First shotgun purchase!! NEED HELP!!
 

Hey everyone. I plan on purchasing my first ever shotgun. I want to use it for deer hunting but also for future use for sporting clays, birds, etc. I need some advise from the group on a solid overall 12 gauge. Not looking to break the bank but thinking of somewhere around the $500 range. I need to act soon as gun season is approaching so lets hear it!

mossberg 500 or remington 870 would be well in your range. You can get slug barrels for them both to for under $500

Look at the Remington guns. The 870 is an awesome gun that you can get a slug barrel for. The 887 is an auto, not sure about the slug barrel options. 1187 is another auto that I know you can get a slug barrel for. What I have is the 870 for bird hunting and clay shooting. Went to the Savage 220F 20g slug gun for my deer gun. In my opion the 220F is the best deer slug gun on the market.

Mossberg or Remington are great choices. I believe both manufacturers offer combos, meaning it comes with two barrels (slug and field). I love my supernova but a dang slug barrel costs as much as the shotgun.

Go buy a Sunday paper.
There are ads in the one I work for that express packages.
Many large dealers have package deals right now, because its so close to deer season. You can get a decent Remington or Mossberg two barrel package (smooth bore and slug barrel, might even get one with a cantilevered scope mount).
Cabelas.com is advertising Package deals as well. So Bass proshops, or Gander Mt. might also.

You'll probably get more help than you need ! So here goes another ...

I'll echo several of the previous posts. Right now is a great time to catch a "sale" on a new shotgun combo package. My preference would be a Remington 870 that can handle up to 3" shells. You can buy this shot gun with a "slug barrel" and a smooth bore with the option of using "Remchoke" screw in chokes. You'll ahve a one gun arsenal that will take you from deer to turkey to duck to dove to quail hunting. The slug barrels are well made and the better sabot slug ammo can provide you with a deer lethal set up that is good to 150 yards and maybe beyond with some practice.
The smooth bore and "Remchokes" in Improved, Modified and Full will work for about any other hunting. I don;t think that you can stay within your $500 budget if you need a scope. Might be the way to go now is do the slug-scope thing for deer season ... if deer hunting is your thing, then the smooth bore later. Maybe Santa Clause ???

Come spring, you can opt for a "turkey choke" if you want to spend the extra $$ and end up with a turkey killing outfit that can drop Toms at 40-50 yards.

I'd go with a pump for a multi purpose gun. You'll buy other guns for specific uses later, but a pump is the best way to get going.

Assuming you are at least average in size and weight with some firearms experience, I'd go with a 12 Ga. If you are lighter and perhaps more sensitive to recoil, get a 20 Ga. Don't worry about having enough power for deer. The newer 20 Ga ammo will get the job done.

I agree with the others that a combo (gun that comes with slug and field barrels) is the way to go. A slug barrel with cantilever scope mount is the best option. However, if you all you can find is a smooth bore slug barrel with rifle sights, this can work very well for you out to 75-100 yds. My Mossberg 500 with the smooth bore slug barrel will shoot most brands of rifled slugs well enough to kill deer at 75 yds no problem. And, these slugs are way less expensive that sabot slugs.

870 in either express or magnum or 887 nitro or the nitro mag i trust my life with my 870

My recommendation is to purchase the Mossberg 500 with the field barrel, or better yet get a 500 with the LPA trigger and a turkey barrel, and then get a slug barrel with the cantilever, and scope combo. Dicks Sporting Goods may still have the combo in stock. Out the door you can be near 500. Nothing against the 870, but for price and performance, the Mossberg is had to beat.

remington 870 all the way get the combo with the slug barrel as well.