Hunting Shotguns

[NewLife2626]

Can you guys point me in the right direction on a good pump action to hunt upland with, I have a single shot 20ga. that has done well over the years but I looking to move to more shells. I have looked at the 870 express ( and have asked about them in the shotgun section on here) but the more I read about them and remington QC I have pretty much ruled them out as an option. I thought about a semi but I now want the relieability of an pump action, and why the hell is it so hard for companys to make a quility product anymore, I know moneys tight for alot of people but come on.

[Artos]

Find a clean used 870 Wingmaster...the quality is going to be much better.

The Beretta 390 is a solid semi performer and what many of the guiding outfits use in Argentina which says a lot!!

[NewLife2626]

I have been hearing alot about the beretta 390 is it really as relieable as they say, does it eat everything you throw in there and how is the build quality and customer service if something goes wrong.

[Watrdawg]

The 870 Wingmaster is a great pump. The Browning BPS is also very nice. Good thing about the BPS is that is ejects shells from the bottom. So if you are left handed by chance the BPS will work fine for you. Semi-auto's are not necessarily unreliable. I shoot a Benelli Super Black Eagle II and have shot everything from the lightest skeet loads to 3.5" heavy turkey loads and have not had a problem yet. I hunt everything from Dove to Swan's with it. The Beretta 390 is a great inexpensive semi that you can easily find most anywhere. Walmart even sells them.

[matemike]

A wingmaster will do you just fine...real easy on the pocket book too

But Benelli makes a fine pump gun

And if you really want QUALITY...and price is not a huge problem, look for a Browning Citori...Over under...shot 11,000 shells in a week on an Argentina dove hunt...not one misfire!

[Packman73]

My hunting pump is an ancient Mossberg 835 I got as a gift from my late father-in-law. I like it and I've taken many, many birds with it.

[J-Dub]

Browning makes a BPS upland that looks sweet. English stock, 20" barrel....

If i were to buy a pump, that would be it.

[Gutshot John]

Why did you rule them out? There are no QC "issues", it's just not made to the same standard as the police model. That doesn't mean it sucks. That said a few parts for a total of about $30 and you've taken care of 99% of the issues.

For a hunting gun an 870 express is just fine. Tactical guns get much harder use which is why there is a police model. You'll notice that Remington doesn't sell any 870 Police guns in a hunting configuration.

Sure the wingmaster is a higher quality gun, but you could hunt for decades with the express and never notice a difference between the two but by all means get a wingmaster if you prefer. You also need to factor in that many wingmasters won't tolerate steel shot which might be an issue depending on where you're hunting.

Generally speaking shotgun manufacturers make either "hunting" guns or "competition" (clays) grade guns. Hunting guns are almost never made to the same standard as competition guns. Why? Because they don't need to be. They don't see nearly as much use. A competition gun will generally shoot more rounds in a single afternoon at a skeet range than a hunting gun will during an entire year.

But hey, it's your money. If you've identified a real need for a higher quality gun, and you've got the coin I can think of better guns than either the wingmaster or express. I'd rather chew glass than shoot a pump gun.

[GeorgiaBoy]

I agree with Gutshot.

I have and know friends that have bought Expresses in the recent years, and none of us have problems with them. Ruling out the express on its "QC" problems doesnt have as much relavance in the hunting world as it does in the tactical world. You have zero to no room for failure in a defense situation; your gun hanging up in the middle of a dove just means that your further from reaching your bag limit.

As was said, I would buy an Express if I were you. Replace a few of the parts if you are that worried. Paying $300+ more for the Wingmaster really isn't necessary.

[48J]

If you want a pump, you might consider an Ithaca Model 37. The Ultra 37 has an aluminum receiver and is one of the lightest upland guns that I have ever handled. The platform is a bottom ejection gun. I would recommend a 20 guage simply because of the reduced weight that you will carry during a day afield. I have an Ultra 37 and really enjoy it.

If you want a really fine upland gun, look for something in 28 guage in an over/under or side by side. 28 guage has regained some popularity and is easier to find than in the past.

[crossgun]

Quality shotguns are made by companies that have names that end in vowels!

In most all cases Field guns and Comp guns are exactly the same! The main difference is in the features and fit.

Funny how we get all spun up about tactical guns and their quality when they spend most of their life "racked" in some room or in the cruiser and see very little range time.

Good gas guns rock! If you put shit in (ammo) you get shit out!

I would have no problem taking a tested and proven duck or dove shotgun to a fight especially over one that was labeled tactical.

A pump shotgun offers NO advantage in the field over a gas gun.

[Artos]

The wingmaster is snot on a doorknob & in the same class as the pre-64 model 12 for smooth of operation.

I would take an original model 12 trench gun against any of the modern combat shotguns if I had the coin.

The express just doesn't have the fit and finish but will eventually break into a decent slick pump if you shoot it enough & should not be discounted for any application. The wingmaster just makes the hunting experience more enjoyable & there is something personal for me using the vintage pump gun in the field.

I too have moved into the autos and currently use an early M1 benelli w/ the magic bolt as my main go to rig for both quail and home defense but grasp the want for a pump set up.

Playing with a 20ga 870 express magnum right now just for grins.

[superr.stu]

For me, if I had to pick a singular go to hunting shotgun it would be my 870 Wingmaster. I can hunt anything that flies with it, it's slicker than greased baby poo, not to heavy, and I just like running a pump.

That being said there are guns that I do prefer over the 870 for a specific task. If I were hunting dove for several days it's hard to argue against a Beretta 391. It's just so much softer and nicer to shoot for long term. By the same token for something like quail there is a lot on the plus side for a short fast 20ga over under.

I guess what I'm getting at OP is what exactly are you looking for this gun to do for you? If you are looking for something that you are only going to hunt with 3-5 times a year, that you can use for waterfowl, pheasant, dove, ect... with only changing a choke tube an 870 express might be the ticket. If you need something that you are going to pheasant hunt with daily all season long then you might want to look into something softer and more refined.

[awm14hp]

SP10 for Turkey and Goose hunting

A-5 for Ducks

1100 SP for most everything else and clays have a 28 Remchoke
and Rifled barrel for deer.
Being from NY I spent most of my time hunting with Shoty and now we can rifle hunt but I still carry my shotgun when weather isnt good to deer hunt with

[TWR]

Lot's of interesting takes in this thread...

You want a hunting shotgun for upland birds, I'd skip a pump and pick up a Benelli M2 with a 21" or no more than a 24" barrel and rule the world.

I'm an old bird hunter, I've owned pumps and autos and the autos rule for me. I have seen more shooter induced problems with pumps than any decent auto will ever have. My Benelli M1 has been spitting out shells as fast as I care to pull the trigger on quail, pheasant, dove, turkey, coyotes and clays for maybe 15 years now, without ever having a bobble. The 21" barrel is my favorite and I've been told the sight plane isn't long enough but I shoot it better than my 24", 26" and 28" shotguns which included Benelli Montefeltros and a SBE, as well as numerous Rem 1100's and an old Mohawk 48.

The 870 express is a base gun and shouldn't be compared to a wingmaster but it can be made better if you so choose.

[Watrdawg]

I don't shoot a pump. I use my SBEII for everything. It ha a 24" barrel and it fits me perfectly. Earlier I gave an opinion on pumps because the OP asked about them. However, I don't use one now and defnitely prefer my semi-auto. The only onther time I use something other than my SBEII is on upland game. Then I shoot a Ithaca/SKB Mod 600 20ga O/U. Great light, little O/U. It's a specalized shotgun and that is the only thing I use it for. Other than that the SBEII is my do it all shotgun

[Jfkudla]

Find a clean used 870 Wingmaster...the quality is going to be much better.



I second this. 870 is absolutely the way to go with pump action. The 887 is not too bad either, and fairly priced, but I don't know if it is the kind of gun you'd want if you're specifically going to use it for upland bird hunting (aestheticallly speaking).

My first real shotgun was an 870 Wingmaster Ducks Unlimited edition. That gun outperforms SBE-IIs, 1187s, and especially my Auto 5 on the regular. If conditions are harsh, the semi autos stay in the safe and the 870 comes out.

-Justin

[Artos]

The 21" barrel is my favorite and I've been told the sight plane isn't long enough but I shoot it better than my 24", 26" and 28" shotguns which included Benelli Montefeltros and a SBE, as well as numerous Rem 1100's and an old Mohawk 48.

I shoot the longer bbls much better...my M1 is 28" and the Beretta 682 has 30" tubes.

[TWR]

I shoot the longer bbls much better...my M1 is 28" and the Beretta 682 has 30" tubes.

To each his own. The first guns I had were 26" and I've tried the 24" and 28" as well. My first Benelli was the 21" and I just shoot it better but I hear it every time I hunt with guys I don't know. Funny thing is after the hunt they all start asking questions...

Oh and the guys at the skeet range tell me to put a muffler on it.;)

[shua713]

I would go with the 870 wingmaster

[Watrdawg]

To each his own. The first guns I had were 26" and I've tried the 24" and 28" as well. My first Benelli was the 21" and I just shoot it better but I hear it every time I hunt with guys I don't know. Funny thing is after the hunt they all start asking questions...

Oh and the guys at the skeet range tell me to put a muffler on it.;)

I haven't tried a 21" barrel yet but my SBEII has a 24" barrel and I shoot it a lot better than the longer barrels. I hear the same thing you do from people about the length and the loudness of it, especially when I'm in a duck blind with others. I think the reason this shoots well for me is because of my size. I'm only 5'5" and the shorter barrel just swings right for me. Longer barrels seem to lag behind when I'm swinging through a target. Over all this shotgun fits me really well. I'm sure that has a lot to do with it also.

[TWR]

I don't know what the reason is but it is evident on the skeet range and in the field. I'm 6'1" and love my carbines, I did have an 18" M2 Tactical but the 21" M1 is all I have now. If I had a regular stock on the M2 Tactical, it would probably still be in the safe for coyote and turkey hunting.

I actually traded the M2 Tactical for a Rem 700 XCR Tactical in 308 with of course a 20" barrel...

[JDest]

I think Gutshot John pretty much said it. The 870 Express isn't perfect, but if you make the necessary upgrades (as I had my friend do when he recently bought his Express) you should be good to go. Is the Wingmaster of higher quality? Sure. But you still get plenty quality with the Express model provided that you purchase the (nearly) obilgatory upgrade parts.

[handlebar1980]

can't beat the old 270$ 870 pump

[vaspence]

I'll toss in a recommendation or two. If you are a walking upland hunter, grouse, woodcock, rabbits, etc. a light 20 is the way to go (at least for me). I had an 870 Special Field with an english stock I used for a few years. The 21" barrel was no hindrance and the gun was easy to carry all day. If you need a longer barrel this may not be for you, but for a hunting gun it was easy to maneuver in and out thickets, etc. I beleive you'll have to look for a used one and the barrels are fixed choke.
Second recommendation is actually a 28 gauge. The Franchi AL 48 is also a walking hunters friend. Very lightweight semiauto, not sure what the 20 gauge would weigh but it's less than 6 lbs. I bought one after hunting a couple of days with a friends Sportmans 48.
Current upland gun is a Stevens 5100 20 gauge that was my wife's great grandfather's. Nice double 20 with real walnut and checkering. Nothing fancy, a working man's gun from the 40's that works.

[billybob19606]

One cant go wrong with a 12ga pump gun with choke tubes. Win1300, or Rem870. Can be used for ANY type of hunting situation.