All around budget shotgun.

[Kachok]

I am going to have to hunt public land this year, and the local WMA is shotgun/slug only wich is OK since I want to take up turkey hunting this year too. I normaly am willing to pay top dollar for higher end equipment but at the moment I am budget limited (car buisness has been ROUGH lately) The local Wally World specials are not too expensive $250 for an 870 express and $330 for a camo Mossberg 835 (I think) Are these acceptable firearms or are they bottom of the barrel gear? I am not exprecting the percision of my T3 Stainless, but that is not needed within shotgun range anyway. I thought about a rifled slug gun but that would not work with turkey shot. What are your recomandations for inexpensive yet functional shotguns? Would a shoothbore shotgun be able to remain accurate past bow range?

 

[Buck Kramer]

I've been using rifled slugs out of a bird barrel for years, got 4 deer last year. Piled 2 up at about 35 yards (cant miss at that distance) one at about 50, and one just short of 100. Rifled slugs hit hard and they are a lot cheaper than sabots, that way you can use it for turkey too. I'd vote 870 over 835 just for the ergonomics, but Ive used both and I was happy with both. Much happier than I was with my 11-87. Spent more time on sendbacks than I did shooting....

 

[ATAShooter]

I'll go with the remmy also. Alot of shotgun for the $$$$

 

[Kachok]

My only reservation with remington is I have had crap luck with their rifles, First one was so so accuracy, second one would not chamber a round and the most recent one started rusting the week it came out of the plastic wrap despite being cleaned and oiled like all my other rifles. Currently the only thing I own with a Remington name on it is an old school speedmaster.

 

[788Ham]

Had an 870 since 1973, best shotgun I've ever owned. I've shot many, many geese and ducks with it, you won't be disappointed my friend, very good for turkey's also!

 

[Strykervet]

The Remington 870 is a good pump, the Wingmaster is a fine hunting shotgun. The shiny wood and checkering just make it feel like quality but at a good price. You can get those at Walmart I think, I know my dad got one there and so did my uncle but that was yeeeaaars ago. The Mossberg pump is a fine shotgun too. The Mossberg has going for it two extractors instead of one. That is nice when you really want the shell to come out so the next one can go in! You can get either one, the Mossy or the Remmy, with say, a vent rib and removeable choke for a good deal. Both will also accept a slug barrel and those go for somwhere between $100 and $200 I think. You can use the turkey shot in a rifle barrel, but it will open the pattern up a lot. Usually you want a tight group and long barrel for turkey because the shots are far off for a shotgun. On the other hand, you can get slugs made for smooth bores. The Latvian steel slugs come to mind as slugs designed for smooth bores (and that Hexolit32 looks wicked!).

On Wednesday, on the Outdoor Channel? They have shooting shows all day. My favorite shooting show of all time is "Impossible Shots". MUCH better than Top Shot. Anyway, they have certain guys on there that accel using certain gear (or they are sponsored by that maker). Jerry Miculek always does the cool revolver stuff. There is this shotgunner, an exhibition shooter, I don't know his name but he is sponsored by Mossberg. He uses a plain old cheapo 500 or 590 and then throws like five to seven clay pigeons in the air with his left hand, and then shooting from the hip he starts taking them out, finishing firing from the shoulder. Awesome. So if you can do that with a Mossberg, anything else is really just icing on the cake.

 

[DaleCooper51]

Make sure of the model number on the Mossberg. If I remember correctly, the 835 has an over bored barrel and is marked not suitable for slugs with the field barrel.

I have used both Mossberg and Remington pumps, get whichever one feels better in the hands. Another inexpensive shotgun is the Maverick. It is Mossberg's budget line and can be had for about $200. It's not a bad gun.

 

[Kachok]

Yeah if it won't handle slugs that would do me no good at all. The 870 express cannot handle 3 1/2" turkey loads. I think 3" magnum loads can handle enough lead for turkey, but I would like the versitility of all three sizes and slugs.

 

[DNS]

Yep, the Maverick here runs $157 at Wally World.

I'm considering buying one just to cut down the barrel and make it a fun gun.

 

[bejay]

how about a 535 combo with both barrels
http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/336/products_id/14658
http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/336/products_id/14657
if you dont think you need the 3.5 the 500 combo is probably ok also but dont think theres much of a price difference, a 3inch turkey load with an extra full choke is good to about 40 yards and you probably dont gain much in the 3.5 shell.
but the rifled barrel is worth buying for deer hunting with slugs alot better accuracy.

 

[natman]

The Remington 870 is a good pump, the Wingmaster is a fine hunting shotgun. The shiny wood and checkering just make it feel like quality but at a good price. You can get those at Walmart I think, I know my dad got one there and so did my uncle but that was yeeeaaars ago.

The Wingmaster is a fine shotgun, but it's not the bargain it was years ago. Bud's has them at $625, enough to buy two Mossbergs.

 

[Armchair Bronco]

Why not look at a used Winchester 1300 on GunBroker.com? These are great guns, and how can you go wrong owing such a cool piece of Americana?

Here's an unused one w/ the original box for $275.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=253180631

 

[whetrock]

Maverick 88's aren't half bad for the money I have several friends that own and shoot the old Mav's quite regularly and I haven't heard a negative comment about them yet also in your price range there are the new imported H&R Pardner pumps that are fairly decent and very inexpensive.

 

[jogar80]

Maverick... super cheap, works great, and durable. May not be pretty, but a bargain it is.

 

[maximumdarkside]

It's funny, I just picked up 4 shotguns in the past 2 weeks, 3 of which have been mentioned in this thread.

870, Mossberg 500, Maverick 88, And a Franchi.

The franchi goes to my dad, the 870 feels better out of the other 3 but the 88 just plain shoots and acts better, the 500 falls in between.

So now i'm keeeping the 88 the franchi is gone and will probably part ways with the 870 and 500.

Now back to topic, none of them had any actual problems except eating every shell I put to them like pigs, and putting a smile on mine and all the other rangeriders faces, best advice try them all and eventually 1 will stick and it may not be the one you think.

Now what to do with the 870 and 500, lol.

 

[waidmann]

If they are still out there a Mossberg 500 combo, a screw-in choked vent rib barrel and a smoothbore rifle sighted barrel. or, build the combo buying the second barrel. Or, do the same thing with an 870 Express.

Don't get in a big hurry over 3 1/2 inch chambers or rifled/scoped barrels.

 

[roachcore]

Nef partner pump. An 870 clone that is really a bargain i've had one for about 4 years now and I personally like it better than the remmy

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

 

[ojibweindian]

I am going to have to hunt public land this year, and the local WMA is shotgun/slug only wich is OK since I want to take up turkey hunting this year too. I normaly am willing to pay top dollar for higher end equipment but at the moment I am budget limited (car buisness has been ROUGH lately) The local Wally World specials are not too expensive $250 for an 870 express and $330 for a camo Mossberg 835 (I think) Are these acceptable firearms or are they bottom of the barrel gear? I am not exprecting the percision of my T3 Stainless, but that is not needed within shotgun range anyway. I thought about a rifled slug gun but that would not work with turkey shot. What are your recomandations for inexpensive yet functional shotguns? Would a shoothbore shotgun be able to remain accurate past bow range?

I'd go with an 870 Express smoothbore and a Foster slug over an 835. The 835 is back-bored, so a slug would pretty much bounce around while traversing down the barrel. You can, if you want, buy a slug barrel for an 835, but why do that when, for $250, you can run both slugs and shot?

 

[Mr. T]

I assume the 870 at that price was was the "express" model. In choosing between the two guns if the 835 was going against the "express" model I would choose the 835. The 835 is in my opinion is a more durable gun over the "express" 870. I agree that the ergonomics are a little better on the 870, but I overcame that issue with a collapsible stock for my 835. The Mossberg's LOP tends to run a little long for my tastes; the 870's fit better out of the box. That being said I happen to own both and I would have to say that I would probably go with the 835. You get 2-3/4" to 3-1/2" options, the gun is more durable in my opinion, and I think the 835 throws slugs more accurately at least for my part in shooting them. I would go with both a bird barrel and a slug barrel. I can put up 1.5" to 2.5" groups at 100 yards with my Mossberg 835. I use a Nikon Prostaff 2X7 variable scope. It seems to do the job. You can shoot almost as good as a low budget rifle with the Mossberg 835. My Mossberg tended to like the cheaper Remington Hollow Point Sabots over any of the other ammo I tested. Foster slugs are a lot cheaper to shoot than the sabots so that may be something to consider. I have taken a half dozen deer at a 100 yards or slightly more with one of my smooth bore shotguns using Foster slugs. So to answer your question....yes you can shoot well beyond bow range.

 

[Kiln]

Another vote for the Mossberg Maverick 88. My grandfather in law inspired me to buy one because of his positive experience with two different ones. I got mine and am really impressed. Less than $200 for a decent 12 guage can't be beaten in my opinion.

 

[Nickelplate]

I own a Remington 870 Express. Though I don't hunt and I'm new to the gun world, I would recommend the 870.

 

[texas chase]

Rem 870 all the way. I've had both Rem 870 and mossberg 500. I just like the feel of the slide on the 870 over the mossy. Plus its a proven design that just keeps working.

 

[NoobCannon]

+1 for the NEF Pardner Pump. I got mine secondhand for $98 OTD, then spent easily more than that making it "Tacticool" with 870 parts, just because I could. With my handgun in for repairs, it now sits bedside.

Really, I couldn't say enough nice things about this cheap little shotgun. Only problems I ran into with it was modifying the 870 saddle scope mount to fit the wider receiver, and that was because I wanted to make the thing look goofy. Fed all the shotshells I've ran through it, accurate with Slugs from the 18.5" barrel out to 50 yards, and it's more than capable with birdshot or buck.