Shotgun for Clay & HD?

[pdude]

Any thoughts on a quality shotgun for primarily shooting clays, hunting, and some target shooting? But could also be used as a HD in a pinch? As opposed to buying 2 shotguns. Trying not to do that right now, but maybe in the future.

[NapalmCheese]

The simple and somewhat snide answer is:
Buy a shotgun that is aimed primarily at shooting clays and hunting (I guess if you want to target shoot with slugs go for it). If you have to shoot someone, unless it takes more than 2 rounds they aren't going to know the difference between a 30 inch barreled over/under trap gun or a pistol grip folding stock super tac mega semi auto 9 shot ghost ring sight shotgun with bayonet.

Another idea would be that you get a Mossberg 500 or a Remington 870 and two different barrels, one short and one long. If it's a gun you are going to use for hunting as well, you're going to be limited to 3 rounds anyway unless you want to disassemble the magazine and remove the plug (and put on the extension) every time you come home. Of these the 870 Wingmaster is nice, albeit hunting oriented as opposed to clays games oriented.

Ultimately, if you like the clay games and hunting you are going to want an appropriate wingshooting style shotgun. If you like the idea of chasing bad guys around the house pieing corners and feeling very Call of Duty like, get a tactical shotgun.

A hunting shotgun will do a reasonable job for home defense, a tactical shotgun does a less than reasonable job for wingshooting.

[Thefeeder]

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Some things you can do to make a good choice for YOU are:

Go to a range that rents shotguns.... try different shotguns and see which you like.

Start going to your local range and hang with the good shooters....most are happy to show you the ropes and give you tips.

If your a novice....Take a lesson from a Clays instructor or sign up for one of the Skeet Clinic at the top of the Shotgun fourm just to get started

Read the following --

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=425953

I've shot tens of thousands of round in my life at clays and birds......not even close to 1 for anything else. I guess in a pinch anything will work.

Have fun at the range and "try to break each and every clay"... "one at a time"

[WDE91]

Buy a used 870 Wingmaster
Anyone that has owned a Wingmaster compared to an Express knows the difference

I use to own an Express that was setup for the house but when I got my Wingmaster it was sold off

28" barrel for the things that fly
Then a short 18-20" barrel for those that wish ill

[WDE91]

Whatever shotgun you end up going with you want a readily available source for a second barrel
whether that means cutting down a barrel to legal minimum or buying one new or used

But you are pretty much stuck with a pump action

[pdude]

I've been leaning towards the Rem 870 Wingmaster or a Mossberg type. Also thought about the 2 shot OO or SBS. Wondering if there are anything else out there that might be a good addition like the Benelli. I'll dig more into those.

[nothinghere2c]

i bought a rem 870 express magnum with a 26" barrel i believe. i take it clay shooting often with no problems.

you can swap barrels easy enough on it too if you wanted to get a secondary shorter barrel for HD

[7duster3]

Today is the first time that ive shot clays with my 870 express and i had a blast with it. I bought it for the sole purpose of clay/hunting so i got the longer barrel. I'd suggest getting a longer gun vs buying a tactical version because you can just buy a different stock and a shorter barrel and everything will transfer over. The only thing that you might want to consider is a different choke for the clays. That ran me about 40 bucks today at Prado because my 870 came with only one mod choke.

[WDE91]

7duster3, what size choke did you purchase from Prado?

I have found my Modified 28" barrel to be very versatile

[7duster3]

i bought an extended open skeet choke after the first round. I was able to break about 75% with the Mod choke and noticed a decent change in my performance the 2nd and 3rd rounds.

[JimA77]

Whatever shotgun you end up going with you want a readily available source for a second barrel
whether that means cutting down a barrel to legal minimum or buying one new or used

But you are pretty much stuck with a pump action

?? ??
The first part I agree with but why do you say they are stuck with a pump action?
Mossberg has a 930 package that comes with 28" and 18.5 barrels. Barrels for the Mossberg plus Remington 1100's and 11-87's are available on eBay and from multiple web sites. I picked up a 28" barrel for my Remington Versa Max Tactical for $175 shipped off eBay. All semi-auto

[ddavis1946]

I have a Wingmaster with a 28" barrel and an 18" barrel for home defense. Shooting clays is fine with a pump, but having an over-under or auto would be ideal. Although, I will say, when you hit doubles using a pump gun, it makes people respect you on the clays course a bit more.
870 and 500 barrels are pretty much everywhere. I ended up with the Wingmaster speficially because it came from the factory with 3 choke tubes.

[Rover]

Chokes will depend on the game you're shooting. If I had to pick one, it would be a modified, it's the one I use most on sporting clays, works well for trap and I can make clays disappear on skeet. With a single barrel gun, 3 choke tubes should have you covered for everything, Cylinder or Skeet, Modified, and Full. Even buying Brileys you can do that for around $120.

I would try to find an older Wingmaster with an interchangeable choke. Filing that, there's nothing wrong with the 870 Express, the range I go to has dozens of them for rentals, and after some break in they run great. An 870 Express is not an heirloom gun, but it's a great working gun, it can break clays and drop birds as well as any other. With an 870 it's easy to find an 18.5" barrel, keep it on there around the house, and it only takes 30 seconds to throw the longer barrel on there when you go to the range.

Another great gun to look at is a Browning BPS. They go cheap in the classifieds $300-400 and they're great pumps that will run forever. Again, they're work guns not heirlooms at that pricepoint, but like an 870 Express you'll be able to do anything you want with it, and so will your kids, your grandkids mite have to buy a new gun. The downside is that parts aren't everywhere like 870 parts are so finding a second barrel mite be a PITA.

I got shown up the other day by a 12 year old with an 870 express in 20ga. I was shooting well on Skeet but not exceptionally well, he outshot me by 3 starting low gun and running a pump. I was shooting pre-mount with a $3k O/U. Kid had talent for sure, but nevertheless the pump was certainly not a limiting factor.

[Virus55]

I am a 870 guy but mossberg makes a shotgun that comes with a HD barrel and a Hunting/trap barrel for i believe 3 somthing. check bass pro or big 5

[obscura101]

I saw a guy using a benelli m4 once for trap. Not sure how many clays he hit tho.