ahamburg

I’m going to start hunting soon, and I’m going to start out with hunting birds and possibly deer with slugs using a shotgun. I’m 15, and my uncle told me for my age I don’t need anything more than a Mossberg 500. However, I was also looking at the Remington 870, and the Mossberg Maverick 88. Those are my three options within reason atm, however, should I simply save up for a Benelli eagle III? From what I hear it’s the top inertia driven semi auto on the market, but is it’s hefty price tag worth it? Oh, and one last question, do I really need the camo shotgun? Will the duck fly off if it sees the wooden stock? I doubt it, but I’ll get one like that if it will.

Oldtimr

If I were you I would not spend the price a Benelli before you know if you are going to stick with hunting. Get a reasonably priced pump shotgun that you can have a smooth bore barrel and a rifled barrel for and you will be set.

Nomercy448

You don't need a camo shotgun. But it sure is nice to not have to worry about beating up your blued & wood new toy.

The Benelli SBE III isn't a great choice for a deer slugger, but it'll do very well on wing game. However, it's a Cadillac, and frankly, at 15, unless you have an unlimited pool of daddy's money to spend, you'll likely be better served by buying a Remington 870 and getting your skill set up before you grow up and finances allow stepping up to a Benelli. Buy a used Rem 870 today, in 5-10yrs it'll be worth about as much as you pay for it now, to put towards your Benelli. However, my bet would say you'd keep it and ADD the Benelli, instead of replace with it.

I'm not a huge fan of the Mav 88, but it works. The 500 and 870 are better shotguns, and they're affordable enough, I wouldn't buy a Maverick.

hunters_life

Another vote for the Moss 500. For around half what you would spend on the Benelli, you will have a fine operating shotgun and, a rifled barrel with a cantilever mount for a scope, and a fairly decent scope to boot. Not to mention, a pump shotgun will make you a better wing shooter. Makes you concentrate on the shot a bit better because you know you won't have as quick of a follow up shot. Or so I've been told that anyway. I know my sister has an 870 in 20 gauge and is pretty good picking off Quail and Dove. None of us are much into duck or goose hunting. The meat is okay and some really like it but none in our pack really cares much for either.

MudderChuck

I'd look at some used shotguns, 870, 1200 or even an 1100 (if you can find one at a decent price).

Somewhere down the line the 1200 got a bad rep. mine is 45 years old and still going strong. They sell used for around $200-$250 and the money you save you can use to buy another barrel if needed.

buffybr

My first shotgun was a Miroku (Charles Dailey) gauge over/under. It has blued barrels and high gloss walnut stock. I killed a pile of ducks and some geese with it. Its biggest disadvantage was that it has fixed chokes (Mod/Full).


As an avid Trap and Skeet shooter, I favor over/unders, but about 30 years ago a local sporting goods store had Rem 870s with the black barrel and black plastic stock for about $200. It came with a Modified choke, and I bought an extra Skeet choke. I call it my "ugly" gun, but its fine for any kind of bird hunting in any kind of weather. Ducks won't see the black color. Its also good enough to run a line or two of Skeet if I do my part.


A few years ago I bought a scoped, cantilevered, rifled barrel for it for deer hunting in weapons restricted areas. Mossburg made that barrel, and I think I paid Cabela's $200 for it.


I've shot several thousand shells through that Rem 870. Along with it being a good entry level shotgun, it also performs very well.

djc227

You don’t need a top shelf shotgun, especially at 15. I outshot 90% of people I shot with from age 11 to 32 using an 870. Some of the parts are cheaper on the express, but it will last you 15 years until you can really afford something nice. Even then you might outshoot your new Beretta or Bennelli with The tried and true 870. Shotgun shooting is almost all technique and not nearly as much the gun.

djc227

Actually, I’ve seen $2000 Brownings that we’re just cleaned jam and take an hour to fix when a stern butt slam on the ground would have fixed the 870 in 2 seconds (if it ever jammed)

brokefootkenny

I would spend the extra money and get a mossberg 930. I started out with an 870 and that gun kicked like a pissed off mule! Sold that and got the 930 semi auto. Fired 45 rounds through it with no shoulder issues at all, you can
get a bird barrel for it as well.

buffybr

I shoot 3 or 4 rounds of Skeet every week. I shoot most of it with my Browning Citori O/U, but usually a month or so before bird season every year I bring out my black Tupperware stocked 870 and shoot 1 or 2 rounds of Skeet with it. Both guns are 12 gauge, and I shoot the same shells through both of them.


My 870 kicked more than my Citori, and in less than 1 round (25 shells) I would get a bruised cheek from it.


I finally replaced the factory recoil pad with a 1/4" spacer and a 1" Kick EEZ pad. No more hard kicks or bruised cheek.