Ask Questions!

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bigalexe

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Guys, especially new guys... ASK QUESTIONS!

I just got home from the range. A friend was there that was very happily showing off their BRAND NEW GUN! They had bought a shotgun that they wanted to deer hunt with. Now if you aren't a shotgunner this might not make sense but here is what they bought...

20 gauge Remington 870, composite black youth stock, composite fore-end, 18 1/2" barrel w/screw chokes. For deer hunting.

Now this friend doesn't like recoil, and only got a shotgun because we have to use shotguns around here. The gun doesn't fit them properly, the barrel is too short for intended usage. In short they got the completely wrong gun for what they wanted to do. This being their first time at the range they brought some ammo with them...

2 3/4" shells with #8 Steel Shot. To setup for deer hunting.

So not only is the shot the wrong size, it's steel which we can't use at the range.

Oh and they paid over $350 for the gun off the shelf.

So long story short by not asking questions they threw $400 in the wrong direction. In reality for their size and what they want to do they need pretty much a whole new gun. Had they not overpaid for the gun I'd have bought it off them right there because an 18" 20gauge is on my wish list for toys but I'm not paying that much.

The story does get better, we happened to have some 20 gauge lead on hand and some guys showed up with a clay thrower so by the end of the day they did throw a bit of lead downrange and then managed to bust 2/3 clays. It's not a total disaster.

The backstory here is that this friend wants to hunt and we knew this. Me and some other friends had offered to go to the store, get guns for them to try etc. Then they just one day call and go "hey I bought a gun!"

I guarantee if you look around you will find someone willing to help you out. Please ask questions and look around before you end up buying the wrong gun!

**This is slightly a rant, but I'm trying to help people out.
 
Just another case of newbs learning the hard way. If they don't bother to find out what exactly it is that they need, or what the requirements are, then let them find out the hard way and hope they have deep pockets.
 
I'm not at all sure I can agree with you on this one. Since I have hunted and taken deer with the 20ga short barreled guns, I don't think that the "problem" as you mention it is all that big. Adjustable clamp on iron sights can be mounted to the shotguns rib, and a IC choke works pretty well for rifled type slugs.

I have a rifled 20ga choke tube for using sabot slugs as well. The shorter stock for wing shooting might be a minus, but for deer hunting where heavy cloths are used, the shorter stock is not a bad thing, and I myself use the youth LOP stock on my slug gun.
 
I guess I don't understand the outrage. I've seen plenty of deer taken with .410. Maybe the load they picked is questionable but 20 gauge can certainly get the job done.
 
Add a recoil pad to the stock for length of pull, some practice with slug loads and I don't see a problem. Next year he can get a more suitable gun.

It does seem though that this person shouldn't be turned loose to hunt just yet. It seems to me that this'll be the guy who fires off 3 rounds and maybe wounds a deer.

There's a whole lot more to hunting than having a gun.
 
There's nothing wrong with a Remington 870 20 gauge with choke tubes and an 18.5" barrel for hunting pretty much anything, particularly if you can only use shotguns in the area you're hunting.
I have a friend who gets his deer pretty much every season with a single shot break-action 20 gauge.
 
As said before get a shoulder pad for the stock to make the extension, buy a new barrel if he needs one, buy propper shells or just use 00 buck and he is golden. Total repair cost about $100. Thats if he needs a rifled barrel, which you dont need if your using buckshot instead of slugs. I use my Rem mod 47 20g for everything.
 
Lemme guess ... they bought it at Wally World, from some kid that worked in the shoe department yesterday, 'cause it was $25 cheaper than the LGS.
 
Nope they got it at a big chain sporting store. They got it because they went and held up the guns and got what "Felt Right" to them. Of course the shortest barrel felt the best because it's the closest in to your body. The problem however is that they hadn't been trained in proper stance for a shotgun. So once they leaned forward suddenly nothing fit.

Ok so maybe you can make it work. My point with the story is that there are people around to help you. If not you can end up with a $400 mistake.
 
You just found out the best way people learn: The hard way.

I myself do, from time to time.
 
Their money willingly spent - so they did not pay too much; it seemed fair to them.

If that stock doesn't fit, it is going to hurt.

Shooting clays with an 18.5" barrel sucks, but shooting at a deer (and using it like a rifle) is no big deal - I have a Model 7 in 7-08 with an 18" barrel - length works fine

He DOES need to get some slugs and see how it shoots
 
Hence the next problem. They didn't like the benched recoil of 2 3/4" #7 bird loads. Once they shot the clays they were ok because they got the brain off the gun but I shot the thing and it bruised me. That'll teach me for holding an undersized gun and shooting it to demonstrate improper position.

The plan is to quickly come up with a 24" Barrel and get it ported promptly (me and friends have some good friends that can handle it) and see about a wood stock.

Overall... at least it wasnt on my dime.
 
The plan is to quickly come up with a 24" Barrel and get it ported promptly (me and friends have some good friends that can handle it) and see about a wood stock.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't do the barrel before I did the stock. They will likely benefit more from that than they will a longer ported barrel. (IIRC, porting it won't really help anyway.) I wish I had an 18 1/2" barrel for my 870 for deer actually, but I haven't bought one yet.

I know at least one guy that hunts deer with 20 g youth gun. I want to say there is another one or two, but I'm having problems recalling who it is. It might be a poor choice for them, but it may not be for everyone.
 
Lemme guess ... they bought it at Wally World, from some kid that worked in the shoe department yesterday, 'cause it was $25 cheaper than the LGS.
Click to expand...

With the Internet there is no excuse for not making informed buying decisions no matter where you shop.
 
nothing really wrong with the 18" barrel, sure, it's not ideal for accuracy, but with a good set of rifle sights it will do. all he needs is a new stock and some rifled slugs.
 
You should get him in his hunting jacket and dressed for a day out in the field, get some slugs and check the fit and how the recoil is for HIM How far will he be shooting in the area he's hunting and find out how far he should try shooting to hit the target.
 
Grrr... okay I'm just gonna walk away from this one now. We seem to retreading ground I already covered.

As far as porting goes... yes in personal experience a port & cone job does help. I know this board doesn't seem to believe that but it does.
 
Sounds fine to me if he is short range hunting. Besides, he has a great bedroom gun. As posted above, buy a slip on recoil pad and you are good to go. I would use slugs though.....chris3
 
Got a story about 20 gauge shotgun. I hunted deer on FT Hood for 10 years and was sucessful every year. Then they made a change so my favorite most productive spot became SHOTGUN ONLY. I took my son's 870 youth shotgun withthat 18 inch barrel, put a scope on it, and then got two nice bucks from that same stand over two years. I got into the stand at 0530, both deer were shot and in the truck by 0730 in the morning. Got to the game warden station, dropped the deer off at the processing plant and was back in bed by 10 AM.. Wifey finally wakes up and asks "Ain't ya suppose to go huntin today"??
Yes, they made a newby mistake, it is critical to help and be supportive, the number of shooters and hunters are dropping. I am glad you are there to assist them and remember that we are supposed to having fun!!
 
A 20ga out of a 18.5" barrel will most definitely take deer at reasonable distances. Under 75y, that deer is toast.

LOP -yeah, there's potentially a problem there. I'm 5'8, and I usually have to cut .5-1" off the stocks of my shotguns. Not quite the 2" difference between an adult and child buttstock, but a thick recoil pad or a spacer (they make em) can correct that.

He most definitely didn't waste 400. He bought a few boxes of inappropriate ammo for the task he wants to do and he needs to have his stock fitted. Spacers can be bought at brownells, 1" hard rubber for 20 bucks or so. Sounds like he has a good base to start with in a reliable platform that needs a little bit of fitting and better ammo choices made. I see NOTHING wrong with his setup. He doesn't even need any fancy sites... a bead works fine for slugs. Just steer him away from sabots...
 
Last edited:
GCBurner said:
There's nothing wrong with a Remington 870 20 gauge with choke tubes and an 18.5" barrel for hunting pretty much anything, particularly if you can only use shotguns in the area you're hunting.
I have a friend who gets his deer pretty much every season with a single shot break-action 20 gauge.
Click to expand...
I think I know the reason why they didn't ask questions... :)
 
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