Can 1 shotgun do it all?

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huntingfish

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Hi folks,
I want to purchase my first shotgun. Ok, not actually my first, as I have a Rossi combo 410/22lr, but my first 12ga shotgun. I currently dont really need to be able to shoot birds with it, but would like the possibility. The more pressing matter is to be able to go deer hunting and turkey hunting. Budget is an issue, so I've actually started looking at the Pardner pumps (either the Walnut model with a 28" vented barrel or 22" barrel with turkey choke; neither has sights other than the brass bead), unless my bow sells (shameless plug for it in the EE!).

It looks like no matter what, I will have to purchase either some sights and/or choke to be able to do all that I want to do. And I will probably have to remove any sight I use for turkey/deer to be able to use it for something else (birds). Which seems like a pain. Time is at a premium for me at the moment with university and family / job.

I'm starting to wonder if putting fiber sights (or a 1-3x'ish scope on it) on it and getting an extra choke to be able to shoot slugs through the 22" barrel would be able to handle deer and turkey quite well? Any issue with shooting slugs through a smooth 22" barrel (with proper choke)?

Any reason I'm not thinking about to NOT go with the shorter barrel route? This will mean I'd probably need another shotty one day...but I'm ok with that. I just always thought a 12ga could do it all...and here I am thinking of getting multiple guns for jobs that I assumed one gun could do.

Cheers! Appreciate any input

David
 
Remington 870 and Mossberg 500 in Pump, 18.5 and 28 inch barrels, you can perform just about any task you'd want of a SG.

If you prefer semi-Automatic then the Mossberg 930 serves well, again short & long combo,

They are cheap, they run well.
 
One shotgun receiver can do it all..but no choke or barrel can do it all. Many shooters have found a way to multi-purpose a single shotgun instead of owning 8 shotguns..but only with a caveat of owning numerous barrels (field, rifled, short) and numerous chokes.

If you don't want to own lots of single purpose guns great options have been given, grab a reliable pump or semi that fits you well and then add several choked barrels and you'll be good to go.

While a multi-purpose shotgun can do everything..as in just about any tool-related discussion, in almost every case a single-purpose gun will outperform the multi-purpose gun.
 
Id suggest a mossberg 500. Barrels for everything. Even black powder
However with the exception of moose and elk and bear ive used a sxs baikal ij58 to hunt everything else ontario offers. From ground hog to crow to turkey to deer ive taken it all. Its a 2.75" chambered gun with fixed f/m chokes which measure on the tighter side. With smooth bore designed slugs like rio star its easily effective to 50 or 60 yards with the right barrel. The left barrel throws buckshot beautifully. Both barrels have taken many turkey and small game. Even waterfowl. So yes id say it could be done as id have no problem carryin my russian double into the thick timber after elk and moose with slugs if i had to. I have big game rifles for big game hence why i wouldnt choose a shotgun as a first choice. However if you use one gun for everything youll likely learn its limits and happily kill everything within those limits
I also use a mossberg 535ats with a fixed 4 power scope for a turkey gun with a 28" barrel and custom choke. That gun has worn a 24" rifled iron sighted slug barrel for bear as well
I have over 20 12ga guns so all i know is my wife believes one gun can not do all
 
Remington 870 Express 3 barrel combo, it will do everything you stated.

28” vent rib barrel threaded for chokes.
23” fully rifled barrel with a cantilevered mount for a scope.
20” turkey barrel with fiber optic rifle sights, threaded for chokes.
 
1963beretta said:
No....but a couple dozen shotguns will cover most things
Click to expand...
Amen to that!

I told my wife once “this gun will do it all”. I was referring to my Extrema. And, I admit, it has done pretty much everything, but it’s boring to have only one plus it swings like a 2x6 in the uplands.

If I was really looking at one gun, I’d get an older 12ga 870 Wingmaster and then get an array of barrels and options to adjust to the game.
 
I have two retired buds that hunt everything from clay targets to waterfowl to deer with just two guns. Pretty much everything they are allowed to hunt here
One an old 1187 and one an old BPS. They also get their deer every year and have no shortage of birds in their freezers
They are also exactly what the liberals want for gun owners in canada :( One man one gun
Cheers
 
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Yes, there is one shotgun, probably a few, that can do everything. The curse of general purpose is that if you go with a low cost general purpose tool, it tends not to be particularly good at anything. To get a truly good general purpose tool, they tend to be more expensive.

So the question is for the amount of money you would spend on one great general purpose shotgun, can you afford two lower cost shotguns that do a better job of the specific things you are into.

What are the different applications you are into, and why just one?
 
Butcherbill said:
Remington 870 Express 3 barrel combo, it will do everything you stated.

28” vent rib barrel threaded for chokes.
23” fully rifled barrel with a cantilevered mount for a scope.
20” turkey barrel with fiber optic rifle sights, threaded for chokes.
Click to expand...

This. i don't have the turkey barrel just a vent rib w/3 chokes and slug barrel with a decent scope and it works great. I think the combo was around $540.
 
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