Best bang for your buck 12g shot gun

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Satchel

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Hey there!

A few of my friends have started duck hunting and trap shooting. I've decided I want to purchase a 12 guage and I'm looking to spend around the $500 range but I will spend more if I found the right gun. I'm looking for the best value for the money and I look forward to reading your recommendations! Cheers!
 
You can get four decent semis for this price:
1. Weatherby SA-08, $499 at Cabela's
2. Mossberg 930
3. Stoeger M2000
4. Used Browning Auto-5




Satchel said:
Hey there!

A few of my friends have started duck hunting and trap shooting. I've decided I want to purchase a 12 guage and I'm looking to spend around the $500 range but I will spend more if I found the right gun. I'm looking for the best value for the money and I look forward to reading your recommendations! Cheers!
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I have a thing for shotguns. More than half of my collection comprises of them. First two things you have to ask yourself are - new or used, and pump, or auto? I don't know anyone who hunts with double barrels anymore, but plenty who shoot trap with them.

I like older guns, and I still think best bang for your buck is a Winchester Model 12, if you are looking for a pump gun. You can get nice field grade ones for under $300. You will only find them used of course, but there was a reason they made them for decades - they just plain work great! If you are doing ducks and trap, you are going to be looking for a full choke or adjustable choke gun. Be aware that many old adjustable chokes are not compatable with steel shot.

I did buy a Stevens 350 pump brand new last year, and have been pleasantly surprised by this $250 gun. Its swallowed about 500 rounds so far without a single problem. There has been about 50 3" magnum slugs through it also, and its just keeps working. The action was a little rough when I got it, but cleaning the heavy assembly grease out of the gun and shooting it a bunch has made a world of difference. Its a junker gun but works perfectly and I don't care if it gets wet, etc.

I like the weatherby semi auto shotguns if I was buying new. Otherwise I would look for an used Browning Auto 5. Another shotgun made for decades, and for exactly the same reason. It just works...
 
Go pump action with the usual suspects(Mossberg 500, Remington 870) pick the one that fits best. If you can shoot a variety go for it. Winchester, Weatherby and Stoeger are worth looking at too. Remember this: just because someone suggests something online or in print DON'T buy it just on that recommendation, try it for yourself :). Good luck
 
I don't know anyone who hunts with double barrels anymore, but plenty who shoot trap with them.
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Almost everyone that I hunt with ,hunts with a double barreled gun.

I did buy a Stevens 350 pump brand new last year, and have been pleasantly surprised by this $250 gun. Its swallowed about 500 rounds so far without a single problem. There has been about 50 3" magnum slugs through it also, and its just keeps working.
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500 rounds is nothing for a shotgun. Many people shoot several thousand rounds per year, for many years with the same shotgun.
 
Indeed at least shoulder them all to get the feel of what feels right and what doesn't for YOU.

xKATOx said:
Go pump action with the usual suspects(Mossberg 500, Remington 870) pick the one that fits best. If you can shoot a variety go for it. Winchester, Weatherby and Stoeger are worth looking at too. Remember this: just because someone suggests something online or in print DON'T buy it just on that recommendation, try it for yourself :). Good luck
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Big +1 on this one.

I shoot and everyone around me shoots double barrels for upland birds.
As to 500 without a hitch -- any gun is capable of doing that. There is nothing to jam in a good pump, so it should keep on churning up the rounds until you break something big time :)

stubblejumper said:
Almost everyone that I hunt with ,hunts with a double barreled gun.



500 rounds is nothing for a shotgun. Many people shoot several thousand rounds per year, for many years with the same shotgun.
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all above are good choices. I have been through same situation and I liked winchester pump. it has very smooth action, very reliable, not even one malfunction in mine after 1000 or so shots. but again buy what fits you the best.
 
What ever you decide to buy make sure it has choke tubes, stay away from fixed choke or adjustable choke guns.
If limited to 500 I would be looking for a nice used browning BPS since you would not be able to find a choke tubed wingmaster for that but if you could that would ge a good choice also. Not for me as a first pick but a lot of guys happy with a 500 or 535 mossberg also.Good luck with your search.
 
Any one of the pump offerings from one of the reputable company, like Browning, Winchester,Remington,etc. As mentioned get a newer gun with a screw in choke system it will be much more versatile and no problem with steel shot as you did mention you wanted to duck hunt with it. You may also want to consider a combo shotgun that comes with a extra rifled slug barrel in case you want to start deer hunting down the road, There are some pump shotgun combo packages new that fit your budget. Good shooting.
 
I recently picked up 3 guns for $500 total. Well not really but it feels like it. I bought a used 870 Express, complete with a vent rib hi-vis bird barrel, a hi-vis open sight turkey barrel, and a rifled cantilever slug/deer barrel complete with scope included. The gun was in new condition with only a handful of rounds through each barrel. When it comes to "bang for the buck" I feel pretty confident saying this is it. The 870 is a workhorse, ready to take a beating in the field, and gives you many years of service. Personally for upland, I shoot a Browning O/U, because I like them, and enjoy the traditional aspect of an O/U for upland, but 2 of my shooting buddies shoot 870's with vent rib barrels and do very well with them, in the field and on the trap range. Its a great gun, adaptable for almost anything you want to do.
 
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Benelli Nova (love mine goin on four years, shes a never sell), also have a winchester spx defender which is very nice so the black shadow model should be nice as well. An older winchester 1300 3" with winchoke would be a great starter as well. a good used one could be had for 300.
 
Remington 870 Blackhawk spec. ops
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In his first post, the OP specified trap shooting and duck hunting, the above gun would be a very poor choice for those applications. In fact any of those Craptical style guns with fixed chokes, and very short barrels, would be a poor choice for those applications.
 
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I will start by saying i am by no means a expert in fact just hit a year since my pal
love 22 target first a bolt then a semi ,picked up a sks well because everyone should
and then 12 gauge but didn't want to break the bank because hey maybe i wont be into it
so did the research and came up with mossberg 500 with a few barrels 28 with the chokes and a 18.5 for the range for fun old blasting.
Now ill offer you what i decided as a starter option mossberg maverick 88 security 18.5 .
235.00 out the door so that's a plus now i admit kicked with magnum slugs like a mule but with a limb saver added
i absolutely love it.
I will be picking up the 28 vented barrel with accuchoke system for next summer to try out clays.
I look at it this way start out with good quality well reviewed products bang for the buck.
later on if a niche draws you nothing says you cant upgrade to your hearts desire.
cheers and safe shooting
 
For trap shooting pump or semi doesn't really matters but for hunting I think a semi would have an edge for quick follow up shot especially you have mentioned hunting waterfowls and for that reason I will pick either the Stoeger M3500 ( little over your budget around $600ish but well worth the investment ) but if you are recoil sensitive then the gas operate Baikal MP153 aka Remmy SPR453 can't be beat as they should all 2 3/4 to 3 1/2 hunting load without issue.

I know many likes the Mossy 930 / 935 but don't have first hand experience on it.

I know many have seen this but I can't resist to post it again:p

[youtube]qt1QV3DFUrQ[/youtube]

And the 50,000 rounds non-stop test in Italy

www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=83&t=69680

[youtube]YwL_JEsJ1b4[/youtube]
 
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I had a MP 153 and it didn't perform anything like that. It was basically a single shot POS. Got it used so maybe it was a dud.
 
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