RE: Looking For a Good First Shotgun
I'd actually recommend the same gun, but in 20 guage!
A 20 guage, 3 inch mag will take anything you are going to run into cleanly. I've also had better accuracy with 20 guage slugs than 12 guage.
You also have less recoil which makes practicing much more enjoyable.
both my sons have 20 guage and based on the performance they have I will be getting a 20 over a 12 if I buy another gun:
- two deer shot, neither moved an inch.
- two turkeys shot, both hit the ground, fluttered and didn't move (5 yards and 30 yards)
- MANY ducks and geese shot out to 40 yards.
the 870 has a screw in choke, and easy to find other chokes.