Practicality of the shotgun..

Mike----you must have a busy life!! Bush Bash I wasn't last year, it was in early May of this year. I guess time flies when you're having fun!;)

DancesWithKnives
 
I have a Mossberg 591A1 with a sidesaddle with 16 total rounds on the gun. Pressure switch 120 lumen light. It isnt light, but it's one hell of a thunderstick.

Between shot, buck, and slugs, its serious medicine.
 
I must say i agree about shotguns being one of the most versatile firearms out there. I have hunted ducks with my .410 and shot thousands of rounds of skeet in the back forty. Call me old fashioned but i hate all the add on doodads that seem to be so popular, i like my boomstick naked.

Dont get me wrong, i have a 590 that i ablsolutely love but it doesnt have anything added on other than the stock being cut down an inch and a limbsaver slip on recoil pad. I dont understand the need to have extra rounds on the gun, it wieghs enough with whats in the tube...
 
Yeah I agree, Over here, (UK). Its a lot easier to get a shotgun licence than it is for rifles. We're planning a canoeing trip to Alaska next year & I'll be bringing my 12 gauge double, I'll probably feel underarmed if I have to face down a charging Grizzly, but it swings well & I can get off 2 shots in the blink of an eye. Also if we get stranded I have something thats a great small game getter.
If I had rifles in stead of a shotgun, it would mean carrying 2 rifles. 1 for bear defence & 1 for small game.
The shotgun is king in my book.
 
koyote said:
I'm gonna step right on out and talk about something- the whole 12 gauge thing.

America is a nation of shotguns- we have made them do everything from real combat to large game hunting. small game in any environment, too. King of the backwoodsman's firearms. But most of our history it's been the 20, 16, even smaller gauges that have ruled. (I think it's economics. We've gottne rich and fat and so have our shotguns)

I'd rather - much rather- a 20ga. over a 12 in almost any secnario. Scavenging might be an exception, but I find scavenging to be a limited, very limited scenario.

Hell, if I could get an 870 express in 28 gauge, I'd have to handload a lot, but I'd take that over anything. (and 1400 foot pounds of slug is plenty, guys)
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I have to agree with koyote on this. The gun that really opened up this country was the fowling piece in the colonies, and the shotgun in the westward migration. For every cowboy with a winchester, there was problably 2 or 3 'sodbusters' with a shotgun. Many homesteaders tables were fed by an old fowling piece. Not to mention that the shotgun was the first line weapon of coach guards, express car guards, and town marshalls truing to keep order.

But nobody here has mentioned one huge advantage of the break open shotgun; the ability to have an insert and use other guage shells or even pistol calibers. My old Savage .22/20 guage, has the old Savage .410 insert, and an insert to fire .357/.38 spec in the 20 guage barrel.

You can also fit an insert adapter in a 12 guage Harrington Richardson to fire a 20 or 410 guage shell.

Some of the old "Buck and ball" guns of the 1700's were 45 to 50 caliber. Thats about what a modern .410 will give you. A .45 caliber ball coming out of a a barrel at 1200 feet per secnd is nothing to sneeze at. I don't know what the muzzel velocity of a black powder rifle shooting a .45 ball is, but I think a .410 slug will work just as well at under 50 yards. Taking my Scout and shooting a wet phone book, the 410 slug did just as well as the old standard 158 grain .38 special load that was the standard police revolver load for about 80 years. Again, nothing to sneeze at.

For a pure survival gun, I don't think you could do better than a .22/20 guage, or the old .22/.410 scout. Get the best of both worlds; a nice .22 for small game, and a shotty for bigger game or defense with buckshot or slug. Heck, with the Taurus Judge around, a .410 long gun and a .410 revolver that also takes .45 Colt ammo is one heck of a combo.
 
koyote said:
I'd rather - much rather- a 20ga. over a 12 in almost any secnario. Scavenging might be an exception, but I find scavenging to be a limited, very limited scenario.

Hell, if I could get an 870 express in 28 gauge, I'd have to handload a lot, but I'd take that over anything. (and 1400 foot pounds of slug is plenty, guys)
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I'm with you.

I got hooked on the 20ga when I tried one at the skeet club and found I smoked the birds just as hard with 7/8oz of shot in the 20 as I did with 1 1/8oz in the 12, with less recoil and reloading cost. The smaller-framed 20ga shotgun was lighter and had a livelier feel to it; you just have to concentrate a touch more on keeping it moving.

Since then, I bought a 20ga autoloader and side-by-side (currently shopping for a 20ga O/U) and the 12ga guns rarely get out of the safe except for waterfowling and turkey hunting.

I do a lot of reading on shotgunning and it seems pretty much accepted that for most every use, a 20 can do everything a 12 will. You give up a little bit with the 28ga, but it's still a great grouse and small game gun. I'll have one eventually. It's not a popular gauge and reloading may be important to get the most out of it.

The .410, on the other hand, is a qauge I've never seen recommended by anyone for responsible hunting use in any type of wingshooting. There is just not enough pattern density to guarantee a lethal hit at normal hunting ranges.

This is not to say it won't do the job as a survival gun. I have a T/C Contender 10" .410/45 Colt barrel that I'd say is is a pretty versatile survival tool. In a firearm like the Contender, the 45 Colt can be loaded to nearly identical performance as the .44 Magnum. And I'd feel plenty secure if I had to keep myself fed with a Savage .22LR/.410 combo gun.

Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
desmobob said:
The .410, on the other hand, is a qauge I've never seen recommended by anyone for responsible hunting use in any type of wingshooting. There is just not enough pattern density to guarantee a lethal hit at normal hunting ranges.
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I grew up on a .410 and while I agree that it takes a lot of skill and knowing the limits, I've taken plenty of dove, quail, bunny, and even a couple varmint coyotes with it. I do think that if the 28ga had the popularity and broad ammo selection of the .410 (and the firearms to match it) it would be a much, much more servicable caliber than the .410.
 
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The .410 is a very capable shotgun.

I think you need to be a better hunter/shooter when you use a .410 Something most people don't put enough stock in. I still think the 20 Gauge is a good balance, with a wide selection of available ammo. I also believe that to many people put their faith in the 12 gauge 3.5" magnum rounds thinking it is going to make them a better hunter. It gives them a false sense of security.

I have been going the other direction. Most of my waterfowling now days has been done with a 20 gauge 2 3/4" shells. Focusing on hunting. It actually makes my hunts more enjoyable.
 
This may be a little off topic, but I added a possibles kit to the hollowed-out stock of my singleshot 20ga truck gun. It's held in with a wide velcro band and doesn't budge.

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It's got two methods of firestarting w/ tinder, Vic Soldier, compass, prybar, LM Squirt, Fenix E01 flashlight, tweezers and duct tape. When in place, it sticks out about 1/2" and the gun carries nice and balanced.

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I still use a 12ga 870 w/ steelshot for ducks, but 20ga is about perfect for all other situations.

Jeff
 
I seen a 410 snake charmer with a similar set up & I thought that was pretty sweet.
Cool set up ,Me likey !!!
 
I'm going to purchase a shotgun shortly for hunting purposes(probably a Remington 870).

Would a 20g put me at a disadvantage for hunting Deer?

Thanks.
 
midnite-penguin said:
I'm going to purchase a shotgun shortly for hunting purposes(probably a Remington 870).

Would a 20g put me at a disadvantage for hunting Deer?

Thanks.
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In a word- yes. :p Can you kill a deer with a 20ga.? Yup, you sure can. But the 20ga is less powerful, puts less lead downrange than a 12ga- so yes, you would be at a disadvantage if you picked a 20 over a 12. There are benefits to having the 20 though- lighter recoil, faster follow-up shots, less bulky and lighter ammunition, a lighter gun that is faster to shoulder and swing etc. It all comes down to personal preference.

I'll tell you what- an afternoon of shooting a 20ga is a lot more pleasant than doing the same with a 12ga. A 12ga will batter your shoulder senseless in short order with heavy loads.
 
Hi,

A 20ga slug will do just fine for deer. I would try to keep my shots under 80 yards. Not a big deal since probably 90% of all deer harvested are taken at less than 100 yards. And probably 80% of those are shot at 50 yards or less.

So buy some shells and practice until you are confident in your skills.

dalee
 
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