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Shotgun Question. . .

2K views 19 replies 14 participants last post by  CountryHart 
#1 ·
Is it possible to 'boil it down' to two shotguns that would cover turkey, ducks/geese, & small game? If so, thoughts on two.

Thanks
 
#2 ·
I do it all with one,,,,Benelli super black eagle. In fact I shoot USPSA with it too.
I grew up shooting pump guns all my life until I picked up an SBE and loved it. It will eat anything I feed it except very cheep light loads, if I go to heavy game or field loads it does fine and will shoot 3 1/3" for Geese and Turkeys. I have a youth model 20 ga. 870 pump that I shoot dove and quail with sometimes but other than that the Benelli does it all and does it well.
 
#6 ·
I like my 870. I've got a couple different chokes and a shorter rifled barrel for it too. If I had to pick one gun and ONLY one gun for the rest of my life, I'd have to take my 870. It's the only gun I have that will any job I ask of it....well except for cycling Federal shells...
 
#7 ·
My 12g. 3" 870 does it all. Kill deer with the rifled barrel, kill anything else you wanna kill with the 26" smoothbore. About the only thing i haven't killed with it is a turkey, but i just dont turkey hunt. I've got a couple different chokes, but i seem to only use the Improved Cylinder now. This is not to say i dont have other shotguns, or wont buy more, but the 870 is the one that gets used.
 
#9 ·
I have a Mossberg 935 Magnum with a 28" field barrel, a 24" turkey barrel, and a 24" rifled/scope mount slug barrel, and every AccuMag choke tube offered for the 935 including the X-Factor ported tubes. I hunt deer, turkey, rabbit, sporting clays, and occasionally duck and geese. It is truely an all in one gun that fit my price range. I am very happy with it and have had no troubles to date and it's a very well used 4 years old.
 
#10 ·
the only thing about pumps- i dont know if anyone else has ever seen this but its what turned me off to pumps!! i was shooting a semi auto beretta and my buddies were shooting a 835 moss and an 870 turkey special. We were out just shooting anything and all using the old cheap dove loads by remington!! Well it started sleeting and was about 30 degrees F and after a few minutes their guns started locking up to the point they had to hold the pump part and hit it against the ground to get it to cycle because the sleet was getting in there between shots ( we were shootting alot and the pumps were freezing up just seconds after firing) and my beretta was kicking the shells out no problem without a single lockup or jam!! thats just my personal experience !! so if you like to get out in extremely bad weather you may want to get an oil that wont freeze and will keeep everything moving or a can of windshieeld de-:smile2:icer!!!LOL
 
#11 ·
Thanks guys!

I will buy an 870 with extra chokes and two barrels. Is 28" sufficiently long for ducks/geese, provided I use the correct choke?
28 inch is just fine for waterfoul. I didn't mention the rifled barrel for the slugs as I don't use the sabot slugs that need the rifled barrels. I get as good as accuracy from the foster style slugs, all I have to do is try the different brands until I find the one that my barrel shoots the tightest. Luckily, it's with the least expensive brands, LOL. The 870 is also easier to get different barrels and other aftermarket parts for.
 
#13 ·
I have three different guages that I can't depart from,But If I was to have to choose two I would choose only one!! IMO Most any make will do versitile duty in a big bertha 12. I have an old Ithica,looking to upgrade to a Mossberg 835,I'd go with a semi auto,But the double price tag stops me cold. Most likely I will never shoot any 3.5" mags any way. 3" 12 ga will do ANYTHING I need it to.
 
#16 ·
Ive got a Mossberg 20 ga. 500 setup as a spare and a youth gun. I'd skip a choked barrel and get a deer barrel if your planning on shooting slugs. At the very least smooth bore with rifle sights. I got a cantilever rifled deer barrel with a mounted bore sighted scope for $150 at the local wallys. It's a tack driver. Basic deer barrels run $50-$100 most places.
 
#20 ·
An 870 can do it all. Just get a 28/26 inch vent rib barrel with different chokes for bird and such, a 21inch with turkey choke, and a cylinder bore 20 inch barrel with rifle sights for slugs and home defense, and you've got it covered.
I do it all with an old 870 special purpose. 21" barrel i can put any kinda choke i want in. Hunt with a rifle deer hunting so i don't need a slug barrel. Kicks a bit with magnums but not too bad.
 
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