Favorite Shotgun

[dennishoddy]

I came late to shotguns.. though I'd bought a bolt action, mag -fed 16 g. Mossberg as a teenager back in the late 60's.
Not sure why I bought it, other than I thought I should have a shotgun. Just looked @ it..had it for over 50 yrs. and doubt it has 100 shells shot thru it.
It does still look new ( as it should) barrel says it a Mod. 390A. I inherited a Sears 12g. pump from my Dad, it was probably unfired when I got it..Dad bought around '66 or '67 when there was rioting in Detroit. I believe that's when he bought most his guns, (which he never used) Did some research & learned the Sears 12g was a Sears branded Winchester "econo gun"..nothing special, it works. I know I shot maybe 100 shols thru it.
When I moved back to Mi. a old school friend, (from Jr. high & high school) invited me to shoot clay birds with him. Just hand thrown birds. I thought it was fun, so I asked around at my club ( I actually entered my club's shotgun club bldg !) Looked at what guys were shooting , then asked a few guys, "what's a good entry level shotgun ? " for shooting clay birds) Almost universal response was , a Browning Citori " also mentioned by a few was a rem 1100.
Stopping @ a gunshop sometime later, looked @ a Citorui.. it was nice, but priced @ something over $ 1K..

A co-worker @ my job was a serious shotgunner, his recommendation was a Rem. 1100. While looking , learned they'd just come out with the 1187, an upgrade from the 1100. It was more reasonably priced, so I bought one. Shot it once or twice, thought it was nice, worked well. Happened to stop @ another gun shop & while looking around, saw a big "sale" sign hanging on a Citori.. it was actually reduced in price, from the last place I looked at one. Dug out the credit card,
and bought it..& lived happily ever after

Well maybe not that, but I was impressed that when I started shooting the Citori, I hit more birds ! I did find & buy a set of Briley knurled choke tubes for it,
as no wrench is needed when changing choke tubes. Next, I bought a Mec Grabber , some wads, shot ,& powder &, then started loading shells.
My club is bordered by a small pond to the south, and there's a bunch of wetlands behind the shotgun fields.
The EPA came in, & made the club move the trap, skeet , sporting clays fields. This took some time, & I lost interest, went back to shooting pistols
Another friend suggested shooting shotguns @ clay birds , & I took the Citori out & shot it, 1 st time in too many years.
I need to do that again, soon.

A Citori is in my collection. It's taken who knows how many quail and pheasant as well as breaking thousands of clay birds. The only shotgun I can shoot better is a Browning Sweet 16 built in 1946. I bought it unfired in 2001 at an estate sale.
That shotgun and I have a personal relationship. When I point it at something, it either dies or breaks. It's amazing how well that shotgun fits my shooting style. But, ammo is expensive.
A couple of years ago, a fellow competition shooter came on a huge stock of 16 ga shotshells that he bought for pennies on the dollar, sharing the savings with me. I ended up with 7 cases of 1oz, 7 1/2 shot along with two cases of 1 1/8 oz #4 shot.
Doing my best to shoot it up!

 

[joepistol]

is your Citori a 16 g ? or your using them in your Sweet 16 ?

I didn't mention a couple of 20g I later bought. Thought I'd get my sons interested, so bought an SKB 20g. autoloader that's internally, very similar to a Rem 1100, but the internal parts on the SKB are all hard chrome &
It has a selector switch on the fore end to switch for 2 3/4" or 3 " shells .

I later bought a new Ruger Red Label O/U in 20g.. the only firearm I 've owned but didn't shoot.
Had it while the club's fields were being reworked, ended up finally selling it. I did shoot the SKB 20g. and was quite impressed with it.

 

[barnetmill]

The old Goose Guns that were in Vogue at the time actually produced lower velocities than shorter barreled shotguns. The Powders used were expended in the first 18-20" of barrel length. There was nothing but friction from that point on to reduce velocity.
Long barrels were great for black powder shotguns which I have in the Uberti double barrel 12 gauge muzzle loader. Fun shotgun for dove season, but you can't see what you hit! LOL.
I'm trying to work up a Forester slug load for it to take a deer just to say I have.

I will have to do some reading on that. I think it may depend on powder and load being used. But what you say is true for .22 rim fire LR barrels. Relatively speaking shotguns a low powder/ to bore ratio and the powders are quick burning powders. On 22 LRs extremely light loads become much quieter as the barrel length increases. So I use a 24 inch barrel for my CCI 22 quiet ammo. Makes about the same noise as a pellet gun.
Ok where is this going, well there is a legal device that acts like, but legally is not a silencer for shotguns. Meant for killing problem or pest birds around air port, crops, etc. Hunters also use them. It puts a 32 inch barrel extension on a shotgun barrel.
I am not exactly sure how it couples to the choke threading of the shotguns barrel.

Metrogun

Simply remove the shotgun's choke system and install the Metro Gun extension. Then, add the choke to the muzzle of the Metro Gun extension and you're all set to shoot. Fast, simple, and completely legal in all 50 states according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
.........This heavily ported, 32-inch, screw-in barrelextension acts like a gas-burner, to reduce noise and recoil from shotguns while improving patterning. When coupled with sub-sonic ammunition (available in lead shot, tungsten/iron shot and slugs), the system reduces a shotgun's blast and is a popular choice for sportsmen pursuing quarry in suburban areas.

 

[ratwhacker]

I will have to do some reading on that. I think it may depend on powder and load being used. But what you say is true for .22 rim fire LR barrels. Relatively speaking shotguns a low powder/ to bore ratio and the powders are quick burning powders. On 22 LRs extremely light loads become much quieter as the barrel length increases. So I use a 24 inch barrel for my CCI 22 quiet ammo. Makes about the same noise as a pellet gun.
Ok where is this going, well there is a legal device that acts like, but legally is not a silencer for shotguns. Meant for killing problem or pest birds around air port, crops, etc. Hunters also use them. It puts a 32 inch barrel extension on a shotgun barrel.
I am not exactly sure how it couples to the choke threading of the shotguns barrel.

Metrogun

View attachment 36670

View attachment 36671


Simply remove the shotgun's choke system and install the Metro Gun extension. Then, add the choke to the muzzle of the Metro Gun extension and you're all set to shoot. Fast, simple, and completely legal in all 50 states according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
.........This heavily ported, 32-inch, screw-in barrelextension acts like a gas-burner, to reduce noise and recoil from shotguns while improving patterning. When coupled with sub-sonic ammunition (available in lead shot, tungsten/iron shot and slugs), the system reduces a shotgun's blast and is a popular choice for sportsmen pursuing quarry in suburban areas.

Yeah, I remember reading about that in The Varmint Hunter's Magazine (now defunct). They had one "writer" that pushed them pretty hard, he might have had a stake in the company, I dunno). What concerned me, was that some shotguns have had their tube threading cut "off" center, and with that added length and awkwardness, it might make pointing that unwieldy shotgun even worse (you don't "aim" a shotgun, you "point it") I seem to prefer a shortened "turkey gun" barrel better, anyway.

 

[barnetmill]

Yeah, I remember reading about that in The Varmint Hunter's Magazine (now defunct). They had one "writer" that pushed them pretty hard, he might have had a stake in the company, I dunno). What concerned me, was that some shotguns have had their tube threading cut "off" center, and with that added length and awkwardness, it might make pointing that unwieldy shotgun even worse (you don't "aim" a shotgun, you "point it") I seem to prefer a shortened "turkey gun" barrel better, anyway.

Definitely not a gun for hunting quail in southeastern piny woods.

 

[mm1911]

Didn't know something like this existed

 

[ratwhacker]

Metrogun

Ah, soooo, yeah, the "writer" was L.P. Brezny, and I was right, he's the owner of the company that sells these things. They no longer sell the 32" version, and have gone to shorter models, and just for Remington shotguns, now. The link to his site is there, and it seems to be a noisier version, than the longer tubes.

 

[barnetmill]

Yeah, I remember reading about that in The Varmint Hunter's Magazine (now defunct). They had one "writer" that pushed them pretty hard, he might have had a stake in the company, I dunno). What concerned me, was that some shotguns have had their tube threading cut "off" center, and with that added length and awkwardness, it might make pointing that unwieldy shotgun even worse (you don't "aim" a shotgun, you "point it") I seem to prefer a shortened "turkey gun" barrel better, anyway.

Many of the combat people are trying to turn shotguns into rifles with super tight groups. And yes there is a place for super tight groups, but if I am not using slugs there is not much use for rifle sights on a shotgun.

 

[ratwhacker]

Many of the combat people are trying to turn shotguns into rifles with super tight groups. And yes there is a place for super tight groups, but if I am not using slugs there is not much use for rifle sights on a shotgun.

A lot of folks like to use shotguns when calling in coyotes, and a tighter pattern with buckshot IS helpful for that. My father could roll a coyote at 100 yards with his old JC Higgins bolt-action shotgun, but he'd have to use several shots to do that. He shot them in front of running hounds, in wide open pastures.

Most folks nowadays are using electronic callers and shooting them within 50 yards, in brushy patches, which is what I'm going to do next month, I hope. I'll use my Benelli-clone with full choke and BB shot (Dad preferred #4 Buck, and I would, too, if I could find some). I'm thinking about a red dot for my shotgun.

Here's an example of such things.
I

 

[mm1911]

TargetsportsUSA has some #4 buckshot but pricey, if you were a Prime Ammo member 1 box or a 100 free shipping, still free shipping if you buy a case, here's a few examples

 

[barnetmill]

A lot of folks like to use shotguns when calling in coyotes, and a tighter pattern with buckshot IS helpful for that. My father could roll a coyote at 100 yards with his old JC Higgins bolt-action shotgun, but he'd have to use several shots to do that. He shot them in front of running hounds, in wide open pastures.

Most folks nowadays are using electronic callers and shooting them within 50 yards, in brushy patches, which is what I'm going to do next month, I hope. I'll use my Benelli-clone with full choke and BB shot (Dad preferred #4 Buck, and I would, too, if I could find some). I'm thinking about a red dot for my shotgun.

Here's an example of such things.
I

a couple of months ago I purchased a case of for very cheap. The loads seem ok. They are not plated.

I see that they have gone up in price a bit. It is Turkish ammo


If you search around you might get for a lot less. Purchased it for close applications. For coyotes you might want plated shot.





https://sarusa.com/product/12-gauge-buck-shot-case-200-shells-4-buck-27-pellet/

12 Gauge Buck Shot Case (200 Shells) | 04 Buck 27 Pellet

$179.80

SAR USA 12ga 04 Buck Shot

 

[dennishoddy]

We read about those extended barrels years ago and saw a video of where hunters were hunting with them. Very quiet.
We had a master machinist working for us, so as a lunch time project, decided to build one and try it.
Tried it on clay birds but nobody could ever master it. Swinging that much steel around was difficult.
Our machinist wanted to try something else, so he used the EDM machine to put ports down the side at a 30 degree angle in the tube. About ten small ports on each side. Talk about reducing recoil, it was like shooting a .22 rf.
One of our security guards was an Oklahoma Highway Patrolman. He got wind of our project and quietly informed us that it was indeed a suppressor and illegal to own. It would be in our best interest to destroy it which we did.
Turkey hunters with the bismuth and Hevi-shot shells are taking out turkey at 80 yards.

 

[barnetmill]

We read about those extended barrels years ago and saw a video of where hunters were hunting with them. Very quiet.
We had a master machinist working for us, so as a lunch time project, decided to build one and try it.
Tried it on clay birds but nobody could ever master it. Swinging that much steel around was difficult.
Our machinist wanted to try something else, so he used the EDM machine to put ports down the side at a 30 degree angle in the tube. About ten small ports on each side. Talk about reducing recoil, it was like shooting a .22 rf.
One of our security guards was an Oklahoma Highway Patrolman. He got wind of our project and quietly informed us that it was indeed a suppressor and illegal to own. It would be in our best interest to destroy it which we did.
Turkey hunters with the bismuth and Hevi-shot shells are taking out turkey at 80 yards.

'' suppressor and illegal to own'' Maybe yes and maybe no with it being at the whim of the ATF. Without a letter declaring it not to be, the best thing is likely to destroy it.
If one has the money, maybe if it was made of titanium.

 

[ratwhacker]

We read about those extended barrels years ago and saw a video of where hunters were hunting with them. Very quiet.
We had a master machinist working for us, so as a lunch time project, decided to build one and try it.
Tried it on clay birds but nobody could ever master it. Swinging that much steel around was difficult.
Our machinist wanted to try something else, so he used the EDM machine to put ports down the side at a 30 degree angle in the tube. About ten small ports on each side. Talk about reducing recoil, it was like shooting a .22 rf.
One of our security guards was an Oklahoma Highway Patrolman. He got wind of our project and quietly informed us that it was indeed a suppressor and illegal to own. It would be in our best interest to destroy it which we did.
Turkey hunters with the bismuth and Hevi-shot shells are taking out turkey at 80 yards.

Way back when I was shooting 3 gun stuff. I took a gunshow 1100 barrel (no rib) and drilled some holes down ONE side of it. It would just lay in your hand when shooting a steel plate machine, and push it to the next plate, you didn't have to do anything except pull the trigger. No muzzle rise, and it pushed itself. It was pretty fun to fool with. While an 1100 isn't neary as fast cycling as a Benelli, it doesn't kick as hard, either, so it was a pretty even trade in my book. I usually had a 10 or 12 round tube extension on it, too, so there was practically no recoil to speak of. I just used a Black and Decker household drill, nothing fancy, Remington's barrel steel is pretty soft.
Dang we had fun back then. Nothing was off limits to our imaginations.

 

[Guardian]

A Beretta white onyx o/u for birds,
The Beretta A300UP for security.

 

[kevinl]

I was an NRA member but quit. I am a former cop and don't understand their position on background checks!

 

[grainfed]

I've got several. For big birds, I use my Spanish 10 gauge double barrel that was handed down from my grandfather. Others are a MAC 4 customized, multiple police 870's, FN SLP, Beretta 1301, SKB 12 O/U, but the favorite is my late 70's 870 that I SBR'd with a police 14" barrel. It's got a nice spread with 00 buck.

 

[Gunflint1]

I was an NRA member but quit. I am a former cop and don't understand their position on background checks!

"Universal" background checks means Preventing Personal Sales, or you giving firearms to a relative. "Unless you go through a dealer". They can shove the Universal checks.

 

[BobT]

My favorite shotgun is the Model 12 Winchester, especially the pre-war guns. I appreciate a fine double gun also and I own a few 870 Remingtons but IMHO Winchester had it right when the called the M12 "The Perfect Repeater".

 

[Gunflint1]

My favorite shotgun is the Model 12 Winchester, especially the pre-war guns. I appreciate a fine double gun also and I own a few 870 Remingtons but IMHO Winchester had it right when the called the M12 "The Perfect Repeater".

Agreed..Love those Model 12's. I also like my model 42.