How do I get started hunting?

[wildirishrose]

Quote:

---

oh so the combo means it comes with inter-changeable barrels?

---

Yes that's true, but pretty much all shot guns can be bought with a smooth barrel or rifled barrel (except for O/U or singleshots). Hastings makes a slug barrel for a bunch of guns, or you can stick with the original gun maufacturer for a slug barrel (rifled).

[nitrokfa]

sd

i have no idea how big you are but i have tons of old camo clothes you can have if you are interested. some havent been worn yet. email me if interested.

[email protected]

[eviinrude115]

SD,

Geez, there aint enough room on the web.

Two things, first:

Take gun saftey.

Gun accidents are studied by very smart people.

Gun saftey courses pass this knowledge on to you.

You will want to know what actions caused most gun accidents.

Top 3 rules:

*Treat every gun with the respect due a loaded gun.

*Control your muzzle. Carry your gun safely.

*Unload your gun when it is not in use.

If you hear about a hunting accident, you'll probably find that they broke one of these rules.

Ever see someone lean their gun on a vehicle? Major mistake.

If you don't take a gun saftey course, you will look like a bull in a china shop to those who know gun saftey, or worse, you will have an accident.

Contact the DNR to find a gun saftey course.

Second:

You have plenty of advice on getting started. When you do,

be quiet. You will see more game, get more shots if you are quite. Don't drive a loud vehicle. Don't slam a car door at a parking area, don't talk, don't fart, burp, cough. Be quiet way before you think you need to be quiet. Being quiet will get you more game, year after year.

Good Hunting.

[magnumthunder]

Hi there. i'm a little late to post this but what the hay! First off I bought my daughter an 870 20 ga. when she was 10. The shells cost twice as much as 12 ga. and you are very limited to what size shot you can get. tough for her to get geese with those loads. plus the 20 ga. was bucking her more than my 12 ga. so on her 13th birthday she got an 11-87 which she just loves. If you do get an 870 and the recoil is to much you can buy lighter loads and put some lead it the stock to soften the recoil. heavier the gun = less recoil. most auto provide a lot less recoil but are more maintance. Dont forget a good cleaning kit!! do you have little brothers or sisters? You might want a good lock for it also! They are right about the 870 for a good all around gun. Also about the female thing too! I got an 870 for my wife which I thought was a good trade:-)!! She told me it was either hunting or her, I now I dont even miss her!!‹(•¿•)› dont forget that you must pocess you firearms safty certificate to be hunting. dont always buy the cheapest shells for target shooting the recoil may keep you from wanting to practice. An exta $1.00 is well worth it in the long run.My kid can shoot 4 boxes in an afternoon verus not wanting to finish 1 box! when practicing wear hearing protection it seems to cut the recoil and saves your hearing. abens1078 said it about right! Next you will need a big gun safe because you will become addicted and need more guns. Then comes the reloaders and more reloaders! Also you need to find out how much of the garage you can use! you'll want decoys, waders, and a duck boat. then when you turn 21 you will probably want a hand gun or 2. Thats all i use for deer hunting and love it, easy to carry when hauling out that deer. oh you may want a room close to the door so not to wake up everyone during the hunting season. because no matter how quite you try to be YOU WILL WAKE UP THE REST OF THE HOUSE getting ready to go. Welcome to the hunting world. oh also keep an eye out for activities in your area. In rochester we have a Jake and Jennies day whick gives kids a chance to try different things like shooting and archery events.

[TylerFlom]

lol didn't know this would last this long! I'm sd, i just got a new nickname, I checked at Cabela's they have a 870 for $250, Also, i took my class last year, so i know how to handle a weapon

[tealitup]

An 870 is an okay gun to start out with. Be careful though by saying " I took my lass last year, so I know how to handle a weapon."

Everyone here has hunted with someone who has taken a class, but would never hunt with them again because of the carelessness they have with a weapon.

There is a big difference being in a controlled envirnment compared to hunting situations when you get excited. Your first year out you should try to hunt with someone very experienced.

Good luck!

[abens1078]

Way to go bud, how's the folks doing with it so far? I wanted to throw out a couple more ideas(probably mentioned already) for aquiring a gun. Check the local newspapers and see if any one is listing an 870. I would also recomend visiting the local gun club/shooting range. Sometimes these places have buletin boards where the members list what they want to sell. Some sporting goods stores also take trade-ins from other huntes who are trading up. I guess I'm saying keep your eyes and ears open because a good deal can happen anywhere. If you question the worth of the gun just ask the guys here.

Buying a new package/combo deal is probably the best way to get exactly what you want but you'll pay for it. Some guys like to slowly add to the collection and some just want to get it in one shot and not waste time piecing things together by getting a barrel here and a barrel there. Hopefully you can get one soon so you can break some clay birds this summer for practice.

[TylerFlom]

whats the size of the chamber on the 870?

[DrKen]

870's come with std 3 inch chamber and one model is available with 3 1/2 inch chamber. This is in 12 and 20 guage. I believe you can also get a 10 ga and there is also 28 ga and .410 in the wingmaster but I'm not sure about the express. Also, in regards to taking the class and nowing how to handle a firearm. The post about the class not being enough to ensure safe handling is correct. It is a lifelong process. It would be to your advantage to spend time with a safe experienced hunter. Only with experience does the process of gun safety become 2nd nature. I've handled firearms for 40 years and still concentrate on it every time I'm out. It only takes one and I repeat one instance to result in death or injury to you or a loved one. Experienced people know that mistakes happen and make sure they have several layers of safe handling to protect themselves and others. They constantly check safeties and follow what may seem to be a lot of little baloney rules. But they tend to live longer than those who don't. DO NOT EVER BELIEVE THAT YOU KNOW IT ALL AND THAT YOU ARE NO LONGER HAVE TO THINK ABOUT GUN SAFETY! THAT IS WHEN YOU OR SOMEONE ELSE GETS HURT. Sorry to be so emphatic but that is the truth. Being a pain now can save so much pain later.

[bigbucks]

What DrKen said about chamber size is accurate, but many older 870's may only have 2 3/4" chambers, so if you find a used gun that seems cheap verify that. I'm not saying you shouldn't buy a gun with only a 2 3/4" chamber, they're still good guns, but I don't think it would be worth as much. That's all many hunters have ever owned & will own, probably not many guys on this site, but a lot of other still very good hunters. It's just a limitation most of the diehards you find here wouldn't live with long term.

[DrKen]

sorry- didn't even think about the older ones. Your right, don't be afraid of 2 3/4" shells. I can't remember the last time I bought or shot 3" shells. I don't hunt waterfowl so it's never been a issue with me. 3 and 3 1/2 inch shells were much more important when the only alternative to lead was steel but much less so with the other options. My 12 ga is a old ithaca with a 2 3/4 only so the new options were good enuff for me. The larger shells do not have more range and really a minimally denser pattern in current options so 2 3/4 shells are no longer a huge handicap for this.

[TylerFlom]

ok thanks, are 3 in. the average chamber size? I know they differ depending on what your shooting, but i just mean in general, also, im right in saying the bigger the chamber, the bigger the recoil?

[koWALLEYEski]

Id say that 3 inch is average. I know the older models are 2 3/4 or 3. Everyone now wants the 3 1/2? Does it make that much more of a difference?

[poutpro]

I think that I would want a gun that was a 3 1/2 if I were to buy a new gun just for shooting at big Canadians that are a ways up. ( Unless I'm with Kevin, he'll put a little 4 shot in ther a#@)

[DrKen]

almost all shotguns now come with the 3" chamber as the standard. They will still shoot a 2 3/4" shell. Yes, the bigger the shell the more recoil in general. Magnums do not necessarily give you more range. What they generally do is give you a more dense shot column which may give you a higher percentage of a kill at longer ranges. It does not mean your range really jumps say from 40 to 60 yds. Some newer loads out there are high velocity and this can jump your range as it is quite a jump say from 1400 fps to 1900 fps. It reduces your lead on a moving target and puts more energy into each pellet. However, it is the responsibility of each shooter to limit themselves to a reasonable range. Not cool to wound animals and extending your range too far results in a lot of wounded birds. No shell is a replacement for good shooting. Have fun, be responsible.

[TylerFlom]

I will, I'm curious, could you guys estimate the difference in recoil from the various shell sizes? I mean like how much more recoil there is in a 43 in then a 2 3/4 in.?

[tealitup]

Honestly, you are a young guy that is excited about hunting. Do not worry about the recoil when buying a gun that could be 3 or 2 3/4. You can shoot 2 3/4 in a 3 in chamber. If you found one that was 2 3/4 or 3 in BUY THE 3 inch. When shooting at a duck/goose you will not feel anything.

[abens1078]

The recaoil won't become an issue until you decide to shoot trap for a couple hours or something like that. The recoil during hunting is not even an issue when that upland bird flushes, waterfowl comes into to decoys or Deer moves towards you.

Recoil gets to you when you shoot over and over again and for that reason they make 2 3/4" shells with less powder. get a gun that chambers the big boys but learn to shoot with the lighter loads so you get an idea of what to expect.

Rule of thumb, more powder=more recoil. Some exceptions.

2 3/4 inch chamber for my uses. I'm not a waterfowl guy so hopefully one of them will fill in the gaps.

7/8 - 1 .oz usually in many trap and small field loads

1 1/8-1 1/4 .oz you are getting into heavy field and magnum loads. I usually use these for phesants on windy days.

Anything over 1 1/4,= Turkey loads, deer slugs etc and you might remember the first time you shoot one of these off. They bark and jump a little more.

One other point is the clothing you will be wearing while shooting. You will most likely be wearing insulated layers which will absorb alot of the recoil. I practice through the summer with light loads and by the time I need to use slugs I've got my nice thick coveralls on and its a walk in the park.

Have your buddy punch you in the shoulder as hard as he can and then remember its no where near that bad....when you hold the gun correctly.

If you were in Iowa I'd take you out for an afternoon on the farm or a local shooting range and bust some clays. I'd let you pop off a few on a .22 then a .410 and then get into the light 12 gauge loads and if you were feeling brave we'd get the deer slugs and a couple milk jugs full of water. When you see that, all these guys talking safety will make a world of sense real quick.

[magnumthunder]

Opps didnt mean to start anything about the recoil. My daughter does shoot trap thats why i said something about weight in the gun. Trust me when you got birds cupping or that buck in front of you, Yo are not going to feel a thing. If I were you I'd just buy An 870 Express which can handle 2 3/4 and 3", with a 28" vent rib barrel with rem choke. you can get them for about $249 and you can always sell it if you dont stick with it. Oh by the way who is going to buy it for you. Also treat every gun as it were loaded. Its always the unloded gun that kills someone!

[TylerFlom]

thanks for the info! I was wondering if you could give me a few areas close to here (twin cities, or the ones closest to them) because i think the more i plan it out, the more likely my parents will let me get one (if i had enough money i don't think they would forbid it, but i'm hoping to borrow some from them, and right now, they wouldn't borrow it