Overall good first shotgun

A Remington LW20 Model 870 will fill the bill all right. So will several others, but I like the Remington.

Iirc lw stands for light weight and I would use the the 2 3/4 shells in it but that's completely up to you

For hunting and targets, you'll want the 28" barrel whether in 12 or 20. For lightweight, the Franchi al-48 in 20 would be great for hunting, maybe just a tad too light for clays, but OK for some casual ones once in a while

for a all around hunting / HD get a 12ga 870 or mossberg i like the safety on
the mossberg just a little bit more than the one on my 870

$400 is leaving you in used pump gun territory then - find one of the big three and see which one fits you better - Remington, Mossberg, Browning

$400 is enough to buy a new Mossberg or Remington, and have ammo money left over.

If semis are in the plan, you can probably find a used Remington 1100 for that money, and if you look in the right places, a Browning A5.

For $400 you can get a brand new Remington 870 express in 12 gauge and still have money left over for shells.

My first gun ever was an 870. With that gun I learned to hunt deer, ducks, turkey, quail, pheasant, squirrel…you get the picture. Plus it sat by my bedside every night in case I needed it.

You can't go wrong with it. I'd buy one, get in the woods, and never look back.

False, ammo is the same and is not too much -your ability to hit your target is key

You can't go wrong with an Remington 870. I think the Mossberg would be a fine choice too. Go to a store and feel which you like better. I prefer a 12 ga, but 20 is just fine too.

Re shell pricing. Target loads are ~$6-7 a box of 25 (both 12 and 20 ga)at most warehouse style outdoor stores. Walmart may have them a bit cheaper. hunting loads I'd expect to pay $10 for lead shot. I'm out of the loop on steel and exotic metal pricing, but I do know it's not cheap.

I don't think you'll find much price difference between 12 and 20ga shells.

yes you are looking at the wrong page. Go to your local sporting good store and look at the #6 and #8 because that is what you will probably be using the most of. There is not that much difference in price. If the recoil of the 12 does not bother you i would go with the 12. As far as which gun i like the 870 in a pump gun but it is just what i grew up with. If you are looking to spend a little more you might want to look at a Stoger auto loader. I have a all the major brands and the Stoger is a lot of gun for the money .

You should be able to find light #6 loads just look for the cheaper ones. I normal shoot #8 even for rabbits and squirrels if i use a 12 gauge. I just put i mod or full choke tube in. I don't hunt ducks or geese so i cant help you there.


I just realized you are in St Louis, i am about 100 miles south of you. If you want to shoot a few different types of guns and want to drive a little bit there is a public range not to far away i will meet you and you can shoot anything i have.

My favorite shotgun I own is a Mossberg 500... Its so universal, it fits the profile for just about every hunt you can go on and is a great budget first shotgun in my opinion.

I got the Benelli Nova for the same use. 28" makes it a bit too long for HD but better for hunting.

Weight

If weight is an issue, you should take a look at the Winchester SXP. The defender model, with an 18" barrel, weights just over 6 lb. It has good reviews on the net. I don't think they make it in 20 ga. though, only 12 ga. I believe. I sure would not mind walking long days with that one.

870 all the way.

20 or 12…you pick it. The beauty of the shotgun is it's versatility. You can find loads from light to heavy that will allow you to kill just about anything.

If you want a 20 gauge then go for it. Some of the best wing shooters I know use a 20 gauge…if you can shoot, the gun will do it's part. More than once I've laughed as guys with super-expensive 3.5 inch mag duck shells were put to shame by an old country boy hunting with the 20 gauge gun his dad bought him "way back when", and a box of the cheapest 2 3/4 inch steel shot he could find.

The lesson I took away from that was: get good first…then worry about trying to extend your range with premium shells. Expensive shells don't kill…experience does.

As far as weight goes…we're only talking about a 7 or 8 lb gun here. Any grown man can tote that all day…and if you're 6 foot 2 and 220 lbs you should hardly notice it.

If you want a good, all around tool that won't break the bank then you are looking at a pump action shotgun. The Remington 870 or a Mossberg are two economical choices. I own an 870 and have killed everything in my time-zone with it…it is everything you are telling me you're looking for. Now you just have to decide between 12 or 20 gauge. The 12 will have a denser pattern downrange as it generally carries a larger payload. You can always buy lighter shells if it suits you, but the 12 will give you a bit more versatility in my opinion.

Over the last 50 years, my first shotgun was a 12ga Rem 870 (which I still have) and my last will be an 870 Express with a 20 inch bbl. I probably have 5 or 6 barrels left around.

I shot an 870TC at trap for several decades and 870s in 12, 20, 28, and .410 for skeet. I have yet to have a malfuction over tens and tens of thousand of rounds shooting clay sports and hunting deer, turkey, ducks, doves, and pheasants.

Once upon a time, I visited a friend's workplace. It was the Florida State Pen. at Raeford, FL. He showed me a rack of short barreled 870s that were used for famaliarity training for all non correctional personnel. No one knew exactly when they showed up but they had been used for over 40 years. As I recall, each newhire had to fire five rounds through an 870. Many thousands of rounds later, they guns still had a very long service life.

But mostly hunting. What barrel should I go with?

Click to expand...

26" or 28".

The 26" will swing faster and get hung up less hunting in the brush.

The 28" will swing smoother for pass shooting or long shots in the field.

rc