I am waiting for my P.A.L to come through any day now. I am looking to buy my first hunting shotgun. I am gonna start with turkey, duck, and maybe some field birds. But I'm also loooking to use it for slugs with dear in the future. Im looking for something that won't kill my shoulder after duck hunting and maybe going up to a 3.5" shot and a semi-auto. And of course I don't want to sacrifice quality or my first born ( I'm talking about the cost of it). Any suggestions??
Newbie Hunter here!
- Thread starter terrym12
- Start date
Semi 3.5" that's good bang for $ is the baikal 153 or mossberg 935. However the mossberg might not like lighter loads. You don't need a 3.5" gun for hunting. They offer more cost more recoil more muzzle blast and more barrel jump. I have 3 3.5" guns and very rarely do I use 3.5" shells. A 3" semi is much more likely to swallow and spit out everything its fed.
The mossberg 500 pump comes with 3 barrels and a whole ####load of after market products if you consider a pump gun. I have 3 mossberg pumps and love them. Its a gun package that allows you to hunt everything with one gun.
The mossberg 500 pump comes with 3 barrels and a whole ####load of after market products if you consider a pump gun. I have 3 mossberg pumps and love them. Its a gun package that allows you to hunt everything with one gun.
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I hunt with a Baikal MP153 with synthetic stocks. I went with the 24 inch barrel because I will also use it for turkeys, even though it is most a waterfowl gun for me.
I bought two of them from the Buffalo Gun Center in NY because the only barrel length I could find on a new one was 28 inches.
Great guns!
Cheers
Jay
I bought two of them from the Buffalo Gun Center in NY because the only barrel length I could find on a new one was 28 inches.
Great guns!
Cheers
Jay
I have a Mossberg 935 that just happens to use heavier 11/4 oz field loads but I think a 3" gun would be a better first pick "all rounder' unless you want to spring for a Benelli, Beretta or Browning. If you look at the EE you might find a used gun for what you want to pay.
Ahsan Ahmed
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
As already suggested, a combo such as the Mossberg either 930/935 or the Baikal MP-153 (no combo but is also available with a short[er] barrel) could serve you needs. Those shotguns work very well more often than not and in the majority of cases it is usually the guy behind the gun who makes the most difference - handling/performance as well as from a perspective of maintenance. With the 935, one may or may not need to shoot a whole bunch of shells to "loosen" that up to comfortably digest (read 1 1/8oz 3 dram) target loads.
However, if there is no intent at all to use that firearm for clay shooting then there shouldn't be any issues at all regardless of whichever firearm you may decide to obtain eventually.
Two of us shot some rounds of Skeet last week - my friend shot very well using his 935....no FTE or any other trouble whatsoever (his shotgun has also been well broken in over the past few years).
On the other hand, I was using a brand new Beretta A400 Xcel and sucked big time, performance wise.
The firearm also had F2F twice as the bolt didn't lock into battery....I had deliberately used that just plain out of the box without any cleaning other than a quick patch down the bore.
Bottomline, identify something that fits you well and then decide how far you are able to extend the budget for a purchase.
However, if there is no intent at all to use that firearm for clay shooting then there shouldn't be any issues at all regardless of whichever firearm you may decide to obtain eventually.
Two of us shot some rounds of Skeet last week - my friend shot very well using his 935....no FTE or any other trouble whatsoever (his shotgun has also been well broken in over the past few years).
On the other hand, I was using a brand new Beretta A400 Xcel and sucked big time, performance wise.
The firearm also had F2F twice as the bolt didn't lock into battery....I had deliberately used that just plain out of the box without any cleaning other than a quick patch down the bore. Bottomline, identify something that fits you well and then decide how far you are able to extend the budget for a purchase.
