Buying a shotgun. What do I need to know?

[Core Shot]

Two interns, one glock?

You got a video?
Peeps would watch that

[highangle]

“Troll” is a little strong, Makers.

How about

“A bit of a pot head who started a thread he didn’t end up really caring much about”?

I’m not as gun-illiterate as I come off to be.

But I generally don’t like hanging around the very people I’m asking advice from, to be honest.

So thanks for your replies. I’m still sorta shopping. I always thought I’d get into bird hunting once my knees go bad.

An autoloader 12ga with a 24-26" barrel would be the closest thing to a 1-gun quiver you can manage. You can get a short barrel and long magazine for most major brands, for the 99% of the time its going to be laying around the house as a presumptive Cottonelle defense tool.
#6-#4 shot for both, as knockdown power at in-home ranges is proportional to the square of the number of pellets you can put in a home-invadin' condiment thief, and bird shot won't blow a hole in your T111 site condo or frag your neighbor's daughter while she sleeps, like magnum solid shot or a .50 Desert Eagle round can do.

[Hood26]

Some things are worth being a dick about. Ask me about “shock collars” for training a dog

Alright, you want a shotgun. The most important thing about a shotgun is the fit. Hands down it is the fit. Read about how a gun should fit. Shotgunning is like swinging a baseball bat, like the bat you want to know it’s there and leave your eye on the ball.

You will need to shoulder a lot of guns to know which one will come up and point on target while keeping it moving.

Every new shotgun owner gets told to buy a cheap pump. I disagree with this logic because mastering a pump takes a lot of skill and can detract from skill progression and two many pumps are blocking hunks of junk that don’t fit well. There are good fitting pumps, but they are few among the cheap masses.

Regarding non-pump actions. I like O/U and Autos. With that said I don’t own an O/U yet because I haven’t dedicated the money to get a good one and I refuse to compromise. I wouldn’t think you are in that market, but if you are great. An O/U is even more important to have a good fit and will often take a gun fitter to get them right, or you can buy a BRowning Cynergy because it has an adjustable stock. In the O/U category you might look for “field grade guns” because they are more universal and avoid specialized guns like Trap and Sporting Clays models. Lastly, note that when shopping barrel length the over all gun is shorter because the length of the action, so people often have longer barreled O/U.

That leaves my recommendation of action, a semi auto loader. I like semis because there are a lot of good options to choose from, they often have shimable stocks to improve fit, they are reliable (especially when maintained), and they will help your skill improve faster because they take away some felt recoil, allow your eye to stay on the target, and hell they are just fun.

I would find the best fitting new auto in my price range. I would plan to spend about $900-$1500. I would choose a finish based on preference, I would probably pick a 26 inch barrel because they handle easier and new shotshells and choke tube tech doesn’t seem any compromises from shorter barrels.

You will be happy for years with any of the “B” guns. Browning, Benelli, Beretta. Also, Winchester is essentially a Browning. I had an Sx2 and loved it. I only traded it for it’s sister Browning Silver because of who I was working under at the time.

I love my Brownings. I have the New A5, 2 Silvers, and a Maxus. If the Silver has shims it would be almost perfect. Nevertheless, the ability to feed the Maxus and A5 straight from the mag and have them chamber the shell os super slick and really great. Plus the A5 and Maxus have the turn key plug that is really easy to take in and out when going from migratory to upland (3 shells for migratory except snow geese and 5 for upland when using 2 3/4 shells.

Shell length, a 2 3/4 only gun becomes very specific and can mean buying expensive shells and really good decoys to hunt ducks and geese. I could get alway with only using 2 3/4 but why? 3 1/2 is stupid because the shell are expensive, you shouldn’t be shooting at things that far, and they punish your shoulder. So that leaves the best choice as a 3” which can handle both 2 2/34 and 3.

After you buy said gun. Do a full break-down and cleaning. They factory anti rust shit is hell on allowing the gun to run right. Take it to someplace where you can pattern your various choke options and make sure the factory chokes don’t suck, often they do. If it patterns well with the various options then great. If not buy an aftermarket. Wad strippers like the Patternmaster are great if you are a good shot but the aftermarket tubes like the Briley or Carlson are good.

I wouldn’t give two thoughts to the inertia vs gas operating system debate. They both run just fine when maintained, and any perceived differences in recoil will be motivate if the gun fits. I am not going to type a bunch on fit, but just know when the gun comes up there should be a clear target, a blurry bead, and it should touch your cheek first and only your shoulder after you pull the trigger. Also, pick a gun with a safety location that you like because it only gets clicked off at the last second and then it’s trigger time; I hate and don’t own a single shotgun with a tang safety. Some people are super sensitive to heavy trigger pull. You might get there, but luckily most new guns can be lightened up by a good gunsmith.

I wouldn’t fuck around with used and older shotguns again. I did when I was young and broke, but they take a lot of care, they may have been abused, they can be finicky (even the pumps). I see them more as the classic car option. I love my Ithica and Winchester 1897 that we’re my grandfathers’, but I would rather take the new guns on the commute or long road trip.

Allright, I hope I was less of a dick here. In sum, I recommend the best fitting 3” semi with a 26” (maybe 28”) barrel. If you do decide on a pump make sure it fits and handle the semis and O/U to get a feel for how they should fit first.

[Hood26]

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[Hood26]

Oh... and OP, for calling me a dick



Happy shotgun shopping and future shooting to you.

[TBS]

Heh, my grandfather gave me an 1897 12ga full choke for my first shotgun - I was like 10. The barrel felt about 50' long and it pounded my shoulder like a mofo. Killed a lot of geese with it though

[Hood26]

Heh, my grandfather gave me an 1897 12ga full choke for my first shotgun - I was like 10. The barrel felt about 50' long and it pounded my shoulder like a mofo. Killed a lot of geese with it though

Nice! Vent rib or plain barrel? Mine has a rib that appears added after factory.

It also has a crack stock and the hammer is so polished it feels like greased owl shit. I don’t shoot it, but could if I had to. That action is a thing of beauty. John Browning’s was quite the genius.

I forgot to mention, Tech Tonics, choose a 12g. Unless you have a repaired shoulder or something and needed a lighter recoil. 20g shells are expensive, 16g is sweet but they are a rare breed and there shells reflect that, and finally a 10g is just too much. I had a friend who I argue for years with about his 10. He insisted it was a need for Goose hunting, but complained that we had already had a go before he could even shoot. We switched guns finally one day and he then started bringing a 12 after. Oh and 10g shells are expensive and kick more than I like.

Seeing how I wrote a essay on choosing a gun and didn’t think to say “choose a 12gauage” is a strong indication of the universal agreement that 12 is best all around.

I agree with the post just before mine too. A 12g Semi Auto with a 26” barrel is a quiver of one.

I have to say it again too that the one that fits best is best. Shotguns are proportioned on the idea that the common buyer is a man in the 1950s, about 170lbs, average frame, and about 5’9”

If you are smaller than that you may look at “Micro Midas” guns from Browning. If you are bigger, then you want a gun that comes with plenty of spacers to increase the length of pull (LoP)

Once on the cheek, in the shoulder pocket with slight to nil pressure against the shoulder, there should be about 2 fingers width between your cheek and your thumb on the grip.

Just like you ski boots, the shotgun is about fit. I hope the little FU! Pile wasn’t too offense

I will now refer to as a Newb and not a Gaper.

[TBS]

Nice! Vent rib or plain barrel? Mine has a rib that appears added after factory.

It also has a crack stock and the hammer is so polished it feels like greased owl shit. I don’t shoot it, but could if I had to. That action is a thing of beauty. John Browning’s was quite the genius.

No rib. It had a really smooth pump action and it had reach with #2. Only problem - I could never figure out how to lengthen the trigger pull - slightest pressure would send shot down range.
Well that and steel shot was out of the question with that old barrel. I finally sold it to a guy who did cowboy re-enactments.

[Bunion 2020]

Seeing how I wrote a essay on choosing a gun and didn’t think to say “choose a 12gauage” is a strong indication of the universal agreement that 12 is best all around

Kind of like "Buy a Hunting rifle in 30.06, you can find ammo damn near anywhere".

[k2skier112]

FYI. A shotgun is no fun to shoot. It will leave your teeth chattering. Do not use 3” loads!!! get some 23/4 federal buck, or low recoil federal LE buck.

Personally. I’d tell you all to go buy a Glock 19.


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WTF. Are you a pussy?!

My gun shop has only been selling to regulars. He won’t let anyone he does not know in, and he still sold everything.

This is why Republicans scare me...more that Ebola, Zika or terrorists

[Hood26]

It sounds like Cono hasn’t ever shot a gun that fit.

[Cono Este]

It sounds like Cono hasn’t ever shot a gun that fit.

No, I just don’t shoot shotguns a lot. I’m recoil sensitive too. I only shoot 9mm.

I second the auto loader idea. Get a good duck gun, take the magazine plug out unless you’re hunting. You don’t need more than 4+1.




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[TNKen]

No, I just don’t shoot shotguns a lot. I’m recoil sensitive too. I only shoot 9mm.

Might I suggest you drop to a .410 or 28 gauge, and at all costs avoid the mighty .380. And don't ever touch anything larger than a .45.

[Cono Este]

Might I suggest you drop to a .410 or 28 gauge, and at all costs avoid the mighty .380. And don't ever touch anything larger than a .45.

I’m really not shooting much, I have a bit of age related hearing loss and tinnitus so I’m just collecting rare glocks as I find them. I’ll go to an outdoor range every few months to make sure what I have works, but I’m about aging gracefully.


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[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

Speaking of the mighty 9, I parted out my 12 ga. coop protector to a CX4 in 9mm. 20 rds of 124 gr HST +P will protect the girls and my TP just fine.

[TNKen]

I’m really not shooting much, I have a bit of age related hearing loss and tinnitus so I’m just collecting rare glocks as I find them. I’ll go to an outdoor range every few months to make sure what I have works, but I’m about aging gracefully.


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For you next acquisition, might I suggest a Hi-Point Carbine then.

[riser4]

For you next acquisition, might I suggest a Hi-Point Carbine then.

Ouch. That's cold.

[Hood26]

I was conditioned by my father to always run counter to consensus. Everyone we hunted with had a 30-06, we had 7mm.

I now know that with:
9mm
12g 3”
.22 LR
.243 Win
.30-06 Sprg or .308
.338 Win Mag

Pretty much set to kill/harvest any animal in North America, Europe, and most of Asia. Anything else is just for niche, novelty, and hobby.

[TNKen]

[Cono Este]

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I bet even Ken does not have even have a proof marked gen 3.

(I will surrender before Kens posts John Wayne’s Colt SA hanging on his wall)

[riser4]

Cute.

[TNKen]

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I bet even Ken does not have even have a proof marked gen 3.

(I will surrender before Kens posts John Wayne’s Colt SA hanging on his wall)

LOL, I wish. I haven't owned any famous weaponry. Had a friend that picked up a couple of Colt SA's and traded them to a guy in Atlanta. That guy claimed they were once owned by Poncho Villa. Probably all BS.

Not a fan of Glocks. Owned two, a 19 and 22. I shoot them well, but have to overcome muscle memory or I shoot low. Traded two race tickets to the Bristol Night Race to the regional Glock rep for a Gen 3 19 w/ 4 mags. Traded it for a snow blade for the mower.

[TNKen]

Some of the short shotties.
Benelli M1 Super 90
Remington Tac-14
Beretta FP 1301
Winchester 1200
Winchester Model 12
Winchester 1200
Another Benelli lives at the office.

[MakersTeleMark]

These posts made me look up my glock. 2.5 gen, all made in austria. Shit, I can't believe I've had it for 19 years. Has never let me down.

Tons of info on the proofed glocks: https://www.glocktalk.com/threads/ho...ck-19.1662280/

[warthog]

This is my favorite gun I own. Not terribly valuable, but willed to me by my wife's stepdad.
Sears and Roebuck model 100 Winchester(94) 30-30


This thing is deadly accurate. I felled a small 4 or 5 inch diameter tree once in 8 shots from about 30 yards. The guy with the 45-70 Henry that put one right through the tree 1st might have helped, but it was still pretty impressive.

It has a side mount scope, so you can use the scope for distance, and the iron sights for close up.