I need a bird hunting shotgun, recommendations?

[warpedskydiver 0]

It is not about being a lousy shot vs. being a good shot.

I shoot better than many people (not all) but I use a semi auto because that is what I have.

It is all just personal preference.


A semi auto will however allow you to make movement if you are hunting in a concealed or camoflaged position.

They may not be able to see you, but they do see movement. (animals)

[LongWayToFall 0]

I am referring to the actual magazine tube, not the plug.
http://pictures.georgievi.com/blog/2009/Mossberg500.jpg

Imagine the security barrel with the lug at the end of the barrel, because it is for an 8 shot mag and not 5. You absolutely need to change the mag tube out.

[Rookie120 0]

I think it comes down to how much you want to spend. I would go with my trusty Remington 870. A lot of birds have seen the end with that gun. Good price and the plug came with mine for the tube.

If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck!

[steve1 5]

I hunt with a guy who has a shorter barrel on his Remington pump shotgun. I'm not sure what model it is. It's not an 870. But man, does it point nice. You throw it up, and it lines up perfect and fast. He usually nocks a bird down before I can even line up on it with my 28 inch barrel. I've seen over and unders that line up just as nice.

Automatics have less recoil. It's nice not to worry about working a pump. I've seen a lot of them jam up in cold weather though. It's not much fun to end up with a single shot shotgun, when you need another shot or two. Sometimes we hunt ducks and pheasants in below zero weather. So, that is something to consider....

[LongWayToFall 0]

Thank you all for the advice. I went with the overwhelming amount of people's suggestions, and picked this bad boy up (well, payed for it, I get it in 10 days) (Did I mention California sucks?)

http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/shotguns/model_870/model_870_express.asp

They had a mossberg 500 with a long barrel there for a similar price as well, although the furniture didn't feel as nice and the barrel was not threaded to accept a choke, so that made the decision easy.

Steve1: I shouldn't be hunting in that low of a temperature, and plan on keeping the gun clean, so reliability shouldn't be an issue (I'm hoping).

Thanks again all, and I will surely post some pictures post hunt.

[LongWayToFall 0]

Went and shot 1 round of trap, and 2 of skeet. Never done skeet before. SO MUCH FUN!!!!! I'm going on wednesday again the day before we leave for north dakota, with the 870. Its gunna be a blast. Im glad the birds don't fly as fast as the clays!!!

[JohnDeere 0]

You should check out your local shooting ranges. Find a good skeet range that has several (8+) post for diff. types of shot's. It will make you alot better shot!

Nothing opens like a Deere!

You ignorant fool! Checks are for workers!

[LongWayToFall 0]

The one I went to was a full skeet semi circle, with the whole 9 stations and all. I took 2 singles instead of the doubles, and got about 50% of the birds. It is quite a challenge! Station 5 (whatever the center of the semi is) is a challenge for sure. You have to lead a good 3-4 feet. We were using modified chokes so it made it that much harder. The last station with them coming right towards you is a mofo as well, you have about .3 seconds to get the shot off, its haulin!

[JohnDeere 0]

Sounds like fun! The one i like down here is 12 staions that are all seperate. You have a guy that drives you to each on a golf cart and they have 2 skeet chunked per station that are from random positions and levels.

I feel the need to to go shooting this week

Nothing opens like a Deere!

You ignorant fool! Checks are for workers!

[Belgian_Draft 0]

For a semi-auto it is tough to beat the Benelli M1.
Remington 870 is tops for pump guns. I had a Mossberg for a couple years but it was a POS compared to the Remington.
I love my Benelli and my 870, but when I'm after upland birds they stay in the gunsafe and I take my aged, scratched, and ultra reliable Beretta 686 Onyx. I don't hesitate to consider it the perfect upland shotgun (for me!).

HAMMER:
Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a
kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the
object we are trying to hit.

[LongWayToFall 0]

That sounds interesting. Can you illustrate it? Here is what I did, except that station "8" is also station 9, and when you shoot from that position, you face towards the house that the clay is coming from, so you only have a split second to shoot it, and basically have to aim somewhere along the flight path beforehand, because you don't have time to aim.

http://www.waterperryshooting.co.uk/images/graphics/skeet.jpg

[LongWayToFall 0]

I would love to have a benelli super black eagle or the winchester (not sure what type) semi that I got a chance to hold at the gun shop, the action is SO SWEET!

I am very much looking forward to the 870 that is sitting lonely on a shelf at big 5. It is telling me through esp that it needs to be shot. Lots of times. Oh, and it wants to lay waste to some pheasants, which it would like to have put in my stomach whilst getting a nice cleaning.

[JohnDeere 0]

I will check to find some pics later. But it's maybe 100 acres. 5-10 acres per station. The guy that drives you around controls the skeet. He will tell you if there coming from left to right or right to left. The rest you figure out when the skeet come into sight. it maybe a rabit skeet, or a high to low or low to high, close to far away, far away to close.....etc they change at every station. You (and who ever else is with you, typically 2-3 more shooters) and the other shooters all shoot that station and then goto the next station (100 - 200 yards away).

Nothing opens like a Deere!

You ignorant fool! Checks are for workers!

[LongWayToFall 0]

Wow that is sweet!

[steve1 5]

Steve1: I shouldn't be hunting in that low of a temperature, and plan on keeping the gun clean, so reliability shouldn't be an issue (I'm hoping).

.