Good cheap all purpose gun

N

nch_2018

New member
I'm 14, so I can't afford to own a shotgun, rim fire, and a centerfire. I'm looking for an all purpose gun. I hunt deer, coyotes, foxes, whistlepigs, squirrels, rabbits, coons, and possums. For around $300 dollars, what's a good all purpose gun? I own a 500 slug gun, but I like to shoot and sabot slugs are expensive. I live in Indiana, so there are some strict regs for deer(min. Case length 1.16", min. Bullet diameter .357, max case length of 1.8") I was thinking about the 357 mag handi rifle, but heard there was like a half inch gap of "freebore" before the bullet even contacted the lands. Will this effect the accuracy?
 
playin' hookey said:
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shoo...92580&WTz_l=Unknown;cat104792580;cat549479880



Get a non-rifled barrel for your Mossberg 500. Cabelas has them for $195 (link). Should fit your budget and meet your needs. Comes with three chokes too!
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I have a field barrel. It's a bantam model and I outgrew the stock and all the spacers. It was my first gun when I was 8. I was small then, now I'm 6'1 and it's too small. Had issues getting it to shoot accurate and can't justify the price on slugs. It's a 20 gauge, only stocks I can find are 12 gauges. And I think 20 gauge slugs are overkill for groundhogs foxes and coyotes
 
If you want to know the truth about Handi Rifles you need to go to Grey Beard Outdoors. There is a forum there dedicated to the Handi Rifle and a wealth of knowledge you'll not find here on that rifle. You're only restricted on the cartridge for deer? So get a rifle that meets your deer requirements and then later on send it back in to be fitted with a .223 barrel.
 
Have a look at russian made baikal combination gun, I looked at one years ago were $400 aus back then, but give you a .308 over a 12g with scoping options over iron sights, should have bought one thinking back but saved a little more for a 2nd hand rem 7600 .270
 
I was thinking about the 357 mag handi rifle, but heard there was like a half inch gap of "freebore" before the bullet even contacted the lands. Will this effect the accuracy?
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You know how much "freebore" there is ahead of the cartridge in a revolver with the throats and the cylinder gap? At the effective range of a .357 rifle, that freebore should matter very little as far as accuracy. With .38s it would also be a good small game rifle(if legal in your state). Brownells has replacement stocks for 20 ga Mossys as do others. You can also buy them from Mossberg direct, just contact their customer service. (800) 363-3555
 
If you're going the Handi-Rifle route, I'd rather have the .44 mag for deer over the .357 mag.

The CVA hunter is also a good rifle and is available in .44 mag. I saw them on sale the other day at my LGS for $179. Almost bought one on impulse but just couldn't justify it. If I did get one I'd like to cut the barrel down to 16" and shorten the length of pull a little and have a handy little brush beater.
 
What about a Rossi Triple Play - one receiver and three barrels (in various combinations)....some are rifle / shotgun / muzzleloader -- some are rifle / shotgun/ rimfire rifle. Whole shebang will be under $500 before optics.

But I'll also second getting a smoothbore barrel for the Mossberg, to shoot cheaper forster style slugs (and birdshot / buckshot)
 
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