Shotgun newbie here,,,

A

aarondhgraham

New member
First let me say that I am absolutely ignorant when it comes to the topic of shotguns,,,
I have owned three in my life but have never fired them extensively,,,
So if I ask what may seem like a stupid question,,,
Please overlook it and grant me a pass.

I was Googling for general info and came across this article in Wikipedia,,,
It answered most of my general shotgun questions,,,
And even a few of my specific ones.

Wikipedia Article

So I just thought I would pass the link on to you guys.

.
 
So if I ask what may seem like a stupid question,,,
Please overlook it and grant me a pass.
Click to expand...

If you ask any question, folks will gladly try to answer it. There are only a few stupid questions that can be asked... It is true that, for the most part, the only stupid question is the one left un-asked.

An example of a stupid question is... "What gun/shot size is best for zombies...?"
Brent
 
Welcome to shotguns and shotgunning, Aaron.

The article you linked is generally true, more specific info can be found in the archives.

Did you have a question? Fire away.....
 
Welcome to the shotgunning side of the forum...

I think you'll find some knowledgeable folks around here on Tactical shotguns, general purpose guns ... and Skeet, Sporting Clays and Trap guns. No matter what / I read most of the threads ...and often learn something or get a different perspective ...from my own experience/perspective with shotguns. Its a diverse group hanging out over here ..and that's a good thing.

I hope you take time to participate...
 
Thanks for the welcome gentlemen,,,

I still haven't decided on what type, brand, or model of shotgun to buy,,,
I'm in no hurry as my friends always have a spare I can use.

My first thought is "It's a range toy - go cheap",,,
But I also know I'm rarely ever happy for long with that strategy,,,
I have two Taurus revolvers I purchased using that plan so I'm a bit leery. ;)

I went to my favorite pawn shop and he had a Model 870 I could hold,,,
That's a nice looking and handling shotgun, that's for sure,,,
This particular specimen is really ragged though,,,
But at least I got to hold one.

He has a Mossberg 500 in the back that will come out in a week or so,,,
I'll check that gun out as well since I heard it is a classic.

Later my friends,,,

.
 
Hang out a little while with us aarondhgraham ..../ and we'll be happy to help you spend your money...

There are a lot of parallels between handguns and shotguns ...especially in terms of reliability, durabiltiy, and cost ...

When it comes to good pump guns ...I won't ever tell you an 870 or a Mossberg are bad guns / but personally the Browning BPS is the pump gun I prefer - like the Hunter model. Its a good, and versatile, entry level gun for around $ 525 new ....but the others are fine too. But pros and cons on pump guns are often discussed on here...

http://www.browning.com/products/ca...d=012&type_id=211&content=bps-hunter-firearms

Semi-Autos and Over Unders dominate many aspects of shotgunning as well ....and most of us have our favorites.

One of the things about shotguns / that is a little different than handguns ...is shotguns have no rear sight - so when we mount a shotgun / if the drop at the comb, drop at heel, length of pull aren't correct - the point of impact may be high, low, left or right ( and it may be 10 - 12" off ) ...so "Fit" is a big deal. One of the things you'll find / is the stock dimensions are different on Rem, Mossberg, Browning etc ....kind of like the grip angles and grip width on Taurus, S&W, Colt revolvers ... Beretta, Sig, H&K, Glocks semi-autos ...1911's etc ... / and just like all that is discussed on other aspects of this forum / its probably a bigger deal on shotguns than it is on handguns.

Companies like Browning - make about 26 models of their famed Citori Over Under lineup ...and while I'm a big fan / only about 5 of the Citori models come close to "Fitting me" ... Mix in a company like Beretta / and they're beautiful guns - but virtually none of their O/U's fit me ....

Some shotguns have adjustability in their stocks / some don't ... some have shims between the receiver and the stock ..some don't / and on an on ...

So I think it takes a little more time to wade thru the shotgun world ....than it does the handgun world ( but that's why its so much fun too ..) :D
 
aarondhgraham wrote:

I still haven't decided on what type, brand, or model of shotgun to buy,,,
I'm in no hurry as my friends always have a spare I can use.
Click to expand...

aa,

What do you plan to hunt and shoot?
 
Hello RaySendero,,,

What is prompting me to learn a bit about shotguns is my friends,,,
While we all have handguns and love target shooting,,,
Most of my buddies also like to shoot clays.

I was thinking about getting a general purpose shotgun,,,
One that would allow me to play the clay thing,,,
And maybe double a a home defense gun.

I had originally thought about an inexpensive H&R single shot,,,
But then I found their pump actions aren't that much more money.

So I asked what are some of the classic shotguns out there,,,
I was told about 3 that seem to be very popular,,,
Browning BPS, Remington 870, Mossberg 500.

There are so many variations on these 3 models that it is dizzying,,,
Then trying to make sense out of the choke systems,,,
It's like I said, dizzying.

One of my buddies has the H&R Pardner Pump Protector,,,
He actually hits clays with that short little thing,,,
He calls it his snub-nose shotgun.

I'll never hunt with it,,,
It will be strictly for fun times,,,
And maybe do duty as my bedroom gun.

So you see I have a lot to learn before I can make an intelligent decision,,,
It's a good thing I'm in no great hurry to buy anything.

.
 
aarondhgraham -


What is prompting me to learn a bit about shotguns is my friends,,,
While we all have handguns and love target shooting,,,
Most of my buddies also like to shoot clays.

I was thinking about getting a general purpose shotgun,,,
One that would allow me to play the clay thing,,,
And maybe double a a home defense gun.

I had originally thought about an inexpensive H&R single shot,,,
But then I found their pump actions aren't that much more money.

So I asked what are some of the classic shotguns out there,,,
I was told about 3 that seem to be very popular,,,
Browning BPS, Remington 870, Mossberg 500.

There are so many variations on these 3 models that it is dizzying,,,
Then trying to make sense out of the choke systems,,,
It's like I said, dizzying.

.....
Click to expand...


aa, Given all that, recommend a Remington 870 Express 3" 12 gauge turkey gun. It will have a 23" barrel made for screw-in chokes. Also, get a Remington improved cylinder screw-in choke and replace the turkey choke that will come with the gun. Get some 2&3/4" 7/8 oz "dove" loads in no. 8 shot and start practicing your clay shooting with your friends. The shorter barrel gun will also double as bed side home defense!
 
My recommendation would be to start borrowing your buddies' guns and see if there are any you particularly like. If you and your friends are shooting backyard clays, then what they have may work just fine. If you and your friends are shooting at a club with regulation machine-thrown stuff, ask to borrow as many types as you can. Rent if need be, or offer to buy the owner some shells. There you'll most likely get to try the gamut from the cheap Pardner pump to something like a Kreighoff and everything in between. This will give you an idea of the handling qualities between a pump, semi, O/U and maybe even a nice SxS........

Good luck!
 
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