Need help on purchasing a Gun

[Kidd]

I have a dilemma on my hands. My son is a hunter and I'm not. He hunt's deer with a shotgun and I am going to buy him a new gun for Christmas. My question, in the research I have done so far, it seems the Remington 870 with a riffled barrel would be a good choice. It's priced around what I want to spend; I just want to ask you guys if these guns are worth their price or is there something else I should be looking at?

Thanks in advance.

[shortfatguy]

checkout the thompson encore. you can get a 12 or 20 guage slug barrell as well as many caliber rifle barrels and also a muzzle loader barrel. many different uses for this gun! that way if he wants to hunt with a rifle all you have to do is take out 2 screws and the hingepin and replace the barrel and away you go.

[Walleye Guy]

If he already has a shotgun, I would consider buying him a rifled barrel for it. A rifled barrel with a cantilever scope mount would be ideal. This is assuming that he has a shotgun that is worth "upgrading" The gun manufacturer will probably sell barrels as will aftermarket providers such as Hastings if it is a fairly common shotgun.

I believe Remington sells shotgun combos where you can get an 870 with a regular shotgun barrel and a rifled slug barrell. Mossberg, Winchester and Benelli also sell combo's.

If you find out what his current shotgun is I can give you some direction as to whether you can get a rifled slug barrel for it.

WG

Good luck.

[mechanictim]

With all the accessories available for the 870 it can be one gun for all seasons. If your son already has a shotgun you might be able to buy a rifled barrel with a cantilever scope mount and throw in a quality shotgun scope for the same money as a new 870 deergun. If you add a scope to a bird gun you need a raised cheek piece for the stock to get proper eye alignment and take some of the sting out of the recoil. If you know the make and model of his shotgun any sporting goods retailer should be able to tell you if there is a barrel available for it.

If your looking for a dedicated slug gun Savage makes a bolt action shotgun with a fully rifled barrel,Model 210f, that shoots just like a bolt action rifle.

[fishermn]

I bought the 870 express combo (shotgun + rifled slug barrel) last year for just a bit over $300. Its a decent gun, and I have been very happy with it. My only complaint is that after running a box of slugs through it getting it sighted in, my shoulder felt like hamburger! I would definitely recommend it, considering the price I was able to get it for.

Another good option, depending on what types of hunting you want to do is the Savage model 24 combination gun. They are an over/under combo with a rifle on the top and shotgun barrel on the bottom. Personally, I have one with a 357 mag / 20 gauge combo, and I absolutely love it. I have been contemplating buying a 30/30 / 12 gauge combo for the kids to use as well. My only complaint about the newer model 24's is that they only come with the synthetic stock. They aren't cheap, but they are really versatile.

[SCUMFROG]

Gander Mountain sells an 870 express 12 gage combo, rifled cantilever barrel with scope and the other barrel is a ribbed bird barrel. Boar sited right out of the box. It's a Gander exclusive so you wont find it any place else. My wife just got me one last night for Christmas. She surprised me with it. It's synthetic black with a matte black barrels. Looks so cool. It's my first gun. I also looked at Thomson Center Arms encore I liked that one also, but I want to duck hunt and maybe turkey hunt next year and a single shot just wont work for me right now. Good luck.

[Kidd]

Thanks for all the help fella's, I appreciate it. I see I have a little more work ahead of me.

This isn't going to be as easy as I hoped.

[SCUMFROG]

I looked all summer. Lots of guns out there. Just go every place that sells them look at them and ask lots of questions.

[lawdog]

I have two 870's that are exclusively used for deer hunting. One with a rifle sights barrel and the other with a scope mount fully rifled barrel.

I also have a 20 gauge 870 that I shoot roosters with and a youth 20 we bought for Jr. this year.

The 870 is low maintenance and will last forever. The Wingmaster that my rifle sight barrel is on was bought used by my dad in 1952! worth the money? YOU BET!

[Dan Wood]

The 870 in my opinion is one of the best guns for the money. Barrels for the 870 are pretty easy to come by as well, so he could use it for bird hunting and the like if he wanted. My first shotgun was an 870 that I still use some and have never had any issues with it.. For the money, they are a very solid gun..

[icehousebob]

I have three 870's in 12gauge 3&1/2", 16ga. and 28 ga. The 16 ga.I've had for over 40 years. It is a three barrel set. I'm probably the only person in Minnesota that ever wanted a 16ga. three barrel set. My sons own another four 870's. We've never had a mechanical problem with any of them. If I had to bet my life on the dependability of a gun, it would be an 870. They work.

[riverrat56]

Say icehouse bob might be a stupid question but what would the 3rd barrel on the 16 ga be, Slug barrel and a bird barrel but what is the 3rd?.

Anyways to answer the original question the 870 is a great gun, put a rifled slug barrel on there and anything inside 75 yards better watch out, i would recomend open rifle sights on the barrel because most of your shots will be closer and if he hunts a heeavy pressured area you will have lots of jogging/running shots and the open sights are quicker on moving targets.

RR56

[icehousebob]

Riverrat, The gun came with a full choke barrel, like almost all shotguns in the fifties and sixties. I was able to pick up a new improved cylinder barrel that had laid in the box for about twenty years. Then I picked up a used full choke barrel that I cut to 24 inches and added rifle sights. Back when I got that gun, the Coast to Coast store sold it to me for $80. I think the price has gone up since then.

[Kidd]

Well I bit the bullet (no pun intended) and purchased the 870. After reading the responses here and talking with a number of salesmen I decided the 870 is a pretty safe bet as a gun he will like.

Once again, thanks for ther help.

[SCUMFROG]

Witch one did you get? Camo, matte black, or the wood.

[Ely Lake Expert]

I am gonna have to agree with everyone about the 870, they are nice guns for the money. I think if you are looking for a gun with many interchangeable barrels, I would have to go with shortfatguy and say the thompson encore. My dad has one for muzzleloading and you can get just about any barrel you want. Very nice.

Ryan

[Kidd]

Scumfrog. I got the Black Matte, my thinking there was it seemed indestructable and low maintenance.

Ely Lake Expert. I did look at the encore, and it is nice, but I was looking strictly for a Deer hunting gun so all the options weren't necessary. Plus the salesmen starting asking a bunch of questions I did not have answers for.

Want to feel like an (Contact US Regarding This Word)? go shopping for something you know very little about, It's humbling.

[SCUMFROG]

What barrel? The cantilever with scope is the one my wife got for me. It looks really cool, I can't wait to get out and shoot it.

[lawdog]

scumfrog, just a word of advice learned from experience. On the Remington cantilever barrel, there are several screws (four if I remember right) that actualy hold the mountinig bracket to the barrel. Take those out and put them back in with the strongest Loc-tite you can find. I had those come loose on mine once and you won't hit the broad side of a barn if they do. That's the only problem I've ever had with it and that is easily avoidable and should just be checked to ensure they are tight occasionally...

[SCUMFROG]

Thanks Lawdog, I'll have to look at that tonight. I don't remember any screws on it. I'm assuming they are were the arm and barrel met, right.

[lawdog]

Yep they screw into the barrel through the arm. They are recessed screws so you hardly notice them unless you look. I guess there is also a possibility they've changed that design by now. Mine is over 10 years old already (man I'm getting old), but just check it out to be safe.

[SCUMFROG]

Thanks again. I can't wait to shoot it. Do you know of a place that's still open that I can go to?

[bigbucks]

riverrat56, you're selling him short on "anything inside 75 yards". My smooth bore slug barrel on my 870's dead-on to a 100. I'd think the rifled barrel should be good to at least 125 & probably more.

[SCUMFROG]

Lawdog, I looked last night there are 2 screws holding that arm down. I'm going to leave them for now. (not shotting that barrel yet.) But I will keep an eye on them. Were I work we have some stuff I can put in the hole to keep the screws from backing out. But when you need to get it out it comes right out. Do you know of any range still open around the metro area to go shooting at?