Purchasing My First Firearm

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

After years of deliberations I'm going to purchase my first firearm. With a lot of options (and even more opinions from people) selecting the ideal long gun is proving to be an exciting but overwhelming task.

 

At present, I don't plan on hunting a lot. I don't intend on much big game hunting, in fact, I'm thinking my primary target will be upland game birds, mostly grouse. I've been leaning towards a 20 gauge pump... either a browning bps or a remington 870 wingmaster. I've had a lot of chums who hunt immediately tell me I should be getting a 12 for their "versatility", but I just think it's a bit heavy a firearm for grouse. I'm not really that concerned with the recoil but knowing a full size 20 gauge will have less recoil doesn't hurt.

 

If I get into hunting further, i'd love to own a 12 gauge over under one day, but at the time, it's a wee bit pricy to old a big ol girl like that.

 

Given the obvious wealth of hunting knowledge I can access via this site, I figured I'd ask the firearm owners what they think. I'm interested in as much as you'll recommend... chamber, gauge, barrel length, shell preferences... whatever! Help me pick the right firearm.

[bigugli]

 

You need a blunderbussen fer der shooten de turkey

[dave524]

If you plan on hunting nothing but grouse get the 20 and use lead, if there is any chance you may want to hunt waterfowl and that includes woodcock, get a 12 because of the steel shot regulations. Most of my hunting years were before the steel shot requirements for migratory birds, licenced first in 65, and the twenty was a more versatile gun then with lead, but now, you need the extra volume of the 12's bore for the less effective lead substitutes.

 

also: can't go wrong with a Remington 870, with a 26 inch barrel and an assortment of screw in choke tubes, in what ever gauge you choose.

Edited October 6, 2010 by dave524

[Sinker]

I'd look for an 870 supermag combo. You can hunt pretty much anything with the 12ga., not so much with the 20ga. Trust me, if you start into hunting, you'll really want the 12ga. You can hunt everything from grouse to moose with a shotgun, no problem.

 

 

S.

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

You can also load slugs into a 20 gauge no?

[chessy]

stay far far far away from the new 870 they are going on there past preformance there are many types of shotguns out there browning winchester mossberg. i have owned alot of guns in the past .. and none not even my old winchester model 12 which was one of the best pumps ever made . mossberg has a good warrenttee program if neede.. i now own 3 pump shotguns and need to purchase another one for my youngest son . there 20 guage combo is great it comes with rifled slug barrel and even drilled and tapped for a scope

[dave524]

You can also load slugs into a 20 gauge no?

 

Yes , but they are smaller of course, and the effectiveness, assortment and technology of them is way behind the 12. If you plan on big game get the 870 multi barrel combo with a dedicated slug barrel. My choice would be the one with a cantilevered scope mount over the receiver.

 

edit : on the subject of recoil, many 20 pumps are built on the same receiver as the 12 the only weight saving is in the barrel and not as much as you think. A 12 with 1 oz 7 1/2 size shot trap loads ( an excellent choice for grouse ) may actually have less felt recoil then a 20.

Edited October 6, 2010 by dave524

[niagarasteelheader]

Yes , but they are smaller of course, and the effectiveness, assortment and technology of them is way behind the 12.

 

 

Seriously??? You must not do much slug hunting then, just about every major brand makes their top of the line slugs in 12 and 20 ga. This includes Federal, Winchester, and Hornady to name a few, also Savage just came out with a dedicated 20ga bolt action slug gun. With sabot slugs these days the weight difference between a 12 and 20 is usually around an 1/8th to a 1/4 ounce, nothing major. My old man shoots a BPS 20 with a slug barrel on it, none of the deer he's killed with it ever knew it wasn't a 12 ga...

[dave524]

 

Seriously??? You must not do much slug hunting then, just about every major brand makes their top of the line slugs in 12 and 20 ga. This includes Federal, Winchester, and Hornady to name a few, also Savage just came out with a dedicated 20ga bolt action slug gun. With sabot slugs these days the weight difference between a 12 and 20 is usually around an 1/8th to a 1/4 ounce, nothing major. My old man shoots a BPS 20 with a slug barrel on it, none of the deer he's killed with it ever knew it wasn't a 12 ga...

 

Sorry I stand corrected, my slug gun knowledge dates from the very first controlled hunter numbers hunt in Niagara in the late 70's, when virtually everyone that went out just used the old Foster style or Brenneke slugs in the favourite smoothbore cause that was basically all there was except for an iron sighted smoothbore barrel option on some guns though till the late 90's, when the 12 gauge slug gun had been perfected with developments like sabotted slugs, rifled bores or choke tubes and various scope mounting systems. A little research shows that this technology has now been applied to the 20 and it has definitely come of age as well as a slug gun in the last 10 years.

 

While most of the guys I hunted with used hi tech slug guns, I most often carried an also legal black powder rifle having shot deer with them previous to the start of the gun deer hunts in Niagara.

[kickingfrog]

For your stated purpose the 20 is perfect. If you decide to broaden your species later you'll want a second gun anyway and then the 12, or a rifle maybe, would be a logical choice depending on what you're going after.

 

BTW I am bias towards a 20 because that is all that my dad ever used for grouse, and we all know our dads are infallible.

[NAW]

I would have to aggree with the previously mentioned 870 combo. If you'r only going to get one gun, the combo gun with 3 barrels covers almost every situation I can think of..

 

I just bought one, with a scope, all in (taxes included) for $780 brand new from Lebaron.

[craigdritchie]

If your hunting will be restricted to firing lead shot at grouse and rabbits, then a 20-gauge will work just fine. If that's the case, then you might want to think about buying a used double gun instead of a new pump. After a couple of hours out in the field (as opposed to 10 minutes standing in a store) the difference in weight and handling between 12-gauge and 20-gauge pumps is minimal.

 

If you think you will ever want to shoot at anything else (ducks, geese, woodcock, deer or bear) then you'll find a 12-gauge just works better. Steel shot (required for migratory birds) is definitely 12-gauge territory, for a whole bunch of reasons including vastly superior shot ballistics.

 

While others have stated that you can use a 20-gauge for deer, I think some of these guys might be too modest to note that this normally requires a certain amount of skill and experience. A new shooter will generally have more success with a 12.

 

Beyond that, you can find 12-gauge ammo everywhere - even the most remote gas stations way out in the boonies usually have a few boxes. Not so for 20-gauge. Specific loads can be tough to find, even here in southern Ontario where you can buy just about anything.

 

If I was restricted to owning one gun, it would be a Remington 870 pump in 12-gauge, with a 26-inch barrel and screw-in choke tubes. It's tough to beat.

Edited October 6, 2010 by Craig_Ritchie

[smally21]

the 12 guage is readily availabe, suitable for every task you could imagine. the 870 is readily available, suitable for every task you could imagine.

 

a buddy just bought a wingmaster for 275 using it for skeet and trap. i guess im just agreeing with everybody, an 870 is bulletproof, easy to find used, and just as easy to sell if you choose to upgrade/change needs (but you never will)

 

good luck.

[Carp]

I've had a Remington 870 - 12 gauge for about 13 years and it works great. No issues.

The price is right and you can use it for multiple species by simply changing your ammo and/or choke tubes

I keep it clean and treated with proper lubricants and it's always reliable.

 

The Mossbergs look like a good deal as well, but I have no experience with them.

[jedimaster]

I have had a bunch of Shotty's from semi's to Side by Sides to all flavours of pumps, Rem, Winch, SUper Nova, MOssberg. By far the best gun I have ever had is the Winchester 1300 Speed Pump. When I was out shooting clays with a guy that just bought his first gun(SuperNova), I said here give my ol' Speed Pump a wing. With 2 shots his jaw dropped at how fast and smooth it cycles.Its light, sturdy, you can get all the goodies for it you want, and fires rounds down range faster than any othe shotgun around.

Like the others I would agree with a 26" barrel With screw in chokes, in a 3 or 3 1/2 inch setup. Then you can add on a Rifled barrel and this setup will do you for everything from Moose down to Partridge.

I have a 24" rifled barrel with cantelever scope I use that for big game, and the 26" barrel for Turkey, Upland, rabbit, Duck and Goose.

a small pocket full of chokes and your good to go.

You can't really go wrong with an 870, they are solid, sturdy and reliable. Mine turned into a door stop though once I shot my Winchester though.

[wallyboss]

If you are going to use that gun only mostly for grouse find yourself a good .410. That's all I've ever used for them.

[Ksword]

I have a 20Ga 870, with both smooth and rifled barrel.. As far as I can tell, the sabot slugs are just as deadly for deer from a 20 as a 12 (and still kicks like a mule!)

 

20 GA is a great gun for grouse etc, but if you are planning on going for waterfowl, a 12 is your best bet..

 

My 2 cents..

[Dara]

You live in the Sault, get a 12 guage.

 

I have a few guns and a 12 does everything.

 

I got my son a single barrel 410 a couple years ago and its great for grouse but for a 1 gun guy you want a 12 to start with. You will be hunting ducks in no time.

To learn on you want a pump.

[cranks bait]

I use a BPS myself and love it. Especially the bottom eject. My girlfriend got into hunting this year and I debated on a 20 g for her. Ended up getting her a Beretta semi. Mainly for the weight and easyness to use. I got the 12 g for her so that we wouldn't have to worry about getting shells mixed up while in the blind hunting together.

 

We both skeet shoot, waterfowl and deer. I don't bother with the second barrel. I just use rifled slugs. The cost of 12 g ammo is also less than that of the 20, so I believe but I could be wrong?

 

I just have to make sure I am on the left of her when she shoots so I don't get shells ejected into my head....

[ch312]

I'd look for an 870 supermag combo. You can hunt pretty much anything with the 12ga., not so much with the 20ga. Trust me, if you start into hunting, you'll really want the 12ga. You can hunt everything from grouse to moose with a shotgun, no problem.

 

 

S.

 

what he said

 

 

once you start hunting you'll want to start targeting other critters where a 12 gauge will be much better suited for the job. waterfowl, turkey, jack rabbit, coyote, deer, etc are what you'd need a 12 gauge for as the 12 holds many more pellets. when slug hunting either gauge would do just fine.

 

make sure you pattern your gun with a few chokes and different shells to get the best patterns. we could have the same gun, but one may like brand A while the other throws better patterns with brand C.

[danc]

The only hunting that I do is for Grouse. I use a 20 ga. Mossberg pump. I have used 12 and 410 ga. as well, but the 20 ga. is perfect for the task. If you decide to broaden your range of game, you can easily sell and buy what suits your needs. But for Grouse only, get a 20 ga.

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

Fishing is my passion, and I really don't see myself having the time to hunt big game considering that fall is my favourite time to steelhead. I appreciate that may change in the future, but for right now I'm trying to get the best grouse gun possible. Not the best all around.

[ch312]

Fishing is my passion, and I really don't see myself having the time to hunt big game considering that fall is my favourite time to steelhead. I appreciate that may change in the future, but for right now I'm trying to get the best grouse gun possible. Not the best all around.

 

right then although you could still buy a 12 gauge and start reloading your own shells. im guessing a light load going fast would be good for grouse making it like a 20 gauge with higher speed and likely better patterns. i've been meaning to start reloading...

 

how about a remington 870 in 20 gauge? im not sure about the new ones, but mine in 12 gauge is about 5-6 years old and has had zero problems after some nasty abuse.

 

a pump is the most reliable and can be as fast as a semi with practice. it will also shoot the lightest to heaviest loads without a hitch. a semi may be better if you dont have time to practice and have no experience with pumps. hopefully you will find a gun that will shoot everything you feed her as some semi's wont cycle really light loads.

 

a savage model 24 .22lr over .410 would also make a classy grouse gun. rifle up top for when you're stalking birds and popping them on the ground. then you have a .410 for when you miss with the .22

Edited October 7, 2010 by ch312

[blarg]

I bought a Browning BPS in 20ga last year. So far i have shot maybe 400-500 rnds through it with zero problems, and this is mostly using the cheapest shells you can buy. The others are right that a 12ga is more versatile but if upland birds will be your likely focus you can't go wrong with a 20. The bps is also one of the few 20 ga shotguns you can find that is built on a smaller frame purpose built for a a 20ga while the 870 for example is a 12ga frame even in 20ga, so the bps is a bit better handling imo. I can't say what the prices are like now but last year I bought from Lebarons, I bought the membership and saved quite a bit over the other major retailers.

[K_F]

I hunted grouse with my 12g 870 for 1 year and then i bought my mossberg .410 pump - i much prefer the .410 for grouse up north of sudbury as I really dont have to do much wingshooting for them up there

 

I bought the .410 used on gunnuts for like $200 or $250 - I like it

 

but as its been stated the 3 barrel 870 combo will do anything - i think ive got 1k into mine now with sling and scope/chokes