would like advise on my next gun

[murdoc rose]

This is my first thread on here. I was going to give more of an introduction but I have decided to make this short and sweet. I would like suggestions on what gun I should get next. At the moment I have a late 60s westerfield .22lr bolt action, old s&w 38 special victory model, 80s(i belive) H&R single shot topper .410, and a brand new marlin .30-.30. I live in north west AR and an slowly becoming a more avid hunter. As for my next purchase I'm leaning towards a rem 870 20 gauge or some other good 20 or 16 gauge pump. I'm thinking this because its a versatile gun I can hunt several things with. I'm also planing on getting a 22lr revolver, muzzle loader of some kind, 30-06 of some kind(maybe a M1) and maybe a 45-70. Open to any suggestions. I really don't see much of a need for a gun I can't hunt with besides pocket pistols unless there just fun to shoot. I also prefer older models and would rather not have a semi auto. I don't mind paying for a good gun so price isn't a huge issue but there's a line there. Thanks and am enjoying the site. oh also I would like to be able to hunt pretty much anything if I wanted too but doubt I'll be doing much over deer anytime soon.

 

[JImbothefiveth]

Neither! Get an air rifle of some kind, they are cheap to shoot and you can shoot indoors. Great practice. A pellet gun shoots lead, so you might not want to shoot that in the house. BB guns can be innacurate, but the daisy 499 champion has a reputation for being pretty accurate. After that, maybe an air revolver.


From the guns on your list, I'd get the .22 revolver first, it will be way cheaper to shoot than the
.38 special, and you can always hunt small game with it.

After that, get a shotgun set up for winged game.

 

[murdoc rose]

wow wasn't expecting that lol but actually sound advise everyone should have a bb gun personally I have several as well as a full auto paintball gun but don't consider them more than toys really. Its rare that I just go out and shoot so ammo price isn't a big deal. as far as the .38 goes I rarely ever fire it. The .22 revolver is something I've been looking at for years now and just never found one I really liked that didn't seem way over priced at the time at least later found out why it was so much. anyway thanks I really didn't expect that to come up

 

[JImbothefiveth]

don't consider them more than toys really.

They're great for practice.

Its rare that I just go out and shoot

Well how are you going to becoma a better shooter then?

Given that, I'd ask what applications you have "covered". You seem to have small game with the .22 and .410 deer covered with the .30-30, and CCW with the revolver.

I'd say get a shotgun for waterfowl, and it can also be your home defense gun. I know you said you'd like to avoid semi-autos, but you might also want to look in to an AR-15(coyote gun) or AR-10(in .308, they're supposedly pretty accurate, due to it's weight would probably only be good for stand purposes.) while you can still get them.

I can't really reccomend specific calibers, I live in a slug-only county and am not good in the "hunting experiance" department .

 

[Blackbeard]

It's actually illegal for me to posess a BB gun in my city. They passed an ordinance prohibiting BB guns from being sold or owned in the city limits, probably due to adolescent vandals shooting out car windows. My AK is perfectly legal, but a BB gun would get me a $100 fine for the first offense.

 

[JImbothefiveth]

It's actually illegal for me to posess a BB gun in my city

That's ridiculous! They should try locking up criminals instead! But then again, this is illinois!

What about pellet and airsoft guns, are they legal?

 

[murdoc rose]

I'll be the first to admit I do need more practice lol, I really do need to shoot more. Another reason for getting a larger shotgun for I have the least experience with them compared to rifles. I had been thinking about a 20 gauge but I would like a duck gun and am not sure a 20 is my best option. I believe a 12 is more commonly used. Opinions very much welcome here


and wow blackbeard that's just sad you cant have a bb gun.

 

[JImbothefiveth]

If you're going waterfowl hunting, something weatherproof might be good, it is my understanding that they can get rusty quickly. (I could be wrong, keep in mind I'm not a duck or geese hunter)

Would you like a pump shotgun, break action, or autoloading?

In pump or autolaoding guns, there are the remington 870 and 11-87 "XCS waterfowl" edition shotguns, with nickel-plated components and a corrosion control coating. I'm assuming these would be goof for that.

 

[murdoc rose]

a pump 870 would probably be my first choice seeing that they stopped making model 12s in the 60s. When I said duck gun I really meant something that I could go duck hunting with not particularly a "duck gun" but something waterproof isn't a bad idea. From what it looks like the 20, 16, and 12 is purely preference. out of the 870s I personally like the wing master but that's really based more on looks and not what matters.


added
would an 870 wingmaster be a good choice for an all round shotgun?

 

[pmeisel]

For waterfowl I like my NEF 12 gauge single shot. Good price, always works, fits me well -- and if I dropped in the water it would be the easiest to clean.....

You already have small game and deer covered. But if you can't ever go wrong with a .22 revolver, either.

 

[JImbothefiveth]

From what it looks like the 20, 16, and 12 is purely preference

Ask this question in the shotgun forum, I have no clue. For what it's worth, I choose 12 gauge.

would an 870 wingmaster be a good choice for an all round shotgun?

I don't see why not. You might need to change barrels for different purposes, such as a rifled slug one with rifle sights for deer and a compact smoothbore for self-defense. Also look at what mossberg, beretta, benelli, ithaca, and winchester have to offer. (No experiance with those, but they are the competing brands.)

I'm not sure about the other brands, but with Ithacas I don't think you can change barrels, so this probably wouldn't be a good "all-around" shotgun.

 

[bannockburn]

murdoc rose

I would agree going with a 12 gauge Model 870, with a couple of different barrels, would make a lot of sense. Light loads for upland game; heavier loads for turkey or waterfowl hunting. A rifled slug barrel would be fine for deer, or a short 18" barrel for home defense. I don't think you could go wrong with this choice for cost effectiveness, versatility, and reliability. As for a .22 revolver, I would go with a Ruger Single Six Convertible. Fun to plink with or use it for small game hunting.

 

[owlhoot]

The 12 is the "do everything" gauge. Ammo is available everywhere in a wide variety of shot sizes. If you are recoil sensitive there are even reduced recoil loads available. Ammo is cheaper than for 20 or 16. And 16 gauge ammo is almost impossible to find. I agree that the model 12 is the best pump gun ever. They can be found if you look hard enough. But the Rem 870 is lighter, easier to maintain, has factory service, and it is just as dependable. Get it with a modified barrel (med. choke) and it is adequate for anything. If it is available with interchangable chokes, that would be the better way to go.

Your 30-30 is good for deer if the range is not great. But a 30-06 or a .308 with a good scope would be nice to have in your part of the country. Buy used. Hunting rifles are relatively cheap this time of year. If you want a new one, the Savage with accu-trigger is probably the best value.

Work on becomming an expert rifleman with your .22 bolt gun before you worry about buying a .22 revolver. It takes a lot of serious practice to become a good shot with a .22 pistol. But rifle skills can be mastered rather quickly.

When you get ready to buy a .22 revolver, the Ruger Single Six is certainly a good way to go.