1st post & first shotgun??
 

I'm looking to purchase my first shotgun soon. I'm on a budget, cheaper is better. I have read over and over about the 870 and 500's.
I would like to get a combo kit with two barrels but I know little about types of ammo as they pertain to types of game.
I'll be primarily hunting rabbit and squirrel, then perhaps some deer, duck, and maybe turkey.

What length and type of barrels would I need for each:

Small Game -

Deer -

Duck -

Turkey -

Thanks guys
Frank

You can do it all with either a 26 or 28 inch barrel with a vent rib and screw in chokes...

For deer, put an aftermarket sight on the vent rib and sight in with slugs...

Or, buy a deer barrel with rifle sights and a 26 or 28 inch vent rib with screw in chokes...

I'd go with a 3 inch mag simply for turkey and duck loads...The rest can easily be killed with 2 3/4 inch shells...

You'll love the Mossberg 500.

870 como or 500 combo; you choose.........................

Best bet for the money !

X2 and welcome to the board!

Both are nice guns. I personally like the 870's, but either will do you well. Like they said, take a look at the combo. I personally think a 3" chamber is plenty.

I vote for the 870 combo. I have 4 870s and love them.dad has one mossberg 500 combo got it for.slug barrel because at time.got it for about $50 more then a slug barrel for his 870. The 870 locks up much better and no wiggle like the 500. I herd the rifle.chokes shoot great so you might not need the extra slug barrel.

I think the quality has slipped at Rem recently. I bought an 870 combo in 2007. Both the bluing and the finish on the stock seem cheap and really show wear (I bought another Rem about the same time, and had the same problems with the bluing (has a synthetic stock, so that's ok), maybe their higher end stuff doesn't share the same flaws). If they are cutting corners on something so visible it makes you wonder what else they are doing. Also, the combo slug barrel that comes with iron sights on it requires you to spend some money for a harness that fits over the receiver if you ever decide you want to put a scope on it (which also makes it cumbersome switching back and forth between barrels and scoped/unscoped). I've never owned a Mossberg, but I have a few friends who do and are happy with them. I'd take a serious look at them if I was in the market right now for a budget shotgun. Actually, last shotgun I bought was a used Benelli Supernova for about the same price, which I love.

You don't miss too many chances to bash Remington.

The 870 Express is not intended to be a well finished gun (no pretty blued finish), but otherwise it is the same as every other 870 - old or new. It is my choice for duck hunting when I am either is a swamp or boat where guns tend to get beat up. They operate exactly the same as my Wingmaster models but do take a little more time to break in, I think due to the finish. I did have one Express model that had evidently been sent from the factory with some sort of gunk in the chamber but a couple of twists with a dowel wrapped with steel wool fixed that quickly.

I have both Wingmaster and Express models in both 12 ga and 20 ga. They are solid and reliable guns, the Express is obviously intended to be a lower priced version due to it's finish and type of wood in the stock. There is nothing at all wrong with them and their quality is just fine.

The "cutting corners" comment seems inappropriate to me.

3 of my 870 are wingmaster and one is a express turkey. All are 12 ga., the express and one wingmasternare 3" the others are just 2 3/4". One the blueing is starting to ware off the receiver but that is from years of hard use and carried around the receiver. My express has been hunted with hard and no blurring are finish is ware off at all. Like big uncle stated the internal parts are the same in the wingmaster and express. The newest rem I got is about 3 years old 700 in 204 ruger and the finish is fine on it too. Their is a reason over 10 million 870 have been made since 1951. It is used by 16 counties for it's miliatry and by many local police departments. I am thinking of getting my daughter a rem 870 youth in 20 ga when she is a little older.

I like mine !

I've got more expensive shotguns than my 500 but none I like any better.

Ive heard from quite a few people that the 870s are not made as well as they once were. I got mine used over 20 years ago and the blue is still not wearing although the wood is where my hand sits.

My 870 feels like a much heavier duty gun than my 500 but neither have ever failed. The 500 is lighter.

Maybe some used ones instead???
 

Thanks for all of the replies guys. I was just talking to a buddy of mine and he wants to sell me his dads old shotguns since he doesn't hunt much and these are relatively cheaper (replaceable) models.
They are:

Rem 870 Express

Moss 500

Moss 835

Charles Daly kbi-hbg

I think he wants about $100 ea? Seems like a really good deal on some moderately used shotguns, huh?

$100 for an 870 is a good deal. Used one's are going for the price you can get a new one for.

$100 each is a good deal if they all work!!! You will have a 3-1/2" in the 835 for turkey, duck and goose if you choose to fire the roman candles. You will also have the 870 and 500 to play with and if I read it right the Charles Daily is a Side x Side? If you don't care for it, sell it and get a deer barrel for the 500 or 870!!!! All problems solved!!!!

Buy them all........or be the nice guy and tell him that is way to cheap.

That's what I was thinking! :party0005:

When I see someone asking for information about Remington in general an 870s in particular, I don't think it's unreasonable to relate my experiences and dissatisfaction with my two Remington purchases. I do not think "bashing" is a fair characterization of what I am doing. I own some older Rems, which are just fine.

After my purchases, I originally questioned Remington's quality generally, but I've come to the conclusion that my experiences are probably limited to Rem's lower price point (although I don't own one, I've heard plenty of bad about the 770 series as well, which would fit with my experience with lower end Rems). The OP was asking about affordable shotguns, so I belivee my comments are pertinent to him.

Before giving Rem a pass simply because these are their cheaper lines, I'd point out that I buy other manufactures at this price point as well (mostly Savage) and don't have the same complaints.
My other Rem purchase was a low-end ML (Genesis) which suffers from some of the same problems.

Anyways, the OP asked about 870s and said "cheaper is better." That's what I bought, and I figured it would be good if he understood what he was thinking of buying.

Your comment included the phrases "I think the quality has slipped at Rem recently." and "cutting corners" without any qualification as to whether it was their lower priced products or full priced products. That is casting a wide net and being negative about all things associated with the brand. In this context I think the label "bashing" is fair, and you seldom pass an opportunity to make similar statements.

I am probably guilty of bashing certain products also but I am trying to kick the habit. I made the mistake of responding to a post once about "best and worst" scopes for reliability and offended some loyal owners.

Apples to apples: Do you have a new Express that is lower quality than an old Express?

I have several Express models, both old and new, and see no difference. I also have a few Wingmasters (the full price 870), both old and new, and see no difference. The same can be said of the 700 rifles (I have quite a few). Those are the only Remington products that I have that are both old and new, but I see no evidence of declining quality when comparing apples to apples.

I think my comments were qualified by stating exactly what my experiences were and what it was that I objected to. Immediately after I stated my opinion about quality slipping, I stated the reason for that belief. Moreover, I do not recall ever saying anything negative about Remington outside of a response to a specific request for information. I don't think I ever stated an "I hate Rem" thread or anything like that. I'm just relating my personal experiences and the conclusions I've drawn from them. If that's "bashing," then, I guess I'll be continuing to "bash."

(by the way, what you view as "seldom pass[ing]an opportunity to make similar statements," I'd call providing relevant information in response to an OP's request for information)

"Quality slipping" is a judgment comparing quality at one point and comparing it to quality at a later point. I understand your point of view concerning the validity of your judgment, and do not want to continue this but please compare apples with apples.

Did you own an older Express and find the quality better than a newer Express? Did you have an older Wingmaster and find the quality better than a newer Wingmaster? It is not a valid comparison to compare a Wingmaster to an Express in terms of finish or wood.

In this matter our positions and opinions are clear and unchanged. We disagree on some, but not all, things. No big deal.

The Daly is semi auto... probably good for duck?? What would be considered a deer barrel?

Agreed, no big deal. And I am comparing my current Rems to a couple inherited rifles, that are much older, so maybe not a relevant comparison. So, I probably don't have a valid basis to say "slipping." In any event, I'm dissatisfied with the quality (as described above) of the two Rems I bought, regardless of how they compare to earlier Rems.

Murdy---I'm glad the OP didn't ask about the Rem 770 or Big Uncle would really get his panties in a wad after reading what I'd have to say about that one, LOL!

I don't know about "panties in a wad." In fact, I was thinking this was one of those rare on-line disagreements that was actually rather civil.