New to hunting...needs gun advice..
 

Hello to all. As the title says, I'm new to the sport, and looking to buy my first firearm. Where I am, taking a deer isn't a regular occurrence; mostly turkey and varmints around here. So with that being said, I was wondering if you guys could tell me how many folks hunt with a slug gun with success? I'm looking at a Mossberg 535 ATS combo Turkey/Deer 12ga....any advice and feedback would be much appreciated. Thanks.:confused0024:

Id buy the Remington 870 3" 12 ga. But thats just me, buy what you want....good luck.

I'd consider a good rifle. You can get amazing deals on deer rifles that will last you a lifetime if cared for properly.

I'd look into a marlin XS7 in .243. You can easily find these for under 300 bucks.

A step up would be a marlin model 336 in 30-30. These can also be found for dirt cheap, probably around 350.

Good luck.

If your on a budget then that combo package would be the ticket. Word of warning though, slugs out of a 12 guage can be a real kicker until you get used to it.

Many areas here in NY are shotgun only. So yes, they are very effective. If you only want one gun for now, the one you're thinking about is a good choice. Although if you plan to hunt varmints, use the bird barrel. The slug will destroy most of them. Then again.... maybe that's what you're going for.

I own a Remington 870 combo and I love it. If you took a poll, I bet you would find that more hunters own an 870 than any other shotgun. Now, that doesn't mean its the best gun out there. It just means its the most popular gun out there.

Since you mentioned deer and varmints, I'd suggest a .223, with the .243 as a 2nd option but is harder on pelts if you want to tan or sell the hides. The .223 is working caliber for whitetails on a good broadside shot in the vitals and can effectively take your fox, bobcat and coyotes without much damage to the pelt if you use the right bullets, as some are more devastating than others.

Shoot turkeys? LOL! Just plop open a hub ground blind and shoot them with a slingshot as they investigate your decoy.

iSnipe

Since you need a shotgun for turkeys and can't afford two guns this would be a good combo gun. This gun is ready to mount a scope on, if that is in your budget, or you can use the open sights and put sabot slugs into a 5 inch circle at a hundred yds or so. This gun can also be used for about any other critter you may need to kill as long as you aren't collecting pelts to sell.

Thanks everyone for the feedback so far. I really appreciate. I feel better about the decision to possibly start with a 12 gauge now. I was afraid I may be limiting myself too much. Thanks alot....keep the advice coming...I need to learn all I can...:biggrin:

A very good piece of advice for anybody that shoots a combo.... Never shoot slugs out of your bird barrel!

I saw a few barrels in a gun shop that were scary. Fortunately, it's easy to tell the difference between the barrels.

Also, if your bird barrel has threads for a choke tube, never shoot it without a choke tube of some sort. You'll ruin the threads.

Lastly, avoid 3 1/2 inch slugs. They're not worth the pain!!

You have gotten some great advice already. Here's my $.02. If you expect to be hunting deer in a "shotgun only" area, consider buying a quality pump or auto loader, and 2 barrels. One rifled for use with sabot-slugs, and one that accepts choke tubes, which most do these days. By doing so, you will have a combo that should be accurate enough with the sabots to take deer cleanly out to 100-125 yards or so. With a set of choke tubes, say a "full" , a "modified", an "improved cyl", and a "turkey choke". You would then be good to go fro anything from turkeys to ducks to rabbits to dove, etc. If however you will be hunting where a centerfire rifle is OK, I am a big fan of the 30 caliber hunting rounds. My favorites is the 308 Win. However for one gun, I'd go with a 30.06 Spr. I prefer a bolt action because generally speaking this action groups great and at least gives the hunter an opportunity for a relatively quick follow up shot. Nothng wrong with a 270 Win., 243 Win. , 30-30 Win., etc. ... however I personally would not use anything smaller than a 243 Win. on deer sized game.