So over Thanksgiving I did some skeet shooting in the country at the GF uncles house. We were shooting 12 gauge' and a 410. It had been at least 15yrs since I had done this and now I really have an itch to get me a shotgun and start doing it more and maybe even hunting? Please forgive my ignorance about all of this, but what can you hunt with these guns? Also I would like yall' sugestions on a decent shotgun. I dont want to break the bank and was looking some where in the 250ish range.

Are these any good?


http://www.academy.com/index.php?pag...350-01883-4220


http://www.academy.com/index.php?pag...350-01883-5002

 

here is the gun i have, ive never shot a mossberg before

http://www.beretta.com/index.aspx?m=74&idc=1&ids=32

 

My first gun was a mossberg 20g. I like it okay. Its a pump. However, I just got a berreta 390 12g semi-auto. I love that gun. Its synthetic stock makes it easy to shoot skeet all day with and you dont get worn out.

My dad just got this amazing skeet machine. Its electronic with a wobbler so it never goes to the same place twice. AMAZING!!! www.doalloutdoors.com. We have the wireless remote so someone can stand behind you and just press the button. It also comes with a foot peddle so you can shoot by yourself.

 

I have a mossberg 835 ulti mag I love the gun it feels great in my hands and I am wicked accurate with it. It is a very low maintenance gun and it will work great even dirty. (I do not recommend keeping a dirty gun, but it will preform just fine.) They are a little on the heavy side for a shotgun though. If you are not planning on walking a lot of fields opening morning of pheasant season its a great gun. If you don't mind the weight I say go for it, I personally hunt with mine and love the added weight but by the end of the day it starts to take its toll.

 

I have heard the best shot guns are Remmington 870s. You can get the for as cheap as $260ish for an express 20 guage.

With that gun you can hunt almost anything, obviously samll game/small birds, water fowl, and you can get just about anything with slugs.

 

Only thing i know about Shot Guns is the word "Remmington".

 

The 870 is a good gun, but I wouldn't call it the best at anything. Just like most things there is no "best" shotgun, it depends on what you want to do with it and how much you want to spend. I would not recommend 20 guage, I like having more power than that. I prefer 12 guage but also like 16 guage, the main downside to 16 is shells are harder to find. If your wanting to shoot skeet, and hunt some also I would recommend 12 guage for sure.

 

Thanks for the replys fellas!!! So do yall think one of those Mossbergs would be a good starter gun for me? Most of what I will be doing is probably skeet to get familiar with the gun, but like I said I would love to do some hunting as well.

So whats the diffrent between Buck Shot, Slugs and so-forth? Once agian sorry for my lack of knowldge in this area but I'll never learn if I don't ask.

 

I shoot skeet with a Beretta Over/Under in 12 gauge.
You will be hard pressed to find an O/U for less than $500. This will be an off brand. The major brands start at close to $1,000.00 and go WAY up from there.
In the $250 range you are looking at Pump guns by Mossberg or Remington. I would go with a 12 gauge. You can pick the load depending on what you are shooting at.
Shot size is what you are asking. The bigger the number, the smaller the pellet, the higher the quantity.
#7 is a smaller pellet than #4. You get more pellets in #7 than #4.
Slug is a single projectile, like a rifle. However, the slug is meant for short range and not as accurate as a rifle.
'Double Ott Buck' is the biggest pellet without going slug.
Find a good shotgun dealer and ask him a lot of questions before you buy.
Good luck.

 

Well buck shot is like a regular shot gun shell except it uses a lot less "shot" and the size of the pellets are considerably larger. A single buck shot shell depending on the size you get will probably have anywhere from 8 to 30 pellets in it (rough estimation).
A slug is a single solid projectile that packs quite a punch.
One word of caution before using either of these types of shells is to make sure your gun can handle them. Some manufacturers' barrels are not rated for one or both of them. For instance I can shoot steel buck shot out of my 835 ulti mag but if I want to shoot slugs I need to buy a different barrel.

 

I shoot a Benelli Nova Pump, use it for everything, goose/duck hunting to upland ect. Its taken alot of abuse, Ive even dropped it in a slough more than once. I dont think Ive ever actually cleaned it. Can go from shooting 3in BBB steel in the morning for waterfowl to 2 3/4 6-shot lead in the afternoon shooting upland with no problems. The gun has never failed me...

 

The mossberg 500 you posted is a fine weapon. It is essentially the same weapon used by police forces and the US military. It will shoot every time you pull the trigger, it is super reliable. But as someone stated already it is a heavy SOB, so its not good for walking. More important to that however is its "fit" which means how well does the weapon fit your shooting style. No one weapon is perfect for everyone.

My choice for you would be the Remmington 870, it is just as reliable as the mossberg, but in my opinion most people find it an easier gun to shoot. They seem to be smoother functioning weapons to me, but that could be my imagination. I own an 870 Wingmaster as my backup weapon, and I look for reasons to go out and shoot it.

Points about fit: I owned a Beretta Silver Pigeon Over/Under that I used for pheasant hunting and the occasional trip to the sporting clays range. It would beat the crap out of me, the fit was off and as such it would punish my cheek. I'd leave the range and my cheek would be swollen for days afterwards. I now have a Browning Citori White Lightning Over/Under. It weighs a bit more than the Beretta did, but the fit is perfect for me, so I'm much happier.

A couple checks for you to "test" the fit.

Place the butt of the weapon in your elbow, your trigger finger should be able to reach the trigger and pull it from there. If you can't reach, the stock is too long, if you can get more than about 1/2 your trigger finger on it, the stock is too short. Next close your eyes, bring the weapon to your shoulder. Make sure it is perfectly in shooting position, now open your eyes. What do you see? If you have to move your head to get a proper sight picture, then the weapon does not fit you properly. Note: slight movement can be ok, especially when considering your price range. But remember the more you have to move your head, the worse off you are.

 

I would totally recommend 12 guage over 20, but the cheapest 870 12 guage I've seen is over his price at about $315, and thats for an 18" express.

 

Every one of my long guns is made by Mossberg. I own that 500 in 12 guage (that I also bought from Academy Sports), a 935 12 guage autoloader, and a 100 ATR in 30.06.

I can tell you that Mossberg makes great guns regardless of the price. I've hunted ducks, geese, quail, pheasants, chuckers, with the shotguns in nearly all weather conditions and in saltwater on the coast. Never had a malfunction. Completely reliable and accurate. I have hunted with clients who bring their $1200+ guns to the field and stand toe-to-toe with them everyday.

Sometimes paying more for something doesn't mean its better, it just means it costs more.

 

Get one of these bad boys man!

870 MCS