Can't decide on a shotgun

[Country_Soldier]

Hello THR,

First, I have been a member of THR since 2008, was having some trouble logging into my other account (army_husband), so I had to change my name, kinda like this one better.

Ok, on to my question, looking into getting new shotgun (one or possibly two) when I return home from my current deployment. When I was younger I used to do rabbit hunting, recently pcs'ing to Texas I decided to pick up on hunting again, but for rabbit and also other game such as hog, deer, turkey. Only hunting rifle I have is an older Knight Muzzle loader that I have found to be an excellent rifle, I can pick off rabbits with head shots out to about 50 yards (haven't tried further then that), but want to change up to a shotgun, that and I wanted a shotgun for turkey season (don't know what will happen if I shoot the turkey with a .50 cal muzzle loader). Been doing some research online and I can't decide on a shotgun.

Most autoloaders are out of my pay-grade (only an E-4), so started looking into other shotguns. One that I found that I kinda like is the H&R Topper signle shot 20 ga that I can use for rabbit hunting. I also found a 12 ga Topper with a camo look that has a full choke for turkey, but also found a 12 ga muzzle loader shotgun from Knight Muzzle Loader, the TK2000. Was thinking either doing two Toppers, one for use as a rabbit gun, and the other for use as a turkey gun, or one Topper rabbit gun, and one TK2000 for a turkey gun. Not alot of reviews about these two weapons, read all stats and everything on them, and I can't decide which way to go.

Any suggestions, reviews, or if you have fired these weapons, please let me know what you think. Thank you THR community

 

[Country_Soldier]

Also forgot to mention, most of my hunting will be done on Fort Hood, not allowed to use lead shot, only thing allowed to use is steel shot. This is also why I am looking into shotguns, hunting on Fort Hood shotguns and muzzle loaders are considered "limited range weapons," so I can't use a regular rifle, unless I'm doing a guided hunt, but most of the time I go out by myself.

 

[Country_Soldier]

Frago : on the two H&Rs, one is a Topper Deluxe, the other is their Pardner Turkey gun, got the two sites open right now (H&R and Knight ML), still looking at them trying to decide

 

[TreeDoc]

The 20 ga will do everything you need it to do. Good on rabbits with 7s or 8s, #4 turkey loads for Ol' Tom. Shoot a dove, crow or pheasant Have taken them all with a 20ga fixed mod barrel Ithica. 20ga single shot is mighty handy.

 

[Texan Scott]

CS, the 20ga should be more than enough for rabbit, possum, or squirrel (I prefer a 22, but spent enough years on Army posts to understand your enforced limitations). For deer or hog, stick to the muzzle loader. Please check on differences between on* and off* base restrictions for muzzle loaders in Texas.

Stay safe, stay out of trouble, and good hunting!

 

[Country_Soldier]

TreeDoc - taking another look around at some 20 ga's, if it can handle both rabbit and turkey, might only get one then, will have some money left over to get my oldest daughter into hunting

Texan Scott - Roger, the muzzle loading rifle if going to be for bigger game (deer, hog, etc.), I can head shot rabbit with it, but there was one or two times I checked the rabbit, in head one side, and because of the angle of the shot, exited elsewhere. Found one one time, when through the head and exited the shoulder, had to cut off entire shoulder and discard, wasn't much left of it

 

[Country_Soldier]

just went back and looked at the H&R website again, looks like some of those shotguns have fixed chokes, not sure if interchangable or not. Prolly will have to take it in to LGS if I want it drilled and tapped for red-dot, but if I can find out if I can use interchangable chokes with it, I would be good with a 20ga. Full for turkey hunting, modified for rabbit

 

[Inebriated]

I'll third the 20ga suggestion. Will handle turkey and rabbit both without issue.

As for guns... Another gun you could consider, given the cost to get a single-shot threaded for chokes and a scope mount, would be the Pardner Pump. In my area, they run about $200-$220, and would come with screw-in chokes and the receiver is threaded for a scope base. Wouldn't be as light and handy as the single-shot, but would offer considerably more utility, for not a lot more cost. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

Thank you for your service.

 

[Centurian22]

Another one to look into is the Mossberg Maverick 88. Typically ~ $200. Available in several different configurations, many threaded for chokes. Also has the added benefit being interchangeable with mossberg 500 barrels and many other parts, including rifled slug barrels, HD18" etc.

 

[Country_Soldier]

Went back to H&R and Mossberg and checked those out. Kinda like the Pardner Pump. Weight of the shotgun not really an issue, used to carrying weapon around for a few miles, so carrying regular sized shotgun in the field not an issue. Went and checked out the Toppers, don't know if they except chokes, but they do not come drilled and tapped for optics. Think I will look into these Pardner Pumps, still got a while before I hit stateside. Will have to try and find one when I get back to Fort Hood.

Something else that just crossed my mind though, I have read before that hunters have trouble using anything other then lead through their chokes, being as I am hunting on the Fort Hood reservation, I can only use steel shot, is this gonna be a problem?

 

[Ash]

I paid $150 for my Western Field 550, the 1970's store brand version of the Mossberg 500. It can take steel shot, has a smooth pump-action, and does what I want. The plus is that is is 100% Mossberg 500 so all parts interchange. My point is that pump-shotguns are pretty cheap at the pawn shop. You can get a good one for not much cash.

 

[Master Blaster]

A used 870 12 ga. Or you might look for an older 1100 I picked up a nice used 2.75" chamber 1970s model hardly ever fired for $250 at a local gun shop.

 

[ExAgoradzo]

Ok keep I mind that older guns wont handle steel: I live in CA where in 2014 steel is the law.
I bought an 870 express for my son a year or so ago for 3 bills used. I'd do anything you want to esp if you got a rifle barrel.
Currently Im planning to get the 870 combo gun so both barrels are standard.
Enjoy bro!
Greg

 

[Country_Soldier]

Hey THR, sorry I haven't been able to get back to my posts, was out all day doing field work yesturday, didn't get a chance to get on and check my posts.

Thank you all for your advice, hell, I was looking into buying brand new shotgun, but I did get my muzzle loader from a pawn shop, and it works great, just had to put alittle money into it to get it up to hunting standards, but totally slipped my mind to check out the pawn shops in the area and see what they got. Might try and get away from post though when doing that, sometimes at the pawn shops closer to post they tend to be higher then when the pawn shop not around post, gues they think soldiers got money to spend, I don't know.

Also thank you for placing my mind at ease about a pump gun. Have thought about it, but was thinking in the field for the faster shots it would be best to have semi-auto or something. I have a mossberg 590 SP for home protection (setup for tactical use, not for hunting(that and right now its broke, gotta send it to mossberg when I get home), so working with a pump shotgun not to big an issue, used to them. Hell, I get one for the right price, was thinking of getting my oldest daughter a shotgun, she only 10, built like a toothpick, but I want her to be able to go out with me for some hunting, start teaching my kids how to survive.

Again, thank you all for the suggestions, will start looking around the net, seeing what I can find, and start making plans for when I return home from my deployment. Thanx THR