lightest 12 ga turkey gun out there?

[Peter Gun]

i'm looking to get a turkey gun for the fall season. i don't currently own any other shotguns so i would like it to be decent home defense gun as well. I will probably be packing it around on some pretty long hikes, so i would like it to be as light as possible. looking at stats on line it appears the winchester 1300's are the lightest. i don't really like remingtons action, any other light and reliable shotties with enough capacity for decent home defense out there?

 

[charby]

You put a few of those turkey loads through a shotgun and you might not want a ultra light weight one.

Sling takes a lot of strain off carrying a shotgun.

 

[Peter Gun]

good point
how about just good for home defense / turkey and not crazy expensive? under $700?

 

[arjppj]

walmart has the mossberg 835 for $298. It has a good feel and doesn't seem to be too heavy or too light. I'm trying to convince my wife to buy one for me.

 

[Peter Gun]

my local shop has quite a few mossbergs. I'll check them out.
sorry, I wont buy from walmart as long as there is a local shop trying to be competitive (and are not retards). fortunately we have many fine gun shops in this area. Interestingly enough, one of the best shops i have ever been to is right across the street from the Walmart. They seem to be doing well, probably because they stock many guns walmart wont carry and have better ammo prices.

 

[arjppj]

i understand giving money to the local guys, but if the local guy wont come down under $370 for the same shotgun i can get for 298....i can buy a lot of stuff for $72.

 

[salty]

New England Firearms Pardner 12 ga. Turkey hunter special - under $170 w/ camo ($150 w/o camo) - add a sling - do not use 3 1/2 " shells in it if you value your shoulder - buy Remington Hevi shot 3" or 2 3/4" #2 and 4's and you are set. For under $200 with shells to last you 10 years hunting. Don't whine about only a single shot - you should only need one for a turkey hunt if you do you job and this shotgun is very light and pleasent to carry. It reloads fast with practice and always works.

 

[charby]

Check out a Benelli Nova. Well under $500 for a camo one, will shoot up 3 1/2 12 guauge, fairly light weight and bullet proof.

 

[Starter52]

Salty is dead on, IMO. You can't beat a single shot for light weight, price and reliability. Why haul around an 8 lb semiauto? Yeah, the single kicks more, but you're not shooting four rounds of trap with it.

My only other suggestion, if you feel you must have a repeater, check out an older Ithaca 37 "featherweight" pump.

 

[el44vaquero]

Ithica 37 is what I've always carried. Greatest pump for my needs. Light and easy to carry. Also like the way the empties eject out the bottom instead of an angle eject.

 

[Peter Gun]

Thanks for all the suggestions.
Remember, though, I'm looking for the gun to double for HD, so I'm not looking at a single shot.
I'm checking out some of the mossbergs at my local shop. They also have a nice BPS used. Still shopping!

 

[wdlsguy]

I'm checking out some of the mossbergs at my local shop.

A Mossberg 500 (5+1 capacity) with the 20" ventilated rib barrel might work for you. You could use a Full or XX-Full choke for turkey and a skeet choke for HD. They also offer an 18.5" cylinder-bore barrel for HD.

They also have a nice BPS used. Still shopping!

I own a BPS (4+1 capacity) with a 24" barrel. It strikes me as a bit long for HD. The shortest barrel I have found so far is 20.5". Nobody seems to make a magazine extension for the BPS.