looking at 20 guage shotguns

[mr.trooper]

I need a 20 guage.

my buddy has a NIB H&R single shot that he says he will sell me for $50, but Id like a little more.

i don't want to spend a ton of money either, because i probably wont be using it a lot, only occasionally. Our local shop has a 24" bbl Stoeger SxS for $320, and iv been considering either that or the coach gun.

So today i was on the Stoeger site, and I see the Condor uplander....How has this been out for a YEAR without me knowing about it!?!?!? I shoot mostly slugs, so the idea of screw in chokes and rifle sites excites me. The 20"bbl does as well. Im definately going to have to look into it farther.

Last topic i found on it was from August. Anyone have more recent experience with them?

 

[Geno]

I had one years ago that I did not like. The choke threads were poorly made.

Why not get a Remington 870 Express?

 

[MCgunner]

I sold a buddy an NEF I had. I got two of 'em for the kid. First one the trigger was so stiff she couldn't shoot it, had to have it lightened. It got stolen, so I got her another one. The little bugger kicked so hard, though, she preferred my Winchester 12 gauge autoloader, much easier on the shoulder even without a recoil pad. So, I just sold her NEF to a guy at work that wanted one for his son. Got 50 bucks for it. Good cheap way to go, but even in 20 it's tough on a kid's shoulder.

I have a Spartan 20 I'm really pleased with, coach gun with screw in chokes. The wood is pretty plain, not real pretty, but hey, it shoots great and was only 300 bucks. I like it a lot. It's not a lot heavier than that little NEF but is a LOT more pleasant to shoot and if it's for a kid, the stock was a bit short for me. To get the pull length decent, I added a recoil pad to mine. It would have been near perfect for an average sized 14 year old.

 

[scout26]

I shoot mostly slugs

Then you might want to look at an Remington 870 or Mossberg 500 with slug barrel(s). Either a rifled bore (for Sabots) or smooth bore (for Forster/rifled slugs) or one with both types, on each model the barrels can be quickly and easily changed/swapped out on either gun.

I see the Condor uplander....How has this been out for a YEAR without me knowing about it!?!?!?

I've had mine for going on two years now. Good upland gun, also fun for Skeet and Sporting Clays, probably not so good for slug shooting. I haven't seen/heard of a Uplander with rifle sights, just beads.


870's, 500's and Uplanders are all good guns, from my experience.

A friend of my 14 year old daughter has a H&R Topper single shot 20ga. With light reloads and a good pad, she does pretty good with it.

 

[mr.trooper]

um....because I dont want a pump?

And I meant to say the Condor outback, not uplander. my mistake.

I said I shoot slugs. SLUGS, not sabots. If I was rich enough to shoot sabots for fun i wouldnt be looking at a $300 gun.

If you ever make a post asking for opinions about bolt action rifles, PM me so i can recomend you buy and AR-15.

I was talking about this.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

If you are looking for a reliable shotgun that won't break the bank consider either the Remington 870 or the Mossberg 500. You won't go wrong with either. I own a Mossberg 500, my son owns a Remington 870. We are both happy with our choices.

*Edit*
Sorry I missed what you said about not wanting a pump shotgun.
I like the Stoeger shotguns and have been thinking about buying a Stoeger Coach gun.

 

[Matt-J2]

Wow. If i were new to firearms and cruising the web for advice, and this thread was one of the first I came upon for this site, I'd leave and never come back. Way to not answer the question and then ignore the OP.

Sorry I have nothing useful to add myself mr. trooper, I know nothing of the shotgun you're asking about, though I too am interested in it and hope some folks can answer.

 

[plateshooter]

Looks like a pretty cool shotgun. I have a Stoeger SXS that I really like. I think I paid around 300 for it a few years back. I never tried slugs through it, but it shoots everything else I have tried quite well. That O/U 20 looks like a fun gun. Any idea what the street prices are yet?

 

[plumberroy]

buy the nef the are simple and reliable every one needs at least one singleshot and with the right slugs might surprised. you you can put a little back and get the outback and then tell me how it does with slugs cause I like the looks of it too by the way there is a brand new left handed 870 setting at the back of my safe the first gun at the front is a n.e.f. 28 ga single shot it is a youth gun 22" barrel that I replace the short stock with a adult synthetic stock the fore arm with a fore arm off a nef survivor it is a hair less than 5 lbs since I am just a woods walker all I need a shotgun for is to shoot a squirrel or dove once in a while or a rabbit to reward my beagles for running it A single shot does fine although they do not make a factory slug for a 28 i use an older leeloader, one that uses a mallet,no press and .490 round ball to make a slug load It shoots minute of coyote 4-5" groups at 50 yards
Roy

 

[mr.trooper]

Wow. If i were new to firearms and cruising the web for advice, and this thread was one of the first I came upon for this site, I'd leave and never come back. Way to not answer the question and then ignore the OP.

Sorry I have nothing useful to add myself mr. trooper, I know nothing of the shotgun you're asking about, though I too am interested in it and hope some folks can answer.

Thanks. nice to see somebody has a bit of decency.



This is my Mossberg 550e, Mossberg 930, and mint condition 1940's BROWNING A-5. Not a Remington or a Japaneses copy.

I have other shotguns. I didnt ask about other shotguns now did I? The fact that I already have them was probably why. A few of you are about to say hello to my ignore list.

If anyone else has any relevant information about the gun in question, then I would still like to hear it.

 

[ArmedBear]

The Condor Outback in black/nickel is a great gun if you're a hit man for a South American druglord.

Ever see the original El Mariachi? For some reason it reminds me of that. Still, I like it for some reason. Might make a nice camp gun.

The Stoeger break-actions are cheaply machined and finished, especially inside, but unlike their competition in that price range, they seem to hold up quite well if properly greased and cleaned. Still, an 870 Express is probably, objectively, a better gun for the money in the long run.

But why, praytell, would anybody want to shoot slugs for fun?

 

[Bud Tugly]

The biggest issue with shooting slugs out of a SxS or O/U is whether the two barrels shoot to the same aim point. The only way to find out is to shoot it and it's hard to change the aim points if they're off.

I have no direct experience but have heard this is more of a problem with cheap guns than the more expensive ones. Not necessarily a big drawback for using shot, but it could be with slugs.

Personally I'd stick with a single barrel for slugs. If it shoots off, at least you can compensate for it. Nothing wrong with an NEF except the lightness means more felt recoil than a heavier gun.

 

[MCgunner]

I think the outback would be a FANTASTIC camp/trail gun and survival gun, personally. That's sorta how I see my coach gun, but the Stoeger's OU lay out would give a little better regulation with slugs I'd think. I, personally, could live without the rifle sights. But, for mostly slug shooting, they are a good thing. You could use that gun as a combo, too, for deer/rabbit or deer/quail or hogs/dove or you could be rabbit or squirrel hunting in bear country and wanna leave one barrel with a slug just in case. I've been out walking, still hunting deer when I've walked up on quail or jumped a rabbit before. I don't think I'd want this gun for hunting in open country, but hey, it has uses in the field that an 870 or any pump doesn't, what I'm sayin'. It can be a slug gun as in double rifle, it can be a combination gun almost as in Savage 24V, or it can be a shotgun, all at the same time, no switching barrels. When you're still hunting deer and a rabbit jumps, you can't just swap barrels first and pop the rabbit.

Anyway, this is what I like about doubles and would be the Stoeger's strength as I see it.

 

[scout26]

Way to not answer the question and then ignore the OP

Since My Crystal Ball of Infinite Wisdom (CBOIW) wasn’t working the day I replied to this post, I could only give advice based on the information the OP provided. Let’s take a look shall we ??

I need a 20 guage.

my buddy has a NIB H&R single shot that he says he will sell me for $50, but Id like a little more.

A little more what ?? The OP doesn’t say. So I take that to mean more then a single shot.

i don't want to spend a ton of money either, because i probably wont be using it a lot, only occasionally.

Okay, Purdey’s, Holland & Holland’s, Foxes, and LC Smith’s are out.

Our local shop has a 24" bbl Stoeger SxS for $320, and iv been considering either that or the coach gun.

Okay, now we have a price range; ~$300 and a style; Side by Sides or coach guns.

So today i was on the Stoeger site, and I see the Condor uplander....How has this been out for a YEAR without me knowing about it!?!?!? I shoot mostly slugs, so the idea of screw in chokes and rifle sites excites me. The 20"bbl does as well. Im definately going to have to look into it farther.

Hmmm, the OP says he mostly shoots slugs ?? Does that mean he’s like my buddy Teddy who comes to deer camp once a year, shoots one maybe two slugs a year at a deer and the rest of the year his shotgun sits in the closest until next deer season. Or is he like those 6-8 guys at my club who cast and reload their own slug and sabots loads, shoot shotgun slugs from benchrest and off-hand competitively using different guns and barrels for different events ?? I don’t know, as the CBOIW is still in for repairs. I have no idea as to what other shotguns (if any) or experience level the OP has.
And SxS and especially coach guns are probably last on the list for slug shooting as getting the barrels properly regulated is pretty near impossible.

Last topic i found on it was from August. Anyone have more recent experience with them?

So what we have from the OP are the following:
20ga
Wants more then a single shot
Price range of ~$300
Shoots mostly slugs
Expresses interest in SxS and Coach shotguns.

And he asks for our opinion.

Did I miss anything ???

Based upon the information given, I (and several other people with lots more experience then I) gave their opinions based upon the information provided. The OP’s question boiled down to: "What’s a good 20ga gun in the $300 dollar range that would be a good slug shooter." And we all came up with pretty much the same answer.

Answer: Either a Remington 870 or Mossberg 500.

I gave my opinion about the Uplander as I own and use one. I also stated what I had observed with my daughter’s friend who uses a 20ga Topper for Trap. Single shot shotguns tend to kick more as they don’t have the weight. I tried to give the OP my opinion and experience based upon the information he provided in an attempt to be helpful. I did not say “Hey Moron !!! Only an idiot would even think of using a SxS or Coach gun for slugs and then only as a last resort.”

And from what I’ve read of other posts neither did anyone else. Everyone here tried to answer the OP’s question with the best information based upon their experience and the information provided.

I would be honored to be put on your ignore list. That way when you come and ask for our advice, experience, and opinions you won’t have to read them.

 

[mr.trooper]

The Condor Outback in black/nickel is a great gun if you're a hit man for a South American druglord.

HMMMMMMM...

Ever see the original El Mariachi? For some reason it reminds me of that. Still, I like it for some reason. Might make a nice camp gun.

Havn't seen that movie, but that was my thought exactly.

The Stoeger break-actions are cheaply machined and finished, especially inside, but unlike their competition in that price range, they seem to hold up quite well if properly greased and cleaned. Still, an 870 Express is probably, objectively, a better gun for the money in the long run.

Iv looked at them closely on a few occasions before. There not anything special to be sure, but Iv never seen one that was BAD. I want a break action. Thats why Im looking at break actions. I have a pump. I dont want another pump; thats why im not looking at pumps.

Apparently Im just an idiot that doesn't know whats good for him. apparently im so stupid that i dont even know what I want, and need to be TOLD what I want. I WANT A BREAK ACTION. NOT A PUMP, OR A LEVER, OR A SEMI, OR A SINGLE SHOT, OR AN H&K CAWS, OR A JACKHAMMER, OR WHATEVER OTHER OFF-TOPIC SUGGESTION YOU CAN COME UP WITH.

If you know of a better break-action with screw in chokes and rifle sites for $500 or less then use your superior firearms knowledge and fill me in.

But why, praytell, would anybody want to shoot slugs for fun?

Because Its fun. Because our indoor range only allows slugs. Because we have to use slugs for deer hunting. Because slugs are cheap and availible at every store. Because the slugs are the same mass and loaded to the same velocity as shot, and the added recoil is all in your head... Thats why I shoot mostly slugs.