Charlie Martinez
Member
My first shotgun was a Mossberg 20 ga bolt action. I still have it & its in great condition but hasn't been used in many years. Does anyone still use these guns regularly for any particular purpose?
Does anyone still use bolt action shotguns?
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Chevelle SS
Member
A friend of mine has an old bolt action J.C Higgins 20ga that he shoots trap with. He beats my friends and I 90% of the time even with our "better" guns.
I have the exact same gun, J.C Higgins 20ga, and a 12ga Mossberg bolt action as well, but I don't shoot them often.
I have the exact same gun, J.C Higgins 20ga, and a 12ga Mossberg bolt action as well, but I don't shoot them often.
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Charlie Martinez
Member
Does his have an adjustable choke?
Armored farmer
Member
Savage has a nice bolt action slug gun. #1 son has one. It's a good shooter.
crestoncowboy
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I wound up with a 124c straight pull bolt action. I let kids use it squirrel hunting. Is so awkward I can watch them closely and the junk plastic stock and simple design is quite light. I've used it myself a time or two but prefer every other type of shotgun I own over it.
I went hunting a few yards back with a 92 year old great uncle of my hunting buddy. He had a bolt action. It was 20 or 28 guage. Very well worn. Had likely killed many animals. We also took him hunting deer that year. He sat in the jeep watching a field (yes I know, questionable legality.) while we stalked. He carried a well worn very plain Remington rifle. He has passed away now but was still hunting at 92, although I don't think he intended to shoot anything honestly. So yeah some people do use them today.
I went hunting a few yards back with a 92 year old great uncle of my hunting buddy. He had a bolt action. It was 20 or 28 guage. Very well worn. Had likely killed many animals. We also took him hunting deer that year. He sat in the jeep watching a field (yes I know, questionable legality.) while we stalked. He carried a well worn very plain Remington rifle. He has passed away now but was still hunting at 92, although I don't think he intended to shoot anything honestly. So yeah some people do use them today.
Chevelle SS
Member
No, it's a fixed choke.
troy fairweather
Member
some of the best rabbit guns i have used were bolt shotguns, when i was young i kinda went crazy with old bolt shotguns. my dad worked at a large gun shop and they had a $10 or under rubbermaid garbage can, most sundays i went to work with him i would take home at least one gun from the rubbermaid. i had over 50 usable bolt shot guns and parts to make many more. they were all lost in the 2011 flood. if we needed a shot gun for deer it would be a 20ga bolt.
Shanghai McCoy
Member
They show up at the farm auctions around here pretty often.
The ones that I've seen look like they spent most of the time on the truck floor behind the seat...
The ones that I've seen look like they spent most of the time on the truck floor behind the seat...
NIGHTLORD40K
Member
My dads HD shotgun is a 12ga JC Higgins turn-bolt. It sure is scary looking.........
NapalmMan67
Member
Haven't shot it in awhile, but I inherited a Mossy 20ga. bolt shotty. In fantastic shape, beautiful wood and I think I have all 3 chokes for it. As great of a shooter that it is, I still am not much of a clays master with it- or any other scatter gun for that fact.
Fine Figure of a Man
Member
Quite a few guys in Iowa were using these but rifles are replacing them now that straight wall cartridges are legal for deer.
I've shot some pigeons and a few muskrats in my pond with a Marlin Goose Gun.
Not a useful or practical gun at all but worth the $200 I paid to hang on the wall.
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Charlie Martinez
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I wonder if it be a better slug shooter & double as short range home defense gun if the barrel was cut shorter & I do away with the choke system.
I was given a Savage Model 18 in 12 ga -- hard to beat that price! Since it had essentially zero resale or trade-in value, I used it for my first effort at refinishing a gun. I re-blued all the metal, stripped the old finish from the stock, stippled the fore end and grip with a Dremel tool, and stained and varnished the wood. I also added a Tru-Glo front sight. It turned out quite nice, I think. I have taken multiple turkeys with it. The extractor is broken, but since that part is kind of expensive to replace relative to the value of the gun, and turkeys don't generally need a quick follow-up shot, I haven't messed with replacing it.
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Charlie Martinez
Member
Looks pretty good!
earlthegoat2
Member
Mossberg 695s, Browning A Bolts, Savage 220 and 212s, and Marlin 512s are all over the place in MI for what once had a large shotgun only zone. Like many other places it now allows straight wall handgun cartridge rifles and I am sure they are rapidly replacing specialized slug shooting shotguns.
Olon
Member
My buddy has a bolt action 12 gage he inherited from his gpa. It's a savage I believe and has an adjustable choke. Very long barrel, like 30" or more. His gpa used it for hunting geese. Interesting magazine design; it's quite finnicky.
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Jessesky
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I really want to get a rolling block shotgun for trap
SwampWolf
Member
Imo, bolt-action shotguns are best suited for game like rabbit and deer and, perhaps, waterfowl. In terms of "handling", they make for poor bird guns. If I'm hunting typical upland birds, I'd much rather be using a good single-shot shotgungun over any bolt-action shotgun ever made.
entropy
Member
Got one of those in my basement, until my son comes and picks it up.
So true!
BigSteve57
Member
I have a Browning A bolt slug gun with rifled barrel in Mossy Oak.
https://www.browning.com/products/firearms/shotguns/a-bolt/discontinued.html
I've never used "shot" in it - just slugs.
I guess using regular shot shells in it would be a huge no-no.
It's darned accurate and when used with Remington slugs; it also kicks like a mule.
https://www.browning.com/products/firearms/shotguns/a-bolt/discontinued.html
I've never used "shot" in it - just slugs.
I guess using regular shot shells in it would be a huge no-no.
It's darned accurate and when used with Remington slugs; it also kicks like a mule.
Janos Dracwlya
Member
I have a JC Higgins 583.23, with the polychoke. I had a gunsmith shorten it to 20 inches and put the choke back in place to keep it handy. It's a lot of fun to shoot.
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