Starter Shotgun

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CoyoteChallenger

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Hi, know that you guys probably get this question a lot but what is the best gun for me to get for starting off. I am interested in duck and pheasant hunting and would like to get into trap shooting. I have shot some different shotguns and am know looking to get my own. i have shot Remington 870's, Winchester Semi-autos and a Charles Daily Over-Under(Nice Gun:D). Just wondering what you guys think is my best bet for a first shotgun.

Thanks
CoyoteChallenger
 
What's your budget?

12 gauge is probably the most versatile. Not best for everything, but most versatile.

A pump action isn't best for everything, either, but not useless for anything, so again, versatile.

Remington's 870 and Mossberg's 500 with 3" and 3.5" chambers come in well priced package deals with multiple barrels so you can hunt deer and birds - again, versatile.

The 3.5" chamber is an advantage in certain circumstances, but not really necessary in any. People do all sorts of hunting quite successfully with 3" chambers.

I like the safety on Mossberg's 500 better than on Remington's 870, and I'm not a big fan of the Remington company, but I have an 870 Express and it works as it should. (There are reports of quality control problems with Remington in the last few years but mine is older, and it's o.k.)

I also own a cheap side by side - a Boito, and it's fun, but if I had to cut back to just one shotgun, I'd keep the pump-action.
 
How is the 590A1 an all around gun? Its not it is a tank. And not a very good gun for shooting clays and hunting (especially pheasant hunting).
 
A 870 is a fine shotgun, however most guys that start out with one, usually decide within a couple of years that they don't need a semi auto, but would like to have one. If you can afford a good quality semi-auto like a Browning Maxus, Winchester SX3, Beretta, or a Benelli then get one. But if you can't afford the $1500 or more for one of those, then a Stoeger S2000 would be a great option for around $700, if you don't desire a 3 1/2 super mag.

If you are looking to just get into hunting, for as cheaply as possible, then $350 will get you a Mossberg pump, that will not be fancy, but it will work.

I do alot of Duck hunting, in some pretty extreme conditions, and I use a Remington 870 supermag, and after using that for the last 3 years of some nasty abuse, it has held up pretty good. It will need a inspection from a gunsmith before the turkey season though, because it is starting to Jam occasionaly now.

I thought that a Pump would be all I would ever need, and it is. BUT, I am looking at getting a Semi-Auto now, because they have a clear advantage in a quick follow up shot.
 
12 gauge is a must for trap. If you get into trap, you probably will buy (many) more trap guns. 391 Beretta is the best new semi clay target gun on the market. If you happen to have an old Winchester Super X-1, use it. Get a tune-up kit with a new recoil buffer and shoot that. There are many after market parts available for the 391s and SX-1s.

Hunting pheasant with a heavy gun is fine when you are young, but when you are old and fat like me ... a 6 lb. gun is the way to go.
 
Winchested said:
How is the 590A1 an all around gun? Its not it is a tank. And not a very good gun for shooting clays and hunting (especially pheasant hunting).
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While an 18" cylinder choked Mossberg might not be a suitable choice for a duck blind or pheasant field it's a very good gun for tacticoooool.

Tacticoooool is less concerned about hitting targets than looking good. ;)

As for the original question the best gun is the one that fits and you feel comfortable with. For an all round gun I'd suggest a semi-automatic with a 3" chamber and a 28" barrel. It will do everything you need.

I'm a fan of the Beretta 391 but would also suggest the OP look at the current line of Browning and Winchester semi-autos. The Remingtons aren't particular favourites of mine but a lot of shooters like them and they are worth considering too.
 
Claybuster said:
While an 18" cylinder choked Mossberg might not be a suitable choice for a duck blind or pheasant field it's a very good gun for tacticoooool.

Tacticoooool is less concerned about hitting targets than looking good. ;)
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Hahahahaha!


If you want advice on a good gun to get you started, you need to state your price. Shotguns sell for a couple hundred bucks to a couple hundred thousand. Obviously your not going to remortgage to buy a gun, (or are you?) but the options are limited only by how much you can spend.

Are you looking for a single shot? Their good and safe with very little to go wrong. They can also be bought new for around $150. Do you want a pump or an auto loader? How about a double? The gun I currently use myself and the one I recommend to my friends is a Remington 870. I've owned several and they've never let me down. The thing is the 870 fits me pretty good, it may not fit you. A shotgun that fits you is the most important thing. Your best bet is to go into a good shop and try a few on. If you don't know what to look for bring somebody with some knowledge on shotguns with you. And please stay away from tacticool. :p Good luck.
 
I have a 11-87 Premier Trap that I love. It's had literally 1000's of hulls through it with the only problem being a 0.55 cent oring that needs replacing once a year. For semi auto's they are average price with an above average design, but must be kept clean.

870's are probably the most versatile and by far the best pump guns out there but STAY AWAY from the "Express" versions. There are enough differences between the Express and the Wingmaster to make them a totally different gun.

That being said, if I could afford it I'd love one of the "B" guns like Beretta or the Benelli's, or for an O/U a Browning too.

The "S"tay away from guns are Stoeger, Stevens, Savage, Baikal
 
Since we're talking about the Remington Express models, is there a long term durability issue with them or.....? I'm curious because I just bought one and in the last week I've probably shot it close to 350 times and it's working flawlessly so far. It's one of those cheap tactical models with the poor finish.....it's just screams "beat me up".....and so far I have been. Actually I'd say that it's accurate enough for hunting and clay shooting. Plus it's so cheap and ugly that I'm not scared to throw it around or drag in and out of a truck. I like it so far and just for that reason I think it's a perfect hunting rig. The model that I own has the ability to thread chokes into the muzzle so it's quite versatile. Just my $0.02
 
I guess I must be the luckiest guy in the world. All I ever hear on this site is how crappy this gun or that gun is and you'll have nothing but problems. Well I own all those crappy guns and I have no problems. Funny how that works.

Armorman, enjoy your new gun. It will serve you well.:)
 
CoyoteChallenger said:
Hi, know that you guys probably get this question a lot but what is the best gun for me to get for starting off. I am interested in duck and pheasant hunting and would like to get into trap shooting. I have shot some different shotguns and am know looking to get my own. i have shot Remington 870's, Winchester Semi-autos and a Charles Daily Over-Under(Nice Gun:D). Just wondering what you guys think is my best bet for a first shotgun.
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There is no such thing as an all around shotgun. Duck hunting requires the use of heavy loads which recoil hard, thus a heavy durable shotgun is preferred, such as pump actions like the Remington 870, Mossberg 500, and semis like the Remington 1100/11-87, Benellis, Berettas, etc.

Pheasant hunting uses lighter loads than duck and usually requires carrying your gun for long distances, thus a lighter weight gun is preferred. Light weight semis and over/unders seem to be preferred.

Trap shooting uses target loads that may not cycle in a lot of hunting grade semis. Trap shooting usually has shooters using specific trap guns or common semis/pumps fitted with different butt stocks and barrels.

I love my 870s (Wingmasters, SPand Express). I've never had a failure from any of them. I also use a 20 ga 1100, an IGA Coach gun Supreme and a T/C New Englander muzzle loading 12 ga which are all great fun!

I've harvested game with virtually all and have shot informal skeet/trap with most. Again a lot of fun.

My advise is to choose the activity you plan to do the most of and use that as the basis for choosing your shotgun. If you think you will be hunting ducks 60% of the time, Pheasant 25% of the time and trap shooting 15% of the time buy a hunting shotgun.

Once you decide which sport you will be doing most buy the gun that physically fits you and your budget. FWIW, I found that using semis for duck hunting caused me to waste a lot of ammo. Switching back to pumps I am achieving about an 80+ % success rate vs 20-40% with my semi. That is me, you may be different. But remember once you have the gun you have to feed it.
 
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