grizzly 8.5 vs 12.5

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i want a new toy and cant decide witch one anyone have any info on them to help me decide. It will be used for camping and just playing around with. Im leaning towards the 8.5 but does the coolness facter where off fast?
 
My vote is for the 12.5. You can use other barrels because the tube hasn't been chopped, and it won't deafen you (as much) if you are using it against a predator if that is it's purpose when camping, as you likely won't have plugs in in that situation. You also get a longer sighting plane for shooting further out. I've had a 12.5 for a few years, and have an 18.5" barrel for it on the way. The neighbors a lane over at the range will like me a bit better now too.
 
the 12.5 will be able to accept just about any 870 accessories without modification, and there are always a ton on the EE. forends, barrels, sling plates, heat shields, whatever.

the 8.5 will not be able to accept any replacement forends unless you fab up something custom, it wont take any sling plate adapters under the mag cap since its recessed into the forend, barrels are not compatible, etc.

i have both 8.5s and 12.5s. i love my 8.5 Grizzly but if someone were just getting into them i would recommend the 12.5" model with Ghost Rings for $309 shipped. you can always buy an 8.5 later :)

:cheers:
 
i already have a maverick 88 18.5 thats been great just added the ati side folding stock to it but the grizzlys seem way cooler
 
I think guns that can hit what I'm shooting at are way more interesting than those that can't. I've never owned/shot an 8.5", but I did once have a 12.5". To be honest, I (personally) think the 8.5" guns look ridiculous...but understand the "cool" factor I guess. In either case, be prepared to hit less than what your maverick does (talking shot) because even an 18.5" open-choke barrel will pattern better than a 12.5".

The novelty of my 12.5" grizzly wore-off fast, and I'm back to shooting shotguns that have some barrel length to them. Granted, I'm in the bush hunting, not at the range. On THAT note, the loudest shotgun I've ever heard was an 8.5" Grizzly shooting slugs in an outdoor range, under a tin roof. Even with hearing protection, my ears (and everyone else's) were ringing...and the guy shooting it had no idea where his shots were landing 40m out! Not a huge endorsement in my books.

At least with the 12.5", you could put a Remington barrel on there and open-up your options/tighten-up your groups.
 
I'm building a 12.5" 870 as a truck / back country camping gun, looked at the shorter bbl but decided it was just too short to be of any real use. With a 12.5" bbl, regular stock & slugs it'll do what's need (hopefully never actually need it) & be compact enough to live in the truck and our tent at night.

If it's just for knocking metal plates over & blasting milk jugs..... go for it :rolleyes: otherwise I'd stick with the slightly longer bbl. As noted above you could always stick on a longer bbl & pop a few clays with it then.
 
it should be quite obvious to anyone that looks at an 8.5" Grizzly that it is a gun designed to fit a niche: to be as compact as possible while still maintaining the 660mm non-restricted OAL. only an idiot (or someone with a twisted sense of humor) would buy one for waterfowling.
if you want the most compact pump shotgun that still maintains full shotgun functionality (ie: not a useless PGO) you have 2 choices:
you can either use an 18-18.5" barrel and a folding stock (18" 870P barrel pictured)
or
you can use an 8.5" barrel and a standard stock​

the 8.5" has the advantage of being lighter, shorter, less bulky, more durable and the stock does not need to be deployed.
the 18" has the advantage of having a higher capacity, which is useful if you are LEO or MIL but irrelevant for Canadian home and wildlife defense scenarios.
so you have two choices: you can either chop/fold the stock, or you can chop the barrel. personally i do not consider a shotgun fully functional unless it has a full stock, therefore id rather sacrifice the barrel end.

shorties3.jpg


btw: patterning has little to do with barrel length and a lot more to do with your choke - or lack of it in the case of these short shotties. if you are concerned about your patterns then take the gun to your gunsmith and have it tapped for Remchokes.
 
While I think the 8.5 would be bad ass to add to my shotgun collection, I really like my 12.5.

I have a spare 18" and 26" barrel with remchokes, and the swap is really quick, so now I can use the shotgun for clays, hunting, whatever I want

The 8.5 is a novelty/fun item, but if you could only choose 1, then the 12.5 is much more versatile.
 
if 'versatility' and compatibility with 870 barrels is your goal, then forget about the 8.5/12.5 Grizzlies entirely and just look for a 2 3/4" Wingmaster receiver on the EE. i paid $175 for the Wingmaster receiver pictured (complete, only missing stock/forend/barrel) and when i got it it was pretty much in 'like new' condition. you simply cant beat that as a shotgun platform.
2 3/4" is all you need anyway, but if you have a hard-on for 3" shells you can convert the receiver to a 3" for about $15 in parts. just make sure that when you are buying barrels on the EE you buy 3" chambered ones (95% of them these days are, but there are some chopped 2 3/4" barrels on the EE from time to time).
 
manbearpig said:
if 'versatility' and compatibility with 870 barrels is your goal, then forget about the 8.5/12.5 Grizzlies entirely and just look for a 2 3/4" Wingmaster receiver on the EE. i paid $175 for the Wingmaster receiver pictured (complete, only missing stock/forend/barrel) and when i got it it was pretty much in 'like new' condition. you simply cant beat that as a shotgun platform.
2 3/4" is all you need anyway, but if you have a hard-on for 3" shells you can convert the receiver to a 3" for about $15 in parts. just make sure that when you are buying barrels on the EE you buy 3" chambered ones (95% of them these days are, but there are some chopped 2 3/4" barrels on the EE from time to time).
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I think you are partially right. My 1st 870 was an old brinks wingmaster that I got complete with 18" barrel and stock for $170, just needed cleanup/rebluing

however $175 + barrel + stock, and you are over the $300 that the 12.5 grizzly can be had for used on the EE
 
luke s said:
I think you are partially right. My 1st 870 was an old brinks wingmaster that I got complete with 18" barrel and stock for $170, just needed cleanup/rebluing

however $175 + barrel + stock, and you are over the $300 that the 12.5 grizzly can be had for used on the EE
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Or new from Can Am, your choice :D
 
There won't be no barrell swaping and such it will just be packed incase a bear gets to close other wise just for fun skeet and bird hunting ain't my thing
 
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supernova said:
Or new from Can Am, your choice :D
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hahaha yah or that, I just got an unfired 12.5 griz for 300 shipped from EE :p

There won't be no barrel swapping and such it will just be packed in case a bear gets to close other wise just for fun skeet and bird hunt ain't my thing
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then you cant go wrong with an 8.5, but they are $100 more and hold one less round :)
 
manbearpig said:
i have both 8.5s and 12.5s. i love my 8.5 Grizzly but if someone were just getting into them i would recommend the 12.5" model with Ghost Rings for $309 shipped. you can always buy an 8.5 later.
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I agree with this...the 12.5 would be more versatile. OTOH, I bought my 8.5 purely for campsite defense and playing around, and it really flips my switches. :shotgun: If that's the OP's purpose, the shorty fits his purpose perfectly.
 
well just ordered the 8.5 from canadaammo now the long wait hope its here buy the next weekend
 
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