Shotgun for deer hunting

[Infamousfrog]

Hi,

I'm a new member to this site and I just started getting into firearms. I'm looking to purchase a shotgun for next deer hunting season and I really don't know to much about them. I am looking at the Remington 1187 12ga. But when looking at the shotguns I noticed that there are different sizes of barrel lengths and barrel types. I would appericate someone to give me a quick class on shotguns and types of shotguns if someone had time.

Thanks you

 

[PRob]

Not sure on your budget but take a god luck at the Ithaca Deerslayer with rifled barrel. You will not regret the purchase......

 

[Boghog1]

The 1187 is nice and versatile but I really like my NEF/H&R, the 12g Ultra Slug hunters are tack drivers and light enough to carry all day.

 

[jefftk]

The 1187 is a good choice and if you get extra barrels you can use the same gun for upland game, waterfowl, or deer hunting
Deer barrel if you are planning on slugs 18 to 20inch barrel with improved cylinder and rifle sights or cantilever mount for a scope.
Upland game or waterfowl, about 26inch barrel bead sight and either modified of full choke, or better yet get it with a barrel that is set up for choke tubes.

IMO that would cover just about everything as far as hunting goes.

A cantilever scope mount is nice if you want to use a scope. That way the scope stays attached to the barrel which makes it easier if you want to switch barrels out, rather than mounting a scope to the receiver.

I use a Mossberg 500 with a rifled slug barrel & cantilever scope mount with a 4x scope. I swap the barrel out with a shot barrel to shoot trap when its not shotgun season and the slug barrel is still zeroed in when I put it back on.

 

[Woodstock]

The 1187 is a good choice and if you get extra barrels you can use the same gun for upland game, waterfowl, or deer hunting
Deer barrel if you are planning on slugs 18 to 20inch barrel with improved cylinder and rifle sights or cantilever mount for a scope.
Upland game or waterfowl, about 26inch barrel bead sight and either modified of full choke, or better yet get it with a barrel that is set up for choke tubes.

IMO that would cover just about everything as far as hunting goes.

This, and for a few bucks less you can get an 870 pump gun with the same options.

 

[oniriggers]

Mossberg 500 baby,,,best shotgun I ever owned

 

[Ham Slam]

I have two deer shotguns a h&r ultra slug gun & a browsing bps. I use the H&R the most. It's crazy accurate and pretty cheap.

If you want an all around gun a rem 870 with a 26 inch barrel is a great choice. You can run slugs and buck shot out of it. The 1187 is a good gun as well.

One thing to think about is buck shot is a lot harder to use then you may think. 25 yards is a good estimate for it limitations. I prefer slugs, and because of this I run a rifled barrel with a scope. Also many shots in New England are within 100 yards so a lot of guys will run a basic pump with a rifled barrel no scope.

 

[Ham Slam]

The 1187 is nice and versatile but I really like my NEF/H&R, the 12g Ultra Slug hunters are tack drivers and light enough to carry all day.

The H&R is such a good gun for deer. I've used an 870, 1100, browning bps, mossberg 500 and by far the H&R blew them away. Every time I go to the range someone say I'm going out and buying one of those next week.

 

[Racenet]

I use a Mossberg 500 with a rifled slug barrel & cantilever scope mount with a 4x scope. I swap the barrel out with a shot barrel to shoot trap when its not shotgun season and the slug barrel is still zeroed in when I put it back on.

By all means, this.

You can not go wrong with a Moss 500.

 

[juice]

+1 for H&R ultra slug. Although the 870 combo is a good deal with 2 barrels, I chose the H&R because it's dirt cheap and has great accuracy. Once you learn the gun, 2" @100yds in 12ga is very doable. I paired mine with a nikon slughunter which I chose over a leopold because of the drop markers.

To each his own, but the two downsides I heard from other hunters are: 1) 1-shot capacity, and 2) some [sallies] commented that it feels heavy. My only complaint is that the hornady sst cartridges I use are about $2.80/shot.

 

[DDave]

Good choice and it can be also used if you decide to get into bird hunting. Just purchase additional barrels for your needs.

It would be a great choice for a first gun.

 

[Mark from MA]

Most shots on deer are less than 100. You can do that with a smoothbore and a rifled slug. They cost way less than the sabot slugs for rifled barrels. Personally i think all that rifled barrel crap is hype on shotguns to get us to pay a fortune for ammo.

I will say my encore with the rifled slug bArrel and scope produces excellent groups. My 11-87 with the cantilever mount and rifled barrel really doesnt do any better than a smoothbore in fact with remington ammo it sucks. I have to shoot hornady to get a decent group.

If your gonnahave one gun and go scope buy with a cantilever so you can buy other barrels to use for birds etc.

For pumps i like the benelli or ithaca. Remington is putting out some junk nowadays.

Remington is pretty much what im willing to pay for an autoloader and mines been a good functioning gun. Just not that accurate

 

[mac67]

You can start and end your search with a Savage 220F. Dead nutz accurate,great trigger and a joy to carry. Save your money and buy a 2nd "Bird Gun".........................

 

[OSOK]

H&R Ultra Slug gun for me too.Throw Lightfields down the tube and be prepared to drag deer out of the woods.They are a little heavy to carry all day but are very accurate.If i had the money though,a new Deerslayer III would be in hands for next season.

 

[arlow]

Another vote for the Mossberg 500. I have a mossberg 500 trophy slugster and it ia a tackdriver.

Typical 125 yard group.

Every slug gun will have a slug that will shoot best out of it. Lightfields work best for me.

 

[whacko]

X2! I picked up one from a friend....unfired for $150. Only came with the bird barrell but it throws a slug pretty straight......can hit a paper plate repeateldy at 50 yards with no rear site and the smooth barrel. It'll get the job done for deer or pheasant or clays! Very versatile.

 

[Infamousfrog]

I want to say "Thank you" to everyone who responded. I have a few more options to think about now.

 

[northny]

Good advice to get rifled barrel, with cantilever if you want a scope for deer hunting. I prefer Rem 1100 over Rem 870 as the 870 forearm tends to rattle, and I have spooked deer on a few ocassion with one. Better than either is the Ithaca Deerslayer if you can have a dedicated gun for deer.

Also, deer are not that hard to kill and a 20 gauge works fine. Recoil from 12 gauge with slugs is pretty stiff. I hunted a deer camp in NYs souther tier for 20 years and we killed 12 to 15 deer opening week every year. About a third of guys used 20 gauges, and when we skinned and butchered deer the 20's did more than enough damage and killed just as well. Its all about where you hit the deer, not if 12 or 20 gauge.

A good recoil pad is a must on 12 ga slug gun. See if you can get a buddy to let you shoot thier 12 gauge before you buy one.