Shotgun as first gun?

[PILMAN]

I'm new to guns however I am looking to obtain my first one. I live in Florida and know a little bit about the laws, I went shooting over the weekend and had a blast. From the guns I shot I have to say I enjoyed the Winchester Defender and Sig P226 the most, and for my use I really do need something for home defense so I was recommended a shotgun. I think I was using buckshot magnum ammo, seems to have had a lot of recoil.

I was recommended a Mossberg 590 with a heatshield and the pistol grip with folding stock. I was also told the shorter the barrel, the better the spread although if I'm correct I think the barrel has to be at least 18 inches. Any suggestions for someone who's new to shotguns? Also would would be considered good ammo to use for home defense? Thanks.

 

[Onmilo]

A shotgun was my first gun, a single shot Ithaca Model 66 in 12 guage.

An 8 shot 590 is a great defense gun but a better choice would be a standard 500 with a 26" or 28" field barrel AND a spare 18" cylinder bore "riot" barrel to attach when using the gun as a defense weapon, this choice would be made if you wish to increase the versatility of the gun.

If you just want a pleasure shooting gun, (sand pit blaster), that will do double duty as a home defense gun then the 590 will work fine.
Skip the folding stock and go with a standard fixed stock.
I have heat shields on a couple of my guns but they are only absolutely neccessary if you plan on attaching a bayonet and using the gun as a Pike.

Skip the Magnum Buckshot.
As a newer shooter you may be better served by 2 3/4" "Low Recoil" buckshot loads available from Winchester, Federal, and Hornady.
These recoil about the same as a 1 1/4 ounce field load and are plenty energetic as defense loads.
Even these will probably be more than you need if you live in an apartment, trailer park, or some other form of close quarter living.
In these instances you will be well armed by loading the gun with standard 1 1/4 ounce Heavy field #4 shot.

 

[Froggy]

If I were to have only one gun, it would be a shotgun. They are the most versatile option available -- from slugs to birdshot, from hunting to home defense. Everyone should have at least one shotgun. But, if I was to have more than one gun, I would use a handgun for home defense. For some reading on handguns as home defense options, check out this page.

I was also told the shorter the barrel, the better the spread although if I'm correct I think the barrel has to be at least 18 inches.

"Yes" on both counts, but the "spread" (pattern) you get with even an 18" barrel won't be significant at typical home defense ranges. Certainly no more than a few inches. You will still have to aim reasonably well to get the shot where you need it. The main reason for a short barrel in a home defense shotgun is portability... you don't want a long barrel jamming you up in the hallway, or slowing down your swing.

 

[PILMAN]

I'm assuming a pistol grip without a stock would not be a good idea either then? One thing that bothered me with the winchester defender I shot was that it was a bit difficult to hold that gun compared to the AR-15 due to the lack of grip or perhaps I am not used to that. Would it be possible to get some sort of pistol grip with say a full stock?

 

[baranjhn]

A shotgun as a first gun is an excellent idea. I would recommend a nice 12 gauge pump (I like Remington 870's). I would also recommend getting both a short and a long barrel (they are interchangeable). The short barrel (18" to 20") should be cylinder bore (choke), which is handy for home defense, and if you are a hunter you can use it for slugs and deer. BTW- I second the opinion on reduced recoil buckshot (0 or 00), it's the way to go for home defense. As for a long barrel, a 26", 28", or 30". This can be used for the trap, skeet or sporting clays, and for hunting small game. Get one with interchangeable chokes. As with anything, practice makes perfect. That's where the versatility of the shotgun comes in. Use it for plinking, games and hunting. Learn your weapon and become proficient.

As a side note, a short barrel patterns no better or worse than a longer barrel, nor does it shoot any less far. That is strictly a function of the choke. A long barrel is good for wing shooting (or any game on the move), where it aids in tracking your target.

Hope that helps.

 

[Dave McCracken]

A shotgun is an impressively effective HD gun, for a Shotgunner. A couple things.....

A stockless shotgun with a PG instead is not recommended.Hard to control and inaccurate.

A standard short barrelled pump shotgun made in the US is an incredible weapon right out of the box.

The best accessory is ammo.

If a shotgun is your choice for a HD weapon, ALL responsible adults who may need it must, repeat must, be proficient with it. I use an 870 here, but the rest of the family is not fond of shotguns., There are handguns here as alternatives.

 

[PILMAN]

What is PG?

Is Mossberg an American company?

 

[tinygnat219]

One thing to consider

Is your home small and confined, like a townhouse? If so, you might want to check into getting a handgun as it would be easier to manuever and conceal.
Shotgun is probably the best option, depending on the configuration, but the length of barrel can also slow you down.
TJ

 

[tinygnat219]

One thing to consider

Is your home small and confined, like a townhouse? If so, you might want to check into getting a handgun as it would be easier to manuever and conceal.
Shotgun is probably the best option, depending on the configuration, but the length of barrel can also slow you down.
TJ

 

[PILMAN]

My house is pretty decent sized. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a kitchen, living room, a garage (turned into a room) so i'd say it's pretty average size for a house. It's a 1 story house, no basement (not common in Florida)

 

[Dave McCracken]

PG= Pistol Grip. Just an handle. Common in TV and Movies and hardly ever found in the real world on shotguns owned by cogniscienti.

Mossberg is a US company. They make inexpensive but not shoddy shotguns.

Other US companies with pumps are Remington, Ithaca and Winchester, now sadly not producing pump shotguns.

 

[PILMAN]

Ah ok, a stock with pistol grip should be ok though? I'm curious why not a folding stock?

I figured the pistol grip thing was only from movies. I remember the Columbine shootings the kids had some stevens double barrel shotgun and a savage springfield shotgun, both sawed off the barrels and had pistol grips with no stock. From what I have heard this is one of the major reasons they hadn't killed as many people as they hoped except for at close range of course.

 

[WolfMansDad]

Pilman, the reason you want a standard stock without a pistol grip has to do with the way you shoot a shotgun. With a rifle or a pistol, you line up a front and rear sight and put the whole thing on the target, hold your breath, and slowly squeeze the trigger. With a shotgun, you only have a front sight (the bead) and after you get used to it, you don't even use that. You have both eyes open and focused on your target, and you point the shotgun by feel using your hands, cheek, and shoulder. To hit flying targets (like birds) or fast moving ones (like burglars that shoot back) you have to shoot by feel. You just don't have time to aim. In the beginning, you will sort of aim using the bead, but the bead is like training wheels on a bicycle. You only use it when you are learning.

In order to effectively shoot by feel, you MUST have a regular, full-sized stock to put your cheek on. With a folding stock, you don't have enough area for your cheek to effectively control the gun. AR15-style pistol grips don't work too well either. The reason why is a little more subtle, and all I will do here is point out that no olympic shotgun competitors use a pistol grip. You can just shoot a whole lot better with a standard stock. That said, the "half pistol grip" found on almost all shotguns is sometimes referred to as a pistol grip, but you can tell by looking that it's not the same thing as the pistol grip on an AR-15 or an AK-47. A very small number of shotguns have a perfectly straight stock, which is referred to as English-style. The English stock works fine, but most people prefer the American-style "half pistol grip."

Mossberg makes a good shotgun for the money, and they are an American company. Have a look at the 500 as well. It comes with two barrels, one short for slugs and home defense, the other long (and choked) for hunting. It's a little more versatile than the 590. If you're set on it, though, the 590 with the heat shield is fine.

 

[wooderson]

One thing to consider is practice. With a P226 (or <x>), you can always go down to the range and shoot a box. With a shotgun, it's not that easy (if not impossible - the only options I've got are shooting skeet/trap at a sportsman's club or cowboy action - neither lends itself to a 'home-defense' shotgun or attitude).

In a home-defense situation, I'd much rather have the weapon I've spent time with.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Don't discount skeet or trap as practice,wooderson. Expertise comes from use and clay shooters use their shotguns plenty. Shooting doubles is especially good at teaching how to acquire a target, destroy it and then move to another target. This has obvious utility in the real world.

If one can hit 4" discs moving at up to 100 MPH(International Trap) regularly at 40-50 yards, larger, slower, closer targets are much easier.

Here's a two person drill that will punch one's heart rate up while honing skills to a fine edge.

Using the Flurry method I've written about elsewhere, have two shooters with repeating shotguns stand side by side on a wobble or trap range. Load an equal number of shells in each. Shooters will alternate calling and shooting targets, reloading after each shot until all their ammo outside the shotguns is gone, then shoot to empty.

Start this off with say 10 rounds, then increase as skills improve. If this palls, try doubles. Never let the shotgun get empty until the end.

 

[ryoushi]

I'm new to guns however I am looking to obtain my first one. I live in Florida and know a little bit about the laws, I went shooting over the weekend and had a blast.

First off welcome into the fold, glad to have you here. I think a shotgun is an excellent choice for your first gun. You mentioned recoil was a concern and your not alone there by any means.

A couple of nice (if not inexpensive) options in my opinion would be a quick little 20 guage pump like the Browning's BPS or, if you perfer the scary black plastic stuff, the Remington Tactical 1100, a soft shooting semi automatic 12 guage, available with a pistol grip.

Both of these are fine quality fireams that you can have alot of hunting and shooting with.

 

[Jim Watson]

A shotgun as a first gun makes sense only if you are going to do shotgun things with it.
A short "riot gun" is a powerful home defense weapon, even loaded with the low recoil buckshot I prefer. But it is not much fun to practice with on static targets. You have to be motivated and really concerned with protection to stay with it.

But most pump and auto shotgun barrels are interchangeable at reasonable cost. So you can have an 18" blunderbuss to repel boarders with; and put on the 28" vent rib barrel for some real sport at Trap or Skeet.

Do not buy a folding stock. Doubly do not buy the pistol grip only "whippet", I have seen teeth knocked out with one of those. The guy could not hit anything shooting from the hip like his movie hero so he held it up in front of his face to take aim. Ouch.

 

[ProguninTN]

Plastic

scary black plastic stuff

You know, weathering is another reason plastic is good.

 

[cdcmj]

Go with an 870 with 28inch rem-choked bbl and get a HD 18inch cylinder bore bbl and your set..My one and only, first bought gun is exactly what I just stated and I dont feel undergunned in the slightest. I shoot clay birds during the day with the 28inch and slap the 18 on when im at home, loaded up with federal 00 Buck.