Looking to Buy my First Sporting Shotguns

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Miscer

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I'm aiming to get into upland hunting for this fall. Grouse and rabbits are common in these parts of the woods, and the resource roads which cross them.

I have a few questions about sporting shotgun choice.

1. What choke to pick?
2. How do you choose shot type?
3. What length of barrel to get?
4. How does steel shot affect a shotgun, and will it damage the barrel? Is it worth investing in bismuth or tungsten shot? I am against raining lead in the forest, and picking it out of meat.

All those questions seem strongly interrelated. Longer barrel tightens the pattern, so choke doesn't have to be as constricting? Steel is less dense than lead, so you have to choose larger shot and a greater load?

My main interests are the Mossberg SA-20 and the Baikal .22lr over 20ga combination gun (MP-94). I don't want to invest huge sums on something which wont see too much use.

Thanks for the insight. Any tips are much appreciated.
 
All my grouse have been shot with a 20” barrel and a mod choke, using 2 3/4” #7.5 lead bird shot at ranges from 10-25 yards. For father shots I have some 3” magnum #6 or #5 lead shot, it will reach out and touch them further and drops them instantly.

You need to figure out what distances you’ll be shooting small game at, then pattern your shotgun at different ranges with different chokes to see what type of shot pattern you get. I use a big sheet of cardboard at different ranges, my 12g throws a tight enough pattern that if I aim at the head of a grouse out to 20-25 yards I hit the head, I rarely seem to get any pellets in the breast.

You’ll likely be good with a barrel in the 20-28” length, 28” will give you a tighter pattern at further distances with the right choke. No comment on steel, tungsten etc as I don’t shoot them. Your same choke for lead will be different for steel, my mod choke for lead say on it that it’s a full choke for steel.
 
I use a 12 gauge but have used a .410 in the past. I use 3" #5 lead in the .410 with a full choke 28" barrel, works good, my longest shot was 30 yards with that and the grouse was dead as can be. For my 12G I use 7.5 shot and a IC choke, I use 2 3/4 high brass pheasant loads and it seems to be effective. I would use #5 or #6 shot if I were to use steel and the same setup. 12G has a 28" barrel too.
 
barrel length has little to do with pattern, mod choke is a mod choke, what ever length the barrel is. Shorter barrels are easier to swing in tight bush, and quick to point on flushing shots. Longer barrels have a longer sight plane which makes it easier to hit long targets. they also seem to sing better on pass shooting. Personally I shoot a longer barreled gun better , but there is a place for a short barreled gun . Don't worry about steel shot except maybe in very old guns. The different style wads in steel loads keeps steel shot from contact of the barrel. good luck on your gun
 
Miscer said:
I'm aiming to get into upland hunting for this fall. Grouse and rabbits are common in these parts of the woods, and the resource roads which cross them.

I have a few questions about sporting shotgun choice.

1. What choke to pick?
2. How do you choose shot type?
3. What length of barrel to get?
4. How does steel shot affect a shotgun, and will it damage the barrel? Is it worth investing in bismuth or tungsten shot? I am against raining lead in the forest, and picking it out of meat.

All those questions seem strongly interrelated. Longer barrel tightens the pattern, so choke doesn't have to be as constricting? Steel is less dense than lead, so you have to choose larger shot and a greater load?

My main interests are the Mossberg SA-20 and the Baikal .22lr over 20ga combination gun (MP-94). I don't want to invest huge sums on something which wont see too much use.

Thanks for the insight. Any tips are much appreciated.
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1. Fixed full choke will serve just fine. If you buy a gun with screw in chokes I would recommend experimenting on your own. You will learn much more that way than reading about it.
2. 7 or 8 shot should work but you could go to 6 or 4 bird shot. Not no 4 buckshot
3. 24-28" barrel will cover you for any hunting needs. Most guns are 28" which is just fine. You might find an 18" useful if you are walking through thick bush or truck hunting. A lot of 18" barrels will be fix cylinder bore choke which won't be useful to you
4. Modern shotgun should be fine with steel, even full choke. From what I have read steel does not spread as much as lead so you don't need lots of choke. Steel shot will only wreck the barrel on older fixed full choke barrels. You are taking a risk with fixed IM or modified chokes in older guns. It wrecks it by taking chunks out of your barrel. Like when you grate a block of cheese the block has a bunch of grooves in it, that will be the last inch of two of barrel.

Your price range will buy you a great shotgun. The two you listed should cover what you want to do. You could easily spend less and still get a good shotgun for your needs.

If you wanted to go cheap those folding Turkish shotguns will work just fine, if you are a ok with single shot. Any other single shot such as a cooey would work too. Consider the maverick 88 for pump. There are good deals on used semi autos on the site sponsors if you look around.

I would recommend just going to 12 ga. Its easier to find, has more selection and ammo is cheaper. 12ga is not over powered for what you are doing, is not overly heavier, and won't kick overly hard. you will also have more gun choices.
 
A 20 gauge is a great choice, just aim high when ground swatting grouse, and you won;t ruin the meat. A 24-28" barrel will be fine for your application. A mod choke will work for your application, and is safe with steel.
 
Don’t overthink it OP, you could hunt grouse with a sling shot or a handful of rocks lol. The most important thing you can do is to pattern your shotgun of choice, then you’ll know your point of aim at different distances for the choke you are using. Know your limits and keep that in mind, 90% of the time I shoot a grouse I’m within 10-20 yards and on the ground or in a tree. So a shorter 20” barrel with the appropriate choke is plenty good.
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Your combo O/U 22/20 ga is a fine choice. Gives you all the options. I used a 410 on grouse for years because it is what I had. I like a little more punch (20 ga is perfect) because I often hunt in dense bush and the 410 was on the light side. I do not pass up as many shots now that I use a 16 or 20 ga. instead of the 410 (once the kids were gone my gun collection began to grow). Your shooting conditions may be excellent for 410, shooting conditions have a bearing on your final choice. 410's for some reason cost about $1/shell these days, about three times what you can get 20 ga for so this may have a bearing on your choice.
 
Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. I feel pretty confident about barrel length not being a large factor as long as I have a few chokes to choose from, and pattern the gun with all the combinations and shot type/size.

I see myself getting a 12ga used Wingmaster when I finally see one on the EE from a good year and price. I'm not too fond of 410 due to cost. It also isn't as versatile as 12 ga or 20 ga. There is opportunity to shoot deer here on the Island with 3" 20ga buckshot while I hunt for rabbit and grouse.

I'll probably end up getting both guns with time.
 
The SA-20 is a great choice, one of the best values and overall performers. 26" barrel, and as open a choke as you get with it, usually IC. #7-1/2 lead target loads are all you need. Forget steel and ignore the environmental nonsense about raining lead all over the forest, it is insignificant. If you're shooting them in the air, you need big, open patterns. Get the most enjoyment with it by heading to the skeet range. You will have lots of fun.

If you are shooting birds on the ground, just get a .22.

There will actually be very few pellets in the meat. Usually the pellet is wrapped in feathers so it is easy to find them and take them out while dressing the meat.
 
Grouse Man said:
#7-1/2 lead target loads are all you need. Forget steel and ignore the environmental nonsense about raining lead all over the forest, it is insignificant.


There will actually be very few pellets in the meat. Usually the pellet is wrapped in feathers so it is easy to find them and take them out while dressing the meat.
Click to expand...

+1^^^ good advise right here.
 
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