Help me pick a shotgun please!
 

hey all this my first post here so i was wondering if ya' ll could help me out.

im 18 and i have been using a nameless single shot 12g 2 3/4" for the last 3 years for everything from squirrel to geese to deer with really good success but i could use an extra shot or 2 for waterfowl and rabbits shotgun.
since i will be hunting geese and turkey every year and probly deer with buckshot i am looking for a 3 1/2" and only a 3 1/2" . i want a pump as autoloaders are outta my price range which is below $700 canadian (gun only, accessories ill pay more) i am trying to find a good 3 1/2" combo with a fully rifled barrel (shotgun for deer every year) . have been looking at the remington 870 express supermag combo but i have discovered that u cant get it in synthetic (ill be rough on it so i dotn want wood) so if i have to ill just get the wood. i havent been able to find any other pump 3 1/2" fully rifled combos anywhere. i would really like a winchester 1300 black shadow combo but it only comes in 3" .

please let me know how the 870 express supermag' s rifled barrel shoots at 100-125 yards as well as any other shotguns that would be good for me.

also please let me know the ups and downs of the remmy 870 supermag combo as well as any other guns that u all reccomend.

thanx

RE: Help me pick a shotgun please!
 

I dont think Remington has a 3 1/2 fully rifled barrel they have a smooth bore 3 1/2.

RE: Help me pick a shotgun please!
 

Maybe buy a synthetic 3 1/2 and a synthetic 3' ' . I know the express' s and black shadows are pretty reasonable. guys that I know don' t like lugging the 3 1/2' s around deer and small game hunting. They use them more for turkey and goose or duck blinds. You could get 2 guns for under the price of an autoloader.;)

RE: Help me pick a shotgun please!
 

I thought of something else; you' ll have to check the manufacturers sites because I think on the 3 1/2' ' combos the slug barrel is still 3' ' . I don' t believe there are any 3 1/2' ' slugs out there. I think they want the 3' ' barrel with the combo so you don' t shoot 2 3/4' ' and 3' ' slugs out of the 3 1/2' ' barrel. Maybe this has changed but you better check. I think a friend of mine ran into that with a mossberg combo.

RE: Help me pick a shotgun please!
 

If you want syn. buy the gun and then add a Hastings slug barrel. I' m not a slug gunner but people tell me the Hastings slug barrel is better than most factory slug barrels. And you won' t go wrong with the 870, Bass Pro just opened up down here and was selling the black 870 Exp. Super Mag for 250.00 almost bought one just for thr heck of it.

RE: Help me pick a shotgun please!
 

check out the Mossberg 835. Up to 3 1/2" for birds and rifled barrels are available. Patterns really well, from what I hear and quite versitile.Lots of people bash Mossy, but to each his own, lots of others swear by them.

RE: Help me pick a shotgun please!
 

i was lookin at the mossberg combo too but i just cant see myself walking around with that ugly gun....i hate the cheap camo pattern they use 0on the 3 1/2" combo.

ya i know that the remy 870 supermag comes with a 3" fully rifled barrel btw....

i know that i dont really need the 3 1/2" all the time but in the area that i hunt there is a large bush with 5 ponds surrounding it that often have ducks and/or geese in them. also be using buckshot for deer as the farthest u can see in the bush where i hunt is about 50 yards anyways but i need the rifled barrel for when i setup a stand along any of the fields. plus theres lots of jack rabbits and coyotes in the area so i need the extra umph to bring em down quickly.

i called le barons today (in ontario) and i can get a remy 870 super mag combo for $650 canadian, but its wood......i wanted synthetic and u cant get synthetic for that combo.

i am probably going to get a red dot scope to keep on it all the time but ive haerd that they are useless for deer past 75yards because the dot is too big....can this be fixed by getting a scope that u can change the reticles???please let me know which red dot ya' ll like.

thanx

RE: Help me pick a shotgun please!
 

Too bad you can' t cross the border to Wal-Mart you can buy the black shadow deer with rifled barrel and the syn 870 supermag for about 250 each.[:o]

RE: Help me pick a shotgun please!
 

for the hunting you described,i would get the rem exp super mag.i have one and it has a black synthethic stock and chambered for 23/4-31/2" shells.i would get the 26" barrel and get the different choke tubes for the game you hunt.simply,get the imp cyl tube to shoot slug with.rem offers a rifled slug tube that works fine also.i only use mine to turkey hunt,but if i only could have one gun, this would be the one.;)

RE: Help me pick a shotgun please!
 

It looks like you have decided on an 870. You can do two things. #1 Lever Arms has the 3.5" supermag synthetic for $499.cdn you then buy a slug barrel for $250 CDN. and you are just $50 over budget. #2 buy the super mag express combo in wood for $660CDN @Wholesale sports, and hunt as is, when and if the stock gets chewed up replace it with a synthetic camo one @ $120CDN. You are $80 bucks over budget. I wouldn' t look at a red dot sight under $300. several guys here put some cheap ones ($150-200) on there slug guns and they couldn' t take the wet weather, none have them on now. I think you should give the Mossberg a good look. The Mod 835 ultra mag turkey combo comes with 24" barrel and an extra full choke tube , you would want to buy a mod tube @$30 , and a fully rifled extra barrel with fiber optic sights. Whole sale sports has it for $700 CDN . Hope this helps.

RE: Help me pick a shotgun please!
 

thx for all the replies guys...

ya im pretty sure that im gonna get the remy 870 exp super mag combo but i was just wondering 1 thing.....ive heard that the " matte" finish on the barrel is actually a cheap machining job and ive heard that they r bad for rust is this true?

also, i really want a red dot so i was just wondering if i should get the reciever drilled and tapped or buy a saddle mount for the scope?

those who have owned or use the super mag could ya plz let me know wut things may go wrong with it, how good is the action, and wut kinda patterns it shoots a 100 yards with a fully rifled barrel.

thanx all

Canadian Hunter312

RE: Help me pick a shotgun please!
 

Your going with the Rem.?[:o]....hahahahaha.GOOD LUCK!!!!! You should look around the web in other bird hunting sites, you' ll find plenty of info on their express[cheapo] line of shotguns. Remington owners stand beside their guns to the bitter end, after all the OLD Rem. were good guns. If your dead set on Rem., than just make sure it' s pre1995. The new express line has had MORE than it' s fair share of problems.[:' (]

Heres another option, buy a gun in black syn. and use aftermarket camo covering like snakeskin or better yet, camohide as seen inCabelas.

RE: Help me pick a shotgun please!
 

so plainsman wut would u recomend then?

i want to get a combo that has a 3 1/2" vent rib barrel either 26" or 28" long that comes with a fully rifled slug barrel in 3" for deer. that is exactly what i want so give me some suggestions please. BTW what r some problems that the new express' s have?

thx for yer input

RE: Help me pick a shotgun please!
 

Canadian, here' s the deal, as I see it.the express line is the budget/cheap side of Rem. As I' ve searched the web I' ve seen more problems relating to the express line than any other shotgun out, mostly due to jamming to a point of being unusable in the field. Look around, you' ll notice guys are having more trouble with new REM. than any other make, sad but true!!! I know the Rem. fans are getting madder and madder at me all the time. Guess what, I don' t give a rats a$$, I would' nt make these statements if I did' nt believe them myself!!! I' m not here to B.S. anyone, I' m not going to tell you something I don' t think is true!!! If THOUSANDS of guys are now calling them jammingtons,there must be SOMETHING to it, ya think???

For the money, I' d go with the Mossy 835.After looking around alot I' ve seen almost nothing but positive responses about them, Like I' ve said, look in various sites on the web, waterfowl and turkey. I know the woodland camo is ugly, but, as I' ve stated above, there are ways around that.The 835 is maybe THE best factory patterning shotgun in production, no need for buying choke tubes for birds. 10 year warrenty don' t hurt nothing either

It' s up to you,but that would be my game plan. Like I said, I' ve been doing LOTS of research. The best bang for your buck, as I see it anyhow;)

RE: Help me pick a shotgun please!
 

Ya know, there are THOUSANDS of guys right here on this message board that have a better knowledge of a 870. When was the last time you shot a 870 much less, ever owned one. I would put mine against your POS any day.

RE: Help me pick a shotgun please!
 

I don' t " limit" myself to this site, as I am a member of a number of other sites also.It would appear to be certain opinions hold with different sites and not others. I' ve noticed Rem. lovers on one site and on another they are dispised, opinions make the world go around ,get used to it.

Last time I shot 1 was about 10yr. ago,when they were still made well. Never owned one and NEVER will. As for putting your 870 against my POS, sure, anytime. My POS happens to be a 1965 A5, still functions flawlessly by the way.You should find out whats under the hood BEFORE you want to race:D:D:D:D:D

RE: Help me pick a shotgun please!
 

i was lookin at the mossy 835 combo and i like how it has the double bead as well as the dual comb stock and the cantilever rifled barrel. id be able to put up with the ugliness....only thing i really wouldnt like if i got it would be the 24" vent rib barrel that comes with that combo....i want 28" .

i also havent been able to find any gun dealers with web sites that even sell a single mossberg shotung in southwestern ontariio. if ya know any gun shops that do plz let me know. also does anyone know the average price of this combo in canadian dollars?

thx everyone

RE: Help me pick a shotgun please!
 

If you live near Maine cross over and you can buy a used Moss500 for around $150. If you have WalMart up there, go on line and see what you can order its pretty cheap.

RE: Help me pick a shotgun please!
 

Check out S.I.R. mail order out of winipeg,I' m sure they can set you up. As for the 24" barrel, there are some guys using them on birds.From what I' ve read, they say the difference from 24 to 26 to28 is minimal.I found that a little strange,but thats what some have been saying[:o] Personally,I really don' t know, ask the guys at SIR maybe they can shed some insight.
Hope this helps, let me know

RE: Help me pick a shotgun please!
 

for some reason none the walmarts in southern ontario sell any gun except for pellet guns. but is it possible to call an american walmart and get them to send it to one close to where i live in southwestern ontario???? or get the supplier for the american guns to send it to a canadian walmart? if so that would be great. ive never thought about this but i hope u guys can let me know if its possible.

also, after u buy a shotgun and u shoot it a few times and realize u dont like it can u just take it back to the gun shop for a refund? i dont wanna get stuck with a gun that i dont like.

tryin to find out which would be the best gun for me since im still waiting for my PAL firearms licenese (only have minors right now) and as soon as i get it im going the end of that week to get my gun.

thx for everybodies help


PS if anyone knows a gun dealer in ontario that sellls mossberg 835 combos please let me know

PPS when i get a shotgun should i get it drilled and tapped or get a saddle mount for a scope?

RE: Help me pick a shotgun please!
 

Get the 870 Express.

RE: Help me pick a shotgun please!
 

eh 1950 u ever used/owned an 870 express super mag?

i havent really heard from anybody how they actually perform....most just start talking about other shotguns and other mumble jumble.

ch312

RE: Help me pick a shotgun please!
 

Canadian Hunter312

I have a 870 Express Super Magnum Turkey Gun. I use it for turkey, deer, doves, and have shot a few rounds of clays with it. It has not once jammed or given me an ounce of trouble. I had a Mossberg Mod. 500 about 18 years ago and had no complaints about it. For the money, if I were chosing between the 870 and the Ulti-mag, I would go with the 870 again. I am considering getting another 870 for dove and clays. Possibly the Wingmaster. The 870 I have now, I used a few weeks ago to shoot clays for the first time and shot 60 out of 100 targets. I don' t think that was bad for the first time on the sporting clay range. The gun has served me well for the last 6 years.

Try the gun review forum and put your topic as Remington 870 to see what kind of response you get.

RE: Help me pick a shotgun please!
 

For guns in Canada, try www.wholesalesports.com 1-800-696-0253. they are located in Calgary. A lot like Lebaron except when you call you get someone that knows about guns and hunting. They have the Mossy combo for $699.95 cdn.

An even cheaper way to go is with a Mossberg " Maveric" mod 91 They have a black synthetic stock and forend,28" vent rib barrel, 3.5" chamber, fixed mod choke for $369.95 cdn. I believe you can put mod 500 replacment barrels on this gun but you could call them to make sure. A 24" fully rifled barrel would be $199.95 cdn You could have your synthetic 3.5" and your rifled slug barrel for $570 cdn. That' s a bargoon.

RE: Help me pick a shotgun please!
 

eh thx for the link big guy.....

ive been thinking about it and if i can find the mossberg 835 combo then i think im gonna get it instead of the remi....the mossberg comes with more things that i like...cantilever barrel the most.

so now im on a quest to find the mossberg combo in ontario.....


BTW.....went hunting today and i bagged 2 rabbits, a crow, a drake mallard and 2 geese....all in the same area (forest surround by 5 ponds) 2 geese were in same pond and i got em both and right now i only use a nameless single shot 12g 2 3/4" w/ full choke.

RE: Help me pick a shotgun please!
 

does that finish on the remi 870 express supermag combo rust????

ive heard its like a kinda rough surface so it sounds to me like they just dont finish it properly and that would mean lots of rust.

any input everyone

thx

PS. went hunting today and i got 3 squirrels, missed a grouse and a running rabbit...if i had my shotgun i woulda got em but both the grouse and rabbit were running and i barely missed them both with my .22....never seen a grouse run be4 just walkin kinda fast....

RE: Help me pick a shotgun please!
 

If the gun is not taken care of it will rust, that goes for any gun.
Obviously it is easier to clean and oil a finish that is smooth, the finish on
the 870 may take a little more work to clean, but on the other hand I think
it holds up better to abuse than the smooth finish as far as scratches.

My old Rem 1100 was so easy to scratch up when I was hunting in rough
country. My new 870 express magnum seems to resist scratching much
better than the finish on my 1100.

BTW, I love this 870, no complaints here.

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RE: Help me pick a shotgun please!
 

Two other things to consider. 1) Have you looked at the Benelli Nova. It is a great gun that handles the 3.5" shells and you can get a compensator/reducer for inside the butstock. It is a synthetic with black or camo finish. I have a 20 that is 3" and is for sale. 2) Their is a company that is out of russia. It is called Baikal. They make an auto that is supposed to be a great shooter, and it shoots 3.5" . The Gas op is adjustable for 2 3/4 to 3 1/2. I just won one about two weeks ago at a banquet. haven' t shot it, as I will trade or sell it as well. The importer in the states is European American Arms, I don' t know about Canada. I don' t know if either has a slug barrel, but if you shoot foster slugs and keep the range to 125 max, the regular barrel with as open a choke as you have is the ticket!