general purpose survival shotgun

SpookyPistolero said:
I'd just hunt around gun and pawn shops for a used 12ga 870 then, one without a mag tube extension and preferably parkerized. Then maybe replace the mag tube spring, and be good to go. Don't attach anything to it, it'll just make it heavier and throw off the balance. Plus there are too many nervous park rangers out there who think everyone is out to cook meth.
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:thumbup:

Check out the Thunder Ranch shotgun videos on youtube. A double bbl, or single shot are great weapons, and with practice, can be reloaded very quickly. Well said Will.

As far as a pump, a 590 or 870 will serve ya well. Just preferance when it comes to those two. Both are bomber. I agree on the accesories. Keep it light. Same with ARs...
 
Although I have used the 870 for years and have an extra sighted smoothbore slug barrel for mine, my go to gun is a savage 22/20 camper in improved cylinder.
 
12 ga. slugs are similar to a 30.06 energy-wise at the muzzle. I would guess there is some minor variation in penetration based on the design of the projectile, but I wouldn't think there would be a substantial amount of difference in penetration between a sabot and standard slug design inside of 20ish yards. As far as I understand, the sabot helps to stabilize the projectile by imparting spin along with the rifling. Either slug style will penetrate and deliver a substantial amount of energy at close range.

As I said in my earlier post, in reference to animal (bear, cougar, etc.) attack, I would hope that you would not be taking a shot at an animal that was 50 or more yards away as that would not be a serious threat. The scenario that I envision you are concerned with would be an up close and personal encounter at "contact" distances of under 10 yrds. At that range, sights and slug design become less important than a calm and practiced hand that can deliver the goods to the target quickly.

BTW, I have a 500 combo with 18" and 26" barrels. It's hunted ducks to deer and most things in between, shot trap, skeet and clays and served as a defense gun. Never had a problem with any of the multitude of loads I've fired. It's a great bargain as well as being totally reliable.
 
I've had a Remington 1187 (semi-auto) (with two barrels) for a few years now and am pleased with it. Although mine never has, I've heard that the o ring that permits the action to work can fail turning it into a single shooter. In the end, it may be more fun than the pump, but not as dead reliable.
 
It seems this 870 is the perfect set up for what I am looking for:

standard stock
sling attachements on stock and mag tube (regular 870 express doesn't have this)
21" bead sighted barrel (HiViz)
interchangeable choke tube
3" chamber
receiver is drilled at tapped so I can easily add a scope or red dot sight (not in the plans, but nice option to have)
 
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One excellent pump is the Ithaca 37 (bottom) Mine has 18" open choke. Only takes 2 3/4 shells but I see little need for 3 inchers. But the advice on the remmy 870 or Mossy 500 is sound.

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for defense, I'll take the 870 Remington pump, but for the purposes the original poster mentioned, I agree with the folks that say a single shot is better.
 
Will said:
It seems this 870 is the perfect set up for what I am looking for:

standard stock
sling attachements on stock and mag tube (regular 870 express doesn't have this)
21" bead sighted barrel (HiViz)
interchangeable choke tube
3" chamber
receiver is drilled at tapped so I can easily add a scope or red dot sight (not in the plans, but nice option to have)
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Excellent choice there. You talked in the OP about the possibility of a pistol grip, that is a Tactical device and not something you want on a boat/backpack/campsite gun. The pistol stock will hang up on everything there is in a boat. The camo on that gun indicates a composite stock which is very good for your stated use, it also looks to be parkerized, also an excellent choice. I have an old 870 that I Love, and several 12s including a S&W 1000 and a Mossberg 500 with pistol grip for home defense. It lives in a special spot that makes it quickly accesable and no chance of snagging.
 
IMO the best all-around shotgun setup is:

A Remington 870 or Mossberg 500

20" or so barrel with rifle sights. Both Mossberg and Remington offer such barrels with a 3" chamber and removable choke tubes.

Yeah, I know guys don't like the rifle sights, but I do. Reason being, I can zero for slugs at 100 yards, then see where my buckshot and birdshot pattern in relation to the sights. I use a little sight paint to make a line on the front sight that is, from the shooter's perspective, almost as long as the rear notch is deep. So I can quickly gain a sight picture.

If you don't want rifle sights, then I'd go with an 18" IC barrel, like the Remington 870P has. I can hit with slugs to 100 yards using just the bead, and it patterns buckshot quite well.

IMO 3 1/2" chambers don't really gain you much besides recoil. I also wouldn't bother with a rifled barrel. For what a shotgun is meant for, you can use a 1 ounce (437.5 grain) slug to 100 yards fairly easily (as opposed to a 230-grain rifled slug to 150 yards), and you don't have to change barrels to shoot shot loads.

As a default, unless hunting something that requires a different choke, I'd use the IMP CYL choke mostly -- you can shoot slugs and buckshot well from that choke.
 
I thought I'd revive this show to everyone what I settled on. I went with the 870 Express with a 21" barrel with interchangeable choke. The gun came with a HiViz sight which is cool, it just snaps onto the vent rib. There is also a standard bead which is nice incase the HiViz gets knocked off or broken in field. (It also came with a handfull or replaceable fibre optic tubes.)

I put about about 120 rounds through it over the last week busting clays and it is good fun. The shorter barrel isn't too bad for swinging, but it has been a few years since I shot one with a longer barrel. I figure I can always get a longer barrel if I want for clays or waterfoul, but in the mean time I like the shorter barrel and it should make for a good grouse gun in fall.

I went with the 21" barrel instead of the more common 18.5" because I wanted the interchangeable chokes. I also like having the vent rib.




 
I'm still thinking it would be best to go with a single shot 20 ga, with some judicious mods.
 
Will said:
I thought I'd revive this show to everyone what I settled on. I went with the 870 Express with a 21" barrel with interchangeable choke.
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That's a good, solid setup there. Only weakness of the shorter barrel is the super-long shots on birds won't be so available, but the length gives you advantages in just about everything else.

Good choice, IMO. :thumbup:
 
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