Practicality of the shotgun..

j williams

j williams

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The 12ga shotgun is an old friend of mine, and Im sure many of you. With all the talk of ARs, AKs, 1911s, HKs, etc...etc....The 12ga shotgun has always been there. A cheap, dead reliable weapon, it has been a defensive/hunting choice for over a hundred years. I always say, if you could only have one gun, the shotty is king.

In a SHTF scenario, I feel that the scattergun is about as good as it gets. Especially for a novice shooter. Easier to aim and shoot effectively its a great choice for someone to pick up and get good results with little training. Simple to clean, ammo is still fairly inexpensive, and easy to reload if one chooses. Penetration is low, so the threat of accidentally shooting someone in the other room is alot lower then with a rifle or even pistola. 12ga ammo is very abundant. So in a SHTF situation, chances are high that you could come across some fairly easily if you were running low. It is also cheaper to train with then a rifle, and could fill many roles in a survival situation. Slugs, buckshot, birdshot etc make one gun into many.

Now I know that Ammo is bulky and heavier then a .22, which is a great choice for a backwoods survival rifle. The .22 is a fine gun, but I definatly think the Shotty trumps it for above mentioned reasons.

Id also like to say since I am talking about shotguns, that the people who think that the intimidation of the look and sound of a pump shotgun as a deterant is all they need :jerkit:, you are morons. Rely on the buckshot or slugs flying through the air as a deterant, not the look and sound of the weapon.

Many aftermarket accesories are availble for the pump gun. You could easily turn a stock 870 into something that weighs 200lbs and makes espresso. IMO as far as add ons go, add a light and a good sight system, and a way to carry more ammo. (mag extensions, side shell cariers, speedfed stocks, etc) That is all you need. Then buy the ammo you are comfortable shooting, and train with it. It doesnt matter what you are shooting if you cant hit what you are shooting at.:thumbup:

I know im not saying anything new, but I just thought that, in this economy, not everyone can afford a stable of high tech firearms, and that if you could own just one, the shotgun is still, after all these years of service..... King. :thumbup:

Plus, I just put 4 boxes of shells through my trusty 870 yesterday, and wanted to talk shotguns. ;)
 
I hear you man, they're darn handy and comforting to have around the house. I've got a very lightweight Mossberg 500 series that's park'd which is a pleasure to carry. Also have an 870 police that's a winner, albeit a bit heavy for woods carry. I still need/want a 20 or 12 ga single shot.
 
Those single shots are pretty sweet. I have a side by side that I love to carry in the woods. Good truck guns.

Mossy makes a damn good shotgun. Im a fan of the 870, action a bit smoother, but a bit heavier due to the steel reciever, but I do wish they had the safety location of the mossbergs.

Im actually suprised to hear the good things people are saying about the Maverick line of shotguns from mosberg. Really nice low cost option IMO.
 
Yeah, dad had a maverick 20 gauge pump when I was a kid, it was a dandy little shotgun. Never had a problem with it, and he trusted it enough to be his 'uh oh' gun. I think that Serbu also uses Mavericks on their mini-pump mods.

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And here's my mossberg, great handling longarm, with the 870 on bottom...

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Nice shottys man.... I have that exact 870. Love it.

The mossy parkd from factory? looks good!
 
I believe it was, I actually bought this used at my local gunshop. Hadn't seen this exact model before, but it was just what I was looking for. Light in hand, frill-free, and comforting capacity. :thumbup:
 
Gotta love a 12! I have a Scattergun Tech that I absolutely love, although it's heavy with the mag tube extension, the SureFire fore end, Side-Saddle and Speed Feed stock.

With a 12 ga. you can take any game in the world with the right ammo and good shot placement. What other gun can you use to take everything from bison and brown bear to rabbits and quail? I'm not running up to a gizzly to try to shoot it in the eye with a .22.

I would love to get a 12 ga. / .22 lr combo, but can't find one. I know Savage made a 20ga/.22lr, but I would prefer to get a 12 and get 20ga and .410 barrel inserts to lend it even more versatility, especially if you're scavenging ammo.
 
I love shotguns too. Close in, against moving targets, a shottie can't be beat- they're pure murder against rabbits, ducks and such. In certain situations, the shotgun reigns supreme. But a shotgun's range is limited- I'm not comfortable shooting at anything beyond 30 or 40 yards with one. Unless you're ambush hunting in dense woods, a rifle is going to put meat on the table more reliably, and in more diverse situations. And as mentioned, shotgun ammo is bulky and heavy.

I love rabbit hunting with a 12ga.- nailing a fat bunny with a full dose of #7 shot is priceless. They either go down like they were hit by the Hammer of Thor, or they do a complete somersault in the air first. I like instant kills. Blasting squirrels out of a tree is similarly entertaining. I wish I could go out right now and rustle up some supper.

I have a huge Stevens Savage side-by-side that belonged to my grandfather, and was my main hunting gun growing up. I have a lot of fond memories of stomping around with that old gun. I also have a Remington 870 Marine Magnum that I haven't had the chance to use very much.
870marinemag.jpg

I'm fairly certain she'd be able to take care of business if needed, though.
 
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SpookyPistolero said:
I believe it was, I actually bought this used at my local gunshop. Hadn't seen this exact model before, but it was just what I was looking for. Light in hand, frill-free, and comforting capacity. :thumbup:
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yeah its an interesting one... Looks like the old style remington forend, and I dont think ive ever seen a parkd mossy before. I had to do a double take cause I thought it was an 870 at first! Cool guns bro. :thumbup:
 
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kage said:
Gotta love a 12! I have a Scattergun Tech that I absolutely love, although it's heavy with the mag tube extension, the SureFire fore end, Side-Saddle and Speed Feed stock.

With a 12 ga. you can take any game in the world with the right ammo and good shot placement. What other gun can you use to take everything from bison and brown bear to rabbits and quail? I'm not running up to a gizzly to try to shoot it in the eye with a .22.

I would love to get a 12 ga. / .22 lr combo, but can't find one. I know Savage made a 20ga/.22lr, but I would prefer to get a 12 and get 20ga and .410 barrel inserts to lend it even more versatility, especially if you're scavenging ammo.
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well said :thumbup:

Big K said:
I load mine up 3 rounds of birdshot followed up by buckshot;)
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excellant! :D

moonwilson said:
I love shotguns too. Close in, against moving targets, a shottie can't be beat- they're pure murder against rabbits, ducks and such. In certain situations, the shotgun reigns supreme. But a shotgun's range is limited- I'm not comfortable shooting at anything beyond 30 or 40 yards with one. Unless you're ambush hunting in dense woods, a rifle is going to put meat on the table more reliably, and in more diverse situations. And as mentioned, shotgun ammo is bulky and heavy.

I love rabbit hunting with a 12ga.- nailing a fat bunny with a full dose of #7 shot is priceless. They either go down like they were hit by the Hammer of Thor, or they do a complete somersault in the air first. I like instant kills. Blasting squirrels out of a tree is similarly entertaining. I wish I could go out right now and rustle up some supper.
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I love shootin small game with one....priceless!!:D:thumbup:

good points on the rifle. :thumbup:

Ive always liked the marine finish shottys, they just look cool. My brother in law has a winchester speed pump in Marine finish. Blued reciever, stainless barrells, and houge like stocks. Its a very sexy beast.
 
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The only drawback, in my opinion, if you want accuracy, the ammo gets pricey. If you use a rifled slug barrel for hunting, you can pay $20 for 5 sabot slugs.

Now don't get me wrong. I love shotguns. In fact just this morning, I was thinking, "I really should buy a 870 Junior Express in 20 ga" so my son can start shooting.
 
Rifled, slug-barreled shotguns are the height of ridiculousness, IMHO. Those things exist only because of silly laws. You need something that can reach out to 100+ yards, get a real rifle, fer crying out loud. I'd take a .30-06 over a slug gun any day of the week and twice on Sunday.
 
moonwilson said:
Rifled, slug-barreled shotguns are the height of ridiculousness, IMHO. Those things exist only because of silly laws. You need something that can reach out to 100+ yards, get a real rifle, fer crying out loud. I'd take a .30-06 over a slug gun any day of the week and twice on Sunday.
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I agree with you whole-heartedly, but in the county I hunt, shotgun is legal, and rifle is not. I was only making the point, because we were talking about the versitility of shotguns, and they can be used out to 100 yards if they are set up correctly, and you want to foot the bill for ammo.

When I hunt in Michigan, when you can use either rifle or shotgun...30-06 all the way, no question. I would never choose a slug gun over a rifle if given the choice for hunting.
 
chewbacca said:
I agree with you whole-heartedly, but in the county I hunt, shotgun is legal, and rifle is not. I was only making the point, because we were talking about the versitility of shotguns, and they can be used out to 100 yards if they are set up correctly, and you want to foot the bill for ammo.

When I hunt in Michigan, when you can use either rifle or shotgun...30-06 all the way, no question. I would never choose a slug gun over a rifle if given the choice for hunting.
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Lots of folks hunt with rifled slug guns here...... I would choose a rifle of course, but it adds to the versatility of the shotgun totally.
 
moonwilson said:
Rifled, slug-barreled shotguns are the height of ridiculousness, IMHO. Those things exist only because of silly laws. You need something that can reach out to 100+ yards, get a real rifle, fer crying out loud. I'd take a .30-06 over a slug gun any day of the week and twice on Sunday.
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I almost totally agree. I like using a slug gun, we call 'em hog busters, when I am disposing of feral pigs. The ammo is much cheaper than my .30-06.

moonwilson said:
We call those things "poke sticks" where I come from. :D Those are what the poor kids all hunt with. :p
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Don't rag on the singles, moon. They are some damn good guns. I have taken many a deer with a single Stevens 20 ga.
 
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