quality, budget 12 gauge for trap/skeet

C

clearwaterms

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I am looking to purchase a 12 gauge for some clay pigeon shooting. I was wondering what is a decent weapon? I was shooting a winchester 1300 today and really liked it. I am interested in a pump action and would like to stay around $300. I am hoping to find something that has replacebale chokes and something I can put a recoil pad on.

Thanks in advance
 
I have the 870 turkey model, its small but i shoot trap every sunday and ive put at least 2000 rounds with out so much as a misfeed, misfire, or MISS. Ok the last one i made up but for under $200(thats what i got my for, Gander Mountain special.) You cant go wrong.
 
My brother shot skeet and trap competitively in High School. He used his Remington 870 with whatever choke it came with. He was pretty good, and routinely and consistently beat guys with custom over-unders that cost hundreds to thousands more than his 870. I would have to recommend that as well. On a side note, I have a Mossberg 500 with a 28 inch modified choke maverick barrel. It is a very sweet gun, and I do great with it.
 
A trap gun and a skeet gun are really two seperate animals.

For someone just starting out, I'd say go with an 870 Wingmaster 28" light contour barrel with Remchokes. That's about as straight up the middle as you can get. Once you decide on which sport you like better, then you can buy some trick equipment.
 
Check the pawn shops and used gun racks. I found a Win 1200 in 20 gauge for $100 otd. Came with a mod choke. Searched on ebay and got a set of chokes including skeet for around 30 bucks.

Son and I went skeet shooting yesterday and I got 18 first round and 20 the second round with it.
 
I went over to my local sporting goods store yesterday and looked at the Rem 870 and also the base mossberg, and then the guy showed me the Browning BPS, all in pump. I liked the Rem 870, but I liked the Browning BPS alot as well.

See the problem is that I am left handed. They make the Rem 870 in a left handed version, and the BPS is a bottom ejecting (ambi) shotgun. I liked the BPS alot, but for $400 vs. $219 for the Rem 870, its a tough call. They told me they could order me a LH 870, but basically those were my best options. I like the idea of the Remington, because the store carries the chokes, and also it came recommended from this website.

my question is, do I need a LH version, is this that important?
 
The BPS is ambidexterous, tang safety, bottom eject, it'll work fine for a southpaw. A standard 870 can have it's safety reversed for LH use. From what I understand, the wingmaster is the only way to go. The triggerguard must have a new hole drilled in it. The wingmaster has an aluminum triggerguard and can be easily altered; the express has a plastic triggerguard that gives gunsmiths fits.
 
well,

I went to the local gun shop yesterday and found a remington 870 wingmaster with an adjustable choke tube (the kind you twist to change the choke settings) and a red dot front sight. The gun looked to be in good shape, and it was on consignment for $295. I offered $250, we will see what happens. I don't know what a used Wingmaster is worth, but I figured that is about what I would expect to pay for a new 870 express. They also had a browning bps there, which I really like, but they wanted $550 for it, the local sporting good store had the same gun for $400. Granted the one for $550 was the camo model, and the one at the sporting good store was just the blued walnut, but I really don't want a camo colored shotgun anyway.
 
Even at 295 it's a good deal. I paid $270 for a LE trade-in Police model, and $425 for a minty magnum Wingmaster with Remchokes (a bit much maybe, but I did make a really good trade).
 
I know any number of southpaws that shoot right handed shotguns well.

The price mentioned on the 870 is OK. The adjustable choke is something some folks really like and others don't. See how it works for you.

Whatever shotgun you choose, pattern it and see if it shoots where you're looking. This is essential.

HTH....
 
What about a used ithaca model 37.

Granted, it doesn't have a tang safety, but it throws em downwards, and any gunsmith should be able to switch the safety to left handed.

This may sound odd, but several years ago, i had to make the same decision you did (although it was more a hunting gun than a trap/skeet, but it was a general all-purpose gun. ) I looked at bps, wingmaster, rem 870, and ithaca 37.


I wound up with an 11-87 lh. :p

Browning seriously downgraded thier bps line sereral years ago. If you realy want a bps, look for a used one made sometime in the 90's. It should have nice scrolled engraving on it, and it'll probably have a decent stock.
 
being a new gun owner and talking to a few friends they all said to shy away from the polychoke, so I decided not to do it, I went to another shop last night who had a new rem 870 in stock in a LH model. I decided to go with that and purchased it along with a bag to carry it, a cleaning kit and also a barrel snake. I don't think I got the greatest deal, but I really wanted the LH model, so I got what I wanted instead of settling for a wingmaster.
 
You should be fine with the Remington 870, Mossberg 500, or Winchester 1300. These are all of comparable quality, and in the $300 range. If you are not planning to clean your gun, or if you want it to double as a tomato stake, go with the 870, but otherwise, any of these are fine.
 
Good luck with your new 870,ms. Now get some 7/8 oz loads like the Winchester Feathers or the Fiocchis. Use them until your form gels.

Tey, go wash your mouth out with Hoppe's. 870s will take abuse, but they shouldn't have to....
 
Nova

I dont know much about the remington but i shoot a beneilli nova and it cost me 329. Its a great pump action gun with replacable chokes. It shoots very well and does what you need it to do.
 
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