Please help me pick a single shot shotgun...

M

Max-4

CGN Regular
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Southern Ontario
Hello, I am looking to buy a new single shot shotgun for hunting rabbits, grouse, squirrels and other small game. I can't decide between 20g, 28g or .410 for these duties. I am also in a toss up between a 26" or 28" barrel. These guns tend to be a shorter overall length, 42" vs 44" so the longer gun isn't a huge deal breaker.

I guess I want to compare the price of shells vs the availability vs payload. Is a 20g overkill for grouse or squirrel? I want it to be a good overall "do it all" type of shotgun, maybe even a good survival tool if you will.

I am also going to try and find a gun with removable chokes but if I had to have a fixed choke I'm wondering if I want Modified or Full choke? Am I trying to just shoot the head off of these animals or do you aim for center mass?

Thanks for your help, what would you guys consider the perfect single shot shotgun for Ontario small game? Thanks
 
A 20g with full choke is the ideal grouse gun, as most shoot them on the ground in our area. Modified may be a little more forgiving for rabbits though, as they move pretty quickly. 20g ammunition is often as plentiful as 12g and often as inexpensive. 410, in my opinion, is for those that are either experts or fond of exasperation from missed/wounded game.
28g is a great gauge but a "hare" smaller than 20g and twice as expensive.
 
If you’re only going to have one, then 20 is your best bet. If in a particular hunt you think 20 gives you too much lead, you can remedy by using a more open choke so the pattern is less tight on the game. You can’t do the opposite, it’s not possible to remedy for not enough lead.
20 gauge ammo is also the cheapest among your choices.
The most important factor is how a certain gun fits you. This is even truer for single shots than with other guns. How quickly and accurately a gun allows you to get your ONE shot off is 10x more important than design differences.
 
Im not a fan of folding guns so my personal choice would be a stevens 301 20ga or 410 ic going cheap or henry single in 20ga or 410.
20ga has more ammo choices. Buck and slug and steel shot. Much cheaper shooting. 410 and 28ga are more money. Ive never found the 410 wanting as when used within its limits it works just fine. On the skeet field i drop only a bird or 2 less than i do with my 12s but my 410 is much lighter and choked tighter

Huglu makes a solid gun for the money and id own a full set of their singles if they were tradition break action and not a folding design
 
This is what I love about my H&R NEF single shot ..... it disassembles into three pieces easily .... just one screw ....

Many of the Turkish single shotguns are of a fixed hinge design ..... disassembly is not so easy any more .....
 
SFRC has a bunch of single shot shotguns with removable chokes. 15% off everything until Monday. Good company to deal with and some of their prices are already cheaper than most so when you add the discount, it's a definite win!
 
Thanks alot for the help guys, I just pulled the trigger on a Baikal IJ-18 in 20g with a 26" barrel in the EE.

Does anyone know if the 20g with the 26" barrel has a fixed full choke?
 
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