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.