Classy old Japanese O/U there Al...nice present from the wife for sure :t I've always wanted to visit Japan myself, but I'm not likely to make it there any time soon.
It'd be hard to pick a favorite shotgun for me overall. The best I've ever handled was Ruger's Red Label, and I'd love to have at least one; of course, its great fit and handling qualities would be lost on my slovenly-shooting self in the grouse woods The best shotguns for the money I've used were Stoeger's Coach Gun & Hatsan's Escort pump action, though I'd say the Mossberg 500 isn't far behind in that category. I'm a fan of the Winchester 'Speed Pump' and Browning's BPS too. The Howa-made S&W Model 1000 I recently traded away was the highest quality shotgun I've owned by a wide margin, but the one I've gotten the most kick out of in recent years was the antithesis of your SKB in pure shotgunning terms - a Mossberg 385K 20 gauge...no graceful wingshooter, it may have been the most practical, versatile utilitarian firearm I've ever played around with :bthumb: :Blasting_
Classy old Japanese O/U there Al...nice present from the wife for sure :t I've always wanted to visit Japan myself, but I'm not likely to make it there any time soon.
My favorite shotgun(s) is the Savage 311a side by sides. I've got 3
of them. Started with 16 ga then 20, then 12. I used to shoot a lot
of trap and have a model 12 and a Beretta 392 but nothing brings
a smile like those old 311's.
I primarily hunt with most of my guns and my other choice is
a Stoeger M2000. It is not pretty, I hardly ever clean it, has
spent countless hours in duck/dove/turkey field but it always
shoots straight. I've paid for it 4x over betting on a 5 bird
races from the clubhouse
There are a number of shotguns I love dearly, but the current favorite is a Beretta S687 EL Gold Pigeon II Sporting 30" two barrel set in 28 and 410. I love shooting it, and it gets lots of raves at the gun club as well!
My current fave.... hard to pick just one... would be coin toss between a Beretta Silver Pigeon and a Benelli M2 Field. As different as night and day but both special in their own way.
Still have the first gun I bought - a Mossy 500. It went from field to tacticool and now it is making its was back to mostly field (I got nice wood and ditched the speedfeed, replaced 19" cut off barrel with 20" w/ screw in chokes). Still need to do something with the metal...
I went from 4 shotguns to 12 when my four daughters got into the local club shooting trap and skeet. of course I had to get a few for myself...just to keep up
My favorite one is this one; Browning XS Skeet 20g 30" tubes, followed by a couple of Browning Cynergy in 12 and 20g. then there are the pumps: Ithaca's and Browning BPSs. I had a pigeon grade Winchester 101 but its gone and my first O/U was a Red Label is still around. Girls shoot everything including O/U, pumps and a automatic 1100.
I'm a big fan of the Ithaca 37's also, they're awesome for a lefty like me, but I don't have one that has interchangeable chokes. All 3 of mine are cylinder bore, so they're range guns.
My all time favorite would be a 410, for many reasons..
It ain't just a shotgun anymore !
Used to fire 44 mags out of my brothers savage 410, even heard you can fire 454's as well as other calibers.
Try that with a 12ga..
My all time favorite would be a 410, for many reasons..
It ain't just a shotgun anymore !
Used to fire 44 mags out of my brothers savage 410, even heard you can fire 454's as well as other calibers.
Try that with a 12ga..
I have heard of that as well, that I wouldn't be likely to try it unless circumstances were urgent
My favorite thing about the .410 is that, unlike other shotgun chamberings, it is truly effective (and actually quiet relatively speaking) & viable with reduced loads. If only ammo were cheaper & offered in more premium (read: copper/nickel plated) field loads.
Favorite is an olddy but goody. Winchester 1887 12 ga lever shotgun manufactured in 1895. 30" fluid steel barrel with a full choke. It safely takes 2.5 inch shells, 4 in the magazine, 1 on the carrier and 1 in the barrel. Cranking away on that is just fun.
I've owned quite a few shotguns but my current favorite is a Belgium Browning A-5 12 ga. Sadly, it has a plain barrel but is in 95% condition. I wish I still had my uncle's nice little Stevens SxS 311 in .410 w double triggers. Someone made off with it.
Al, beautiful O/U there. I can see why you hung around that woman. :bthumb:
I'm pretty easy. It would've been easier if she'd've had a 4wd truck though.
My dad carried a Savage/Browning humpback 12ga auto with a factory installed adjustable poly choke all my life. I saw him whack 2 wood ducks, male and female, on the wing in one shot with that gun. He was pretty proud of it and kept the male woodie in his freezer for many years showing it off when the occasion arose. We road hunted a lot and would take turns on any birds in the road. The last time I shot it at a grouse it was dad's turn but the bird had walked off the road into thick underbrush and dad told me to go after it as his legs weren't any good any more. The bird flushed within 10' of me and didn't get 25-30' away and I dead centered it with the biggest explosion of feathers either of us had ever pulled off. There wasn't a piece of meat found worth salvaging. One of those time clips of life I hope I'll never forget. His gun fit me very well but the poly choke was tough on the ears. I hated to let that one go.
My Fox double 410 I have taken more birds with that in the last 45 years just picking it makes me smileFollowed by a Baker Black Diamond in 16 ga.Two real treasures to me.
Remington Spartan 310 20ga. Yah its a cheapo but it just plain fits and has worked flawless since I got it several years ago new for $199. Only other shotgun the fit me this well was a Remmy 332 (price one of those lately) and an old Remmy 1148 16 ga I had when I was in my late 20's.
There are places that don't allow hunting with CF rifles (though some allow use of rifles chambered for handgun cartridges). They use shotguns with slugs instead.... and scope them for proper shot placement.
There are places that don't allow hunting with CF rifles (though some allow use of rifles chambered for handgun cartridges). They use shotguns with slugs instead.... and scope them for proper shot placement.
I would assume the 870 in question is a rifled barrel version intended primarily for sabots based on the cantilever mount & lack or iron sights.
We have some areas in NH that are apparently shotgun-only districts regarding deer hunting, but in the northern region this isn't the case. I can see the rational in many areas where these requirements exist for using a scope rifled slug gun to stretch one's effective range; for 100-125 (maybe) yards and under, I would prefer the lower costs & greater built-in utility of using a smoothbore. With a true non-rifled "shotgun" you have greater ammo options at lower cost, and though I know of many folks who scope them with good results, I feel they are naturally suited to open sight work :t :Blasting_
Geez you know how to turn a mans head with envy ....
Beautiful guns
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