Can 1 shotgun do it all?
- Thread starter huntingfish
- Start date
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Can be really nice convenience in tight quarters.
In my example hunting the boreal forest some of the best bunny and grouse hunting spots are in very dense stands of spruce. This is where the 18 or 20 inch barrel is the bee's knees
That said I also appreciate a long barrel for a good leading swing too. I have a 28 inch barrels on my 28 and 20 gauge pump guns that's a dream to shoulder if you have enough room.
Every hunting trip is a head scratcher. lol
If you want it for ground swatting grouse while out big game hunting, it's not a bad choice. Beyond that, the short barrel and lack of chokes makes it far from ideal for hunting birds on the wing (actually going waterfowl or upland hunting vs just taking shots of opportunity.)
I would look into the Mossberg 500 over the 590. I just bought one with both a 28" bent rib barrel w/chokes and a 18.5" cylinder bore barrel, $499 and free shipping from Cabelas. It's no longer on the website, but at some point another company will have a similar deal.
Thanks, so if Im following along correctly, a smooth bore 26-28" barrel with an assortment of chokes would actually cover waterfowl and skeet/trap needs in itself yeah?
Sounds like a nice cheap way to get into the hobbies.
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
My friend you could do a whole lot worse.
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antiqueguy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- windsor ontario
any good pump can do it all I have an old bolt action Stevens model 58 bolt action with adjustable choke. slugs or buckshot for deer, birdshot for turkeys/birds/small game.
it don't need to be fancy a lot of guys hunt everything with just a front bead sight and nothing else. knowing where you slug or pattern is going to hit is what's important.
it don't need to be fancy a lot of guys hunt everything with just a front bead sight and nothing else. knowing where you slug or pattern is going to hit is what's important.
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
I use my 20” rifle sighted barrel for upland game out to 30y and slugs from 50-75y, it’s threaded for chokes and is my go to all around barrel. It’s the perfect length to walk through thick brush, or to quickly hop out of the truck if I see roadside grouse or rabbits. My 28” barrel tends to collect dust as I haven’t got into waterfowl hunting nor do I shoot clays very much. Where I hunt a shorter barrel is an advantage, we’re ground swatting or in thicker brush.
Exactly, I like a mag extension but it’s not needed while hunting as we’re limited to 2+1 while hunting with shot in bc. Hunting with slugs isn’t affected buy mag limits.
If I had to take one gun with one barrel with me and have to survive I'd take my Mossberg 500 with a fixed Modified choke. The 28 inch barrel is a bit long for heavy bush, but i have taken rabbits, ducks, phesant, and i wouldn't be shy to take a deer or defed myself from wild animals with the right ammunition.
Of course OP is not talking about this exact situation, so multiple barrels and chokes make a shotgun more versatile, they can make it more complicated. With my 500 I never second guess what barrel or choke I have available when a shot presents itself.
Out after bunnies and feel threatened? shovel some buckshot in there.
Sitting under ann apple tree trying to get that phesant that always gets away, but a deer staggers out into the choppings? I got an answer for that too.
This assumes that hunting seasons overlap where you are. I'm sure the DNR could turn a blind eye if you were lost for a week and bagged a deer but don't quote me on that.
My deciding factor for 500 over 870 is simply the ambidextrous nature of it. I'm left handed and I find them a little easier to operate. Both fantastic affordable platforms that will not let you down.
Of course OP is not talking about this exact situation, so multiple barrels and chokes make a shotgun more versatile, they can make it more complicated. With my 500 I never second guess what barrel or choke I have available when a shot presents itself.
Out after bunnies and feel threatened? shovel some buckshot in there.
Sitting under ann apple tree trying to get that phesant that always gets away, but a deer staggers out into the choppings? I got an answer for that too.
This assumes that hunting seasons overlap where you are. I'm sure the DNR could turn a blind eye if you were lost for a week and bagged a deer but don't quote me on that.
My deciding factor for 500 over 870 is simply the ambidextrous nature of it. I'm left handed and I find them a little easier to operate. Both fantastic affordable platforms that will not let you down.
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Myself as I get older and my needs become more refined I find myself less often choosing 18-20 inch bead sight barrel with fixed choke.
I find it far more flexible my 23 inch turkeyslayer barrel with removable chokes.
And a spare 28 inch waterfowl barrel for the obvious also removable chokes.
I find it far more flexible my 23 inch turkeyslayer barrel with removable chokes.
And a spare 28 inch waterfowl barrel for the obvious also removable chokes.
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I own a dozen but one could get by with just one of he only hunted with it.
If you do any shotgun shooting sports you run the risk of parts breakage from over use just one firearm.
huntingfish
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Quebec City
I will only use the shotgun for two things:
Turkey in the spring (not a whole lot of turkeys where I hunt though unfortunately)
Deer in the fall (a whooping 1 week long season with both week-ends, of which the last 3 days we are allowed with a shotgun).
So my shotty...won't get that much use ;-(
David
