New Shooter Questions

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swuytenburg

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Hello all! New to these forums and shooting in general and had a couple questions I was hoping some more experienced folks could help me out with. A little about me:

-24, in school and poor
-shot my first gun about 2 months ago at crumlin sportsman new shooter night in london ontario
-I've always wanted to hunt, and using the shotgun has only intensified my desire.

So here are my questions. I am in the market for an entry level shotgun that I can shoot trap with primarily, and throw in some turkey hunting on the side (less important). I've been doing research and the only gun in my price range (under 500$) seems to be the 870. At gobles they have an 870 sportsman for 450$ that I have my eye on. Has anyone used an 870 for trap? Also the salesman told me about a pad you can add to the top of the stock to rest your cheek on to raise the sights up to where they would be if I was using a trap model gun. Has anyone used one of these and would you reccomend it for a field gun?

Thanks in advance for taking the time to help out a newly addicted newbie.
 
I doubt anyone would severely criticize the model 870 as a choice to start with though they might offer other possibilities. It is a proven firearm that won't let you down and, like you say, doesn't break the bank when you buy it. It's tough to do, but if you are well-practiced with a pump you can even shoot doubles with it. I have a friend that shot trap with the trap model 870 for many years, though he has moved to another gun over the past couple of years. Another shotgun that I've seen recommended is the 391. I haven't owned one though, and I'll leave it to others to speak to this. If I were to buy a single barrelled gun myself I would like one that would accept chokes since it would allow me to shoot things like skeet and sporting a bit easier. As for adding a pad to the stock, I did this with the Beretta field gun I use for skeet to help my head position on the stock and it does help with that. But I haven't used it in the field, though I would do so without worrying about it. Heck, if I can hit clay pigeons in trap and skeet with it I don't know what would stop me from hitting a target with more feathers. I would practice shooting the gun from the gun down position before I went out, however, as I tend to shoot gun up for most things.
 
I loved my 870, was my first gun, shot it for a while. Used for trap primarily, with some sporting clays (which is close to hunting, a lot of weird shots through brush) in which I shot doubles. It's got huge aftermarket support and lots of parts available. Can't really go wrong.
 
Shop around for a good deal on an 870. You can't go wrong with those. Plus if you change your mind and want to sell it, it will sell quick and you probably won't loose much on it. Tons of aftermarket support is the biggest thing about the 870 for me. You can change and modify it until it is exactly what you want/need.
 
No money eh?

Why don't you buy a used Cooey Model 84 break-action 12 gauge?
These have a longish single-barrel, are full choked, and well suited to shooting Trap and Turkey on a very tight budget. They were made for Winchester in Cobourg, ON.

A Cooey makes a great cheap all-round shotgun.
 
i started with 870 . great gun . use it for anything .you cant go wrong with one .im down to 3 . but would buy 1 in 28g if could find the right 1 .
 
You can't go wrong with a 870. I've shot many many straights in trap and skeet with a 870. And by straights I mean 25-50-75 and 100s so it's not much of an inconvenience. They are a great gun. I would suggest a good used 870 wingmaster over a Express model. Looks nicer and the barrels are not as heavy. Get screw in chokes. If it's only a 2 3/4 chamber thats easily fixed to "3 inch. So you can hunt with "3 if you like. That said an Express model will serve you just as well. They just are not my preference.u
 
870 may not be the best trap gun in the world, BUT ... it is probably one of the best "all round" shotugns out there for the money. I've shot plenty of double skeet and clays with my pump action, and haven't had any troubles keeping up.

With the very rare excpetion of a manufacturing problem, I've never heard any 870 owner complain about the effectiveness of it. Yes, there are prettier looking shotguns out there, and there are certainly "better" shotguns for trap, skeet, duck, deer & turkey ...

I swap with a buddy of mine all the time, just so I don't get any long term bad habits with my own shotgun (Maverick 88) and the only thing I find with the 870 is that out in the field, if there is any moisture about, I find I need light "mechanic" type gloves with soem sort fo "traction" on the palms to grip he wooden firestock/Pump ... I find the finish on the wood just feels a bit slippery. But, I'm also very used to my synthetic stock with deep ridging ...
 
Thanks for all the awesome answers guys. I have been browsing the EE and have noticed a few wingmassters, and I now can't decide whether I want to get one or just buy new. My main hesitation with the wingmaster is that, being completely new to guns I have no idea about what kind of condition the gun should be in compared to the price they are asking, and I am worried about over paying.
The new 870 I like at Gobles is a "sportsman", and I haven't been able to find much info on it.
 
I dont know if it's actually possible to wear one out ? they just get smoother. So I would buy a used wing master in nice shape and pretty much rely on it functioning good. Nice if you could shoot it first.
In my opinion there is very little that goes wrong with a 870 that can't be easily fixed. If you buy an 870 and something goes wrong with it PM me I know my way around them fairly well .....
Regards
Rocco
 
I would look at an older 870 as opposed to a new one. A friend of mine from Waterdown just posted an 870 TC for sale with screw chokes for $500. PM me if you want contact information.
 
The 870TC (Trap Custom?) was made in the Remington Custom shop. Everypart is nicely honned and the blue is gorgeous! I sold mine a few years ago in the US for $900 USD! I should of kept it. BTW, today at our 500 bird pheasant shoot, we had FOUR 870s jam with a round stuck in the chamber! I did not see them but heard it on the radio and saw the buggy drive the owners to the Maitre D' to have the guns unjammed. The 870 still needs proper lubrication to work right!
Regards,
Henry
 
hnachaj: Not so fast, my friend. Lots of reasons for a round being stuck in the chamber of any shotgun. First of all, was the round fired or unfired? Dirty or clean chamber? Improper shell length in chamber? Worn extractor/ ejector? I do agree that every shotgun needs proper lubrication to work right. I prefer Ballistol.
 
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