Hunting Gun advice needed?

Question

I am a bow hunter, but it's deer gun season. In Ohio, we can only use muzzleloaders or shotguns. What would you all suggest be a good first gun? Should I just buy a BASIC 12 / 20 gauge with interchangeable barrel or some muzzleloader? I have this deer season, fox, boar, etc. I want something that will get the job done, but nothing overly fancy. Thanks in advance

Answer 1

A Remington 870 Express would serve your purpose nicely. Buck-Shot and slugs for deer and boar. #4's for fox I would assume. This gun has a 3" chamber and can shoot 3" or 2 3/4" shells. If you also ever got into skeet shooting, you would already have a perfect gun for it. Get the 12 gauge instead of the 20 gauge. You won't regret it. When not hunting, it is also a great home-defense weapon. Price wise, look at spending around $280 brand-new.

If you want a muzzle-loader, go with a Knight. They are by far the most accurate in my opinion. You could probably get one of their better ones brand new with a scope for about $400. I would shoot 150 grains of Triple 7 with 300 grain Hornady XTP-MAG's or SST's.

Answer 2

I'm a BIG Remingtron 870 Shotgun fan, and they are easily worth the money. If cost is a big factor though, a Mossberg Shotgun would be a great idea and a less expensive option. You could get yourself a Combo-Pack Mossberg 500 Pump Shotgun. They come with a fully rifled barrels and rifle sights that would be perfect for shooting 12 gauge Sabot Slugs for Deer and Boar,Wild Pigs etc. They also come with an extra field grade barrel that you can use to hunt Fox,Rabbits and Squirrels with. The whole package can be purchase for around $260 complete, even cheaper if you can find them on sale now because it's Deer season. As you said nothing real fancy.But will "get the job done" in a heartbeat for what you want to do with it! Good Luck with whatever you choose!

Answer 3

I agree with many of the other posters and feel the Remington 870 Express is a great choice. I would get the rifled slug barrel and use sabot round which are more accurate. They also do not make as large of hole or destroy as much meat as a slug hitting the same spot will.

If you want to maybe try a black powder sometime in the future they can be had very cheaply in on-line auctions, newspaper ads and periodicals like Shotgun News. Do that for next season maybe.

Good luck and good shooting!

Answer 4

The Remington 870 is the most popular shotgun ever made. The local academy sports had them on sale for $219 minus a $20 mail in rebate ($199 in the end). The one I bought about 11 years ago has the smooth bore and allows you to swap chokes on the end of the barrel. That is what I would go with. Good Luck!

Answer 5

How about both!

Mossberg's model 500 pump shotgun will do excellently, and you can also purchase muzzleloader barrels to switch on the receiever of the shotgun!

I reccomend one with a rifled barrel and rifle sights and the use of sabots, but if your gonna do any other hunting(bird, samll game) you can buy a smoothbore later

Answer 6

I would buy a quality muzzle loader, a Thompson or a Knight. They are more accurate and with proper bullet/powder selection have a longer range than a shotgun with a slug barrel.

I shoot a Knight Big Horn Magnum with 3X9 Leupold Vari XII scope with Leupold mounts. It will shoot 2" 3 shot groups at 100 yard with 130 grains of Triple 7 and a 250 grain sabot

Answer 7

I have a 12Ga Mossberg 835 with a smoothbore barrel great gun I bought it last year & i have shot 3 deer with it they don't go far when that 12ga slug goes through them & mine is sighted in at 75 yards plus the gun is fairly cheap

Answer 8

Mosberg Pump 12 gauge. Barrels are interchangeable and ther weight is less than most other brands.

Answer 9

Mossberg 12 or 20 gauge, use Remington Sluggers in it.*

Answer 10

I would reccomend a Remington 870 model. They are reliable guns, plus you can shoot slugs out of them right out of the box.