Simple beginner questions

[jamesr]

I have never owned a shotgun because I do not hunt. But lately I have been going skeet shooting a lot with my friends, and decided to purchase one since they are not too expensive. Since I do not hun I wanted to get a Tactical shotgun because I would like it to double for home defense.

1. Can you change the choke in the 18" Tactical shotgun such as the rem 870? If so, which choke do you use for clay pigeons

2. can you shoot slugs out of a any shotgun?

thanks

 

[Gunner4h1r3]

most shotguns can change barrels although some 18" barrels do not have removable chokes, if any.

99% of all shotguns can shoot slugs, but you will get better accuracy with a rifled slug barrel.

are you looking to get shotgun for home defense or for many purposes?

imho, your best bet would be a remington 870 or a mossberg 500.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Most modern repeating shotguns allow you to change barrels quickly and easily. Extra barrels are not terribly expensive for most large-production repeaters.

Many clubs will not allow barrels shorter than a given limit (21" in some places) for 'noise reasons.' IMHO it's anti-tacticool snootiness, not noise, but then I don't shoot clays and have no room to talk. But check with the club where you plan to shoot and see if they have barrel length limits there.

You'll be better off with a longer barrel for wingshooting/claygames anyway- the longer barrel doesn't really change patterning, range or power, but it does tend to smooth out your swing on moving targets.

There are two kinds of slugs- sabot and Foster. Sabots are generally for rifled barrels, Fosters are for smoothbores. For a defensive gun, IMHO you should stick to a short (18- 20") smoothbore barrel, and shoot Foster type slugs out of it, if you want to use slugs. I use Brenneke KOs (the cheap ones) with good success.

hth,

lpl/nc

 

[MAX100]

To add to Lee's post. There are combo shotgun available also that come with 18.5" & 28" smooth bore barrels. Mossberg offers one and it is easy on the pocket book.


GC

 

[Snarlingiron]

If you like the 870, you can make your own combo. I bought a 28" remchoke model (changeable choke tubes) for $279.00, and bought an 18" cylinder bore barrel for another hundred. That pretty much covers all bases and as stated above, barrel changes are about a 2 minute operation.

 

[toivo]

If you like the 870, you can make your own combo. I bought a 28" remchoke model (changeable choke tubes) for $279.00, and bought an 18" cylinder bore barrel for another hundred. That pretty much covers all bases and as stated above, barrel changes are about a 2 minute operation.

That's exactly what I did, except I paid less than that for my 870... In the end, I got a two-barrel combo for less than the HD model.

 

[Two Cold Soakers]

This one???

http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/shotguns/model_870/model_870_tactical.asp

Comes with a fixed cylinder choke - Cannot swap out choke tubes. You can swap on a bbl threaded for tubes....Fixed cylinder would be my recommendation for a few casual rounds of skeet, regardless of barrel length.

Slugs? What Lee said. You should have no problem with that gun and the fixed cylinder choke. Slugs can cause problems whe fired through guns with overbored bbls (eg Mossberg 835), tight chokes, or double barrels.

Soakers

 

[toivo]

You can swap on a bbl threaded for tubes....

Make sure you're getting a barrel that fits on the tactical guns. They have a longer magazine tube and won't take the standard field barrels.

 

[jakemccoy]

Any gun out there breaking clays makes an awesome home defense weapon. I've found that some "tactical" guns are actually anti-tactical. In other words, there's so much crap on them, that they provide a tactical disadvantage.

Shooting a thousand clays with a simple shotgun and then adding crap to the shotgun for home defense makes little sense. If there's an apparatus I want on my shotgun for home defense, I'll put that apparatus on my shotgun while I'm shooting clays. If I fumble the apparatus on a relaxed sporting clays course, I'll absolutely fumble the apparatus during a home invasion.

 

[T-Ray]

sounds like you need an 870 with an extra barrel or 2

 

[Mossberg535]

I decided to buy this MB 12g for HD and a bit of hunting.
I bought the standard field model and love the thing already but the 28" barrel is just a bit long for HD.

 

[Zip7]

I have several 870's. All mine are field guns. I don't like the idea of using a pump shotgun for HD, but then again my home doesn't often need defending.

A shotgun is probably the most efficient stopper there is and if I was in a close quarters gunfight, I would rather have it than anything else. BUT, a HD weapon (at least at my house) is going to spend 99.99% of it's time NOT being used for HD - and I don't want to have a pump shotgun sitting there with one in the tube all the time. If I were to need it, I would want one in the tube. I've seen several accidental discharges in my life, and almost all of them have been with a pump gun - somebody being stupid or careless. Don't rely on the safety.

So I use my shotguns for hunting and take my chances at home with a DA auto or a SA or DA revolver.

We do a good bit of informal skeet shooting every year, and I've seen guys with cheap, beat up 870's outshoot nicer guns many times - and vice versa - it's all about what fits you and what you are comfortable with.

Personally, if I lived in a place where I felt it was necessary to keep a loaded 12 gauge by my bed, I would probably move. So just keep in mind that you will (I hope) be using it for recreation far more than you will be using it to shoot intruders, and buy one that fits you for that first.

 

[BruceRDucer]

shot out of rifled barrel?

"99% of all shotguns can shoot slugs, but you will get better accuracy with a rifled slug barrel."

But can you then shoot like....#6 shot out of the rifled barrel? Will it damage?

 

[Dave McCracken]

Rifled barrels do terrible things to shot patterns, Bruce. Oft the shot heads to the fringes and leaves a "Hole" in the center.