Choosing the right shotgun

[Rhubarbe]

Hi everyone,

First, I know I'm on a crossbow forum but I really enjoy this community and the knowledge of it's members.

I've been around for almost 2 years, reading, laughing and being educated while regularly consulting this forum. I've bought an Excalibur Vixen last year and I've been hunting small game with a lot of success but now I would like to keep miss vixen for large game only since it's quite costy to constantly loose my bolts trying to kill those delicious snowshoes and grouses.

Now here I am, I've read a lot and it seems like my options are : the remington 870 express and the Winchester Speed Pump (If they are available yet?)

I would like to get a brand new pump action shotgun.
I've hear d a lot of stories telling that the mossberg 500 are great, can last 20 years + and everything but it seems that the new models are cheap and unreliable.

Remington 870 express
For the 870's part, pretty much the same as the mossberg 500 but less plastic parts.
However, some say that the Express is far from the old and robust 870 Wingmaster. He's still an option since it seems like a good shotgun even if it isn't as great as the wingmaster.

Winchester Speed Pump
I've heard great stories about the Winchester 1300 but they don't make them anymore, on their website(http://www.winchesterguns.com/prodinfo/ ... p?cat=019C), they advertise the Winchester Speed Pump but I'm not sure if it's available. I've read some reviews of it here and there, stating that it's the same as the 1300 but it's made somewhere else. They look really good, about the same price as the 870 express but it feels like quality wize, it's between the 870 express and the Wingmaster.

The reason why I simply don't buy a 870 Wingmaster is because it's almost 1000$ CDN.

Ok, now let's hear what you have to say about those 2 shotguns.

Thank you and have a nice day!
Mark

[subneural]

Hey Mark, I too was in your shoes a while back trying to figure out what should be my first. I was considering the 870 express as well. Remington is not producing the quality it once did, and the new 870 Express is no longer going to last you the way it once did, so that's why I didn't choose it.

I am going to muddy the waters by throwing out a 3rd choice - take a look at the Benelli Supernova. They run about $600, and are strong, beefy, reliable, beautifully engineered and simple to maintain. You get three chokes (IC,M,F) and four shims to adjust the drop (trust me, this is a big deal). The Supernova also comes with a recoil-reduction stock, so a 2 /34 12ga shell kicks less than a .410. I love mine!

Good luck in making a decision.

[Brampton Mike]

Well I have 2 870 Expresses and they are awesome with NO problems whatsoever....

[dutchhunter]

i choose the mosberg 535 pump and could not be happyer great shot gun for the money DUTCH

[DropTine]

I have an 870 Super Mag and love it! Never had any problems.

Matt

[Kelley]

DELETE!!!!!!!!!

[Grizzly Adam]

Welcome, Rhubarbe!

Remington 870's are indeed fine, dependable shotguns.

That said, I've got a Winchester 1300 that is slicker (and faster) than any 870 I've ever seen ... and I've seen a lot of them. For me, the 1300 points and shoots better. Every 870 I've ever shot feels like a log to me in comparison. Of course, shotgun fit is a highly personal matter.

I think you should do some shooting with your proposed models, if you can. Nothing like experiencing a firearm firsthand.

You're gonna hear the most from the Remington 870 fans on here, I imagine. No problem there. They're perfectly right; their shotguns are good shotguns.

But so is the Winchester "Speed Pump".

They never asked me to endorse it, but I would.

[Pydpiper]

Another vote for the 870, loved it so much I bought two.
My Express is somewhere in the woods right now with my best friend, chasing deer, I gutted it and replaced all the internals with parts from my wingmaster, I chose the Express for the simple reason that I love the camo finish.
They have both been flawless under all the abuse I have given them, one is old (late 60's) and the other, my favorite is only a couple years old.

My next favorite is my parkerized Ithaca 87, yup, 87. I love pump guns!

[Doe Master]

My vote goes for the 870 as well .I`ve had the one for 15 plus years and my other 870 for maybe 10 .Neither has failed me unlike my o/u which had a problem with a simple dowel pin .I`ve dismantled 870`s in the field while goose hunting .Thats what I love about them is the simplicity but having said that I can not say anything bad about winchester or the others because I haven`t shot them.

[TPM]

I just can't pass up an opportunity to to give an opinion on shotguns .

Remington 870 - True, it's not made to the standards it once was but it's still a great gun. The Express models have become a workhorse of the the shotgun world and for good reason. You will not find a pumpgun design that is simpler and easier to take down and maintain. You can literally take it apart with no tools exept something to knock the trigger group pins out with (a small stick will often do). On the down side there have been some quality control issues over the years. The bead blasted and blued finish on them can be hard to keep dry and I owned at least one that wold rust at the mere forcast of rain. They also often suffer from rough chambers which can lead to extraction problems. A good chamber polishing fixes this and it's an easy do-it-yourself project. Another point to be aware or is that the Express models do not have the same light contour barrels the the Wingmasters do so they can be a bit barrel heavy. Also the synthetic stocked models have a very light butt stock and tend to be barrel heavy especially with the 28" barrels. I would put a bit of weight in the butt stock to help balance the gun out if I had one. Over-all good gun but a few hours slicking up the internals is well worth the effort.

Winchester Speed Pump - This gun is almost the same as the old 120/1200/1300 series of pump guns that Winchester made until their New Haven plant was shut down. The new Speed Pump is made for Winchester in Turkey. These guns have their following but I'm not one of them. They do have a smooth action and a lot of people like the way they handle but after owning two of them I just couldn't get used to the "assisted opening" feature. Good solid field gun but I don't think I would want one for a high volume clays gun. Both of mine had actions that tended to stiffen up a little bit when they got warm from high volume shooting. Not a big deal but still an issue for me. They are also notorious for ejector springs breaking. Again not a big deal, they're cheap and easy to replace but they never seem to break at a convenient time.

The Benelli is a good choice. I good solid, reliable gun with lots of modern features. Stoeger markets a similar gun, the Model P350 for a couple hundred bucks less. Certainly not a Benelli but a good solid gun non the less and I think it's one of the best pump gun values on the market right now if you're on a budget.

Personally I'm a Browning BPS fan . I've owned all the rest. Good guns but I wouldn't trade my BPS for any of them.

[Hoss]

870 have 2-- 12 and a 20...dropped in the drink many times duck hunting..in the mud rinse in lake or pond and re-use..no probs

[Grizzly Adam]

Winchester Speed Pump - These guns have their following but I'm not one of them. They do have a smooth action and a lot of people like the way they handle but after owning two of them I just couldn't get used to the "assisted opening" feature.

I know what you mean, TPM ... the 1300 actually opens for you when you fire. In fact, you can't prevent it when the good ones are functioning properly ... and it can be disconcerting when you're not used to it and not expecting it.

I assume that you know this, TPM, but for the uninitiated:

The key is to be aware of the feature, and to embrace the principle behind it, which is in fact SPEED PUMPING. When you shoot with the feature in mind, and cooperate with the process, these guns are blazing fast for a pump. Once I caught on, it became second nature to cycle immediately upon firing. Many who shoot beside me think I'm using an auto! In fact, I think I can work that 1300 faster than some autos. You sure can't tell any difference ... now, as to accuracy I wouldn't claim to be able to settle the bead as quick as someone shooting an auto.

Anyhow, the "assisted opening" feature isn't intended to function like other pumps. It's meant to be faster, and it is.

As to the action "stiffening up" in high volume shooting, I wonder if that isn't something to do with the fact that the 1300 uses an alloy receiver? This, of course, is not a minus otherwise. They're perfectly durable, lighter and (I think) better balanced than some of the competition.

By the way ... I think the BPS is a wonderful pump too.

My personal favorite is an Ithica 37 in 20 gauge ... was my grandpa's ... made in 1953.

[honker]

Stick to the remington... Great slug gun. Will last for ages. A true workhorse out there in all temps.

We have the 870 wingmaster here with 3 barrels.
30" full choke (came with the gun back in the day for lead)
26" remchoke smooth (accepts steel for waterfowl)
20" slug barrel for deer. Pattern it and learn its effectiveness... then be prepared come the rut.

Never any major issues - Always works.

[bigsy]

i choose the mosberg 535 pump and could not be happyer great shot gun for the money DUTCH

have one as well, great "bang" for the buck

[Pydpiper]

That Winchester is starting to sound intriguing, great.