Waterfowling shotgun for newbie--advice needed plz!

Bishopus

Bishopus

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So this morning my (newly-converted to hunting) wife is eyeing my AR-180 with distaste, and she asks me what I'm going to 'get' with it. 'Coyotes!' I say, 'maybe some 'chucks, comm'nists, whatever gets close enough.' She turns up her nose and I start getting ready for a big fight. But what came next was:

'You can't _eat_ coyotes. You should get some ducks and geese. Fill up the second fridge.'

--and Lo, it was like unto the clouds parted and admitted therewith light, and I saw a heavenly Book, and upon it was printed the name Gun Catalog, and I saw that the shotgun section was marked already, Yea and it was Good--

But I've never hunted waterfowl before, and all I know about the 'gun I'll need is that 3" is the minimum, and semiauto is a really good idea. The three that seem like the best buys are the Stoeger 3" semi, Rem 11-87 3", and Mossberg 935 3.5". Any of these make sense for a newb? Any of them suck? Should I just jump straight to 10 gauge, or is it all hype and my old Mossberg 500 in 20 gauge is more than enough...?
 
New shotgun

Bish figure out how much you want to spend, there is a good buy right now at P&D on a used Beretta 391 for 799.00. Nothing wrong with Mossberg either, both will handle 3 inch ammo and have a choke tube system for changing the spread of your pellets, cheers FS
 
Find a remington 870 pump at least 10 years old with the following features: Rem Choke equipped barrel, barrel 26" to 28", 12 gauge 3" magnum with a vent rib. Have a sling installed to ease carry when leading a lab and lugging decoys. With the money you save by not buying an expensive complicated auto loader you buy the very best quality no tox shot shells you can find. Then sit back and watch that freezer fill. Just a suggestion from a guy who has been waterfowling for over 30 years.......
cheers Darryl
 
Yep, 3" will do it fine. Good used duck & goose guns are out there for cheap, and you've got all winter and summer to look for one. Aside from the gun, you'll need some decoys and a bag to carry them in, at least hip waders, some sort of a camo/tan coat, and/or dog and/or boat. Find a mentor to go with you.

Grouse Man
 
Buying used is a suggestion for sure... but it is very hard to find a used gun as cheap as you can purchase a NEW Stoeger with 5 chokes and a warranty!
And sure a 3 inch gun is all you need under many circumstances... but a 3 1/2 inch shotgun will have a longer forcing cone and will recoil less using 3 inch shells!!!
Serious turkey Hunters and Successful Goose hunters will tell you about the value of a 3.5 inch gun.
 
Hey BigRedd:

At what point do you become a serious goose hunter?? I guess the 200+ we have shot this year don't really qualify, cuz we mainly use 3 inchers.:D :D

BIGREDD said:
Buying used is a suggestion for sure... but it is very hard to find a used gun as cheap as you can purchase a NEW Stoeger with 5 chokes and a warranty!
And sure a 3 inch gun is all you need under many circumstances... but a 3 1/2 inch shotgun will have a longer forcing cone and will recoil less using 3 inch shells!!!
Serious turkey Hunters and Successful Goose hunters will tell you about the value of a 3.5 inch gun.
Click to expand...
 
I'd say you can make do with just about any shotgun you're comfortable with. I use a 30 year old winchester semi in 2 3/4. Nothing fancy and works just fine. My second favorite is a 50 year old Winchester 16 guage. I use both on everything from big Canadas to grouse and partridge.

The point is, both guns are small (me too...) and therefore I'm comfortable with them and shoot them well.

I wouldn't say that you NEED 3" or semi auto or camoflauge paint job etc. The value of a 3.5" gun is much overrated IMHO. You'll be a much better shot if you practice with 2 3/4 and don't need all that excess lead flying about. You'll save yourself plenty of $$ on shells.

But if you listed those 3 guns as the ones you're most comfortable with, then the Mossberg is a pretty good value.
 
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New

I'm fairly new at it as well.

And my wife was the one who encouraged me to get some ducks and geese too.

I got a nearly vintage (1957) Remington 870 pump 30-inch plain barrel in 2 3/4 several years ago at a gun show for cheap.

It actually worked good for me on snows and ducks this year, but if I had to do it all again, I'd look for a three-inch gun, with a rib and a 28-inch barrel.

The three-inch would help on Canada geese I am told, with that extra load of more pellets possible without losing that critical velocity required for steel shot.

I'm on the coast, so the quick and easy take-down function of the the 870 is a benefit after a morning in the salt marsh.
 
There's a great many ways you can start into waterfowling but I would recommend picking up a 870 to start with (SIR is selling 3.5" 870s for $325 new). Then get out and do some hunting, ideally with a mentor, which will help you get a good idea what type of setup you will ultimately want. Then you can easily sell the 870 if you want to go to a different gun without losing any money.
 
New gun

Bish please avoid a new Remingtons, they just aren't as good as they once were, and most of the new auto loaders are not that complicated as others would have you believe. As a new shooter you should get a gun that handles 3 inch ammo, 3 1/2 inch ammo is effective to be sure but not needed for any kind of shooting you will likely be doing in Alberta. The Stoeger 350 is a great value but it also a brand new production model with zero track record for reliability! Stoeger make an auto loader as well and I know of a fellow that took a brand new one out to shoot with this fall, and didn't get three shots off with it before it failed to function. As you are in Edmonton I will ask if you have ever been to P&D Enterprises to check out their selection? When you get your new gun PM me and I will take you to the clays range at Strathcona and show you all you need to know about shooting targets and mounting your gun, Regards FS
 
Thanks guys! Sounds like I should bide my time and look at the used rack(s) around town, with an eye towards an older Remington 870 (was looking for one anyway), or great deals that might fall into my lap.

Fassteel I was just in P&D a few days ago, and that Beretta auto was getting a lot of love from a customer, I'm surprised it's still there;-)
 
Only thing I can add is to look at where the safety is. My Mossberg has the safety button at the front of the trigger guard, and with my short fingers, it's a bit of a reach to flip it off while mounting the gun... A button at the back of the trigger guard, or a thumb-operated one on top, would probably serve me personally better, but of course your mileage may vary.
 
Waterfowler said:
Hey BigRedd:

At what point do you become a serious goose hunter?? I guess the 200+ we have shot this year don't really qualify, cuz we mainly use 3 inchers.:D :D
Click to expand...
I don't have any freezer room left for geese...

And 3.5 chambers shooting 3 inch shells is easier on the shoulder... trust me I know...
 
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If you want to spend the money and have a gun that'll last many many years, go with a Benelli Super Black Eagle II or Beretta Xtrema2. Both are high quality semi's that'll handle 2 3/4 - 3 1/2 shells. Just my 2 bits
 
Don't start spending the big bucks until you've gone hunting a few times - it may not be your cup of tea. I can't imagine that happening, but anything's possible. There are TONS of used pumps out there which will fit your needs for $150 -350, and Mossberg, Remington, Winchester, etc. will all perform pretty much the same. You don't need a pretty gun for where you're going, so a little abuse on the finish is money in your pocket. When you hold one in your hands, you can feel the fit, where the safety is, action release buttons, etc. Bare requirements are 3" chamber, either IC or M fixed chokes, or screwins, and that's about it. You WILL need to spend money on other accoutrements like decoys, waders, etc. and of course PRACTICE SHOOTING, so start out $lowly for now.

Too bad you weren't local, I'd be happy to show you the ropes. Anybody else care to step up to the plate?
 
You may wish to consider the Baikal MP-153 (semi-auto). Personally, I have always been a sxs and o/u fan. However, if you require a workhorse type of hunting shotgun for waterfowl then I would definitely recommend the MP-153 in synthetic. IMHO, you won't be disappointed. A LOT of very positive feedback in shotgun world forum. BTW, I also have one :)

Believe Bill C68 had a brand new one for sale for $525.

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=42172

Regards,
 
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