all in one shotty? what should i buy?

If your on a budget and want a decent semi-auto, I'd recommend the Stoeger S2000. You can get them in multi barrel sets and they are extremely reliable. Comes with 5 chokes and is basically a Turkish copy of the Benelli. An added plus is that Stoeger has an office here in Canada and the service is excellent. Highly recommended.
 
Reading through some earlier posts, I can't believe anyone would seriously advise a 14" barrel, or any barrel shorter than 26" for a general, all 'round shotgun. If you want to look cool while blowing up milk jugs with slugs, by all means buy a "tactical" shotgun. Real wingshooters have realized long ago that "standard" or longer barrels smooth the swing and improve hits. As for 3-1/2" shells, they are a solution to a problem that is so rare that it would be foolish to buy a shotgun specialized for long range and large steel shot, then expect it to balance and perform adequately for upland birds or clay targets. I shoot nearly all my geese with 2-3/4" steel, and also rarely with 3" steel or a premium non-toxic load.
My advice? a 12 ga 3" Remington, Browning or similar good quality pump with 28" barrel with screw-in chokes. An interchangeable slug barrel is a nice option. Many thousands of shooters would agree.

thank you, that sounds like good advice...


which model would you recommend? everyone seems to like the Remington 870 Express, should i pick one up or do you have something better in mind?
 
or any barrel shorter than 26" for a general, all 'round shotgun. .


as an all round shotgun , slightly shorter than 26" would really be ideal ..
i had an H&R pardner pump ( 870 copy ) with a 22" interchoke barrell, thats really what i would be looking for , interchoke in a medium length barrell - 24" imho would be best for an 'all round' shotgun .. short enough to swing around quickly ( if need be ), long enough to burn up all the charge from a 3" shell and still give you a smooth swing

this of course is my opinion.

Beer drinker - go with what you think is going to suit you the best, you know where you want to take it and what you want to shoot with it. we've given you our opinions, so take what you will from them. end of the day it comes to what you like the best .. so all i can really say that im sure everyone ( or most ) will agree with, is pick a gun that you like

Fenix
 
If you have enough cash get a Benelli Supernova or Nova. The barrels change in and out extremely easy without any tools and they gun is indestructible. The Supernova is pretty much the best pump-gun on the market... search it on here, you won't find people having a single bad word to say about them.
 
26" Barreled 3" Chambered 870 Express is my vote. I Just picked one up at my local shop for $295 plus tax. I have a 3 1/2" 870, and I have to say that it is wasted. In the last 6 years I have put a total of 1 box of 3 1/2" shells through it, plus 2 3 1/2" Turkey loads. I can knock the geese down just as well with 3" shells, and the turkey shells, well, they are still in my safe, never to be used by me. My shoulder still aches.LOL
 
I agree that the Benelli's are excellent. I bet the barrels change out just as easily as other modern pumps and semis. One problem with them is that extra barrels are around $600 which as I recall the purchase cost of the gun with barrel. I don't believe that you will find a benelli combo package either. Now as for 870's I know that as pumps go they have become for many the benchmark. There have been a lot of quality control related issues with them lately. If you have you done a search on this forum then you have allready seen this for yourself. If you buy one test it thoroughly (by shooting it lots of course). That way if there is an issue you can take advantage of the brief one year warranty. Interesting that mossberg offers a 10 year warranty. I know that there are masses of satisfied Remington users out there, but the brand is not the premium one that it once was. Do you have access to a club or other shotgunners? You should try as many as you can until you find one that fits and shoots well. I know that for me I can't hit the clays consistently with an 870 so I didn't buy one.

Is this gun for hunting? I don't think that the short barrels are appropriate. If I could only have 1 barrel for upland and ducks I would pick a 24". I don't see the value in the shorties for an all arounder if you want it for hunting.
 
Pick up an older Ithaca 37.Probably the most under rated shot gun ever. Mine was bought by me in 1954 at Eatons in T.O. and my Mom had to come with me to prove I was 13!! Still got it. JITC
 
And I can't believe that anyone would recommend anything with a 28" barrel as an all 'round shotgun. The premise is that he will own only one shotgun.

For a shotgun that is to be truly all-purpose, it should have at least two barrels, and one of them should be short.

With a 28 inch, I can do anything that one can do with a short barrel, except hide it under my coat.
 
Most versatile shotty I own is a Maverick (made by Mossberg). I've got a 30" full choke vented rib from my Mossberg 500 magnum(fit's my maverick), 28" modified vented rib (came with maverick) and trophy slugster barrel with fixed 4 power scope. I've shot more geese, chicken and deer with that gun than all my other guns. For the price and options, I'm sold on this set-up. Tight 1.5" group at 100 yards with sabot slugs. There is also a black powder barrel available for this gun also. The deer in my avatar was taken by this shotty. Never had a jamb or problem with extractors.:dancingbanana:
 
Ya, there's always one guy with his uncle's fifteen pound 36" cylinder bore barrel 2.75" chambered beast that came over from the old country, who believes "it's all the gun you need, if you know what yer doing....like me". However, unlike our friends from the land of the Kiwi sheep lovers, our Canadian Geese actually fly from here to there a couple times a year, and yes, sometimes having 3.5" shells pushing heavy steel shot helps assure a humane kill instead of a painfull slow death for a bird out there on the marsh. But hey, if you're hunting resident geese in NZ, I'm sure a 3" chamber will be more than enough. :rolleyes:
Seriously tho, my 870's short barrels will only handle 3" shells, even tho the reciever is a super mag. You need both a super mag reciever and barrel to shoot 3.5" shells. So when hunting deer with the rifled barrel, and zombies with the short pipe, you're limited to 3" shells anyway.
 
There is no such thing as an all in one "shotty" (God how I hate that word) Best solution is to buy lots of different kinds. :)
 
There is no such thing as an all in one "shotty" (God how I hate that word) Best solution is to buy lots of different kinds. :)

Sorry for the slang .:eek:...when you put it that way it sounds kinda stupid !

Anyway's......it a good "shotgun" for whacking what ever is in season !!!

I agree that there is no barrel good for everything.....do your homework.... Spend some money....Enjoy the sport
 
Back
Top Bottom