The best beater shotgun for waterfowl in harsh conditions?

thehunterman

thehunterman

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ok guys so recently I have been thinking about buying a new shotgun,I have owned an old remington 1100 magnum and H&R pardner single shot for many years and dropped to many birds to remember with both of these shotguns,using the H&R as my "beater" shotgun for poor conditions and hard hunting but as many of you know waterfowl hunting with a single shot can be trying to say the least,and as much as I love my remington with it's walnut stock,"gold" inlay and beautifully blued finish,I become concerned when the weather starts to turn for the worst as it seems to do during the best part of duck and goose season,but enough excuses what I am trying to say is I need a new gun and after looking around and researching the many models on the market today these are the few that seem to somewhat fit my needs,and they are.......(drumroll please)the remington 870 express 3 1/2",the remington 887 nitro magnum 3 1/2" and the weatherby pa-08 3" now these are just what I have come across and any suggestions would be appreciated.For a hint of what I am looking for it would have to be a pump,reliable to a fault(we are talking rain,sleet,snow,mud and everything not nice that could happen to a firearm 24 hours a day 6 days a week)have full choke capabilities and a 3 1/2" chamber(almost all of my hunting is pass shooting on big canadas and pond hopping so my usual range is 45 to 70 yards), the stock does not really matter cause' it is probably gonna get a paintjob anyway oh and not overly expensive,not a huge factor but it still makes a difference.
Thanks,
Hunter.
 
My Mossberg 835 Ulti-Mag 3.5" is a winner for all seasons, and cheap as dirt.

Light, but soft-recoiling... pump, so it NEVER malfunctions (unless you're a grade-A moron)... synthetic stock front to back. The finish is durable as hell and holds lubricant well. Screw-in chokes.

It's ported though, so if you're in a blind with others they'll hate you in about 3 shots or less. Otherwise, great beater field gun.

-M
 
I'll second the 835 Ulti-Mag. I've hunted hard with mine for deer, turkey, and waterfowl, and it's never let me down. Camo finish still looks good on the gun and all 3 barrels and the action is as good as when I bought it 3 years ago. I wouldn't replace it with anything else.
 
Doc M said:
Light, but soft-recoiling... pump, so it NEVER malfunctions (unless you're a grade-A moron)....
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:D:D Quite funny!

I believe that the Mossberg semis 930, 935 or the Baikal MP 153 are also good fireams for that type of chore. The price difference isn't too far off between the pump and those semis either.
 
thehunterman said:
you guys talking about something like this? http://www.cabelas.ca/index.cfm?pageID=71&&section=1187&section2=1727&section3=1954&ID=3972 then get a extended full choke tube? this looks great and the price is very appealing so if it is as reliable as you guys claim it is,seems to fit the bill perfectly.
Thanks,
Hunter.
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I have that exact one, as a matter of fact.

Don't get one, get two. Because someone watching yours in action is going to want to buy that second one on the spot.

-M
 
You may want to look at the Maverick lineup of shotguns ... I've got an old one that I picked up for under $200 ... It is a model 88. Only requirement it's missing is your 3 1/2" chambering.

This thing as absolutely bullet proof. It's been to the bottom of rivers and marshes, rinsed with riverwater afterwards and shot the rest of the day fine. With it being synthetic, when it's unloaded it makes a usable paddle as well.

I use this thing year round ... summer critter ridder, fall for ducks & geese, winter for bunnies and partridge/grouse. Dry & dusty and covered in debris from crawling through cedar stands, cold and wet in the swamps, covered in snow & ice from pushing heavy brush ... it doesn't care. In over 10 years, I have never had a single misfeed or failure to extract. A few "fail to fire's" over the years, but after inspection on each, the primers were perfectly struck by the firing pin and I've blamed those on shells that were fouled from spending too long swimming in bottom of the canoe. Sit in the barn, clean the game, watch the gun "sweat" as it warms up from a crisp winter day ... walk outside, watch that moisture turn to frost, and it still works flawlessly.

Never oiled or greased it either. WD-40 for clean-up on the action, then a light coat to prevent corrosion. Light and easy to carry - even after a 3+ hour hike for bird/bunny, it doesn't wear on a person.

It does have on "flaw" though ... the synthetic stock is much colder than wood in the late fall & into winter. I can carry an old wood stocked 410 without gloves in those temps and as long as the weather itself doesn't bother me, Im fine all day, but this synthetic is like a conrete floor - it seems to suck the heat from your fingers - 30 minutes and I need gloves, though the ultra thin ones are enough usually - just enough to break the contact between the "plastic" and my skin.
 
on my first day at the range with my mossy535 it was raining pretty hard, shot 20/25 off the bat, she pointed nice and strong, cycled like a champ, put 100 wet rounds through her without a hickup. camo finish does its job nicely. reliable, priced well, a real all weather performer, but in the cold, she is cold on the hands but to a degree. good luck. B2
 
My 870 XCR spent the first few years of its life coated in slimy, stick, salty Bay of Fundy mud. Always went 'bang' when it was supposed to and still looks like new. I couldn't recommend it enough. :rockOn:
 
i will also praise my 870 even though i had to polish the chamber in order to get it to cycle the chap ammo. but is is an express model and it is cheap ammo.... I haven't tested it since i polished but i will be going out sunday and i'll let ya know.
 
I've seen a Beretta Extrema cycle with no problems dirty and wet in the Nova Scotia salt marshes and at 20 below in Alberta wheat fields. Anyone I know with an Extrema swears by it.
 
gravyboat said:
I've seen a Beretta Extrema cycle with no problems dirty and wet in the Nova Scotia salt marshes and at 20 below in Alberta wheat fields. Anyone I know with an Extrema swears by it.
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The Extrema would be a gun I'd want in harsh conditions. They might not however meet someone else's definition of a "beater."

I don't ascribe to the "beater" approach. Seems dumb to own nice guns if all you're going to do is take out cheap crap to actually hunt with.
 
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