The right gun
 

Hey everyone,

I will be starting my rookie year of birdhunting later this year with a quail/pheasant combo. I am looking to get a Remington 870 in 12 guage so I can also use it for bigger birds. Will a 12 guage tear up a small bird? I've heard they make different shells for different birds. If I use the correct shell, will the bird stay in tact enough to be eaten?

Thanks

You will want to use a 2 3/4 inch shell with probably 7.5 or 8 shot in it for quail. You will want 1 ounce or 1 1/8 ounces of shot. A box of these shells shouldn't be more than $7. You'll go through alot of these shells, especially if you shoot for doves.

For pheasants, you'll want to shoot 4, 5 or 6 shot in a 1 1/4 ounce load. You may even need to shoot 3 inch shells with a 1 3/8 ounce load, depending on the conditions. A box of any of these shells are $9 to $20. One box at a time should be plenty to buy for pheasants.

Well said - from there it's just a matter of which choke to use; improved cylinder, modified or full.

BTW - A 12 gauge Remington 870 would be fine.

I would highly recommend getting out and shoot some trap & skeet first.

I do not really have anything to add, you were given solid advice. I started off upland bird hunting with a 12-gauge Remington Model 870 WingMaster many years ago. I have used my wingmaster to kill everything from Canada geese to doves. The 12-gauge is not too much gun, just match the ammo to the game you are hunting and you will be fine.
I also recommend shooting trap or skeet in the off season.

Trap and skeet is ok. But try practicing on feral pigeons and starlings if they are legal to shoot in your state. They are where I live, it's even specifically mentioned in the regulations. Plus it's more fun than shooting clay.