Cheap shotguns with short legal barrels an you hunt?

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delavan

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Hi,

Just wondering if you can actually hunt anything with a shorter barelled 18.5" "defender" type shotty (Mav 88, REM 870, Moss 500). I know you can for an extra $100 bucks and get a kit that comes with a short 18.5" and a 28" hunting barrels...

Is there any hunting use for 18.5, or it's strictly for law-enforcement/protection usage?
 
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delavan said:
Thank you!

I was held by the thought that pellet spread would be too much, rendering the hunting part useless...
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I got my 18.5 barrel threaded for chokes, makes it versatile for a variety of hunting situations. For moving in the bush it is 100% easier to manage than my longer shotguns
 
So, if you want to shoot slugs for instance, out of a 18.5 barrel, how far could you accurately shoot, lets say a 12" gong?

Sorry for the questions, I'm just trying to understand the limitations of defender-type shotties vs the long 26"-28" barrels in terms of accuracy/range.

I'm considering the Shotties in the $250 (Maverick 88) to $350 range mostly (Moss 500/REM 870), although the Mossberg 590 "law-enforcement/milspec" is appealing for a life-long keeper @ $500 cdn.

It also might come to the fact that the only choice making sense for a lifetime keeper is a shotty that comes with 2 barrels and multi choke options, but it's a little fancy for a first time shotty buyer. I ant to keep the price low, but trying to keep the versatility as high as possible.
 
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The entire shotgun has to be 18.5" from bore to buttstock, I heard... I have a 14" Dlask barrel on my 870 that I put in the quad box when I hunt, and use it for grouse. The 12.5" barrels are a really short range proposition, hard to aim properly on something small. I got Dlask to make me a barrel with a brass bead instead of the big "combat" leaf front sight...
My 14" barrel is open choked and good for grouse out to 25 yards. If I were wanting to shoot further I'd put the long barrel back on it...and change the choke.
 
I use my 12.5" for clearing gopher mounds in the spring when you can catch 3-5 at a time sticking their heads out of a hole.

Not exactly "hunting" so much as pest control, but it was one of the key reasons I got a shortie. Secondary was for bear defence when I'm wandering through the interior in the summer.

I've done pattern testing, and I would be confident at picking off grouse or pheasant at 25 yards. The spread works to your advantage at close in snapshots, IMHO.
 
pisces-guy said:
The entire shotgun has to be 18.5" from bore to buttstock, I heard... I have a 14" Dlask barrel on my 870 that I put in the quad box when I hunt, and use it for grouse. The 12.5" barrels are a really short range proposition, hard to aim properly on something small. I got Dlask to make me a barrel with a brass bead instead of the big "combat" leaf front sight...
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You heard wrong, though I have no idea what "bore to buttstock" means. As a general rule, the firearm must be 26" at it's shortest length, generally measured from the muzzle to the end of the butt. All accessories, attachments and extensions count toward the OAL, but only the continuous piece of barrel material from breech face to muzzle face counts as barrel length. Accessories, attachments and extensions, if not integral do not count towards barrel length.

There are only two major differences between a 8" barrel and a 32" barrel: handling and sighting length. A short shotgun will not swing or point as well as a longer (and obviously heavier) shotgun of identical design. The shorter shotgun will also limit accuracy due to the very short sighting length because it is harder to accurately aim. This is a non issue if using an optic or firing shot at short range, but "long range" shooting with slugs will be noticeably more difficult. The patterning and shot velocity will remain relatively unchanged. All other things equal, an choked 8" barrel an an identically choked 32" barrel will have the same shot dispersion. Velocity will change as the barrel length is reduced, but the amount it changes is very small and is at most 5-10 FPS per inch. This is because shotguns shells use very fast powder, all of which is fully consumed in the first 3/4" to 2" of barrel.
 
As far as choosing a shotgun goes, the Norinco HP9 and all it's variants are excellent choices and can be had with very short barrels. Remington 870s do not have these short barrels available from the factory, but aftermarket manufacturers like DLASK make a custom 8.5" 870, and have 12.5" and 14" barrels available for the factory platform.
 
I use a mossberg 500 with a 18.5" cylinder barrel for grouse pheasants rabbit ducks and geese. I've carried it bear hunting as well but use a rifled barrel on my 535ats now

For small game ranges inside 30 yards it will serve you well. On the trap line not so much. I'd suggest buying the 500 mossberg combo. Then you have the barrels if you decide you want to change.
Additional barrels are easy to come by later if you choose a single barrel option now
 
brybenn said:
I use a mossberg 500 with a 18.5" cylinder barrel for grouse pheasants rabbit ducks and geese. I've carried it bear hunting as well but use a rifled barrel on my 535ats now

For small game ranges inside 30 yards it will serve you well. On the trap line not so much. I'd suggest buying the 500 mossberg combo. Then you have the barrels if you decide you want to change.
Additional barrels are easy to come by later if you choose a single barrel option now
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Thanks, it makes sense!
Thx all for your insight.

I was considering buying to plink mostly (a little .22 will also be purchased), but as I move to the NWT, god know what kind of hobbies I'll get into...there might be the need to protect from bear while fishing, camping, hiking...although I don't know if "carry just in case" outside the hunting season, zones, no hunting tag/ticket is safe from "issues".
 
They are limited. I would consider them a defender or survival shotgun. Had one, bought a 28" barrel w chokes for it, and a pistol grip. Pistol grip and shorty....with the grip held against your hip was minute of 5 gal pail at 50 ft. Not against your hip was uncontrollable. Shorty and full stock was shoot em when you see the whites of their eyes...so useless for waterfowl and grouse burger....not really useful.

If you see yourself wanting a one shotgun does all, then buy the combo. Buying a proper bird barrel afterwards is much more expensive.

Way i understand it the barrel must be 18" or 18.5" with semi, overall length must be 26". It is illegal to shorten a barrel(even by gunsmith) less than that, but legal to own a super short barrel if it comes manufactured that way. Aren't our gun laws clear as mud? Believe that even the short barreled must still be 26".
 
stang said:
Even the 13" ones work very well on grouse.
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My Dominion Arms Grizzly Rem 870 pump knockoff with the 12.5" barrel is the best all around hunting gun I own.
Had a Grizzly with the box mag and it was jam city.
Dumped it and got a pump version and never had a single jam or misfire.
Taken many grouse "partridge" with it and it's very accurate with slugs for deer and moose.
 
There was recent thread on skeet&trap shooting with similar short shotguns.
The general conscienous was that these shorter shotguns with more open chokes, could be made to do okay on skeet, if the shooter is really up to the task.
But on the other hand, trap shooting with these firearms mostly leads to loads of lead expended for much poorer scores.

info
 
In the BC hunting regs I believe it is anything with 12" and/or under length barrel is considered a handgun and you can not use a handgun for hunting under the BC regs.
 
As far as hunting goes, I've done some culling at work with my 590, where the long magazine and the quick handling of a short gun was beneficial. When you have to clean out a flock of arctic terns, after the first shot, you're shooting in self defense. I've used cut down Winchester 37/Cooey 84s for grouse down south and for ptarmigan up here, and have carried them as bear guns. Some guys around here use short shotguns loaded with buckshot for hunting seals from a boat. Mostly though, when I carry a shotgun its for bear work, usually when I'm close to town or the airport, where its a better choice than a rifle.










 
delavan said:
Hi,

Just wondering if you can actually hunt anything with a shorter barelled 18.5" "defender" type shotty (Mav 88, REM 870, Moss 500). I know you can for an extra $100 bucks and get a kit that comes with a short 18.5" and a 28" hunting barrels...

Is there any hunting use for 18.5, or it's strictly for law-enforcement/protection usage?
Click to expand...

You may as well as add a pistol grip to it while your at it.
Tight Groups,
Rob
 
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