Inexpensive Shotgun Suggestions

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Yup. You can get 500s new for $200 if you shop around. Or a Maverick for bit less ($150?) or an 870 Express for a bit more ($250?). Side-by-sides are going to start at around $300 for a Stoeger or a Remington Spartan (Baikal) and go up pretty quickly from there. Stick with a pump for an inexpensive, dependable gun.
 
I just took a pic (and posted on another thread) of my 20" interchangeable choke Remington Spartan SPR220 Side by Side 20 gauge. I've only fired it a couple of sessions, but I LOVE this thing. It's named right as it is quite spartan of embellishment, but it has double triggers and interchangeable chokes and shoots very well. I would have liked selective ejectors, but I only paid $299 for the thing. I ain't gonna sweat the ejectors.

I've got this thing in the bedroom on guard duty, but I really bought it for bird hunting. I can take it apart and lock it in the top trunk of my GoldWing, no longer have to be paranoid at gas stops with the gun case strapped on the back on trips. I can't wait for next dove season.:D It's choked cylinder/IC for guard duty and I'll pull the cylinder choke out of the left (rear trigger) barrel and install the full for doves. That way, I'll have a choke for the ones that fly down my throat and for the ones that are out there. I never notice a lot of difference in the mod/full fixed barrels on my old Sarasqueta. I think IC/full should work better for me, give me a REAL choice.

I own a Mossberg pump, too, served me faithfully for 15 season now and killed a LOT of birds. I've never hunted anything, but ducks and geese with it, always used my Winchester 1400 semi auto for upland stuff. That one is no longer made, but it set me back $255 at Walmart about 20 years ago. As I get older, I'm appreciating the light recoil of the autoloader and the smaller gauge of the side-by-side. I guess I'm becoming a girly man or something, but I just don't like being banged around as much anymore. I remember when my grandpa bought a 20 gauge 870 with the same reasoning. Maybe it's in the genes.

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If your going to hunt waterfowl your best bet is a new gun. The older guns may not be for steel shot. Mossberg 500 have been a good reliable gun for me.
 
A good used Remington 870- a Wingmaster, older model Express, maybe even a LE trade-in if you are lucky- sometimes can be had for $150- 200. Maybe less depending on your area, the time of year and how thoroughly and long you haunt gun shops pawn shops etc.

That's an awful lot of gun for not much money.

lpl/nc
 
Well, here's my waterfowling Mossy 500. It's been a good tool in the marsh over the years. I much prefer it to a Remington 870 for waterfowling, but for any other use, the Remington would suit me except that I shoot left handed and prefer the Mossberg's tang safety.

As you see it, OEM Camo and sling, $210 in the early 90s.

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H&R Pardner Pump. $150 most places.

Yes, its pretty much a Chinese copy of an 870, but before another poster jumps on me for supporting the enemy I'd have them investigate the country of origin for the components they're typing their post on.


gp911
 
depends on use.

HD: Rem 870 Express HD
Waterfowl: Mossberg 500 or Rem 870 Express
Upland: USED 870 or Ithaca 37
Deer: 870 with slug barrel

All should be foundin the $230 to $280 price range depending on market place.
 
stevens 311 sxs

Stevens sxs maybe be a good choice.

Plus fun to use for clay bird shooting.

Practice is very important.
 
I bought a used NEF Pardner Pump, chinese copy of the 870, to see if I even liked shooting a shotgun. I love it! shoots nice and the first time I tried skeet shooting with it I easily got the hang of shooting the "birds" down. Worked flawlessly and cost about $139
 
I bought a used NEF Pardner Pump, chinese copy of the 870, to see if I even liked shooting a shotgun. I love it! shoots nice and the first time I tried skeet shooting with it I easily got the hang of shooting the "birds" down. Worked flawlessly and cost about $139
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Ha! I could almost have written that post myself :D
After over 30 years of shooting pistols and rifles I bought a Hatsan Escort pump action shotgun a couple of days back "to see if I even liked shooting a shotgun" and I love it too :D

I can't believe it's taken me this long to try shotgunning :(

Better late than never, eh?!
 
If you go for the Chinese shotgun, check it very carefully before you walk out the store. They were selling them in Big 5, still in the cardboard case. I asked to examine it (I was there for a 500, but wanted to oggle the chinese import). It was showing signs of rust in the action, even though it was STILL IN THE PLASTIC BAG, inside of the original cardboard package. I asked to see another one, and that one was even worse. At that point I vowed never to buy a chinese shotgun.

The mossbergs, however, were fine. :)
 
You might want to take a look at the H&R Topper Deluxe Classic. It's a real nice single barrel shotgun, available in both 12ga and 20ga. Just think of it as half a S x S. It's really a whole lot of shotgun for a meager price. The single shot, break action with an exposed hammer is just about as safe as a shotgun can be. The removable choke tubes make it useful for just about anything you could shoot with a shotgun. I love the one I have and find myself shooting it just as much as my 870.

http://www.hr1871.com/Firearms/Shotguns/topper.aspx
 
The New England Partner pumps are NOT chinese coppies. They are made in Turkey and are dependable and well made.
 
The New England Partner pumps are NOT chinese coppies. They are made in Turkey and are dependable and well made.
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The H&R autos are Turkish, but the pump is indeed a Chinese copy of the 870, with a longer magazine tube and the barrel ring moved forward.

EDIT: Has anyone else noticed that the pump has changed? Look at this picture of an earlier Pardner Pump, and the current model:

Old



New



The new reciever almost looks like the Excell autoloader, with the semi-hump on the back.
 
Why settle for a 870...

Today I just picked up a beautifully refinished Winchester M-12, 12ga (2 3/4") 30-inch modified for (get this) $400.00! :D
 
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