your shoulder I never said he had to buy a Perazzi or a Kreighoff. your welfare check late or something ?

 

[sageadvice]

Dude, Again, the guy asked about a hunting gun and you push your clays gun. It's just so typical of you and yes i do have a problem with you. I get way tired of you always insinuating that what anybody else has or if not recommended by you, then it's no good.

My chip is there, i agree. You seem to bring it out more than the rest of the guys around here though. I pay my own way in this life, always have, hope i always will, but your try at insult is just another reason/example of why i don't like you or what you stand for!

Joey

 

[440sixpack]

Hmm, I see.

I looked back and as I thought he said " a shotgun for everything from trap to geese " . now unless he meant shooting birds in a trap I take it he wants to shoot clay birds. where you shoot clay birds ( trap ? ) you often have the opportunity to shoot sporting clays. so couldn't I assume " everything " means more than geese and trapped birds or trap ( clay birds )?

I didn't have an opinion about you but I'm fast forming one. so if you're done with your drama queen high school girl crap let the guy ask his questions about guns.

 

[sageadvice]

Again, more insults. I merely tried to point out that pump guns, or any gun for that matter, can do well with the right guy behind it. I've only shot several rounds of clays and i scored well, with my 870 field grade, above the average guy there with his fancy, built for the sport gun.

This guy is leaning toward a pump gun. There are some good ones out there yet you continue to push your semi-auto which is also always a good choice. The problem i have is from reading 99% of your past posts in THIS FORUM,i just don't like your high hat arrogance and wish you'd go back to the Political Forum, where everybody likes to argue, so we can not miss you here once again. You fit in so well there!!

Joey

 

[440sixpack]

Geez will you just take some Midol already.

Let me guess you hate anyone who uses an outfitter, buys a landowner tag or drives a nicer car. my motto is buy the best you can afford, I have never put anyone down for buying a lesser product if that's the best they can do. if I have it wasn't my intention. in this case a good used O/U or a new or used auto is in the same price range as a good pump. how do you find anything elitist in that?


Yes I'm opinionated did I ever say I wasn't, show me somebody without an opionion and I'll show you somebody who doesn't know much. often there are many opinions and no one right answer and that goes for mine as well. 99% of the posts on here are based on or asking for opinions, I think the guy can read if he wasn't asking for opinions he could just read the brochures right?

Enough with this crap if you want a pizzin match come to the political forum thats what it's for and I promise I'll try to check in here more often since it amuses you. back to guns.

 

[sageadvice]

You are such a liar Dude! Even this evening you put down who knows how many guys down that own and love their 7mm-08's by saying this,
"...I've never seen the reason for the 7mm/08 to exist. it's like pulling a couple plug wires off a V8."

Another example of many instances; guys have come here with a new custom built rifle to proudly show us, you will come out with, "you should have went with a different barrel as i had one of those that wasn't worth a crap"

You put people off and you put them or their equipment down all the time. Ever see RELH, Boskee, Hardway, or the Dog, do that? Jokes aside, NEVER!

I'm sure if you considered other people's opinions or feelings, you'd think a bit before you do as you always seem to do. I know they don't play that way in the PF but that's why most of us avoid there if possible!

Joey

 

[440sixpack]

LAST EDITED ON Dec-09-10 AT 11:00PM (MST)[p]Do you ever listen to yourself?

I didn't know gun talk could bring tears, I promise I'll be more sensitive.

 

[sageadvice]

All the time..and i catch myself some times too. I'm not saying that i'm perfect or that i'm like those other guys i mentioned and respect but i do like to give options instead of flat out telling guys what they should do. Some of the best guys here might not come right out and tell you what they think but if you listen, they do a great job of leading a guy in the right direction.

Joey

 

[440sixpack]

I'm not that suttle, if you don't like my advice you can ignore it and it's free.

It took me 30 years to find what works for me and what I've seen work for others. there isn't anything in it for me one way or another it's just my opinion based on my experience. I wish had I back all the money I'd blown on dumb gun ideas , hack gunsmiths and bad products from my years of messing with the stuff. take it leave it it's nothing personal.

 

[Gator]

And now for a commercial break.


"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".

 

[hossblur]

In 86 I got a 870 magnum(3") 30 inch barrel, I was 12. Like most kids I wasn't careful with it. I have trained 2 pretty good labs with the gun having them crawling all over it. It has been laid in the mud and water while laying out for geese, dropped in the snow while rabbit hunting, rained on, snowed on, pounded, beat, drug, had nasty steel flying down its barrel. Its killed ducks, geese, swans, rabbits, pheasants, chukars, grouse, squirels, and even the occasional carp. Its been shot so much the blueing is completely gone where the pump slides. The wood has held up very well. It eats the smallest 2 3/4 loads to the 3" loads. Twenty five years later it still never miss fires, never fails to eject. I love the Duck Commander and his Benelli commmercials are cool, and I totally agree with him, a gun must do 3 things, boom, boom, boom. It may not be a cool over and under. Its not as cool as a Super Black Eagle. Its not new engineering like the nova, but the 870 is by far and away the BEST shotgun ever made PERIOD. You will never go wrong by owning one. I also own a BPS(my 4 year old does), I shot it 3 times, it seems good, but I have shot so many thousand shells out of a remington that Brownings don't fit me well. Get the 870, kill some critters, break some clay, and smile knowing that you didn't drop $1000 or more to do what you are doing for $300.

 

[REDDOG]

"the 870 is by far and away the BEST shotgun ever made PERIOD."

If you like the slide action, do yourself a favor and try a model 12...

 

[440sixpack]

That was pretty insensitive, I don't care for the 870. my feelings are hurt.

 

[D13er]

>"the 870 is by far and
>away the BEST shotgun ever
>made PERIOD."
>
>If you like the slide action,
>do yourself a favor and
>try a model 12...

I have both dawg....and that 12 sure likes biting my thumb relaoading and it is so cool when the magazine empties on the ground when you fumble the reload....I'll stick with the 870



great post/pic, thanks for sharing

JB

 

[Longun]

Get a Bennelli Baby.......smoothest auto out there especially in this cold Wyoming weather..

 

[onemoreridge]

Thanks for all the replies from everyone. I spent a lot of time at stores and looked at many different guns. I decided on getting the browining BPS, for me shooting left handed it was really hard to pass up the top toggle safety and bottom eject. I was about to get a remington wingmaster as my dad has one and I love that gun but still decided on the BPS. Picking up a new lab puppy this saturday so next year I will dedicate a lot more time to bird hunting than the past couple years, its gonna be a good time.

 

[tailchasers]

Great choice you'll love it!! Now try and wear it out by having fun.

 

[REDDOG]

>>"the 870 is by far and
>>away the BEST shotgun ever
>>made PERIOD."
>>
>>If you like the slide action,
>>do yourself a favor and
>>try a model 12...
>
>I have both dawg....and that 12
>sure likes biting my thumb
>relaoading and it is so
>cool when the magazine empties
>on the ground when you
>fumble the reload....I'll stick with
>the 870
>
>
>
>great post/pic, thanks for sharing
>
>JB
>

Dang I missed this..But ya, there are a few basic motor skills required to run the things...So I can see how you got stumped.