Riffle or Shotgun?

[FruitCake]

A couple of months ago I sold my shotgun to help fund an emergency. I can now afford to spend up to $600 on a shotgun or riffle. Don't know which one to pick, I already have my G17 and my pocket gun. I want to be able to go hunting, home defense and patrol if I ever had to. Which one should I buy and why? A lot of you experienced hunters and defense professionals would know why more than I would. I'm looking to get the best of both worlds if possible. All coments and suggestions welcome and thanks!

 

[Pete D.]

SG

If I were in your shoes, I'd buy a shotgun - the "do-all" fireram. I'd buy a pump gun; there are quite a few within your price range with enough left over for ammo.
I would not buy a shotgun with a short barrel. It'd be at least 26 inches.
Pete

 

[/k/anadian]

Mossberg 3in1 combo. Around 600 bucks, three barrels (rifled/cantelever scope rail 22", turkey 24" with nice sights, 28" bird barrel), four chokes (turkey, imp cil, modified and full), all camo, pump action. Cheaper for 3", the 3.5"s are just around that price range.

Don't listen to people saying "they're cheap crap" as I've yet to see one malfunction out of all the mossberg combos I've sold. I think I've sold... A good 30 guns a season, that's just me. Store's sold a lot more, and we might've had one guy come back telling us it kicked too hard. They're light guns.

 

[IlikeSA]

I would also go with a shotgun and different barrels. The versatility of using either shot or slugs, or with a barrel change, rifled slugs makes it more potent assuming shorter ranges.

 

[InkEd]

A 12ga pump like a Remington 870 variant is a great "catch all" gun. You could get a Mossberg, if you want something a little cheaper to save some money.

 

[THe Dove]

huntin and home defense in CT = shotgun.
What do you mean by patrol????

The Dove

 

[TJ AK-74]

I would definately not buy a riffle, but i would consider buying a rifle. (sorry, I just couldn't help myself).

In your case, I would buy a shotgun, since you are already familiar with them. A used Remington 870 12 or 20 gauge should be around $200-$250. With $50 dollars worth of ammo to start with. You should then take the remaining $300 to start an emergency cash fund so that you don't need to keep buying and selling guns whenever you find yourself short on cash.

 

[DasFriek]

Not much hunting you can do in Ohio with a rifle of large caliber.
Patrol i think = SHTF i would think.
I personally dont have much use for a larger caliber rifle bigger than a .22lr
But id love a .308 black rifle for fun or out on "Patrol" lol

For me a 12 guage 500 is my main tool and with rifled slugs could take a deer at 100 yards easy even with an 18" barrel. But i can get longer rifled barrels for it if need be.

I have a feeling that is the world goes to an "end of times" ordeal it will be easy enough to procure my own rifle off the ground. Im more into defense and i see a rifle mainly for offense.

 

[Tim the student]

I'd look for a used 870, a spare barrel and a lot of ammo.

$600 will go a long ways if you look at used shotguns and barrels, IMHO.

 

[CaliCoastie]

hunting and home defense rifle and shotgun? marlin lever action 30-30 and rem 870. should be able to get both for under 600

 

[FruitCake]

Ok, it seems that after much thought and input from yall I think ill be going with a used Remington 870 Wingmaster. I am currently bidding on one at GunBroker. Hopefully I will win.

 

[Tim the student]

Cool, good luck on that auction.

I think you made a good choice.

 

[Black Knight]

You can't go wrong with a Remington 870 in any configuration. If you do get a Wingmaster in 12 guage a replacement barrel that I would like to recommend for HD/SD situations is a 20 inch smooth bore with rifle sights. It is long enough that you don't have to worry about BATFE coming down on you. It is short enough to be easily managed inside a building. The rifle sights also allow the use of slugs out to somewhere around 100 yards. I have 2 used Wingmasters set up that way. Both came that way and only cost me around 650 total.

 

[jkingrph]

Personally I'm a rifleman, but there is a lot to be said for the Rem 870 12 ga. I have a Rem 1100, their older semi auto and have several barrels for it each of which makes it into a entirely different gun. The same options are available for the 870.

I originally purchased it in the NATO rod & gun club in Izmir, Turkey back in 1972. It came with a plain vanilla barrel, no vent rib in modified choke which is about as all around as you can ask for. I did pick up a skeet barrel for fun shooting and a slug barrel, smoothbore cylinder bore with rifle sights for pig hunting over there. A few years later after I had returned to the states I picked up a Hastings slug barrel, rifled and it is much more accurate than the smoothbore.

The way I bought everything mentioned, I probably have around $600 in it total. It would be hard to come close nowdays on that combo.