Camp Gun

survivalofthefittest

survivalofthefittest

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This is my first time even stepping foot in the shotgun forum haha, so bear with me as im sure this question has been asked before, but my search was fruitless.

I am in the market for a shotgun to take camping with me, to deal with 4 legged predators, but to be honest its the 2 legged creeps lurking around in our wilderness that are the biggest concern.

The ideal shotgun that i have found is the Remington 870 Marine Magnum XCS i found in the EE. marine coating throughout the gun as it wouldnt be a safe queen is a bonus, and the 18 inch barrel with 2 round mag extension underneath is perfect.

However, i want to be able to stash it in my MR Grizzly pack, and while the pack is huge, a pistol grip like this

h ttp://www.eastcoastfirearms.com/sub/page.asp?page_id=48

would be ideal. Any thoughts on the mossberg 500 v.s remington 870, experiences with good camp shotguns, marine coated shotgun etc would be greatly appreciated!
 
I have a mossberg 88 with a butler creek folding wire stock. Its so cheap it doesnt even matter what it gets subjected to, who cares. It works flawlessly even full of mud and sand. I personally cant be bothered with expensive and perdy guns hampering my activities, I like to forget I have it and carry on. All that extra expense that goes into fit and finish, sure it makes it look nicer and feel tighter...... there's a reason combat guns have looser tolerances of moving parts...one speck of dust gets in a tight gun and its game over... this cheap maveric will run submerged in concrete. All for a whopping $330 new.
 
Both Remington and Mossberg produce quality shotguns that are unlikely to let you down. I have a slight preference for the 590 as the Mossberg controls are set up better than the 870s, but there are more barrel options for the 870. My objection to the 88s and the 500s concerns the closed magazine which is far more difficult to maintain than the open ended magazines found on the 870 and the 590. Still, I've seen some 500s that have been treated poorly but keep chugging along despite rust and debris in the mag tube. I chose the 590 over the 870 for no other reason than because I could swap out the ejector myself, but the 870 with its riveted in ejector is a gunsmith gig if you experience a failure. Don't be unduly influenced by the supposed advantage of a long magazine tube. I wish now that I had gone with a 5 shot magazine rather than an 8 shot. The longer magazine adds unnecessary weight to the gun, making it slower to get into action. If you haven't solved your problem in 2 or 3 shots, chances are you won't be able to. That is not to say you shouldn't carry spare ammo with you, I particularly like the 12 ga cartridge strippers I can carry on my belt. Running drills to rapidly replenish the magazine is a worth while exercise.

You will probably find the standard 14" LOP a bit long. It is important that the gun fits you to minimize the effects of felt recoil, and a shorter LOP will reduce the chances of the butt catching loose clothing as you shoulder the gun, particularly in bad weather when you are inclined to wear bulky outer clothing. Most adults do well with a 13"-13.5" LOP on fighting style shotguns.

I would avoid pistol grip only shotguns like the plague. In order to shoot a long gun accurately, and to be able to control heavy recoil effectively, requires a butt-stock that you can acquire a repeatable cheek weld on and a means of controlling recoil with as little gun movement as possible so you can reacquire your target quickly for a follow-up shot. Even if you are forced to shoot from the hip, being able to lock the gun to your side makes the gun far more controllable than it is at arms length with only your hands and arms to control it. While I have a preference for conventionally stocked shotguns, I really have nothing against a pistol grip gun that has a full or adjustable butt stock. The only down side that I can see for these stocks is that it might be slightly more difficult to find cases or scabbards that will accept them. Once you've developed a feel for them, they'll work.

If you choose a barrel that accepts screw in chokes, that will help protect your muzzle from dings and make the gun more versatile, despite the short barrel length. You will want to pattern every shot load you choose to see which choke produces the optimum results with which load. Rifle sights are a good idea and a ghost ring and post is both faster and more precise than an open bead sight. A carry sling is a good idea, and while I like a shooting sling on a rifle, a shooting sling that attaches to the tube magazine of a pump shotgun could result in a change of POI.
 
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